To commemorate the third anniversary of Typhoon Morakot, today the Executive Yuan’s Morakot Post-Disaster Reconstruction Council (MPDRC) gave awards to private organizations and individuals to honor their reconstruction efforts. It lauded members of these entities for selflessly offering everything they had to disaster-hit communities and said their abundant passion, strength and touching deeds were evident at every stage of the relief campaign.

During the ceremony, President Ma Ying-jeou presented the Special Contribution Awards, and Vice President Wu Den-yih and Premier Sean Chen presented the Contribution Awards. Cabinet-level agency heads attended to express their appreciation for the love and devotion displayed by the award winners.

President Ma gave awards to the following 15 entities: BenQ Foundation, Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation, Chang Yung-fa Foundation, China Steel Corporation, Delta Electronics Foundation, Dharma Drum Mountain Social Welfare and Charity Foundation, Formosa Chemicals & Fibre Corporation, Mediatek Foundation, The Presbyterian Church in Taiwan, The Red Cross Society of the Republic of China, Taiwan Fund for Children and Families, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd., TVBS Caring for Taiwan Foundation, World Vision Taiwan and Yonglin Charity Foundation.

Vice President Wu and Premier Sean Chen gave awards to the following 22 groups and individuals: groups Association for the Reconstruction of Xinkai Village in Liugui, Kaohsiung; Association of Taitung Pacavalj Cultural Development, Chiayi City Charity Organization, Chimei Innolux Corporation, Kinpo Group, Lin Ming-hui String Orchestra, Lungshan Temple (Taipei), Mountain City Flower Association, Rotary International, Shanlin Great Love Village Management Committee, Taiwan Aboriginal Cultural Exchange Association, Taiwan Orchid Growers Association, Timur Arts and Cultural Industries Association of Pingtung, Xiaolin Pingpu Aboriginal Cultural Renewal Association and Xiaolin Post-Morakot Reconstruction Association; and individuals Chen Hong-yu, Chen Xi-lin, Jai Ben-Rei, Huang Qing-tai, Huang Zai-tuan, Ni Rong-chun and Zheng Bing-xiang.

 

“The most noticeable change after Morakot is that people are now much more willing to follow evacuation orders. Our experience can be summarized by the ancient adage: preparedness ensures success and unpreparedness spells failure,” said President Ma.

Referring to the example of Typhoon Saola that hit Taiwan earlier this month, Ma said central and local governments mobilized their resources to evacuate more than 10,000 people. Everyone contributed their part and worked together to set a fine example of disaster prevention. Whether it is cooperation between civilians and government, being prepared ahead of time, conducting precautionary evacuations, or building the permanent houses—these are all excellent models, he added.

Cai Song-yu, who received an award on behalf of the Xiaolin Post-Morakot Reconstruction Association, thanked President Ma for fulfilling his promise of rebuilding Xiaolin Village. Cai said the award symbolized recognition for the people who worked hard over the past three years and never gave up on Xiaolin. Many people of compassion helped along the way, and the villagers are back on their feet as a result and passing on the heritage of the Pingpu people

 

Shi Xiu-ju, head of the Timur Arts and Cultural Industries Association of Pingtung, thanked all the charity groups that opened their hearts and contributed physically and financially to help Morakot victims. Only in times of brokenness can our hearts truly be filled with strength and love, she said, and this love has revived the people of Xiaolin. Shi also thanked the MPDRC for covering every corner of the village because the people needed a government that took action. Shi pointed out that the glass bead gift she received today had been manufactured through a heating process, which is a fitting metaphor for the villagers being tempered through the storm and producing the end results of strength, courage and wisdom.

The MPDRC stressed that the selection process was difficult, and some groups even asked to be excused from consideration. Nevertheless, three years of quiet devotion and sacrifice have created a new history for the reconstruction areas, and every act of kindness has touched the hearts of people in those communities.

President Ma Ying-jeou speaks at an August 8 award ceremony where civil groups and enterprises were honored for selfless contributions to post-Morakot reconstruction work.

 

These awards in the shape of the number 8 were conferred to civil groups for their aid in reconstruction work since Typhoon Morakot hit Taiwan in 2009.

 

(Front row, third left to center): Vice President Wu Den-yih, President Ma Ying-jeou and Premier Sean Chen pose with award recipients at an August 8 ceremony honoring civilian contributions to post-Morakot reconstruction work.