The Federal National Council received formal thanks from the Philippines this week for the emergency relief the United Arab Emirates channeled to communities shaken by the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck Mindanao on June 8.
Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian conveyed the message on Tuesday, July 14, addressing it to FNC Speaker Saqr Ghobash. He described the Emirati response as arriving at a moment when families were most vulnerable, easing hardship in areas where homes and livelihoods had been upended.
Food and drinking water formed the practical core of the aid, but Gatchalian argued its significance ran deeper. He framed the effort as an expression of solidarity and compassion that helped return a measure of hope to residents still coping with loss, tying the gesture to values he said both nations hold in common.
That relief did not come as a single delivery. Working with the Emirati embassy in Manila and led on the ground by UAE Ambassador Mohamed Obaid Salem Al Qatam Alzaabi, response teams moved into Sarangani province, where roughly 700 food parcels and 500 gallons of potable water reached affected households in the days after the quake, according to the Emirates News Agency. Officials outlined a broader plan to distribute more than 20,000 food parcels and an equal number of gallons of drinking water as recovery continued.
Gatchalian pointed to the aid as evidence of how firmly the two governments are linked, noting a partnership sustained across diplomatic, economic, and personal ties for more than half a century. A large Filipino population living and working in the Emirates has deepened those connections over the years.
Looking past the immediate crisis, the Senate President signaled interest in closer legislative ties, saying the chamber intends to widen its work with the FNC through friendship groups and joint parliamentary bodies. He said the Philippines wants to build on the decades of cooperation the two countries have already established.
