(Eagle News) — The Philippines on Wednesday, October 10 sent off to Indonesia much needed supplies and humanitarian assistance for the victims affected by the 7.5 magnitude earthquake and tsunami that hit the country on September 28.
The aid supplies were loaded onto a Lockheed C-130 “Hercules” cargo ship.
Relief goods and other assistance, including six water filtration units, six generators, 100 tents, 4,400 assorted sleeping kits, were among the supplied loaded to the Philippine Air Force C-130 plane.
The disaster also killed more than 2,000 people and displaced thousands and thousands of residents.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana led the send-off ceremonies of the Philippines’ humanitarian aid and mission to Indonesia at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City.
Lorenzana said that it took them a while to prepare the supplies to help Indonesia as the Philippines was also recently hit by disasters, including the landslides in Itogon in Benguet and in Naga City in Cebu after typhoon Ompong hit the country.
“We could have reacted earlier but we had also disasters here in the Philippines lately. Up to know, we are still retrieving some bodies at the landslides,” he said.
The Indonesian Embassy through Deputy Chief of Mission of the Indonesian Embassy to the Philippines, Budi Dhewajani, thanked the government for the assistance.
“We thank, as I have mentioned earlier, we thank the government and the people of the Philippines for all the condolence and assistance when my government (requested) for international support, the Philippine government quickly responded (to) assist us in this difficult situation,” the official said. (With a report from Eagle News Service Earlo Bringas)