Damayan brings relief to flood-hit families

MANILA, Philippines — Days after floods spawned by Typhoon Carina devastated swaths of Metro Manila, volunteers of Operation Damayan, The Philippine STAR’s humanitarian arm, conducted relief operations in Barangay Bagong Silangan in Quezon City on Saturday.

The distribution of goods took place at the covered court of New GreenLand, so named because the area has become the site of an urban greening project of Quezon City and the Department of Agrarian Reform.

A crowd of more than 1,000 showed up at the venue to receive much-needed assistance from volunteers of Operation Damayan led by Philippine STAR president and CEO Miguel Belmonte.

Beneficiaries were residents from New GreenLand, Tumana, Clemencia, Isla Pulang Bato, Tabing Ilog, Calamiong, Cacsucom, Pinagbuklod, Tagum­pay, Pinaglaban, Greenfield and Area 5.

With the help of more than P1 million in donations from kindhearted donors, most of whom attended the awards-turned-fundraiser of Stargate People Asia’s ‘Men Who Matter’ held on July 25, Damayan distributed packs each consisting of corned beef, biscuits, powdered milk and chocolate drinks, coffee, noodles, bottled water, toothpaste, soap and five kilos of rice donated by Sta. Elena Corp. president and CEO Alice Eduardo.

Thanking donors for their generosity, Belmonte personally joined the distribution since the benefactors chose to course their donations through Operation Damayan.

“We knew we could link hands with STAR’s Operation Damayan because of its credibility, efficiency and heart,” PeopleAsia editor in chief Joanne Ramirez said during the awards night, which netted close to P900,000 in donations and pledges from guests and awardees.

The STAR would like to acknowledge the following donations to the Carina fund drive: former House Speaker Jose de Venecia and wife Gina, P50,000; Linda Ley, P10,000 and Ching Cruz, P10,000.

Belmonte also thanked employee volunteers for their selfless efforts in lending a helping hand to families from Bagong Silangan, which was one of the hardest hit by Super Typhoon Carina. Its proximity to the Marikina River makes the area prone to flooding.

At the covered court, one of the residents pointed to the basketball ring to demonstrate how high the waters rose at the height of the storm, making it impossible for residents to get help.

Operation Damayan was founded in 1988 by STAR founding chairman Betty Go Belmonte, and is being continued by her son Miguel.