Philippines pledges to continue helping typhoon victims

The Philippine government on Sunday reassured victims of typhoon "Haiyan" that the government has intensified and would continue its efforts to render assistance to them. Presidential Communications Operations secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said the Department of Social Welfare and Development ( DSWD) and other government departments concerned are working closely with private groups and non-governmental organizations ( NGOs) to help the internally displaced persons (IDPs). The DSWD had launched the "adopt a family" project where a family in Metro Manila hosts or looks after a family who were forced to move to Metro Manila after being displaced from Eastern Visayas, he said. DSWD statistics showed that 4,352 families or 18,016 people came to Metro Manila from Nov. 16 to 29 from Samar and Leyte provinces, which were severely devastated by typhoon "Haiyan." Of these survivors, 3,042 families or 2,932 people had been assisted through the government's Oplan Hatid, while the others are staying in a tent city in Pasay City or hospitals in Metro Manila, or being cared for by NGOs or local government units, Coloma said. A total of 5,632 people have been confirmed dead in the brunt of the typhoon in central Philippines, while another 1,759 still remained missing.