Mexican kid gives savings for RP victims of typhoons

10/16/2009

A Mexican fifth grade student has donated his personal savings amounting to 410 Mexican pesos or about P2,451 in local currency for Filipino children affected by the devastating storms in the Philippines .

According to Philippine Ambassador to Mexico Alejandro Ortigas III, a Mexican boy by the name of Alejandro Luna Flores called on him at the embassy last Oct. 9 to express sympathy for the victims of Typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng and to handed over his donation for them.

The boy, who was accompanied by his lawyer-parents and his six months old brother, took the amount straight from his money box, Ortigas said.

The envoy said Alejandro had developed an interest on the Philippines during a summer class and since then started collecting items about the Asian country, including two-peso Philippine bills that are no longer in circulation.

In his letter to Ortigas, Alejandro said he likes reading the history of the Philippines and one of his favorite tourist destinations in the country is Chocolate Hills in Bohol province.

During his courtesy call, Alejandro presented the Philippine Embassy a rooster art work in blown glass, a product of the State of Hidalgo, which his father said symbolizes the cockfighting influence of the Philippines on Mexico.

In turn, Ortigas gave Alejandro a Philippine table flag and other mementos.

The young boy said he hopes to visit the Philippines someday.

Ortigas said he intends to ask a friend in a chocolate and cookies business in Mexico to match hundred times the donation of Alejandro, so it can benefit more Filipino children.

At least 669 persons were killed after two destructive storms pounded over the central and northern Philippines, causing heavy floods and massive landslides, destroying over P7 billion worth of agriculture and displacing tens of thousands of civilians.

The Department of Foreign Affairs said as of Thursday, financial donations from the international community for victims of Tropical Storm Ondoy has already reached a total of $101.31 million (P4.80 billion).

A significant portion of the financial contribution came from international organizations, which has reached US$76.03 million (or P3.53 billion). These include contributions in cash or in kind from the United Nations Development Program, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the World Food Program, the World Health Organization, among others.

Donations from the Philippines’ bilateral and multilateral/regional partners follow with US$21.70 million (or P1 billion) and US$3.64 million (or P169.53 million), respectively.

Philippine bilateral partners who donated in cash or in kind are Australia, Singapore, the United States, Japan, China, Canada, Italy, South Korea, Thailand, Germany, Switzerland, New Zealand, Brunei Darussalam, Bahrain, Sweden, Brazil, Norway, Spain, United Kingdom and Great Britain, and the Czech Republic, among others.

Michaela P. del Callar

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