10,000 poor families to receive bags of blessing from Metrobank

MANILA, Philippines – A total of 10,000 poor families nationwide and survivors of recent calamities have been pre-selected to receive the Bags of Blessing from the Metrobank Foundation and GT Foundation Inc.

The activity is in line with Metrobank Group and GT Capital Holdings Inc.’s gift giving to last until Feb. 20 in celebration of the Year of the Monkey on Feb. 8.

Out of 10,000 beneficiaries, 40 percent are survivors of recent calamities such as 400 families in Palo, Leyte, one of the areas devastated by Super Typhoon Yolanda on Nov. 8, 2013; and 500 families in Maribojoc, Bohol that was damaged by the October 2013 earthquake.

Four areas that were struck by Typhoon Lando in October last year have also been identified as beneficiaries.

Of these, 500 families are in Dagupan, Pangasinan; 500 families in Laoag, Ilocos Norte; 500 families in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan; and another 500 families in Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija.

The remaining 60 percent of beneficiaries were selected from areas with a high concentration of Metrobank branches.

This is a way for the company to give back to the society it serves.

In the statement, Metrobank Foundation said that every beneficiary-family would receive P1,000 worth of BOB that contains rice, cooking oil, canned goods, milk, coffee, noodles, sugar and Oishi crackers.

For the BOB project, they have allocated a total of P10 million.

It is also in response to the call of Pope Francis for mercy and compassion for the poor.

The project is in partnership with the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines and its member dioceses and archdioceses that assisted the organizers in selecting the beneficiaries and preparing the venues for the distribution of the bag of goodies.

They would also be assisted by members of the Armed Forces and the Philippine National Police in partnership with the Property of Company of Friends, Inc.  

The BOB would be launched on Feb. 8 at 9 a.m. at St. Edward’s Integrated School, Lancaster City in Imus, Cavite where 500 recipients will be waiting.