The Delegation of the European Union to the Philippines (EU) and its humanitarian aid partners, together with SM, brought a message of hope and solidarity in the face of disasters with The Last Mile photo exhibition at S Maison.
The exhibition offers snapshots of the different phases of the EU’s relief and early recovery operations following the passage of Typhoon Odette over Surigao Del Norte, Dinagat Islands, Bohol, Southern Leyte, Cebu, Negros Occidental, and Palawan on December 16, 2021.
In the parlance of humanitarians, the “last mile” is the final stage of the humanitarian relief chain in which they make sure to reach the most vulnerable, wherever they are.
European Union Ambassador to the Philippines Luc Véron and SM Engineering Design and Development President Hans Sy Jr. led the exhibition opening with EU’s humanitarian aid partners.
Ambassador Véron said, “The Philippines is highly vulnerable to natural disasters such as typhoons, flooding, and earthquakes. The exhibition wants to be a message of hope, a reminder of our humanitarian obligation to save lives and help communities recover from natural disasters like Odette.”
Likewise, the exhibition is an expression of sympathy towards the victims of Odette and other disasters, “those who lost their lives, their loved ones, their houses and livelihoods, and that had to rebuild their lives often from scratch. Their fortitude amidst the pain and uncertainty shines in many of those pictures,” Ambassador Veron said.
The exhibition pays homage to the work of humanitarian workers in providing life-saving assistance in the aftermath of disasters and in helping communities recover. It also highlights the importance of preparedness, which was crucial in limiting the number of fatalities from a super typhoon such as Odette.
The exhibition features images captured by EU’s humanitarian partner organizations that implemented the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (EU-ECHO) emergency response: ACCORD, Action Against Hunger, Care Philippines, Humanity & Inclusion, Initiatives for Dialogue and Empowerment through Alternative Legal Services (IDEALS) Inc., National Rural Women’s Coalition, Oxfam Pilipinas, Plan International, Save the Children Philippines, Sentro para sa Ikauunlad ng Katutubong Agham at Teknolohiya (SIKAT) Inc, Community Organizers Multiversity, and United Youth of the Philippines-Women.
The Last Mile photo exhibition at S Maison is a joint project of the Delegation of the European Union to the Philippines, EU-ECHO humanitarian partner organizations, and SM.
