On 16 October, AMDA started its full-scale relief activities to support the victims of the huge earthquakes that devastated the Philippines’ Cebu and Mindanao regions. From Japan, AMDA sent three aid workers to join the members of AMDA Philippines and the local partners on 13 October. The actual on-site aid activities began after three days of planning and preparation.
In Mindanao, AMDA’s Japanese team collaborated with the Philippine Air Force to carry out aid activities, delivering relief supplies to two evacuation centers and one university in Caraga, Davao Oriental. The items will be distributed to affected communities through the representatives of these facilities. The effort was coordinated through Ms. Gloria Jumamil Mercado, who has worked with AMDA on many occasions. The next day, the Japanese team worked with AMDA Philippines and its partners in the region’s Manay district, providing medical assistance, mental healthcare programs, and relief goods.
In Cebu, the joint relief team moved to the island on 18 October and began preparing relief supplies for the aid distribution. On 19 October, the team conducted relief work in two locations in Medellin, a northern town on the island, near the epicenter. Along with item distribution, the team offered medical consultations and mental health care programs for children.
As of 20 October, the team has been carrying on with the relief efforts. AMDA’s local partners for this mission in Mindanao include the Philippine Pharmacists Association, Child Alert Mindanao, Holy Child Central Colleges Inc, and the Philippine Airforce. In Cebu, local partners include Barangay Lamintak Norte Medellin, Makati Medical Society, and the Philippine Mental Health Association Cebu.
