Flying from the North Sulawesi provincial city of Manado on a chartered plane, the people`s welfare minister arrived in Davao city at 9.10 am local time.
There, the Indonesian minister will symbolically deliver 2,500 blankets, 2,500 tarpaulin covers and 2,000 tonnes of rice from the State Logistic Agency (Bulog) warehouse in Manado, as well as 100 kg of baby food, and 100 kg of medicines to the victims.
"The aid will be transported by Indonesian warship KRI Teluk Banten, which is scheduled to arrive in Davao before New Year`s Eve," Agung said before leaving Manado for Davao on Saturday morning.
He noted that the shipment of 2,000 tons of rice from Manado`s Bulog warehouse would not have an affect upon rice supplies in North Sulawesi, because Bulog still has 50,000 tons of rice.
The Indonesian government earlier provided US$1 million to the government of the Philippines through Defense Forces (TNI) Commander Admiral Suhartono, during a joint military exercise with the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
"The shipment of the aid to the victims of typhoon Bopha in the Philippine southern island of Mindanao is part of Indonesia's solidarity with the Philippines and meant to reinforce the spirit of the ASEAN Community, because Indonesia has hosted the ASEAN disaster management center since 2011," Agung said.
According to a CNN report, the intense typhoon cut a swath across the southern Philippines, destroying buildings, setting off floods and landslides.
Typhoon Bopha struck the large southern island of Mindanao, which is rarely in the direct path of tropical cyclones, fueling fears that it could be as devastating as a storm that killed more than 1,200 people there almost one year ago.
Bopha, the most powerful typhoon to hit Mindanao in decades, had top winds of 175 kph (110 mph) as it came ashore over the city of Baganga early on December 4, 2012.
Millions of people, many of whom live in remote and unprepared communities, were in the storm`s path, Philippine authorities and aid groups said.
CNN reported that the typhoon has affected more than 213,000 people, demolishing houses and stranding people in two Mindanao regions and parts of the Visayas region.
Further, as of December 25, 2012, the Philippine National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) announced the typhoon was responsible for 1067 deaths and 834 missing.
Particularly hard hit was Davao Oriental Province, where most houses were damaged due to the strong winds and rain caused by the typhoon, and some residents continue living at an evacuation center.
Agung noted that Indonesia is a leading country in ASEAN and, therefore, providing humanitarian aid to victims of the storm in the southern Philippines was the proper response.
Indonesia was selected to host the ASEAN Coordinating Center for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management (AHA Center), which started operating in 2011.
The AHA Center was established to provide cooperation and coordination among ASEAN member countries, the United Nations and other international organizations in promoting regional collaboration in responding to disasters.
The AHA Center aims to become a coordination and information center for disaster handling in ASEAN.
"We also hope that with the existence of the AHA Centre, the capacity and capability of disaster management in Indonesia and ASEAN will be improved," Agung said.
According to the secretary to the coordinating minister for people`s welfare, Indroyono Susilo, the functions of the AHA center was classified into the ASEAN disaster information center, the center for assistance mobilization for ASEAN member countries, the operation coordination center, including for joint emergency response, administrative coordination center, and the coordinating center for knowledge and study on disasters in ASEAN.
Officials noted that the AHA Center would coordinate the establishment, maintenance and periodical review of regional standby arrangements for disaster relief and emergency response.
Therefore, Agung Lakson represented the government of Indonesia on Saturday prior to delivering humanitarian aid to the Philippines for the victims of typhoon Bopha.
"Indonesia sympathizes with the victims of the storm and lends support to all countries, especially in ASEAN, which are hit by disasters," Agung said in Davao on Saturday.
He noted that global warming and natural disasters were the concern of the government of Indonesia.
"As a country with a potential for natural disasters, Indonesia sympathizes with Filipinos who have lost their loved ones in Typhoon Bopha," Agung said, as he handed the humanitarian aid to the Philippine government, which was represented by Vilma Cabrera of the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
(KR-BSR/O001)
Reporter: Otniel Tamindael
Editor: Jafar M Sidik
Copyright © ANTARA 2012
