Employee volunteerism shines in typhoon relief and rescue missions

MANILA, Philippines - Filipinos have always been known for their bayanihan spirit, especially in times of great need. The recent onslaught of typhoons Pedring and Quiel, which battered many areas in Luzon, were times when bayanihan was again in full display, especially at some of the country’s top corporations. 

Through the combined efforts of the San Miguel Foundation and Petron Foundation, about 400 employees took part in a massive relief and rescue operation that benefited close to 25,000 typhoon victims in 24 of the hardest-hit areas in Luzon.

Coming to the aid of those in need, the employee volunteers joined rescue missions, prepared soups and sandwiches, and put up soup kitchens in the areas of Navotas, Manila, Malabon, Marikina, Caloocan, Bulacan, Pampanga, and Nueva Ecija, immediately after the typhoon.

The 21 soup kitchens also doubled as medical missions in some areas.

“I really make it a point to volunteer,” says Lexi Macaibay of SMC’s packaging division. “Even when typhoon Ondoy struck a few years ago, I readily volunteered and since then I’ve made it a personal commitment to help whenever there is a calamity.”

Together with several co-employees and security staff, Macaibay served macaroni soup and juice to about 1,500 victims in Parola, Baseco, Manila.

“When you are there with people who lost their homes and you see the uncertainty in their eyes, you can’t help but forget your own problems because you know they are going through so much more,” says Francene Callueng of SMC’s Corporate Affairs Office, who went to the Tanza Elementary School in Navotas.

“I initially had reservations about having to wade in floodwater to get to the soup-kitchen venue. Until I saw that there were thousands of people lining up in knee-deep water, many for hours, and I realized that my discomfort did not compare to their suffering. It was the least I could do,” said Marvie Caballa of Petron Foundation, who was at the Paombong Municipal Hall in Bulacan.

Companies ready to help

On top of the combined efforts of their separate foundations, San Miguel and Petron also donated a significant amount of canned food, juices, and drinking water, which were distributed as relief goods.

In the case of Emergency Response Teams from San Miguel’s Polo, Valenzuela brewery, their presence in Calumpit and Hagonoy, Bulacan, at the height of typhoon Quiel made a big difference to the rescue efforts there.

The teams brought with them San Miguel’s fleet of rescue vehicles, which the company acquired in the aftermath of typhoon Ondoy specifically for flood rescue operations. This included an amphibious vehicle and several high-speed rescue boats.

At one point, the company also dispatched a helicopter to drop relief goods to flood victims, but weather conditions forced military personnel to call off the airdrops.

For five days, Polo Brewery’s rescue teams augmented government rescue efforts by rescuing those trapped in their homes, delivering relief goods to those who stayed behind, and ferrying people through the floodwaters.

“Even when we were given the chance to go home and rest, all of us stayed,” says employee-volunteer James Lopez.

“We really wanted to be of help. We hope that more people will be encouraged to volunteer in the future. It’s another way for us to make a big difference in the lives of our countrymen.”