Makati, Philippines – January 22, 2020 Ayala companies across the group continue to contribute additional relief efforts for thousands of families devastated by the on-going eruption of Taal Volcano, which started spewing volcanic ash on January 12, 2020. Ayala has been on the move for over a week and steps up multiple donation drives where employees volunteered to help pack and deliver critical aid to evacuees.
On January 20, AC Motors and Ayala Foundation employees delivered relief items carried in a convoy of 30 vehicles from Volkswagen, KIA, Maxus, KTM, Honda and Isuzu. Part of the delivery convoy were 10 brand new KIA K2500 Kargo vehicles turned over to the Batangas provincial government for deployment to evacuation sites that need them the most. To date, three of the vehicles have already been dispatched to the municipalities of San Nicolas, San Luis and Mataas Na Kahoy.
AC Motors, Ayala’s automotive unit under AC Industrials, canceled its annual media thanksgiving event last week and instead reallocated the fund to procure emergency goods such as blankets, mattresses, sleeping mats, slippers, towels and other hygiene products.
Separately, Ayala Foundation’s volunteers at the CENTEX school in Batangas provided meals for families staying at the Bauan Central School, West Bauan Elementary School, and Manghinao Elementary School on January 16. With its partner, GMA Kapuso Foundation and Manila Water Foundation, they distributed relief items, including hygiene kits, food, and water, to evacuees staying at Alagao Elementary School and Inicbulan Elementary School, also in Bauan.
Similarly, employees of AyalaLand Malls Inc, Ayala Land Hotels and Resorts, and Ayala Land Offices, brought and distributed relief items on January 18 to 248 families in Brgy. San Antonio, Sto. Tomas, Batangas. Donations included sleeping mats, blankets and food items, and were procured through employees’ personal cash donations.
Makati Development Corporation (MDC), the construction arm of Ayala Land Inc., sent relief goods to Batangas on January 20, with donations from employees, partner contractors and suppliers. MDC distributed P1.5 million worth of goods to 235 families in Paaralang Elementarya ng San Antonio in Sto. Tomas, Batangas. Relief goods included food items, hygiene kits and sleeping mats. MDC’s in-house medical team conducted free medical check-ups and distributed medicines. A total of 50 employeevolunteers joined the activity, including 10 doctors, five dentists and 20 nurses.
On January 18, 55 volunteers from MDC’s BGC Operations Center distributed 1,500 relief packs containing food and hygiene items in Brgy. Banilad, Nasugbu, Batangas.
Currently, MDC is conducting a cash donation drive where employees can contribute to a fund for future relief initiatives.
On January 15, Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) employee volunteers packed relief goods including masks, blankets, sleeping mats, slippers, non-perishable food, clothes, water, medicines and hygienic items and distributed to about 500 families and 3,000 individuals from Lemery, San Nicolas and Agoncillo, who were relocated to Bauan, Batangas.
Part of BPI’s holistic approach to disaster response, an employee-led fundraising initiative is ongoing, wherein funds to be raised will be matched by BPI Foundation. BPI employees started donating on January 20, raising P600,000 in just two days. The employee fund drive will end on February 7, 2020, with the combined amount (raised + matched) to be given to the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF).
Meanwhile, several tankers from Manila Water, and its operating units Laguna Water and South Luzon Water, that were deployed last January 13 continue to deliver water to various evacuation sites and communities in Batangas, Cavite, and Laguna. As of January 20, these were refilled more than 190 times, and have provided over 1,800 cubic meters of water to almost 42,000 individuals.
AC Health has also been proactively providing medical assistance to the affected communities in light of the public health threats caused by the Taal eruption. FamilyDOC has been giving free consultations since January 16, in Laguna (South City and Canlalay in Binan, Rosario Complex, Landayan and Poblacion in San Pedro, and Tagapo, Sta. Rosa) and Cavite (Carmona, Portal Mall in GMA, DiviMart Manggahan and Gov. Ferrer Ave. in Gen. Trias, Sabang, Fatima 2 and Salawag in Dasmarinas, and Bulihan in Silang). Free consultations end on January 31, 2020.
The Ayala group remains alert for the imminent eruption of Taal Volcano and continues to work with relevant LGUs to anticipate and respond to the urgent needs of the displaced communities.