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Actor and model Daniel Matsunaga laying another sack of rice on a pile of sacks of this basic commodity after fetching it from a delivery truck into a covered tennis court at the Meralco Compound | BF

 

MVP Group family pools relief efforts, resources

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Actors, cagers, executives, employees pitch in regardless of rank, status

They all came to volunteer in the repacking and preparation of relief goods for distribution at the evacuation centers in flood-hit areas, following days of rains dumped by the southwest monsoon intensified by tropical storm •€œMaring.•€ From donors, stars, and cagers to executives and employees from the different offices under the MVP Group of Companies, everybody worked together for the flood victims, regardless of rank or class status.  

œIt was really like one big family lending a hand•€¦•€ said Esther Santos, president of PLDT-Smart Foundation, who joined Wednesday the other group•€™s executives, led by businessman and sports patron Manual V. Pangilinan, at the MVP Tulong Kapatid Center, on Meralco Compound along Ortigas Ave., in carrying out a program on corporate social responsibility (CSR). •€œOur big family includes stars, players, donors, employee-volunteers and, of course, the big boss.•

Sacks of rice for the flood victims arrive at the MVP Tulong Kapatid Center, Meralco Compound, along Ortigas Ave. |  BF

Daniel Matsunaga, one of the stars in the drama series •€œMisibis Bay•€ on TV5, was seen with players of Talk •€˜N Text and Meralco Bolts fetching sacks of rice from a delivery truck into the covered tennis court that serves as the headquarters for this CSR drive. His costar, Ritz Azul, looked composed while helping employees of the Manila Electric Co. repack the donated goods for distribution to the flood victims.  

About 5,000 relief packs containing rice, canned goods, hygiene kits, and drinking water were prepared after more than four hours of work by volunteers from Maynilad Water Services, Inc., Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC), Manila North Tollways Corp., Philex Mining Corp., One Meralco Foundation, PLDT-Smart Foundation, TV5 Alagang Kapatid Foundation, Inc., and the MPIC Hospitals Group.  

Manuel V. Pangilinan (with cap), who chairs the firms under the MVP Group of Companies, helping repack relief goods for the victims of typhoon •€œMaring•€  |  BF

Besides the Tropang Texters, led by their head coach Norman Black, and the Bolts, players from the Ateneo Blue Eagles also came to help, as well as Chot Reyes, Gilas Pilipinas head coach and head of TV5•€™s Sports5. The other contract stars from TV5 who lent a hand in this CSR drive were Victor Silayan, who has a recurring role in •€œMisibis Bay•€ and a grandson of the late actor Vic Silayan, and Gerard Sison, who plays the role of a soldier in the fantasy drama •€œEnchanted Garden.•€  

Philex Mining SVP for Corporate Affairs Michael Toledo, who is also head of the MVP Group of Companies•€™ Media Bureau, said the relief packs would be distributed to flood victims at the coastal villages of Metro Manila and in the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Pampanga, Bataan, and Bulacan. •€œWe have been helping the flood victims from Monday following the mobilization of our resources on Sunday night upon the order of MVP,•€ he stressed, referring to Mr. Pangilinan, who is also chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Philippine Disaster Recovery Foundation (PDRF).  

Mr. Pangilinan, together with the president and CEO of Maynilad, Ricky Vargas, today distributed relief goods to evacuation centers in Bacoor. On Tuesday, Mr. Pangilinan led officials and employees of MVP Group in distributing relief goods to flood victims in Metro Manila and Cavite after he called for more volunteers to join the CSR drive •€œTulong Kapatid.•€  

 

Norman Black (in black T-shirt, holding a green eco bag), head coach of Talk •€˜N Text, joins the group loading thousands of relief packs onto a truck  |  BF

Mr. Vargas said, •€œThe MVP group of companies is not only touching lives by spearheading a relief drive but also changing theirs by seeing, feeling, and experiencing suffering when visiting calamity areas and serving as volunteers. Stay safe, all.•€  

The MVP Tulong Kapatid Center started receiving donations from partners of the MVP Group and the public from Tuesday 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 (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.  

Actress Ritz Azul standing in a sea of relief packs to be delivered to the evacuation centers in Metro Manila and nearby provinces  |  BF