Amid days of incessant rains in Metro Manila due to the southwest monsoon or habagat, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation wasted no time in delivering immediate relief to the flood-prone Marikina City.
On 2 September 2023, the agency turned over to Marikina City's Administrator Janeth Obispo a total of 5,000 relief packs, consisting of 3,000 food packs and 2,000 non-food packs.
The food packs contained rice, canned goods, coffee, and chocolate drinks, while the non-food packs included blankets, mosquito nets, bath towels, slippers, and hygiene kits.
The relief items will be distributed to families from low-lying areas in the city that are easily submerged in flood water.
According to PAGCOR Chairman and CEO Alejandro Tengco, the agency took the initiative to promptly send much-needed aid to the locals of Marikina, after the city was recently submerged in flood due to the southwest monsoon enhanced by Typhoons "Goring" and "Hanna".
"We learned a few days ago, Marikina River's water level reached 15.7 meters, prompting the city government to prepare for evacuation of residents. Because of this, I immediately ordered our Corporate Social Responsibility Group to deliver aid for affected families," Tengco explained.
About a month ago, PAGCOR also delivered food and non-food packs to more than 31,000 families in various parts of Central and Northern Luzon, who were affected by the onslaught of Typhoons "Egay" and "Falcon".