Consulate extends RP diplomat’s appeal to help Katrina survivors

The Philippine Consulate on Saipan is extending to the CNMI the appeal of Philippine Ambassador to the U.S. Alberto del Rosario for the local Filipino-American community to help victims of Hurricane Katrina, which devastated New Orleans last week.

Consul General Wilfredo Maximo said Del Rosario appealed to the Filipinos in the United States last Monday to participate in fundraising drives for the victims of the hurricane.

Maximo said Del Rosario confirmed that the Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C. and all Philippine consulates in the U.S. are ready to receive check donations from the members of the community. The check donations must be payable to the American Red Cross.

Philippine Foreign Service officers and staff in the U.S. initially committed to donate at least $10,000 for the victims. National Federation of Filipino American Association president Loida Nicolas-Lewis also pledged $10,000 from her personal savings.

“All check donations received by the Embassy and the Consulates will be gathered and will be turned over to the American Red Cross as the collective donation of the Filipino-American community,” said Del Rosario.

The Filipino-American community’s participation in this fundraising drive will concretely demonstrate its sense of civic duty, its humanitarianism and its commitment to be a positive force in American society, added Del Rosario.

The ambassador promised transparency on the donations that would be received by the embassies and consulates. He said the names of all donors and the corresponding amounts donated will be posted on the embassy website, www.philippineembassy-usa.org.

Del Rosario said the Philippine Embassy in the U.S. would also issue periodic public announcements to give a running tally of all donations received by all Philippine Foreign Service posts in the U.S.

Del Rosario said that the drive is in addition to the embassy’s efforts to rally the help of Filipino-American doctors and nurses from Texas and other states. He added that his office is currently working with the State Department in terms of how this assistance could be embedded in the federal government’s system of relief and rehabilitation operations.

The Philippine government is also preparing to send a team of doctors and sanitary engineers to assist in the relief and rehabilitation efforts in the hurricane-stricken areas. Del Rosario said State Secretary Condoleeza Rice has already acknowledged the support from the Philippines.