Two Republic of China (ROC) Air Force C-130 transport aircraft laden with relief supplies flew to the Philippines yesterday.
One plane left at 1:15pm from Hsinchu Air Force Base, and the second left eight minutes later, each carrying 7.5 tonnes of relief goods, including instant noodles, dry food, military blankets and other items.
The air force said the two planes would fly directly to Cebu City in the central Philippines, a journey of about three hours, and would return immediately after unloading.
Photo: Reuters
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said about 100 tonnes of goods had been collected so far for survivors of Typhoon Haiyan and that more missions were expected.
Ministry of National Defenese spokesman Major General David Lo (羅紹和) told a press conference that 20 crew members and one Ministry of Foreign Affairs official were taking part in the mission.
He said whether more flights would be scheduled depended on weather conditions and the amount of relief supplies collected.
The relief aid was donated mainly by Buddhist organizations, including the Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation, Fo Guang Shan, Ling Jiou Mountain and Dharma Drum Mountain, as well as the Red Cross Society of the ROC.
The air force said the C-130s have taken part in other international relief missions, including the South Asia tsunami in 2010 and Haitian earthquake in 2004.
Taiwan’s representative office in the Philippines said the government had originally wanted to send the supplies directly to the typhoon-ravaged city of Tacloban, but it accepted the suggestion of Manila officials to send the planes to Cebu City.
The Philippine government has said the airport in Tacloban was seriously damaged in the typhoon, and looting in the area and a curfew imposed on the city has made it a less than ideal place to send supplies.
The foreign ministry said on Sunday that Taiwan has extended its sympathy to the Philippines over the devastation caused by Haiyan and had donated US$200,000 toward relief efforts.
However, local media have reported that some people have been opposed to providing relief aid because of the May 9 shooting incident that killed Taiwanese fisherman Hung Shih-cheng (洪石成). The incident triggered a diplomatic standoff that lasted until early August.
In response to media queries yesterday, Hung’s daughter Hung Tzu-chien (洪慈綪) said: “The government [of the Philippines] might have no humanity, but the people are innocent.”
“Based on humanity, I definitely support the relief missions,” she said.
She said the shooting of her father was an inhumane act by Philippines Coast Guard personnel, but it had nothing to do with helping survivors of such a disaster.
Meanwhile, the Tzu Chi Foundation said it has set up a disaster response center to deliver supplies and provide relief to the areas devastated by Haiyan.
The Hualien-based foundation said it had collected 30,000 blankets and 200,000 packets of instant rice meals so far, and that all of the blankets and 60,000 packets of instant rice packets had been sent on the two air force planes that left yesterday.
More relief supplies are being sent to Taipei by train and truck for shipment to the Philippines.
A medical and disaster relief team consisting of 40 Tzu Chi volunteer workers in the Philippines, including 10 medical experts, will head to the typhoon-stricken areas today to directly assist victims, a foundation spokesman said.
Haiyan, which struck on Friday last week, was one of the most powerful storms to ever hit land and death toll estimates have ranged up to 10,000 people, though the lack of contact with many of the devastated areas has made it difficult for Philippine authorities to get an accurate count of the casualities and the damage.
Additional reporting by CNA
The Republic of China (ROC) is celebrating its 114th Double Ten National Day today, featuring military parades and a variety of performances and speeches in front of the Presidential Office in Taipei. The Taiwan Taiko Association opened the celebrations with a 100-drummer performance, including young percussionists. As per tradition, an air force Mirage 2000 fighter jet flew over the Presidential Office as a part of the performance. The Honor Guards of the ROC and its marching band also heralded in a military parade. Students from Taichung's Shin Min High School then followed with a colorful performance using floral imagery to represent Taiwan's alternate name
COGNITIVE WARFARE: Chinese fishing boats transmitting fake identification signals are meant to test Taiwan’s responses to different kinds of perceived incursions, a report said Chinese vessels are transmitting fake signals in Taiwan’s waters as a form of cognitive warfare, testing Taipei’s responses to various types of incursions, a report by the Institute for the Study of War said on Friday. Several Chinese fishing vessels transmitted fake automatic identification system (AIS) signals in Taiwan’s waters last month, with one mimicking a Russian warship and another impersonating a Chinese law enforcement vessel, the report said. Citing data from Starboard Maritime Intelligence, the report said that throughout August and last month, the Chinese fishing boat Minshiyu 06718 (閩獅漁06718) sailed through the Taiwan Strait while intermittently transmitting its own AIS
CHINESE INFILTRATION: Medical logistics is a lifeline during wartime and the reported CCP links of a major logistics company present a national security threat, an expert said The government would bolster its security check system to prevent China from infiltrating the nation’s medical cold chain, a national security official said yesterday. The official, who wished to stay anonymous, made the remarks after the Chinese-language magazine Mirror Media (鏡周刊) reported that Pharma Logistics (嘉里醫藥物流) is in charge of the medical logistics of about half of the nation’s major hospitals, including National Taiwan University Hospital and Taipei Veterans General Hospital. The company’s parent, Kerry TJ Logistics Co (嘉里大榮物流), is associated with the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the
COVETED PRIZE: The US president would be a peace prize laureate should he persuade Xi Jinping to abandon military aggression against Taiwan, William Lai said US President Donald Trump should get the Nobel Peace Prize should he be able to convince Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) to abandon the use of force against Taiwan, President William Lai (賴清德) told a conservative US radio show and podcast in an interview. The US is Taiwan’s most important international backer, despite the absence of formal ties, but since Trump took office earlier this year he has not announced any new arms sales to the nation. Trump could meet Xi at the APEC summit in South Korea on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1. Lai, speaking on The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton
RSS