As many as 1,000 people got together in a charity gala in Ho Chi Minh City on December 12 to raise fund for the Philippine victims of typhoon Haiyan.

The gala, themed “Circle of love”, was co-organised by the UNESCO office in Vietnam and the UNESCO Centre for Education and Culture (UNESCO-CEP), with support from business unions, organisations, schools and consulate generals in the city.

Through a string of activities, including art performances, auction, fund raising, participants donated almost 170 million VND (some 8,000 USD), which will be then sent to the Philippines’ Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City.

The Philippines’ Honourary Consul General Le Thi Phung expressed her gratitude to the heartfelt sympathy Vietnamese people have offered to Philippine people who are undertaking recovery efforts.

The assistance sent by international friends will help Philippine people quickly overcome this hard time, she noted.

Super typhoon Haiyan, which swept through the Philippines in early November, was considered the most devastating storm in the world.

As many as 5,632 people have been confirmed dead, while 1,759 are still missing, according to local report.-VNA