EDMONTON, Canada — The Filipino community here successfully raised P100,00 which they will share with with the victims of Mindanao earthquakes.
Filipino community leader Benjie Lindo of Benjie Lindo, who goes on air via-Benjie Live- sought the collective support of his friends to raise funds for the earthquake victims in Mindanao, dubbed “Gotong Batangas Ko, Para sa Ambag Mo”.
Lindo, a Mindanaoan himself, has targeted to raise at least an equivalent of 100,000 Philippine pesos of donation from his friends.
He was able to raise 2,635 in Canadian dollars as of Wednesday night here in a gathering at the Benjie Lindo Community Centre which now has become known as the “Barangay Hall” in Edmonton.
He cooked his favorite “Gotong Batangas” which he shared to his friends and those who came in enjoyed the warm soup on a cold Edmonton weather.
“Target ko talaga mga at least 100,000 pesos. Umabot din,” said Lindo.
Friends from Sherwood Park, Fort Saskatchewan and Edmonton including some members of the Philippine Media Association of Alberta led by Nicky Gocuan of the Alberta Filipino Journal also came to witness the fund-raising event.
He said that more donations are coming in this week and a new total amount will be announced once they will be able to receive it.
Mindanao, one of the three major islands in the Philippines, was hit with an earthquake last October 16 with a magnitude of 6.3 that killed seven and injured 215.
The second earthquake followed on October 29 with a magnitude of 6.6 and the third on October 31 with a magnitude of 6.5. Twenty-one people have died and 424 injured.
Various local government units and non-government organizations in the Philippines have mobilized its resources to answer to the needs of the victims. –Moses Billacura
