A P37.5-million donation from Japanese furniture retailer Nitori Holdings for families displaced by the 8 June Mindanao earthquake was formally turned over Tuesday, with the Office of First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos helping facilitate the assistance.

The donation, coursed through the Office of the First Lady and

the Department of Tourism (DoT), was formalized through the signing of a memorandum of agreement between Nitori chairman Akio Nitori and the GMA Kapuso Foundation (GMAKF).

In a post on her official Facebook account, the First Lady thanked Nitori and the GMA Kapuso Foundation for extending aid to communities affected by the magnitude-7.8 earthquake.

“My heartfelt thanks to chairman Akio Nitori and Nitori Holdings for their generosity, and to the GMA Kapuso Foundation for helping bring comfort and hope to the families affected by the Mindanao earthquake,” she said.

She added that the donation of temporary shelter pods and essential bedding would provide displaced families not only with a safe place to stay but also with “a sense of security as they begin rebuilding their lives.”

The assistance consisted of P30 million in cash, which will fund the construction of temporary shelter pods for families whose homes were destroyed by the earthquake, and P7.5 million worth of relief goods, including around 8,000 bedding sets, blankets, pillowcases, plasticware and other household essentials.

Tourism Secretary Dita Angara-Mathay said the assistance will benefit families in some of the hardest-hit areas, including General Santos City and the municipalities of Malapatan, Tupi, Jose Abad Santos, Alabel and Glan.

She said Nitori’s support stemmed from a video she showed Chairman Nitori featuring Filipino students responding in the aftermath of the earthquake.

“The effects of the video touched the heart of Mr. Nitori. What he saw was not simply a disaster. He saw courage,” Angara-Mathay said.

She added that Nitori pledged the donation during a meeting attended by the First Lady, the tourism chief and major property developers.

According to the GMA Kapuso Foundation, the P30-million fund will finance temporary shelter pods, communal hygiene stations, toilets, handwashing facilities, bathing spaces and laundry areas.

Each shelter pod will measure 16 square meters and include an extended roof to allow outdoor cooking. Built from lightweight but durable materials, the structures are intended as temporary housing until permanent settlements are completed. The completed shelters will be turned over to the local government units.

“The Kapuso Nitori temporary shelter pods are designed to give affected families dignity, privacy, and protection against the rain and cold as we are near the typhoon season,” GMA senior vice president Annette Gozon-Valdez said.

Meanwhile, more than 3,500 sets of Nitori household products will be distributed in Glan, Alabel, Maasim, Polomolok and Jose Abad Santos. Around 1,000 families in Malapatan, Sarangani were the first to receive the donated goods directly from Nitori representatives.

Speaking through an interpreter, chairman Nitori said the company hopes its assistance will help the affected families recover from the disaster.

“Today we are here with a sincere desire to offer support and encouragement. We hope that our assistance will give a sense of comfort and hope as you continue moving forward,” he said.

The magnitude-7.8 earthquake that struck off the coast of Sarangani on 8 June triggered a tsunami warning and caused widespread destruction across several parts of Mindanao, displacing thousands of families and damaging homes and public infrastructure.