Batangas City”•In the spirit of bayanihan and in keeping with the disaster response advocacy of BDO Foundation, BDO volunteers recently mounted relief operations in Batangas for thousands of residents affected by the eruption of Taal Volcano.
Officers and staff of BDO branches visited 15 evacuation sites in Batangas City, Tanauan City, and Sto. Tomas City to distribute soaps and relief packs containing food, rice, and water to more than 3,000 affected families.
The relief operations were led by BDO Southern Luzon region head Gerry Diaz, BDO Southern Tagalog area head Divine Tan, BDO Batangas area head Raymund Pastor, BDO Batangas-Sto. Tomas branch head Lux Sandra Trinidad, BDO Batangas-Gulod branch head Sheila Mendoza, and BDO Tanauan-J.P. Laurel Highway branch head Rhodalie Zaballa.
According to Zaballa, “some of our staff were also seriously affected by the disaster, but that didn’t stop them from participating. Our volunteers did not hesitate to extend assistance to fellow Filipinos in their time of need.”
As Taal continues to show signs of activity, BDO Foundation, the corporate social responsibility arm of BDO Unibank, plans to mount more relief operations in Batangas, Cavite, and Laguna with the support of BDO volunteers.
Acting as one of the first responders to disasters, volunteers from BDO and BDO Network Bank branches conduct relief operations all over the country as part of efforts organized by the foundation.
The corporate citizenship initiative is backed by non-governmental organizations and the military, which help BDO Foundation reach far-flung areas.
As a follow-up to its relief efforts, the foundation undertakes long-term rehabilitation and reconstruction programs in disaster-hit provinces.
The entire province of Batangas was placed under a state of calamity due to the eruption of Taal.
Considered one of the most active in the Philippines, the volcano spewed lava and emitted plumes of ash that reached as far as Metro Manila.
The eruption and the resulting volcanic earthquakes displaced thousands of people, and the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology raised Alert Level 4 due to the possibility of a hazardous eruption.