#BangonVisMin mobilized
The Aboitiz Foundation flew in a thousand relief packs to Cebu from Manila.
The Aboitiz Group, through its social development arm Aboitiz Foundation Inc. has mobilized its various business units all over the country to send aid to victims of Typhoon Odette in the Visayas and Mindanao.
As of December 29, the Foundation has allocated more than P15 million for the distribution of relief goods, including food packs, rice, and water, and other in-kind donations to the affected communities in Cebu, Bohol, Leyte, Misamis Oriental, Surigao del Norte and Surigao del Sur, Agusan, and Bukidnon. The also covers the deployment of over 500 linemen, initially to Cebu to help restore power in the area.
The Foundation was able to raise close to P13 million, almost P600,000 of which were donated through its crowdfunding platform Kinder By Aboitiz.
Close to 40,000 relief goods, hygiene kits, and shelter repair kits will be for immediate distribution to the said areas. Meanwhile, more than 300 linemen from Visayan Electric and 200 more from volunteer distribution units including Davao Light and Power Company, Cotabato Light and Power Company, and Subic Enerzone were deployed and are working 24 hours a day to swiftly restore power in Cebu.
#BrigadangAyala
#BrigadangAyala has been conducting relief operations in areas severely affected by Typhoon Odette.
With Ayala Foundation at the helm, #BrigadangAyala rallied business units across the Ayala Group of Companies to deliver food packs in affected areas.
On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, Ayala Foundation distributed aid to at least 2,000 affected families in different towns in Cebu province as well as Siargao Island in Surigao del Norte. Sacks of rice were delivered and distributed to families living in Dinagat Islands and El Nido, Palawan.
Globe set up libreng tawag, text, and Wi-Fi stations. ACEN also set up charging stations powered by its solar plates in Islasol in Negros Occidental and conducted relief operations in Montesol in Negros Oriental. Ayala Land distributed grocery items to its essential workers as well as affected residents in communities near their Ayala Malls.
AC Health’s Generika P1 million worth of medicines and potable water are in transit for Siargao LGU’s distribution. Patsy Zobel donated canvas materials and tents for temporary shelter as well as water filters for families who lost their homes to the typhoon.
#BrigadangAyala will continue its relief distribution in Cebu, Negros Oriental, Surigao del Norte, Siargao, Dinagat Islands, and Palawan.
MVP Group vaccination program
Meralco pilot inoculation of non-clinical MVP Group employees began in the first week of July at the mega vaccination site in Meralco Compound, Pasig.
The Vaccine Task Force (VTF) of the group of companies chaired by Manuel V. Pangilinan said 98 percent of its nationwide workforce has been vaccinated against COVID-19, with over 60,000 company-procured Moderna jabs administered under its own MVP Group #WeGotYourVac Immunization Program by mid-December.
Inoculation of the Group’s registered dependents, household members, and extended workforce is also nearing completion. Vaccinations for employees’ registered 12 to 17-year-old dependents are also underway, with the MVP Group VTF closely monitoring government approval for the inoculation of 5 to 11-year-old minors by January 2022.
The MVP Group also began COVID-19 booster vaccinations for qualified non-medical employees and dependents last December. This followed booster inoculation of frontliners from the Group’s 18 hospitals under Metro Pacific Hospital Holdings Inc. (MPHHI), who were first to get COVID-19 jabs at the start of 2021.
Pilot booster vaccinations in MPHHI’s Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Manila on December 1, PLDT Sta. Ana on December 9, and Meralco Compound in Pasig on December 15 coincided with the Bayanihan, Bakunahan National Covid-19 Vaccination Days (NVD) of the National Task Force Against COVID-19 and National Vaccines Operation Center.
Aisin celebrates 2021 milestones, breakthroughs
AISIN, a leading provider of premium-quality automotive parts, marked significant milestones this year, including the appointment of Aisin Asia’s new managing director, Mr. Yasuhiro Nakamura; new brand and logo; top products; and vision in the coming years.
With the theme, “Celebrating the New Era of Excellence: Transforming the Vision Into Movement,” AISIN celebrated the company’s achievements in 2021 in a virtual year-end gathering. The company was joined by media, influencers, as well as executives and authorized Philippine distributor, Riken Motor Sales, Inc.
