Tan, Sy, Villar, Sunlife join Taal relief efforts

Heeding the call of the times, corporate Philippines pooled more resources and harnessed volunteers to address the urgent needs of families displaced by the eruption of Taal Volcano.

The SM group founded by the late tycoon Henry Sy, the group of brown taipan and former Sen. Manuel Villar Jr. and the group of tycoon Lucio Tan were among the local groups that have joined efforts to help communities affected by this natural disaster.

Sun Life Foundation, the charity arm of multinational Sun Life of Canada, also committed to donate hygiene and sleeping kits through the Philippine Red Cross, targeting to benefit at least 500 families.

SM Supermalls, SM Cares, SM Foundation Inc. and the Philippine National Red Cross extended urgent relief support and assistance to affected communities via the Oplan Tulong Express booths located in its 12 malls in South Luzon, namely SM City Bacoor, Dasmariñas, Molino, Rosario, Trece Martires, Imus, Sta. Rosa, San Pablo, Calamba, Batangas, Lipa and Lucena.

While SM Foundation Inc. is distributing relief packs, SM Supermalls is waiving overnight parking charges in its 12 malls in South Luzon, where Oplan Tulong Express is available, for the safety of its customers and their vehicles from the ashfall.

An initial truckload of more than 2,500 6.6-liter distilled water bottles were being dispatched to the various evacuation areas in Batangas. Beneficiaries included families from barangays in Lipa, Lemery, Santo Tomas and Batangas City.

SM is also mobilizing donation from the public for clean drinking water, food, medicines and basic essentials such as mats, blankets, pillows, water containers and utensils.

The Villar group’s PrimeWater Infrastructure Corp., in partnership with Crystal Clear and the local government of Santo Tomas, Batangas, delivered gallons of drinking water to about 1,000 families.

Volunteers from PrimeWater headed to the town of Santo Tomas, one of the identified evacuation centers, to bring a thousand gallons of potable drinking water.

Lucio Tan group’s Asia Brewery Inc. (ABI) immediately deployed teams from its local sales offices to work with local government units (LGUs) and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to provide clean, safe drinking water to families that have taken shelter in evacuation areas. More than 115,000 bottles of Absolute water were initially donated by ABI to affected towns in Batangas, which included San Nicolas, Santo Tomas, Agoncillo, Sta. Teresita, Taal, Lemery, Bauan, Talisay and Laurel.

“We are always ready to extend a helping hand to our fellow Filipinos in need especially during these difficult times. This is just the beginning of the help we’re sending and we will continuously monitor the situation as well and assess what more we can do to help the evacuees,” LT Group president Michael Tan said.Taal Volcano