MVP leads ‘Tulong Kapatid’ drive for flood victims
Manuel V. Pangilinan (middle, with eyeglasses), head of the MVP Group of Companies, at an evacuation center in Taguig on Tuesday, Aug. 20, following the launch of “Tulong Kapatid,” program, the group’s drive to help victims of floods brought about by southwest monsoon, which has been exacerbated by the tropical storm “Maring” | EULALIO ODAL
MVP leads ‘Tulong Kapatid’ drive for flood victims
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Also calls for more volunteers for the preparation of relief goods
Businessman and sports patron Manuel V. Pangilinan today led employees of the MVP Group of Companies, which he heads, in distributing relief goods to flood victims in Metro Manila and Cavite, as he called for more volunteers to join •Tulong Kapatid,• the group•s drive to help people in evacuation centers.
We have taken it upon ourselves to help the needy in times of disaster, a practice embedded in our culture of responsibility among the group,• he stressed. •We started mobilizing our resources for the victims of typhoon •Maring• yesterday, and we will continue with the distribution of relief goods as well as other donations for as long as our means allow us.•
Mr. Toledo, who is also head of the MVP Group of Companies• Media Bureau, said this visit to the different evacuation centers was done after One Meralco Foundation
Mr. Pangilinan, known for his initials, MVP, and who chairs the Board of Trustees of the Philippine Disaster Recovery Foundation (PDRF), visited victims in the Metro Manila cities of Mandaluyong, Taguig, and Parañaque, and the nearby province of Cavite, along with Michael Toledo, senior vice president for Corporate Affairs at Philex Mining Corp., and other officials of the MVP Group.
, Inc., the development arm of Manila Electric Co., prepared at least 3,000 bags of relief goods•basic food, water, hygiene kit•for deployment and the TV5 Alagang Kapatid Foundation sent two truckloads of goods to Cavite and Laguna respectively.
The executive director of Alagang Kapatid, Menchie Silvestre, said another truck could be dispatched today to the provinces of Bulacan and Pampanga, depending on the availability of packed relief goods. She also said the truck that went to Cavite distributed goods mainly in the towns of Kawit and Rosario, while the one that was deployed to Laguna served Biñan and Santa Rosa. (Alagang Kapatid has also served Lower Bicutan, in Taguig; Malanday, Marikina; and San Mateo, Rizal.)
Since we are doing a holistic approach to giving aid, we may also set up soup kitchens in evacuation centers, which we anticipate will be full of people seeking temporary shelter from the floods in their areas,• Mr. Toledo stressed. •We also have rescue and medical teams helping us to ensure the success of our •Tulong Kapatid• drive.•
He said that, meanwhile, PDRF and the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), a nonprofit social development entity, have committed a combined P1 million worth of relief goods for those who have trooped to the evacuation centers since Sunday night, when the weather bureau announced possible floods in some areas, owing to heavy to intense rains because of southwest monsoon enhanced by the tropical storm •Maring.•
PDRF came into the fore in Oct. 2009, when the Special National Public Reconstruction Commission (SNPRC) was created through Executive Order No. 838 issued by then-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, following the devastation brought about by typhoons •Ondoy,• •Pepeng,• and •Frank.• SNPRC was mandated to tap private-sector resources for the reconstruction of calamity-devastated areas.
Expected to be at 680 kilometers (km) east-northeast of Itbayat, Batanes on Wednesday and at 530 km of Itbayat or outside the country•s area of responsibility by Thursday, •Maring• has killed some people, injured many, and left tens of thousands homeless in Metro Manila and at least 10 provinces.
Mr. Toledo said One Meralco has provided the collection point for relief goods at the Meralco Compound on Ortigas Ave. 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.
The MVP Tulong Kapatid Center started receiving donations from partners of the MVP Group and the public from today and will continue doing so until Aug. 23, between 12 noon and 4 p.m. Interested parties may get in touch with Eddielyn Addun at +63 2 632-8301 (landline), +63 939 913-3771 (mobile phone), or onemeralcofoundation@meralco.com.ph (email).
In December 2012, the MVP Group of Companies unveiled a holistic approach to giving assistance in times of disaster•from distributing relief goods and running soup kitchens to providing medical aid, building shelter for the homeless and reconstructing damaged infrastructure to creating livelihood for those who have lost their jobs.