How MVP, companies are helping to rebuild Bohol

Voltaire Tupaz

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Here are ways by which your firm can help Bohol rebuild its schools, health centers, houses, and churches. Tell us about your initiatives.

MANILA, Philippines – Almost P7.6-M as of Saturday, October 26.

So far, that’s the amount the Philippine Disaster Recovery Foundation (PDRF), the companies led by business tycoon Manuel V. Pangilinan, and other private institutions here and abroad have raised to help rebuild Cebu and Bohol.

As of October 26, at least 213 were killed, nearly 344,000 were displaced, and more than 52,000 houses were damaged by the 7.2-magnitude earthquake that struck Central Visayas on October 15. (WATCH: Bohol residents struggle to recover from quake)

“It is important to treat the basic needs of man first: food, clothing and shelter. And most of all, the aspect of livelihood,” Bohol Gov Edgar told Rappler as his devastated province entered its early recovery phase early this week.

Brick by brick

PDRF and partner groups are raising funds through the Brick by Brick Project, an online crowdfunding platform.

“A donation of P10 earns the donor a brick on the site which spells out the names of the 3 affected areas – Bohol, Cebu and Zamboanga,” PDRF said in a statement.

Zamboanga City, which is still struggling with the aftermath of a 3-week bloody standoff between government forces and members of the Moro National Liberation Front, is also a beneficiary of the fundraising project.

In the interest of transparency, donors and the public will be informed online about the running total of the amount raised until the campaign ends on Dec 5, 2013, according to PDRF.

Crowdfunding relies on donations from individuals and groups to support a variety of causes such as responding to disasters, starting a company, or investing in creative projects such as movies,” PDRF explained.

Digital ad agency Tribal DDB collaborated with PLDT and Smart to develop the disaster crowdfunding tool which facilitates donations from around the world transmitted via PayPal, SmartMoney or Pasaload.
 
Pledges

Various companies have already set aside donations which seek to help restore and reconstruct schools, health centers, houses, and churches.

“Our Tulong Kapatid Foundation has been sending relief goods to the areas affected by disasters. However, we wanted to do more.  We wanted to use an innovative way to raise funds to help rebuild these cities. It is our hope that companies and foundations from every sector of the country and the world will join this fund-raising effort,” Pangilinan said.

Pangilinan-led companies kicked off the crowdfunding initiative with their own contributions and pledges:

  • P1.5-M (PLDT employees) 
  • P1-M (PLDT Smart Foundation) 
  • P1-M (One Meralco Foundation 
  • US$20,000 (First Pacific Group in Hongkong) 
  • P1-M (Metro Pacific Foundation)
  • P500,000 (Metro Pacific Tollways Group)
  • P300,000 (Philex Foundation)

Other donors, including Loida Nicolas Lewis, former CEO of TLC Beatrice International, provided $5,000. US Education Finance CEO Henry Howard pledged $5,000. Land Bank of the Philippines president Gilda Pico also pledged a P1-million donation from the bank.

The campaign’s other partners include Western Union, the Commission for Overseas Filipinos, the National Federation of Filipino-American Associations (NAFFAA), NATTCO, a federation of cooperatives in the Philippines, and the Philippine American Chamber of Commerce of New York.

The PhilAm Chamber made available its PayPal account to transmit donations to PDRF.

Deposit donations

The 340 branches of Landbank will accept dollar and peso donations for the Brick by Brick project under the following account numbers: 3404-0323-39 for dollar deposits and 3402-1037-51 for peso donations.

According to PDRF, the amount raised will be coursed through various groups like Gawad Kalinga, Caritas and local government units in the affected areas.

MovePH, Rappler’s civic engagement arm, also reported other initiatives and ways to help the earthquake victims and the people of Zamboanga:

#ReliefPH: Help the Visayas earthquake victims
#TabangBohol: Relief goods finally reach isolated towns
DSWD creates emergency hotlines for quake victims
#AyudaZamboanga: Let’s help Zamboanga

Flying in relief goods 

Meanwhile, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) announced its partnership with the Philippine Airlines (PAL) Foundation and Air 21.

“This partnership is timely since we really need to speed up the delivery of more relief goods for the victims. We are grateful for their help,” DSWD Secretary Dinky Soliman said in a statement.

PAL agreed to to fly in the relief goods repacked at DSWD’s National Resource Operations Center in Pasay City and at its Field Office 7 in Cebu City. Air 21 will deliver the relief items through sea freight using 2Go forwarding services.

DSWD is also finalizing an agreement with Cebu Pacific and Zest Air to airlift relief goods free of charge.

Some people we spoke to in Tagbiliran City said when more airplanes started flying over their houses again, it brought a sense of normalcy to the city. For those in evacuation centers, the sound of helicopters reassures them that help is coming or is on the way.

Outpouring of support

Provinces devastated by the earthquake, particulalry Bohol, have been receiving an outpouring of support from various sectors. 

On Friday, October 25, the United Nations and humanitarian groups launched a $46.8 million (P2.01-billion) plan that seeks to help address the needs of the Bohol earthquake victims. (READ: UN, humanitarian groups help 344,000 homeless in Bohol)

The Australian government also announced that it will provide about A$3.1 million (P124-M).

Bohol Gov Edgar Chatto earlier told Rappler about how grateful his province is for the generosity that came pouring in: “All this inspires us even more because we Boholanos living in Bohol are only the caretakers of our province, but this is all of us working together, hand in hand, in a long journey of bringing Bohol to progress and development, to make Bohol a major contributor to regional and national growth.”

The Bohol governor said donations from the private sector are received by the Bohol Chamber of Commerce, the social action centers of the Catholic Church, and civil society groups. – Rappler.com

 

 

 

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