Telethon for deportees raises P7.2-M

Give until hurts.

This was the overriding message in yesterday’s conclusion of the government-initiated eight-hour telethon which started Sept. 14 for the benefit of the Sabah deportees dubbed "Pagbabalik... Tulong," generating around P7.2 million in cash and in kind pledges from callers.

Among the early generous callers who pledged their donations were Emilio Yap, chairman of Manila Bulletin with P2 million; George Ty of the Metrobank Foundation with another P2 million; Zuellig Pharmaceutical with P500,000 worth of medicines, Environment Secretary Heherson Alvarez with P600,000 worth of fishing boats, singer Regine Velasquez with P50,000 and a Filipino-American from Texas with $1,000.

The telethon was organized by Presidential Adviser on Media and Religious Affairs Dodie Limcaoco upon the directive of President Arroyo. Proceeds will go to the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC), represented by Civil Defense Administrator Melchor Rosales, for the relief and rehabilitation of the close to 30,000 Filipino deportees now in Tawi-Tawi, Zamboanga and Basilan.

President Arroyo graced the occasion through a taped message aired during the telethon. She acknowledged the oneness of all government agencies in looking after the welfare of the Filipinos deported from Malaysia and appealed to the viewers for donations.

NDCC Chairman Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes had earlier written the top 50 corporations in the country for pledges as a start-up of the fundraising activity. The P7.2 million telethon proceeds is expected to increase next week when the corporations shall have given their donations.

Aired simultaneously at Channels 9, 13, and 4, the telethon started at 7 p.m. Sept. 14 and ended at 3 a.m. the next day with various artists, singers and entertainers from showbusiness as well as personnel from government agencies taking turns in manning the 30 telephone lines installed for the cause.

According to Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman, part of the proceeds will finance livelihood projects for the deportees who have opted to stay in Mindanao for good. Some of these programs are seaweed culture, fishing and "contract growing."

Among the government personalities who dropped by at the Broadcast City in Quezon City to give their support were DENR Secretary Heherson Alvarez, National Security Adviser Roilo Golez, Presidential son Mikee Arroyo, Justice Amado Valdez of the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel and Monsignor Nico Bautista of the MTRCB, among others.

Accountants from the auditing firm, SyCip, Gorres and Velayo and programmers from the AMA Computer University were on hand to audit, process and confirm the donations taken in by pledge takers.