Metrobank Foundation and GT Foundation Provide Immediate Aid to Areas Hit by Typhoon Odette

Written by Laarnie Luna on January 26, 2022. Posted in Disaster Response, Grants, GT Foundation, News, Press Release

Following the widespread destruction of lives and properties brought about by typhoon Odette, Metrobank Foundation, Inc. (MBFI), together with GT Foundation, Inc. (GTFI), immediately mobilized its resources and collaborated with institutional partners to provide immediate relief assistance to hard-hit provinces and cities. A donation amounting to PhP 6 million assisted 14 thousand families from the provinces of Palawan, Bohol, Cebu, Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, Southern Leyte, Dinagat Islands, and Surigao del Norte.

Under the conglomerate’s disaster response program “Helping Hands,” several tracks were employed to effectively reach out to areas-in-need given the gravity and extent of damage caused by the natural catastrophe. Metrobank’s employee volunteerism arm “Purple Hearts Club” activated chapters concerned to conduct relief operations. Development aid was also coursed through trusted institutional partners—Caritas Manila, Inc., Caritas Philippines, Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (FFCCCII), and The Philippine Star’s Operation Damayan. Relief operations were held from December 29, 2021 to Jan. 22, 2022.

Metrobank branches in Leyte-Palo Cathedral and Puerto Princesa-Rizal Avenue took their time out to package goods composed of rice, assorted canned goods, noodles, instant coffee, and six (6) liters of drinking water. With the assistance of the Marine Batallion Landing Team 3, the initiative has catered to 1,000 families from Puerto Princesa City, and another 1,000 in Maasin City and Sogod in Southern Leyte.

Meanwhile, Caritas Manila handed out “manna” food bags to 1,000 families in Limasawa, Southern Leyte; Calape, Bohol; Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental; and Dinagat Islands. Each bag is good as a 2-week supply containing rice, canned goods, dried fish, noodles, mung beans, cereal packs, condiments, and bottled water.

Long-time partner FFCCCII, on the other hand, managed the distribution of relief packs worth PhP400 each to 5,000 families in Bohol, Cebu, Negros Oriental, and Surigao del Norte. The same assistance was rolled out by The Philippine Star through its social arm “Operation Damayan” to cater to another 2,000 families in Carcar City and Minglanilla in Cebu. Lastly, 4,000 families from Talibon, Bohol received jerrycans of potable water from Caritas Philippines.