With more areas in the country now placed under enhanced community quarantine due to the COVID-19, the Aboitiz Group has ramped up its efforts in helping frontliners and affected localities, extending aid to Visayas and Mindanao in addition to simultaneous efforts in Luzon.

The Aboitiz Group is headquartered in Manila but considers Cebu to be its home while several of its business units such as AboitizPower, AboitizLand, Pilmico, CitySavings, and Aboitiz Construction continue to maintain key operations in the province.

Aid to Visayas

On April 3, Visayan Electric, the country’s second-largest privately owned distribution utility, dropped off 1,500 N95 masks, 10,000 pairs of nitrile gloves, and 1,300 safety goggles at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center, the designated testing facility for COVID-19 in the Visayas.

AboitizLand also turned over 2,000 surgical masks to the local government of Liloan in northern Cebu.

Pilmico, on March 26, began its month-long distribution of 1,200 pieces of bread to frontline workers around Cebu. The company has also donated N95 masks and goggles to the Provincial Government of Leyte.

The Aboitiz Group, likewise, donated nitrile gloves to the Bureau of Immigration in Cebu.

The Aboitiz Group continues to put people first during this difficult time through our support for the government and our brave medical and security frontliners. We remain committed to supporting our COVID-19 frontliners for the long term, and we hope our assistance makes a difference in this ongoing battle.

– Sabin M. Aboitiz, President & CEO, Aboitiz Group

Earlier in March, Therma Visayas (TVI) turned over close to PHP500,000 worth of medical supplies, personal protective equipment, and food to the Toledo City government. The donation included 200 bottles of ethanol alcohol, 100 boxes of surgical face masks, 100 boxes of sterile gloves, 2,500 food packs, 2,000 canned goods, 20 sacks of rice, and liquid hand soap and bleach.

On April 2, TVI turned over 175 hazmat suits (hazardous materials suit), 100 N95 masks, and 20 boxes of nitrile gloves to the rest of Cebu’s third district through its donation to the office of Deputy House Speaker PJ Garcia.

Another AboitizPower unit, Therma Power Visayas, donated PHP500,000 worth of rice to Naga City government through the latter's General Services Office on March 26 and March 31. The local government will add the rice supply to the food packs it is distributing to constituents throughout April.

Meanwhile, Ramon Aboitiz Foundation (RAFI) has partnered with the Cebu City government and Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) to launch a handwashing campaign called #HUNAWunaw to combat the spread of COVID-19.

Through #Hunaw (Bisaya for "wash"), RAFI aims to raise awareness on the importance of proper handwashing by deploying portable lavatories at bus terminals, parking lots, jeepney stops, and other places in Cebu City with high foot traffic.

Aid to Mindanao

In Mindanao, the Aboitiz Group, through Aboitiz Foundation, Davao Light, Hedcor Group, and Therma South donated over PHP785,000 worth of aid (162 rice sacks and 17,665 assorted canned goods) to Task Force Davao of the Davao City local government.

The Aboitiz Group has so far contributed around PHP130 million to public and private campaigns nationwide, all of which are aimed at assisting communities affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The amount includes PHP100 million recently donated to Project Ugnayan, a collaboration among local companies in partnership with the Philippine Disaster Relief Foundation.

These recent turnovers are part of the Aboitiz Group’s long-term efforts to help the government address the concerns of frontliners as well as the communities it serves amid the pandemic.

#OneAboitiz