Employee volunteerism shines in typhoon & 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, was one such time 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 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 areas in Navotas, Manila, Malabon, Marikina, Caloocan, Bulacan, Pampanga, and Nueva Ecija, immediately after the typhoon.

The soup kitchen, 21 in total, also doubled as medical missions in some areas.

“I really make it a point to volunteer. 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,” says Lexi Macaibay of SMC’s packaging division.

San Miguel and Petron employees join forces to help typhoon victims in Tumana, Marikina.

Together with several co-employees and security staff, they served macaroni soup and fruit juices 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 floodwaters to get to the soup kitchen. Until I saw that there were thousands of people lining up in knee-deep water 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.

The business community has always been ready to extend a helping hand in times of calamity, as seen in 2009 after typhoon Ondoy, when many of the country’s top companies pitched in to donate goods to help typhoon victims.

The same is true for this recent calamity, when big companies and individuals all contributed to provide relief for typhoon victims. San Miguel and Petron, on top of their combined efforts, also donated a significant amount of canned food, juices, and drinking water.

But for the employees who choose to take the extra step to volunteer, devoting their own presence makes this act of giving even more significant.

A child receives a bowl of hot soup at Tanza Elementary School in Navotas.

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 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 air drops.

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.”