Albay, Philippines: The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), along with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), received over 50 tons of humanitarian aid from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the families affected by the Mt. Mayon unrest in Albay on Monday, June 12, 2023.
On receiving the food donation, The Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin Benhur Abalos and President Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos extended gratefulness to the UAE government for the initiative.
The DILG Government Secretary Benjamin Benhur Albalos shared that the President, Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos, is pleased and thankful to the royal family of UAE, including its President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Prime Minister Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Prime Minister Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, it’s Interior Minister Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Ambassador to the Philippines Mohamed Obaid Salem Alqataam Alzaabi, and all the people of UAE for this donation and added “the very first international aid that we received for the victims of Mayon volcano unrest,”
The Secretary for Social Welfare and Development, Rex Gatchalian, has also expressed his pleasure and gratitude to the UAE government and shared that the donation was made possible by the effective coordination of the DILG Secretary Benjamin Benhur Abalos, with his counterpart, UAE’s Minister of Interior, who is a good friend of him and is the King’s brother. He added, “We are thankful to Sec. Benhur, through his good working relationship with UAE’s Minister of Interior, for facilitating the speedy turnover of the donation.”
Further, Gatchalian said that the Philippines would equate the UAE government’s swift humanitarian response with the equally fast turnover of displaced families and individuals. Repacking will be done in Albay to expedite the distribution and ensure that the families will receive the relief goods immediately.
As per the update shared, the donated goods include rice, cooking oil, powdered milk, salt, and sugar. The 50 tons of relief goods were flown via chartered flight care of the UAE government. Meanwhile, The DILG Secretary Abalos also visited the operations centre at the Albay Provincial Capital and met with Gov. Edcel Lagman to discuss concerns about the imminent eruption of the Mayon volcano.
After the meeting, the DILG chief also visited the evacuation centre in Daraga, which temporarily houses 190 families or 723 individuals displaced by the eruption of the Mayon volcano.
