The shirt that bound Filipinos

It may just be a simple shirt, but ABS-CBN’s Tulong shirt became a symbol of Filipinos’ solidarity, hope and courage to rise from the Typhoon Yolanda tragedy. 

As part of ABS-CBN’s Tulong Na, Tabang Na, Tayo Na, a fund-raising campaign to help the survivors, the selling of shirts was launched a few days after the typhoon hit the country last year. Since it went on sale, the shirts have been ubiquitous and worn by people from all walks of life. Hundreds of customers would line up at ABS-CBN Store in Quezon City each day. 

“The people had no complaints. They patiently waited under the sun even for ours just to buy Tulong shirts,” shared Vanessa Aldanese, a sales staff who manned the store. “The surge of people was incredible. We were too busy on those days, but all the efforts were worth it knowing that our job was also to help the Yolanda victims,” she added. 

The fund-raising effort proved that the Filipinos’ bayanihan spirit is still very much alive today, as over one million Tulong shirts have already been sold within a month from the launch of the campaign and different business entities joining forces to ensure its success. ABS-CBN received overflowing support from various groups that volunteered to distribute the Tulong shirts not only in Metro Manila, but also in provinces and abroad.

Retail stores such as Jag, Mossimo, Team Manila and Boardwalk produced their own Tulong shirts and made them available in their boutiques and kiosks. Non-apparel brands such as Bacolod Chicken Inasal, Karat World and Gold’s Gym also sold the shirts in their different branches.

Online retailers Lazada and Zalora, meanwhile, also helped in selling and even waived their transaction fees and commissions.

Ayala Malls, Festival Mall, Power Plant Mall and Sta. Lucia Mall provided areas for the selling of shirts for free. Provincial malls Island City Mall, City Supermarket, Inc. Mall and NCCC Mall, meanwhile, also carried the shirts in their stores.

People in the provinces could buy the Tulong shirts at ABS-CBN provincial stations and Universal Storefront Services Corporation remittance centers nationwide. Courier company JRS Express shouldered the delivery of over 100,000 shirts to far-flung areas. 

Leah Ong, a managing director at a manpower provider company in General Santos City, noticed the spirit of volunteerism in her office after she bought more than 20 Tulong shirts for the supervisors and field workers. 

“When they saw us wearing the shirt and learned what it stood for, they became interested and purchased their own,” Ong recalled. 

Overseas Filipino workers were also able to send help to the typhoon victims as ABS-CBN Global produced shirts in North America, Middle East, Europe, Canada, Australia and in the Asia-Pacific region. 

Moreover, ABS-CBN’s two sold-out Solidarity Concerts also transformed the Araneta Coliseum into a vast sea of white as the audience wore Tulong shirts to the event. 

Others companies, like 30-year-old Abesamis Dental Clinic, opted to forfeit their Christmas party to save funds for donations. Its finance manager Noemi Abesamis bought Tulong shirts to reward her colleagues for their willingness to sacrifice their annual party.

Abesamis said that she was overwhelmed with how her co-employees positively reacted when they received the shirts. She recalled, “They were happy, knowing where the money spent for the shirts went.” 

With the warm patronage of the people towards the Tulong shirts, it truly reflected the essence of Tulong Na, Tayo Na, Tabang Na logo printed on the shirts. “The logo shows an image of linking arms, which also looks like an advocacy ribbon. It also seems like Jesus Christ’s fish symbol. It symbolizes kapit bisig,” shared ABS-CBN creative communications head Robert Labayen. 

Proceeds went to the calamity fund of ABS-CBN Foundation, Inc.’s disaster emergency and rehabilitation arm Sagip Kapamilya, which has helped 724,995 families affected by Typhoon Yolanda, as of February. It continuously rebuilds the livelihood of the typhoon survivors through crab cultivation, agriculture, weaving and ecotourism. 

More than 100 boats had been given to some families in Basey, Samar and Dulag, Leyte — the two areas assigned by the government to ABS-CBN as development partner. There are 4,000 boats more to be distributed to other coastal areas. Sagip Kapamilya has also begun building seven new classrooms in Dulag National High School and three classrooms in Basiao Elementary School in Basey.   

Meanwhile, Tulong shirts are still available at the ABS-CBN Store in ELJ Communications Center and at www.abs-cbnstore.com and www.lazada.com.ph. ABS-CBN Licensing has also expanded the Tulong Na, Tayo Na, Tabang Na line to include kids shirts, tote bags, teddy bears, tumblers, key chains, bag tags and buttons. Profits will still be added to the Sagip Kapamilya calamity fund.