Russian relief goods handed out

CLOSE to 40,000 families in the calamity-stricken areas of Cebu and Leyte provinces have received the relief assistance extended by the government of the Russian Federation in the wake of supertyphoon Yolanda.

The nearly 60 tons of Russian relief goods were entirely released last Wednesday (Nov. 20) to the families affected by the supertyphoon in the Cebu northern towns of Sogod, Medellin, Malapascua, Daanbantayan, Tabogon, San Remigio, Tabuelan, and Borbon, the islands of Camotes and Bantayan, and the cities of Ormoc and Tacloban in Leyte.

The Russian relief aid arrived in Cebu on Nov. 14 aboard two Ilyushin-76 military freighter aircrafts which took off from the Ramenskoye airport in Moscow.

Including hundreds of boxes of canned goods and sacks of sugar, the relief goods were immediately repackaged for distribution and then transported without delay to the affected towns in Northern Cebu.

Russian Honorary Consul Armi L. Garcia said the relief goods came from the State Reserves of the Russian Federation (Rosrezerv) and were personally delivered by Gen. Vladimir Stepanov, the deputy minister for Civil Defense and Emergencies for Natural Calamities.

The relief aid was duly turned over to Vice Governor Agnes Magpale and Atty. Mark Tolentino, on behalf of the Cebu Provincial Government, for the distribution process.

“On behalf of the Russian government, I wish to extend my gratitude to all the school children and volunteers responsible for the efficient repacking of the goods,” Garcia said. “The joint efforts of the volunteers, the Sweet Alert Society and friends, together with the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Provincial Government made it possible for us to deliver the goods to the families in the affected areas in such a short time!”

Consul Garcia also expressed total appreciation for the very enthusiastic response of Ateneo de Cebu by instantaneously opening its gymnasium for the temporary storage and repacking of the relief stocks.