Bill Gates donates P23 M to ‘Frank’ victims
The foundation of Microsoft chairman Bill Gates has reportedly pledged to donate an estimated P23 million to the families affected by typhoon “Frank.”
According to CBCPNews, the official news service provider of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), the American billionaire’s Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation would be donating $500,000 through the Catholic Relief Service (CRS)
CRS representative to the Philippines Michael Frank said they are scheduled to sign a contract within the week to seal the endowment.
Manila Archbishop Broderick Pabillo, chair of the CBCP-National Secretariat for Social Action Justice and Peace (Nassa), said that those in
Aside from the Gates foundation, Frank said other Filipino-American groups have expressed interest to help those affected by the typhoon.
Meanwhile, Bureau of Customs (BOC) Commissioner Napoleon Morales said his agency would send 19 containers of seized used clothing and rice to areas devastated by last month’s calamity.
Ten of the 19 container vans were filled with rice, while the used clothing were stored in the remaining nine containers.
Morales admitted they encountered problems in releasing the goods since they were required to pay storage and wharfage fees to the Philippine Ports Authority.
It was only after Malacañang exempted them from paying the charges that the containers were turned over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
Importation of second-hand clothes is prohibited under the Tariff and Customs Code of the
“We have never sold these items, or destroyed them since these can be used by victims of calamities and other disasters. When we donate these items, these are coursed through the DSWD,” the BOC chief added.
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