Press Release
July 19, 2009

Gordon leads PNRC turnover of 660 homes in Aklan

Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) Chairman and Senator Richard J. Gordon (Ind..) will lead the turnover of 660 Red Cross homes to beneficiaries in the Province of Aklan on Monday, July 20. The homes that will be turned over is in addition to the more than 15,000 homes already turned over by the PNRC to people who had lost their houses during natural disasters.

"Our mission is to bring help to the most vulnerable and bring an end to the cycle of poverty and disaster. It is our hope that by providing shelter to those who have lost their homes, we can help people rebuild their lives and become productive again," said Gordon.

Barely a month after Typhoon Feria swept across, a large number of people may be coming to terms with its aftermath. The NDCC reported that 13,273 families or 63,021 persons were affected by the tropical storm from the provinces of Pampanga, Batangas, Cavite, Quezon, Romblon, Occidental Mindoro, Albay, Masbate, Camarines Sur, Antique, Cebu, Leyte, Biliran, Western Samar, Eastern Samar and the National Capital Region.

A total of 758 houses were totally damaged while 6,665 were partially damaged by the storm. Gordon said that providing shelter to those who may have lost their homes should be prioritized.

The Red Cross under Gordon's leadership has completed a total of 15,012 homes, of which about 6,634 families benefited from full shelter kits and the remaining 8,378 were from roofing kits given by the PNRC.

The PNRC had been in the forefront of helping the victims of major disasters and emergencies that hit the country such as Ginsaugon, Southern Leyte landslide, typhoons Reming, Milenyo, Winnie, Yoyong, Unding, Violeta and the on-going Mindanao conflict.

Apart from raising funds for the acquisition of housing materials, Gordon secured the assistance not only of the international aid agencies and other foreign governments but also of the Philippine and US military in transporting the materials.

In partnership with the Australian Aid (AusAid), Cruz Roja Espanola (Spanish Red Cross), European Commission Humanitarian Aid, Agencia Espanola Cooperacion Internationale and International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, the PNRC was able to provide shelter to the most vulnerable.

The largest numbers of Red Cross homes were built in several towns in the province of Camarines Sur which totaled to 5,600, of which 3,360 families were given full shelter kits and 2,240 others with roofing kits.

A total of 2,640 homes were built for victims of Typhoon Yoyong. A thousand families who lost their homes in the towns of Bacacay, Legaspi, and Manito in Albay were provided with 600 full shelter kits and 400 roofing kits; another one thousand families in the towns of Bato, Virac, and San Andres in Catanduanes were provided with 600 full shelter kits and 400 roofing kits..

A total of 822 Red Cross homes were also built in Aurora Provinces, 827 homes in Isabela, and 802 in the towns of Mulanay and San Francisco in Quezon Province.

About 500 homes were likewise built in Casiguran, Prieto, Diaz, and Gubat, Bacon District in Sorsogon; 802 in Baco, Bulalacao, Calapan, Naujan, and Victoria in Mindoro Oriental; 802 in Buenavista, Mogpog, Sta. Cruz, and Torrijos in Marinduque; and eight out of the initial 24 housing units in Lanao del Norte.

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