January 6, 2025 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — The Japanese city of Minato donated 1.6 million Japanese yen to support the victims of recent typhoons that affected the Philippines.
In a symbolic turnover ceremony on Dec. 23 at the Philippine embassy in Tokyo, Minato City Mayor Ai Seike and Minato City Assembly vice chairman Jun Shichinohe announced the support, which is equivalent to around P591,000, extended to typhoon victims.
Philippine Ambassador to Japan Mylene Garcia-Albano received the officials, who conveyed their heartfelt condolences and sympathies to the individuals and communities impacted by the six successive typhoons that struck the Philippines between October and November 2024.
Albano expressed gratitude for Minato City’s support and assistance to the embassy and the Filipino people.
She noted that while the number of casualties from the recent typhoons was fortunately lower compared to previous major storms, the destructive effects remained significant, particularly in the Bicol Region and parts of Central Visayas.
Albano assured the donors that the donation would be allocated to aid victims and support reconstruction efforts in these areas.
“The solidarity and compassion shown by the residents of Minato City are a source of hope and strength for those affected by these natural calamities. We are deeply grateful for Minato’s generous contribution to their recovery and rebuilding efforts,” the ambassador said.
In a span of one month, Typhoons Kristine (international name Trami), Leon (Kong-Rey) Marce (Yinxing), Nika (Toraji), Ofel (Usagi) and Pepito (Man-yi) ravaged different parts of northern and central Philippines, leaving more than 150 people dead and around 600,000 displaced.
While the Philippines experiences an average of 20 typhoons annually, such a concentration of destructive storms within a short period is a rare occurrence.
One of Tokyo’s 23 component cities, Minato hosts numerous diplomatic missions, including the Philippine embassy.
Through the Office of the Mayor and the City Assembly, the people of Minato City extended past assistance to the Philippines in the aftermath of Typhoon Ondoy (international name Ketsana, 2009), Typhoon Lando (Koppu, 2015), Typhoon Vinta (Tembin, 2017) and Typhoon Odette (Rai, 2022).
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