An official at the South Korean Red Cross said the facility has been made for the Philippines to deal with disasters in proactive ways and to take preventive action.

Officials from the South Korean and Philippine Red Cross held a ceremony on Friday to mark the dedication of the facility, equipped with a warehouse, forklifts, water tankers and other equipment to deal with disasters.

It has also two dormitories and a training center for implementing disaster management. The South Korean Red Cross, which injected 2.5 billion won (about $2.21 million) into the project, said 3.5 million residents living on the island will benefit from the facility.

The South Korean relief body has ceded the facility to the Philippine Red Cross. It is the largest disaster management center run by the Philippine Red Cross, the South Korean Red Cross said.

Attending the ceremony were South Korean Red Cross Secretary General Kim Gunn-Joong, Senator Richard Gordon, Philippine Red Cross chief, and 1,000 local residents. (Yonhap)