Following the August 18 earthquake that shook Masbate and its surrounding region, the Aboitiz Group moved quickly to extend food assistance to local families through Pilmico and Aboitiz Foundation.
The 6.6-magnitude temblor brought damage to homes, property, and public structures, which posed some logistical challenges in the delivery of the first batch of food assistance. Nonetheless, Pilmico—fueled by its mission of feeding humanity—and Aboitiz Foundation persisted and were able to distribute food relief packs to 230 families in the town of Cataingan, Masbate.
Rebuilding after an earthquake is not an easy task. Nevertheless, we hope that these initial and future assistance will benefit and aid Masbate’s affected residents as they begin on the road to recovery.
–Maribeth L. Marasigan, President & COO, Aboitiz Foundation
We recognize the difficulty that our Filipino brothers and sisters in Masbate are experiencing right now, especially to go through this calamity in the middle of the pandemic. During this difficult time, the modern day bayanihan is paramount. We want to let our stakeholders know that amid the challenges we currently face, Pilmico will continue to be your Partner for Growth, as we move forward and build on our promise of advancing business and communities.
–Joeben Gamatero II, VP for Brand and Marketing, Pilmico
The initial batch of food packs, which consisted of rice, canned goods, instant noodles, coffee, and drinking water, were brought by Pilmico representatives to evacuation centers in Barangays Matayum, Madamba, and Aguada, Cataingan, all coastal barangays that have become isolated and, as of this report, can only be reached by water transport.
According to an August 24 update from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), the Office of Civil Defense reported damage to Masbate roads, bridges, schools and government infrastructure reaching almost PHP27 million. The docking area of Cataingan port and municipal public market were also affected.
Our utmost gratitude for the speedy assistance that your team has aided us in these trying times and mishap that our beloved Cataingan has suffered. Through your efforts, on August 22 at least 230 households in our three coastal barangays have been graced not only with their immediate necessities, but a ray of hope as well.
–Mayor Felipe Cabataña, Cataingan, Masbate
Aboitiz Foundation conducts community and school-based disaster risk reduction training sessions to help its host communities prepare for and respond to disasters. Moreover, it helps with post-calamity livelihood recovery projects and plans to extend livelihood assistance to Cataingan after the relief activities.
In addition to disaster risk reduction and response efforts, the Aboitiz Group has also been heeding the call to help amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
To date, the Aboitiz Group has contributed over PHP2.2 billion for its COVID-19 response efforts nationwide. This excludes various payments waived, reduced, extended, or restructured to help its customers cope with the impact of COVID-19.
