French firms helped build houses for ‘Yolanda’ survivors

Sanofi, together with the rest of the France Philippines United Action (FPUA), an alliance of French companies in the Philippines, recently partnered with the Philippine National Red Cross and Habitat for Humanity to build 140 houses at a resettlement site in Daan Bantayan, Cebu, for the survivors of Supertyphoon “Yolanda.”

The project, with a total budget of $2 million, will also provide the construction of health and community facilities, livelihood support to affected families, and include disaster risk reduction programs.

Aside from leading healthcare company Sanofi, other French organizations supporting the project include French Chamber Philippines, CCE, Lafarge, Philippines France Business Council, Schneider Electric, L’Oreal and Total.

Sanofi, through the Sanofi Espoir Foundation, is donating 500,000 euro for the construction of health center in the relocation site. “This is in line with Sanofi’s commitment to make healthcare more accessible to the typhoon survivors and the Filipino people,” said lawyer Darwin Mariano, public affairs and communications director of Sanofi in the Philippines.

Mariano said: “We know that this will be a more sustainable contribution for the families affected by this disaster. Hospitals and health centers in the area were either completely destroyed or heavily damaged and the rehabilitation of the health infrastructure will be just as important as rebuilding homes.”

Aside from building health facilities, Sanofi is also planning to initiate disaster preparedness trainings for healthcare personnel to improve their emergency health response skills.