Community organisations are hoping to collect HK$20,000 to provide food, water, and medicine for victims in the Philippines.
Filipino domestic helpers in Hong Kong have initiated a month-long fundraising drive to assist families impacted by a recent 7.8 magnitude earthquake in the southern Philippines, with organisers highlighting the urgent need for food, clean water, and medical supplies.
Members of the Abra Tingguian Ilocano Society were gathering donations at several sites on Sunday, including outside City Hall in Central, with the goal of raising a minimum of HK$20,000 (US$2,550) for the affected communities, especially in Mindanao and other severely impacted areas.
“Right now, our focus is on food, water, and medicine,” said Ludy Guinaban, president of the group. “Numerous families have lost their homes and are pleading for assistance.”
Dolores Balladres, a spokesperson for the Asian Migrants Coordinating Body, informed the South China Morning Post on Wednesday that at least three of their members’ families were impacted by the earthquake, with one suffering from trauma.
Balladres noted that although the families were generally unharmed, their neighbourhood was severely damaged.
“The situation is dire; the count of those missing and affected continues to climb,” she added.