Companies pitch in for disaster relief
Menchie Silvestre, executive director of Alagang Kapatid, said another truck would be dispatched to the provinces of Bulacan and Pampanga, depending on the availability of packed relief goods. She also said the truck that went to Cavite yesterday distributed goods mainly in the towns of Kawit and Rosario, while the one deployed to Laguna served Binan and Santa Rosa. Alagang Kapatid, meanwhile, served the affected residents in Lower Bicutan, in Taguig; Malanday, Marikina; and San Mateo, Rizal.”Since we are doing a holistic approach togiving aid, we may also set up soup kitchens in evacuation centers, Which we anticipate will befull of people seeking temporary shelter fromthe floods in their areas,” Toledo said. “We also have rescue and medical teams helping us to ensure the success of our ‘Tulong Kapatid’ drive. “The PDRF and the Philippine Business forSocial Progress (PBSP) committed a combined PI million worth of relief goods for the affected families in various evacuation centers since Sunday night, when the weather bureau announced possible floods in some areas, owing to heavy tointense rains because of the southwest monsoon enhanced by Tropical Storm Maring. The PDRF came to the fore in October 2009, when the Special National Public Reconstruction Commission (SNPRC) was created through Executive Order 838 issued by then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, following the devastation brought about by Typhoons Ondoy, Pepeng, and Frank. The SNPRC was mandated to tap private sector resources for the reconstruction of calamitydevastated areas. Toledo added One Meralco has provided the collection point for relief goods at the Meralco Compound on Ortigas Avenue while the North Luzon Expressway, another MVP Group company formerly known as the North Diversion Road and Manila North Expressway, has helped in the transportation of relief goods. Globe Telecom, on the other hand, offered free telecommunication services to the affected residents of Marikina City yesterday. Globe set up “Libreng Tawag” (free call) centers in Bulelak Gym in Barangay Malanday and H. Bautista Elementary School in Barangay Conception Uno, two of the biggest evacuation sites in the city. Bulelak has accommodated some 108 families or 551 individuals while H. Bautista has 139 families or 650 people. “We are in constant evaluation of the situation. Once the residents return to their homes, we will transfer our Libreng Tawag stations toother places which may also need our assistance,” said Fernando Esguerra, OIC for corporate social responsibility. The two areas are prone to flooding due totheir proximity to the Marikina River, which was placed on alert two yesterday morning. Residents were advised, to leave their homes incase the weather condition worsens. Food and beverage giant San Miguel Corp. also donated some 3,000 cases of bottled water, over 1,500 boxes of canned goods and boxes ofcoffee to some 30,000 families in Paranaque City, Laguna and Cavite provinces. Petron Foundation, for its part, donated goods for around 2,000 beneficiaries in Rosario. Petron said it is mobilizing resources and personnel to help in relief efforts and activated itsdisaster response teams composed of employeevolunteers from the San Miguel group. Petron said they are using their own fleet offlood rescue vehicles, including amphibious vehicles and speedboats, to help in rescue andrelief efforts.GMA’s Kapuso Foundation is currently conducting relief operations for typhoon victims through its Operation Bayanihan project. The foundation said they were able to extendhelp to 1,840 individuals or 460 families in affected areas in San Mateo, Rizal and in Kawit,Cavite and Marikina, while a medical mission was conducted yesterday in Casiguran, Aurora as well as further relief operations in Binan, Laguna and Bulacan. From the government, Vice President Jejomar Binay led the distribution of relief goods to flood victims in Rosario and General Trias in Cavite. Binay, chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) and the PagIBIG Fund, led the distribution of some 1,000 relief bags to Rosario and another 1,000 in General Trias on Monday. The Office of the Vice President jointly conducted the relief operations with the local government of Makati City led by Mayor Junjun Binay to local officials in Rosario and GeneralTrias. — Jose Rodel Clapano
Published in The Philippine Star, page 6, 21 August 2013