The company said that AISIN Group’s new brand and logo embodies the company’s vision and philosophy “Inspiring Movement, Creating Tomorrow” as their new tagline, “We Touch the Future,” strengthens their dedication to moving forward collectively as a company, utilizing new technologies to create new products and services that will ensure safety, comfort, and sustainability. Officially launched in April 2021, the rebranded image of AISIN was due to the merging of AISIN Seiki Ltd. with its subsidiary, AISIN AW, earlier this year.
AISIN also bared the new packaging that will roll out in the Philippine market, with the distinctive gold icon, and the new AISIN logo. Detailed packaging design specifications and anti-counterfeiting measures have also been put in place.
AISIN manufactures and supplies more than 10,000 types of automotive parts to leading car manufacturers globally. AISIN is also offers high-quality automotive products through its technological expertise and a strong network of automotive manufacturing plants across the globe.
Officially launched in 2019, AISIN Philippines is being managed by AISIN’s regional head office in Singapore, AISIN Asia Pte. Ltd. For more information about AISIN and its wide range of products, visit AISIN Philippines’ official Facebook page.
Globe boosts signal
Globe has successfully deployed its Cell Site on Wheels (COW) at the Diosdado Macapagal government center in San Fernando, Pampanga helping boost the mobile signal of regional government offices in the vicinity. This in turn, provided employees and visitors better call and data connectivity.
The move was in response to a request made by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) Central Luzon for enhanced services in the hub. The NTC also helped identify and facilitate approval of the location for the COW inside the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) compound.
The COW is a mobile tower that can be moved to places that need strong cell signals temporarily. Globe set it up in Pampanga as an interim solution while pursuing the establishment of two microsites in the government center.
Strategic disaster response
Humanitarian organization Buddhist Compassion Tzu Chi Foundation Philippines has visited nine municipalities in Bohol and 15 in Southern Leyte to contribute to the relief operations in these areas devastated by Typhoon Odette.
The Foundation has sent gallons of water and medicines to these provinces, while looking for more generators that can help in the pumping of water. There are plans to distribute rice to around 20,000 families soon after December 26.
At the recent meeting of Tzu Chi Foundation Philippine and Digital Pilipinas, various entities disclosed they have been helping out in the relief efforts. These include Etiqa, Kimstore, Coins.PH, 1 Cooperative Insurance System of the Philippines, Globe Telecom among others.
Leveraging on its worldwide network of volunteers and employees, Tzu Chi Foundation Philippines is aiding in the rehabilitation, recovery, economic, and educational resumption of the areas affected by Typhoon Odette. They involve the communities themselves in various operations, which is also a way to provide them temporary sources of income.
GMA Network joins KAISA
GMA Network recently signed a manifesto with the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) for the latter’s campaign dubbed, “KAISA: Call-to-action against Destructive Fire Campaign.”
The program, which carries the theme “Sa Pag-iwas sa Sunog, Hindi ka Nag-iisa!”, aims to gain the cooperation of partner stakeholders against destructive fires through self-imposed fire safety awareness activities and initiatives.
Under the partnership, every interested KAISA Partner will be evaluated for sustained fire safety awareness initiatives and shall be awarded the KAISA Star Seal sticker. Three years of being a consecutive recipient will be endorsed to receive the Gawad Ligtas na Gusali Award.
Free education
Universal Robina Corp. (URC) and the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation (GBF) have been providing scholarships to children living in URC’s partner communities.
URC’s Sugar and Renewables Division has taken under its wing, as scholars, children of sugar planters in Negros Occidental.
It is giving free education to qualified senior high school and college students through the GBF-Gokongwei Group Juan Community STEM-Agri Scholarship program.
The program, launched in the last quarter of 2020, now benefits 11 college students from Central Philippine State University and five senior high school students from Tara National High School.
These students get a fixed scholarship grant per year for their school fees and other related expenses, plus an allowance for training, when possible.
URC and GBF are also providing scholarships to those taking up technical and vocational education and training for Tesda-registered courses under its Iskolar Ni Juan program.
The program offers a fully subsidized, one-year scholarship covering tuition, transportation, school supplies, uniforms, accommodation and meals.
The scholars are boarded at the GBF Technical Training Center in Calamba City, Laguna for an eight-month academic term.
Schools such as the Vista Alegre Elementary School in Kabankalan, Negro Occidental, are also supported by GBF and URC through their Juan Brigada program.
