Long Beach : Filipinos Organize Relief Effort for Quake Victims

Local Filipino leaders are organizing relief efforts for victims of the recent earthquake in their homeland. The Long Beach-based Federation of Filipino-American Assns. is asking for donations of money, medical supplies, clothing, blankets and canned goods.

Contributions can be mailed or taken to the federation’s office, 2125 Santa Fe Ave. All donations will be forwarded to the Philippines consulate in Los Angeles, federation member Sam Demonteverde said.

The July 16 earthquake killed at least 1,621 people and injured about 3,000. The hardest hit areas include Baguio, a mountain resort 130 miles north of Manila.

About 45 leaders from various Filipino groups in Los Angeles County met Tuesday night in Long Beach to share information about the earthquake and coordinate relief efforts, Demonteverde said.

“There’s a great deal of concern in the Filipino community,” he said. “Some of the people (at the meeting) either had relatives or friends who have been confirmed as dead or injured. And some of them still don’t know. There still are about 1,000 people who are unaccounted for.”