LAOAG CITY — The Chinese government has donated 10 tons of premium rice and two truckloads of canned goods to the typhoon victims in the province.
“I hope the people of Ilocos Norte will start to rebuild rapidly and recover soon,” said Wang Jianqun, Consul and Head of Post of the Chinese Consulate of Laoag, following the turnover of the P1-million worth of relief goods from the Peoples Republic of China on Friday morning.
“As friends, we need to assist and help each other while we are in difficult times,” the Chinese Consul added in an interview with reporters.
Vice Governor Eugenio Angelo Marcos Barba said they are thankful to the Peoples Republic of China for the donation.
The Vice Governor, along with provincial board members Domingo Ambrocio and Donald Nicolas, received the donation, which were personally delivered by Wang at the Capitol lobby.
Since the establishment of the Chinese Consulate in Laoag, the China government continues to assist the province in its development and rehabilitation efforts, such as previous donations of hybrid rice seeds to farmers, rice milling machines, dragon boats, x-ray machines at the airport and building of classrooms, among others.
Even before President Rodrigo Duterte chose to seek warmer ties with China after a sour territorial dispute in the West Philippine Sea during the previous administration, Ilocos Norte, through the Marcos administration, has sustained its friendly relations and closer ties with China.
Ilocos Norte and Shandong province of China have shared sister-province relations since 2002. (Leilanie Adriano/PNA)
