SingTel donates P1.7M for typhoon victims

CEBU, Philippines - Singapore Telecommunications Ltd. (SingTel)  has donated SGD 50,000 (roughly PHP 1.75 million) to buy food and drinking water for typhoon Yolanda victims via Globe Telecom’s corporate social responsibility program.  In addition to the corporate donation, SingTel has set up staff donation drives across its operations in Singapore and Australia to raise more funds. SingTel is a major stockholder of Globe together with Ayala Corporation.  

“We wish to extend our deepest sympathies and heartfelt condolences on the loss of thousands of lives and massive destruction to properties. Together with Globe, our regional mobile associate, we want to play a part in assisting affected Filipinos with their daily needs in the hope of helping get them back on their feet again,”  said Mr Andrew Buay, SingTel’s VP of Group Corporate Social Responsibility.

Globe was one of the first companies to respond to the calamity by offering Libreng Tawag, Libreng Charging, and Libreng Internet stations to help the victims contact their kin even as it continues to provide relief operations in the disaster-stricken areas.

The SingTel donation, together with almost P300,000 raised from Globe employees, will be used for the second wave of relief operations in Eastern Visayas such as Tacloban City in Leyte and Guiuan, Eastern Samar.  Other sites are yet to be finalized.

So far, Globe has already distributed relief packages to almost 5,000 families as well as hot meals to 3,000 individuals. 

During the aftermath of typhoon Sendong in 2011 and typhoon Pablo in 2012, SingTel was also among foreign corporations which offered aid to the victims.  In 2013, SingTel employee volunteers also joined the Gawad Kalinga Bayani Challenge to build homes for those displaced by typhoon Pablo. 

Globe Bangon Pinoy is an integrated program that allows communities devastated by the recent calamity to benefit from relief operations, free call and text services, network restoration, and a series of community-rebuilding activities. It was first introduced by Globe in 2009 after typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng wreaked havoc in the country.   (FREEMAN)