'Ondoy,' 'Pepeng' spark corporate bayanihan

MANILA, Philippines - Face to face with the gargantuan task of providing food, shelter and potable water to millions of Filipinos, the entire nation continues to reel in the havoc wrought by typhoons “Ondoy” and “Pepeng.”

On the plus side, however, the bayanihan spirit has been reignited.

Starting Friday the other week, flooding in the PHINMA-owned University of Pangasinan (Upang) campus in Dagupan was neck-deep. Outside the campus, the strong floodwaters’ current isolated the university until the next day.

Over 300 families ran to UPang and around 1,000 teachers and students also sought shelter in the campus.

“We opened our doors to refugees starting Friday morning, when flooding outside was already waist- deep,” PHINMA Education Network president Dr. Chito Salazar recounted. 

“Fortunately, we had some remaining relief goods from our previous operation for the Ondoy victim-communities, but getting clean water for everyone was still a major problem.”

By Saturday afternoon, the ABS-CBN Sagip Kapamilya team made it through, bringing in more relief goods. Araullo University (AU) in Cabanatuan, a member-school of the PEN network, and Ateneo de Manila University also responded, but could not cross the raging floodwaters.

Moreover, roads to Dagupan were in bad condition, making transportation difficult.

When the floods receded the next day, Union Galvasteel Corp. with its Rollforming Plant in Sta. Rosa, Nueva Ecija, a member of the PHINMA Group, responded to the call of PEN.

It arranged with its hauler, RR Trucking, a truck to deliver 200 loaves of bread, 300 gallons of drinking water and 10 sacks of clothing from AU to over a thousand refugees trapped in UPang.

Similarly, AU conducted relief operations in several areas in Nueva Ecija, providing goods for 550 families. Employees and students served hot champorado at the refugee centers.

“We thank the PHINMA Corporate Network and other private and civic organizations for their immediate response. We served a total of 11 communities which was over and above the three shipments of relief goods and P30,000 we were able to collect for the typhoon victims,” Dr. Salazar said.

UPang continues to be the only school serving the affected communities in Dagupan and is recognized as one of that city’s centers of relief operations.

Forming part of the PEN Helping Hands disaster-and-relief assistance program, relief efforts were first activated and mobilized during the height of Ondoy with Victory Liner transporting Helping Hands’ goods to Manila.

Helping Hands shifted operations to Dagupan and Cabanatuan when “Pepeng” struck.

It was moving to the next phase of relief operations: Medical assistance, in tandem with partner-hospital Pangasinan Medical Center. Clothing for distribution will arrive next Tuesday.

South of Manila in Laguna where UGC’s main manufacturing plant is located, a total of 120 families received grocery bags containing rice, noodles, sardines, coffee, milk, sugar and chocolate drink from UGC employees. 

Residents were poor farmers from several communities such as Barangays Malinta in Los Baños and Barangay Halang and Bucal in Calamba.

Recently, it was time to dredge and clean up the stream beside UGC which stretches all the way to other industrial companies surrounding the area. The Barangka de Sipit Sagip Ilog Brigade spearheaded the clean-up in cooperation with the Barangay Councils of Real and La Mesa and Laguna Industrial Science Park II.

UGC environmental officer Engr. Mila J.B. Rojas led the effort with 10 UGC volunteer-employees and representatives from other industrial firms and barangays.

“Life can be better” is PHINMA’s mission which it strives to fulfill wherever it is able.