By Jade Belen

The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) welcomed donations to support its ongoing relief operations for affected families of Severe Tropical Storm (STS) Paeng.

The PRC assured that donations would be used for immediate relief efforts and long-term recovery for areas most adversely affected by STS Paeng.

"Our volunteers and staff have been working non-stop for the past six days to immediately respond to families affected by Paeng. We have deployed food trucks, payloaders, and water tankers to help thousands of affected individuals," PRC Chairman and CEO Richard J. Gordon said in a statement.

STS Paeng, which made landfall on Saturday, 29 October, caused severe flooding and landslides across the country and affected 90,935 families.

PRC is currently monitoring 44 provinces, 11 of which have ongoing operations: Cotabato-Maguindanao, Capiz, Masbate, Leyte-Hilongos, Cebu, Western Samar - Catbalogan, Northern Samar, Camarines Norte, Sultan Kudarat, Zamboanga City, and Antique.

PRC has served hot meals to 21,007 individuals in evacuation centers, ports, and terminals and distributed 61,000 liters of water.

It also provided welfare desks, face masks, shelter tool kits, blankets, food packs, and bottled water to vulnerable communities. Payloaders were positioned in strategic areas, one of which is positioned in Sta. Rosa Laguna to conduct cleaning operations.

PRC Welfare Services provided Child-Friendly Spaces (CFS) and Psychosocial First Aid (PFA) to 1,500 individuals to help affected individuals cope with the trauma caused by flooding and displacement.

A lack of sanitation facilities and hygiene items, commonly occurring during floods, can increase the transmission of waterborne diseases (e.g., cholera and diarrhea). PRC provided hygiene promotion and hygiene kits to 883 affected individuals.

PRC is currently assessing and monitoring the further needs of affected communities. Donations to fund PRC's interventions can be sent through:

EMERGENCY APPEAL – BANK DETAILS
BANCO DE ORO (BDO)
Account Name: PHILIPPINE RED CROSS
SAVINGS – CHECKING: 01-29-2800-1854
SAVINGS – DOLLAR: 10-45-3003-9482
Swift code: BNORPHMM

METROBANK
Account Name: PHILIPPINE RED CROSS
SAVINGS – PESO: 151-3-041631228
SAVINGS – DOLLAR: 151-2-151002182
Swift code: MBTCPHMM

BANK OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS (BPI)
Account name: PHILIPPINE RED CROSS
SAVINGS – PESO: 4991-0036-52
SAVINGS – DOLLAR: 4994-0103-15
Swift code: BOPIPHMM

IN-KIND DONATIONS:
Philippine Red Cross Tower
37 EDSA cor. Boni Avenue, Mandaluyong City
Email address: [email protected]