Damayan provides relief to 10,000 families

MANILA, Philippines - There has never been a busier time for The Philippine STAR’s Operation Damayan than the past six weeks, when two major natural disasters struck the Visayas and displaced hundreds of thousands of families.

The twin calamities may now just be a painful, bitter memory to the victims – be it in earthquake-torn Bohol or the typhoon-ravaged towns of Samar and Leyte, many of whom now face each day deprived of bare necessities one needs to survive: a roof over one’s head, livelihood to sustain the family from day to day, and at times, the love and presence of a treasured family member taken away abruptly by nature’s brutal force.

When he set foot in Loon, Bohol days after it was hit by a magnitude 7.2 quake, STAR president and CEO Miguel Belmonte thought he had seen the worst: Roads, houses, structures and centuries-old churches were badly damaged, and the pulse of strong aftershocks seemed interminable for the townsfolk.

But after Yolanda (Haiyan) struck, the scale of its destruction was clearly unprecedented.

“No doubt the damage in Leyte and Samar is far worse. It’s become a total wasteland,” Belmonte said as he, along with wife Milette and the entire team of Operation Damayan volunteers, hopped from Madridejos, Bantayan Island to Basey, Samar and then to Tanauan, Leyte in two days of whirlwind relief operations that provided assistance to a total of 7,000 families, including 2,000 in Bantayan Island, 3,000 in Basey, and 2,000 in Tanauan.

The families received mats, blankets, rubber slippers, rice, canned goods, biscuits and grocery items that would tide them over for the next few days.

“Counting Bohol, Operation Damayan has managed to help 10,000 families in the past month alone. While it is very unfortunate that our country has been hit by a string of major disasters, we are grateful to all our donors for their generosity and trust in giving Operation Damayan the opportunity to make a difference for communities in their time of great need,” Belmonte said.

When Operation Damayan visits Leyte next time around, Belmonte hopes that The STAR’s social responsibility arm would have gathered enough funds to build a brand-new elementary school with six classrooms, in line with its yearly adopt-a-school program. That way, he says, the impact of the assistance to families is more enduring and meaningful.

Meanwhile, Operation Damayan received a token of gratitude yesterday from Calumpit Mayor Jessie de Jesus, employees of the municipality of Calumpit and its constituents as they delivered a truckload of donations intended for Yolanda victims.

Rita Bufa and Roberto Cabildo, staff of the mayor’s office, shared that the initiative is the Calumpiteños’ way of saying thank you to all those who extended a helping hand to them when they were recovering from Typhoon Pedring in 2011, Operation Damayan included.

The donation consisted of P20,000 in cash, 14 boxes of sardines, 39 boxes of noodles, four boxes of biscuits and 3-in-1 coffee, three boxes of shampoo and soap, one box of toothpaste and detergent bar, two boxes of assorted goods, and 250 sacks of used clothes.

Likewise, Damayan would like to acknowledge the following donors: Alyssa and Kelly Amahit, P3,000; Cynthia and Rogelio Dematera, P2,000; and Ramon Abesamis, P2,000. Emily Diaz of Golden Treasure Skills and Development Program also sent in two 50-kg sacks of rice, two boxes of sardines, 100 pieces of liquid soap, and 19 assorted goods.

The Philippine STAR continues to welcome donations for typhoon victims via The Philippine STAR Operation Damayan c/o MBTC Aduana Branch Savings Account No. 151-7-15152422-9 (kindly confirm your deposit via 527-7901 local 152).

For inquiries or donations in kind, please call 336-9598, email [email protected], follow @philippinestar on Twitter or visit www.facebook.com/ThePhilippineSTAR for updates.