Taal relief operations, Part 3

Several days after our call for donations, our relief operations team finally reached the municipality of Bauan, Batangas on Sunday, 19 January 2020 to give aid to those affected by the eruption of Taal volcano.

Chairman and Senior Partner Alex Cabrera and Corporate Responsibility Leader Gina Detera led the team in the distribution activity. Joining them were Assurance Partner Aldie Garcia, Assurance Partner JM Reyes, Isla Lipana & Co. Foundation, Inc. trustee Melissa Ramos, Markets and Assurance Director Allan Cao, Markets Director Dennis Bautista, Markets Senior Manager Rocky Saldajeno, Corporate Responsibility Manager Edwin Padillo, Jimmy Detera (husband of Gina), GTS Senior Specialist Herbert Tuazon, PwC Business Services Philippines representatives led by Senior Associate Carl Cabusas, firm alumnus Jeff Caliguia, and GOS staff members.

With the funds and goods donated by the firm’s partners and staff, we were able to provide more than a thousand relief packs and large quantities of other useful items to the evacuees at Bauan Technical High School (BTHS). Located in Poblacion 1, it is biggest among several evacuation centers in the municipality of Bauan.

Representatives from the local government and service personnel from the Philippine Navy and the Philippine Coast Guard helped the team ensure the orderly distribution among the evacuees situated across four school buildings.

People queued for linens (sleeping mats, pillows, blankets, towels, underwear), food products (canned pork & beans, instant coffee, wafer sticks, packed cupcakes, powdered milk), paper products (disposable diapers for babies, feminine pads), and household products (pails, dippers, dishwashing liquid, dishwashing sponges, laundry detergent).

The evacuation center’s medical station received various medicines and personal care products (antiseptic products, disinfecting alcohol, toothbrushes, bath soap, bathroom tissue).

The team also personally visited evacuees in classrooms, specifically to give diapers to babies and toddlers, and pillows and blankets to the elderly.

Bauan Mayor Ryanh M. Dolor and his wife Wendah, who are friends of Rick Danao, facilitated PwC Philippines’ access to the school. More than 3,000 evacuees are temporarily staying in BTHS. Many of them come from the towns of Lemery and Agoncillo.

Alex thanked the operations team: “Thank you Gina, Ric, Aldie, JM, and all my partners who helped this Sunday and most especially all our directors, managers, and staff who did all the hard work with minimal sleep. God be with you and God bless you and your families always.”

Gina expressed her gratitude to all donors as well. “[This is] our first, and definitely not the last, for Taal. We thank everyone for your contribution, generosity, sacrifice and hard work.”

Other relief operations

Tax Liaison Officer Hilario Cabiling, with the firm’s financial assistance, conducted another relief operation in his hometown of Barangay Lumaniag in Lian, Batangas. Twenty-two families received relief packs.

Power & Utilities (P&U) also distributed relief supplies to evacuees staying in Bauan, Batangas. Senior Manager Carmelo Borbon, together with Senior Associates Mel Torres and Louise Leonardo, visited those sheltered at Bauan West Central School, San Andres Elementary School, and San Pascual High School. Several P&U staff members and some of their relatives pooled their donations to be able to assemble the relief packs.