DAVAO City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio expressed her gratitude to foreign governments and residents of the city for the outpouring of support following the twin devastating events that hit the city last week.
At least 38 people died when the NCCC Mall on Don Julian Rodriguez Ave. in Barangay Ma-a caught fire on Dec. 23.
But before that, the city was already reeling from the floods that killed one person and affected a total of 25 barangays.
The People’s Republic of China and the Japanese Government had already pledged to send in assistance to the victims.
Next week, Chinese officials are expected to arrive in Davao.
“We are grateful for the help not just (from) the foreign governments but also (by) the Dabawenyos, daghan kaayong mga Dabawenyo nga nitabang. We listed 6,000 volunteers in a span of six days,” she said. “In behalf of the City Mayor’s Office, I am very grateful sa ilaha,” she added.
The mayor admitted that if not for the volunteers, the relief operation would not have been as swift.
“It was not easy to gather people to pack the relief goods because the focus at that time was to rescue the affected residents and the clearing operations,” the mayor said.
At least 40,000 relief goods were packed during the six-day operation through the help of the volunteers.
Part of the relief goods came from Samal City, through Mayor David Uy (50 sacks of rice). (PR)