RP pays it forward to Haiti with medical teams
By Nestor P. Burgos Jr.
MALAY, Aklan, Philippines—Citing the country's own disasters and the outpouring of international assistance when a series of calamities ravaged the country, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Friday said the Philippines would be sending aid to earthquake-devastated Haiti to help hundreds of thousands of victims.
“I had instructed the (Department of Health) to send medical teams to Haiti to help the earthquake victims there. And I instructed the (Armed Forces) to put our reserve peacekeeping company on standby in case the US asks for additional troops,” the President said in a speech during the launching of the P2.5-billion Caticlan Airport Development Project here.
“Why? Because we are more than ready to give a helping hand as we were victims ourselves (tropical storm) ‘Ondoy,’ and (typhoons) ‘Pepeng’ and ‘Frank’ a few months ago and a year ago,” she said.
“We have also been a recipient of international assistance. Now it is our turn to do that,” she added.
She said that in past, the country's worst typhoons—including Reming, Ondoy and Pepeng—claimed almost a thousand lives each but in the earthquake in Haiti, at least 100,000 were casualties.
“If we suffered that way we can imagine their suffering a hundred times,” Ms Arroyo said.
She said Haiti is “especially close to our hearts” because of the Filipino peacekeeping troops “who are doing a good job there and who have once again risen to the occasion as they (done) here in the Philippines each time.”
via RP pays it forward to Haiti with medical teams – INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos.
When all countries enjoy an acceptable level of wealth then I will say that Nationalism Is Bunk, till then we must continue to belong to a community of nations, where we have a duty to help our friends in need. These are the few times I wish I was rich enough to help.