SM Cares and SM Foundation are holding a fundraising for the benefit of victims of the 30 September earthquake in northern Cebu, including the hardest-hit Bogo City.
The corporate social responsibility (CSR) arms of the SM Supermalls and SM Group of companies said all 88 SM shopping malls nationwide have put up cash donation drop boxes where customers and shoppers can contribute to bring hope and relief to displaced families, including affected residents of SM Cares Village in Barangay Polambato, Bogo City.
SM Cares and SM Foundation have launched Operation Tulong Express (OTE) to gather and prepare relief goods, the first batch of which were distributed to families living in the village originally built with the help of the CSR units to house families displaced by “Supertyphoon Yolanda” in November 2013.
“This is only the beginning of #OperationTulongExpress efforts to bring relief and hope to those in need. To those who also wish to help, OPTE booths are accepting cash donations at SM Supermalls nationwide,” SM Cares said.
CSR partners, meanwhile, donated water. Volunteers from the National University Cebu held a relief goods donation drive at the SM City Cebu that were distributed to quake-affected families in the village and elsewhere on 5 October.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development provided tents as temporary shelters for earthquake evacuees, who fear returning to their homes due to strong aftershocks.
Helping raise money for donation to displaced families is the humanitarian group Tzu Chi Philippines and subchapter Tzu Chi Bohol, whose volunteers and scholars who collected coins and bills at the entrances and exits of malls in Tagbilaran City for a 2-day Fund Drive to extend love and compassion to our fellow kababayan in Cebu affected by the 6.9 magnitude earthquake.
Meanwhile, the city government of Bogo had distributed the first batch of relief goods in all 29 barangays with more than 20,000 households and is preparing for the second tranche of relief goods.
A tent city has been established in a 20-hectare property in Barangay Cogon as temporary shelter for families whose homes were destroyed or damaged by the powerful temblor.
The Bogo Health Office’s doctors, nurses, midwives, medical technologist, sanitary inspector, pharmacist, IT, admin and laboratory staff conducted free medical consultation, psychosocial counseling and medicines.
Members of the Office of the Building Official and the Engineering Department inspected and assessed public offices and schools as well as business establishments if they are safe to occupy.
They gave clearance to buildings and structures that can be entered or return to normal operations.