Russian Relief Arrived at NAIA

February 12, 2012



A cargo plane from the Ministry of the Russian Federation for Civil Defense, Emergency Management and Natural Disasters Response (EMERCOM) arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport yesterday to provide humanitarian aid and assistance to survivors of the recent major earthquake in Negros Oriental and victims of the recent flash floods in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan Cities.

The Russian team flew in with 60 tons of relief goods composed of tents, blankets, sugar and preserved fish and meat on board Ilushin Il-76TD RA-76845. Another batch of aid is set to arrive on February 15 via the same airplane.

Representatives from the Ministry of Russian Federation for Civil Defense, Russian Embassy, Department of Social Welfare and Development and the Office of Vice President Jejomar Binay met the humanitarian mission group at the cargo ramp of Terminal 1.

Russian Ambassador to the Philippines Nikolya Kudashev formally turned over the relief goods to Philippine government officials. He was accompanied at the airport by Russian Deputy Chief of Mission Artem Kudoyarov.

Undersecretary Benjamin Martinez, chief of staff of Vice President Jejomar Binay, received the donation in behalf of the Philippine government together with Undersecretary Parisya H. Taradji from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

“We expect this to launch a good tradition of interstate cooperation to fight emergencies,” he added.
According to Kudashev, the relief goods are coming in two batches which include blankets, tents and preserved meats and fish. “We believe they would be of use for the victims of “Sendong,” the earthquake and other unfortunate natural occurrences,” Kudashev said.


“The Philippine government is grateful to the Russian Federation for the assistance they extended and I am honored that it had tapped my office to assist in the distribution of the relief goods to our less fortunate countrymen,” says Vice President Jejomar Binay in a statement.

Relief goods were immediately airlifted by PAF C-130 to Dumaguete City on the same day leaving the airport around 5pm together with 584 boxes of water bound for the disaster stricken areas in Negros Oriental. Another C-130 flight was flown this morning to deliver relief goods from the same aircraft.