The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) appealed to Filipinos on Tuesday to help the people of quake-hit Turkey them thorough donations following a devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake on February 6.
No less than the Embassy of the Republic of Turkey asked the PRC to assist in the donation efforts.
On Tuesday, the House of Representatives swiftly responded to the call with a donation of P10 million that was personally received by PRC Chairman and CEO Richard J. Gordon at the Batasang Pambansa.
In accepting the donation, Gordon noted that it is fitting that one of the first to answer the call for the Turkey appeal is the House of Representatives, led by Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez.
Romualdez is from Leyte, the province that was badly hit by Haiyan in 2013. During that time, Turkey was the first to send aid to the Philippines.
“This donation from Congress is a very important gesture to show Türkiye our solidarity as they showed us in Haiyan. The donation is critical, especially during this time because this is the coldest time of the year for the affected regions,” Gordon said.
He added: We cannot begin to imagine what our Turkish brothers and sisters are going through, those who survived the quake and are left without shelter out in the cold facing freezing conditions.
Gordon was accompanied by PRC Governors Carissa Coscolluela and Rachel Arenas during the simple turnover ceremony at the House of Representatives.
Image credits: Contributed photo
