Medical aid and relief goods for typhoon Haiyan victims

In a first for the Zuellig Family Foundation, a medical mission was mounted on November 19 for the victims of super typhoon Haiyan in the ZFF partner-town of Ivisan in Capiz. Another medical mission was held in Dao, Capiz the next day.

According to Dao Mayor Joselito Escutin, the super typhoon was the “worst” to have ever hit his town and added that Dao is “back to zero” as the typhoon badly damaged and tore the roofs off church, school buildings, health centers, daycare centers, barangay halls, gym and almost all houses.

While the Foundation has been distributing relief kits to victims of calamities since its establishment, this is the first time it undertook a medical mission. Given the extent of the damage and with a staff made of a number of health professionals, ZFF saw it fit to render medical assistance aside from giving relief goods. Volunteer health professionals also joined the ZFF team.

Transportation challenges from Manila to the affected areas have made the delivery of relief goods slow and difficult. Of the 12,000 kits for Capiz families, over a thousand kits have been brought to the province and distributed to different villages in Ivisan and Dao as of November 20. The Foundation expects the delivery of the remaining kits and their distribution in the two municipalities in the next couple of days.

Aside from Capiz, the Foundation has also prepared 8,095 kits for families in the municipalities of Salcedo, Giporlos and General MacArthur in Eastern Samar. Additionally, the Foundation will donate medicines in nine Samar and Northern Samar municipalities and in the Palawan municipalities of Agutaya and Magsaysay.

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ZFF has ongoing recovery programs in Eastern Visayas. To help in these efforts, please get in touch with Sealdi Gonzales,scgonzales@zuelligfoundation.org, or call her at (632) 8213329 local 117.