Organisers of the inaugural Cloud Expo Asia and Data Centre World Asia conference and exhibition opening tomorrow morning at Suntec Exhibition Centre have launched their own fund-raising initiative for victims of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.

CloserStill Media today handed over an initial cheque of S$10,000 to the Singapore-based representatives of Gawad Kalinga, one of the Philippines' largest NGOs, which is putting together family relief packs of food and water to the worst-hit areas. 

The 4,000 delegates expected to attend the two-day event will be encouraged to each donate S$10 towards GK's ?Operation Walang Iwanan' (nobody gets left behind).

?On the eve of an event which celebrates the great strides Asia is making in its technology infrastructure, our friends and neighbours just a few hundred miles away are suffering the most appalling natural calamity where the difference between life and death depends on access to food or water in the next 48 hours,? said CloserStill's director Michael Westcott.

This donation simply felt like the right thing to do in the hope it will inspire others to do what is in their conscience,? Westcott added.

GK1World's vice-chairman, Margo Encarnacion, pictured with Closerstill CEO Andy Center at Suntec City last night, said: ?The effect of the disaster is so great, the Philippines needs all the help it can get right now. GK is putting together relief packs comprised of the most urgent needs of the victims: water and food. Each pack costs PHP 200 (S$6.25), and we target to help at least 50,000 families in and around the GK-assisted villages that were hit by the typhoon.  We are grateful to Cloud Expo in Singapore and its delegates who can help save lives this week.?

CloserStill said it hopes that in addition to the 1,600 family survival packs it has funded, that it hopes to be able to fund a total of 5,000 packs through the generosity of the technology and business community attending the Expo by the time it closes on Thursday night. 

Public donations can be made online via Gawad Kalinga at: www.gk1world.com