Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Donors Reach Out to 3,800 Households Affected by the Habagat


From August 17-21, 2013, a southwest monsoon enhanced by Tropical Storm Maring brought widespread flooding to various areas of Luzon.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council reported that around 400,000 families in 118 municipalities and 33 cities of 16 provinces were affected. Damages to infrastructure were estimated to have reached PhP 78 B and agriculture at PhP 22B.

      PBSP appealed for relief assistance and the following donations/pledges were received:

a.    Philippine Disaster Recovery Foundation P500,000
b.    The Philippine Stock Exchange/PSE Foundation P300,000
c.    Epson Precision Company Phils., Inc. P1,000,000
d.    Dow Chemical Pacific Ltd. US$11,000
e.    The Hershey Company/United Way Worldwide US$10,000
f.     Lao Integrated Farm P1,500
g.    Citibank P50,000
h.    Deloitte P 129,000
i.      Phoenix Petroleum Corporation P300,000
j.      Fluor P50,000
k.    Accenture P100,000
l.      Mr. Victorino/Anselma Carreon US$100
m.   Mr. Victor Carreon US$100
n.    Ms. Grace Carreon US$100
o.    CDO Foodsphere, Inc. 24 cases of canned goods
p.    Integrated School for Young Children 300 packs of groceries

Through these donations and in coordination with the different LGUs, PBSP was able to organize series of relief operations from August 21-September 13 and was able to reach 3,823 families in the following affected areas:

Casiguran, Aurora      862 households
Las Pinas                    460 households
Binan, Laguna           1,000 households
Mabitac, Laguna          870 households
Pila, Laguna                 241 households
Sta. Cruz, Laguna        390 households

The relief assistance is consistent with Sphere Project design which will help provide basic household needs for a family of six covering a period of five days. The relief packs at the minimum, contained the following:

•           10 kilos of rice
•           3 cans of sardines
•           ½ kilogram of monggo or equivalent canned meat
•           ½ kilogram dried fish or equivalent canned meat
•           1 pint of cooking oil
•           1 kilogram of sugar
•           ¼ kilogram of iodized salt
•           5-L bottled water

The Sphere Project was launched in 1997 by a group of humanitarian NGOs, Red Cross and the Red Cross Crescent Movement. Sphere is based on two beliefs, namely: first, that all possible steps should be taken to alleviate human suffering arising out of calamity and conflict, and second, that those affected by disaster have a right to life with dignity and therefore right to assistance.

For this year’s relief operations, at least 50 volunteer employees from the donor companies spent time to distribute the relief packs. Employees saw how the families have received the relief packs with gratitude, “Salamat po nang marami. Napakalaking tulong po nito sa amin.”