Filipino-Canadians help CMC raise $34,000 for tsunami victims

Filipino-Canadians help CMC raise $34,000 for tsunami victims

TORONTO–In spite of the bad weather conditions, Filipino-Canadians trooped to the Japanese Cultural Centre in Toronto on Saturday (Jan. 8) in an effort to help raise funds for the tsunami victims that struck South Asia last December 26,2004 claiming around 150,000 lives. The Canadian Multicultural Council Asians in Ontario of which Filipino-Canadians are among its dynamic members, organized the fundraising drive.

“Regardless of religion, race or culture, everyone has extended a helping hand which only proves that we are all united in an effort to help one another especially in such a colossal tragedy like the tsunami,” CMC president Jose Saavedra Jr. told reporters after he received a cheque of $10,000.00 from the Budda’s Light International Association. As of press time, the group has received a donation of almost $34,000. (See page 23, for the CMC donors list.

Saavedra was pleased with the event’s results describing it as one of the most successful humanitarian appeal their organization had ever launched.

Fifteen-year old Rocel Enverga caught the attention of everyone when she handed over to the CMC officials her hard-earned savings which was still wrapped in a disposable plastic wrapper. She said she wanted to give it to the children whom she feels are crying for help. She was on holiday in Bangkok a year ago where she met some Thai friends.

According to her father, Jun Enverga, Rocel felt sad when she saw the news on TV. “She immediately told me that she wanted to help,” said Jun. He later assisted his daughter transfer her coins to an official donor envelope while at the same time watching her smiling shyly in front of the camera crew.
“I feel sad for the victims and I hope that my little contribution can help them in some ways,” said president of Philippine Mindoro Association, Violet Turalba, while signing donation form in front other Filipino guests.

Apart from the people who came to give financial contributions, others came to share the grief of their loved ones while others came to sympathize with the victims.

“I think the tsunami affected a lot of people. The tragedy is incomprehensible,” said Minda Neri, one of the officers of the Philippine Independence Day Council. “I am just glad that we have a lot of sympathetic hearts. The response is horrendous as well.”

Officials of the Canadian Red Cross such as Gord Moore and several dignitaries and officials of the CMC 16-member organization attended the event. The members of the CMC Asians come from countries like Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Burma, China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, India, Pakistan, Taiwan, Tibet, Thailand, Japan, and Vietnam.

The event went on live telecast from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. that consisted of interviews and appeals. A schedule was allotted for each respective community.

According to Philippine Consul General Alejandro Mosquera, the concerted efforts of the CMC is “very touching” – and that their spirit of solidarity in helping humanity has been overwhelming. The CMC was among the first groups that gave a donation during the recent typhoon in the Philippines.

It may be recalled that on December 26 an earthquake measuring 9.0 on the Richter scale shook the ocean floor off the western Coast of Indonesia. Parts of the sea floor rose by about 10 metres, displacing hundreds of cubic kilometres of seawater. That generated a tsunami – a series of huge waves that quickly fanned out across the Indian Ocean.

The waves moved so quickly, there was no time to sound the alarm. Walls of water slammed into coastal areas of Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India and – thousands of kilometres away – Somalia in East Africa.

The waves destroyed whatever lay in their path from the built-up tourist resorts of Thailand to isolated fishing villages in Indonesia and Sri Lanka. Thousands of people were killed. The number of dead rose by the hour as the extent of the devastation became apparent. The resulting giant tidal waves known as tsunamis were the cause of the deaths of over 150,000 people with more deaths expected due to lack of clean water and resulting diseases.