MEPZ firm employees donate cash to Japan

CEBU, Philippines - A check worth P1.119 million from the pockets of employees of Toyoflex Cebu Corporation was turned over to the Philippine Red Cross on behalf of Japan Red Cross Society for the victims of the disasters that hit Japan.

Aside from the check, the company also donated 5,000 pieces of “Ganbare Japan” T-shirts. “Ganbare” means ‘fight’ in Nihongo.

“Ganbare Japan” is to encourage the Japanese not to give up amid the disaster and continue to move forward.

Toyoflex Cebu Corporation is a Japanese-owned company operating at the Mactan Export Processing Zone (MEPZ) since 1996.

The company has 850 employees who shared a portion of their salary to raise money for Japan after it was hit by earthquake, tsunami and radiation leak.

This is the employees’ way to show their gratitude to Japan as a whole because had it not been for their Japanese employers, they would not have jobs today.

Cebu City Mayor Rama, who formally turned over the donations to Red Cross yesterday in the presence of new Japanese Consul Yoshiaki Hata, hailed Toyoflex for the effort.

Rama said the city also pledged P3 million for Japan, hoping that without bureaucracy, the processing of the budget will be rushed.

He vowed continuing cooperation and support to the Japanese government because it is instrumental in the establishment of the South Road Properties.

The city government acquired the loan to build the SRP from Japan Bank for International Cooperation.

Hata expressed sincere appreciation to the city government and Toyoflex for the donations.

He said that in Japan, they are doing their best to recover from the disasters, stressing that everyone in his country is working to help each other.

Japanese tourists’ arrival in Cebu may have decreased since the disaster but Hata said that they will try their best to increase the tourist arrival once Japan’s economy stabilizes. (FREEMAN)