British firm helps sugarcane workers in Cebu and Leyte

ORMOC CITY, Philippines – A British agricultural commodity merchant which has been operating in the Philippines for the past 40 years passed up celebrating their 230th anniversary last December, opting to help Yolanda victims here and in Cebu where they have business interests.

Tark Bartlema, country manager of SvG of the British ED&F Man Group, said they donated $200,000 (P8.76 million) to help meet the shelter needs of affected sugar workers here and in Bogo, Cebu.

The company coursed their donation through Habitat for Humanity, noting its good reputation in rebuilding damaged homes in calamity stricken areas.

Half of the funds were from employees’ contribution, which the company matched with an equivalent amount. ED&F Man has around 3,500 employees in 60 countries.

In the spirit of charity beginning at home, Bartlema said they chose to help affected sugarcane planters and workers in Leyte and Cebu since they are the company’s business partners. For Ormoc, $150,000 was allocated and the remaining $50,000 for Bogo. The company buys the molasses of the sugarcane growers here, and its sugar sometimes.

Hermenegildo Serafica III, president of the Leyte Cane Planters Association, said ED&F Man gave their sugar cane workers an allocation of 216 houses, while 126 received shelter kits.

Last Saturday, they returned to Ormoc for another distribution, this time to the Ormoc Sugar Planters Association (OSPA), which gets another 216 houses.

Chona Marabeles, a beneficiary, was overjoyed as they look forward to living in a better house. They still live in a patched up hut with plastic sheet as roofing.

Clarita de Jesus, another beneficiary, said they are very thankful to receive the shelter kits, P15,000 each consisting of 8 pieces marine plywood, 10 pieces coco lumber, 12 GI sheets, 2 plain GI sheets, 4 kilos of assorted nails, one hammer and one saw.

Bartlema said that much as they would want to give the beneficiaries brick and mortar homes, “we wanted to stretch the money to help more people rebuild their homes.”