Officials say still looking for 17 Canadians missing in the Philippines

OTTAWA – Foreign Affairs officials are still trying to track down 17 Canadians who remain unaccounted for in the typhoon-ravaged Philippines.

But they say they still have no reports of any Canadians killed or injured in the disaster.

They say locating people is becoming easier as communications are gradually restored.

Meanwhile, the Canadian Forces are shipping a third helicopter and another water purification unit to the Disaster Assistance Response Team, or DART, operating on the island of Panay.

International Development Minister Christian Paradis is also clarifying that the $15 million in aid announced Monday was in fact the government’s contribution to match donations by Canadians.

Paradis says individuals have donated $19.6 million so far for Filipino relief and that their contributions are being matched by Ottawa.

The government money is going to major international aid groups, including the World Food Program, UNICEF and the International Red Cross, as well as smaller organizations such as Care Canada, Oxfam Canada and World Vision Canada.