EVERY year we have so many festivities and all of them are some kind of celebration. But for some reasons Christmas gives us more joy. The Yuletide makes us generous and it makes us want to share most of our blessings, but for some people, giving is a way of life.

Recently, the SM Group of Companies (SMGC) donated P10 million through the Philippine Red Cross for survivors of Typhoon Pablo. Teresita Sy-Coson, vice chairman of the conglomerate, together with Jose Sio, CFO, handed over the check to Richard Gordon, chairman of the PRC, which will be used for the rehabilitation of the devastated areas and for relief operations for the victims of the killer typhoon.

For the SMGC, being a leading player in many different industries, sharing its blessings has become an important part of the companies’ thrust. “The whole SM group contributes to the SM Foundation. Annually, the foundation gets at least P100 million donations from SMGC. This amount funds the many projects of the foundation. We have scholarship grants, we help rebuild/renovate government health institutions and we actively reach out to our fellowmen especially during calamities,” said Sio.

The PRC, on the other hand, cannot thank the SMGC enough for its unceasing support for the organization. Gordon declares that through the donations and contributions of SMGC, it has advanced the competence of PRC in addressing emergency calls.

“PRC usually gets first to emergency situations. The organization is fully equipped with tools and kits that are needed to properly address any emergency needs. With the help of our partners and supporters like SM, the call of our kababayan will surely be heard,” Gordon stressed.

Meanwhile, immediately after the onslaught of the typhoon, SM Supermalls activated its Operation Tulong Express Booths at SM City Davao, Lanang Premier and SM Cagayan de Oro, SM City Cebu, SM General Santos, SM Bacolod and SM Iloilo.

The Operation Tulong Express is a project of SM Supermalls’ corporate social responsibility program SM Cares and SM Group of Companies’ social arm, SM Foundation Inc. Tulong Express Booths accept cash and in kind donations from shoppers for the victims of Pablo.

Headed by SM Foundation VP for Community Outreach Cristie Angeles, volunteers from SM Lanang Premier, SM Davao, SM Supermarket and SM Cinema visited Compostela Valley for relief distribution. A total of 1,500 families were served during the distribution at four evacuation sites in Barangay Ngan, Compostela. Compostela is one of the worst hit towns in the area, where agriculture-dependent residents also face challenges in livelihood as crops were assessed to be completely destroyed. SM Foundation will be deploying additional 5,000 packs of relief goods in the next days.

Apart from the relief operations, SM Foundation’s partner HarBest is turning over 70 liters of EM (Effective Microorganisms) Solution with 20 units of 16L-backpack sprayers to the office of the Department of Social Welfare and Development. This will be used in disinfecting affected areas to aid in managing the cleanliness, especially in evacuation centers where health and sanitation concerns are expected. HarBest will also be training local government staff on how to use the technology.

More so, the PRC has set up a medical field tent (rubhall) in Cateel and one unit of Advanced Medical Post (that can do minor surgery) in Banganga, Davao Oriental, to serve as emergency health stations for hundreds of injured persons who were hit by fallen trees and flying objects during the height of typhoon Pablo.

Gordon said these injured people, mostly children and elderly, are now languishing in pain in crowded and damaged town hospitals. The Red Cross emergency health stations, which have more than 50 beds each and basic medical equipment, doctors and nurses, will serve as a backup to the hospital where other patients can be accommodated.

The Red Cross also sent medicines, ambulances, generators and water supply to the two worst hit towns. It also put up welfare desks to facilitate tracing of missing persons and help restore family links. The social workers will also provide psychosocial support to people in distress.

PRC Secretary General Pang said the Red Cross has so far distributed 7,892 food and nonfood items to more than 1,000 families, hot meals to 16,000 persons, hygiene kits to nearly 1,000 families, and two water filtration facilities in Banganga.

Ways to donate to PRC

Banco de Oro 

Dollar Account 453-003-9482 

Peso Account 453-001-8647 

Type of Account – Savings

Euro Account – 016-201650005-9

Swift Code – BNOR PH MM 

Yen Account – 151-2-15130001-9

Metro Bank

Dollar Account 151-2-151002182

Peso Account 151-3-04163122-8

Swift Code – MBTC PH MM

For your donations to be properly acknowledged, please fax the bank transaction slip at +632.527.0575 or +632.404.0979 with your name, address and contact number.

SMS and G-Cash

SMS: Text RED AMOUNT4-digit M-PinREDCROSS to 2882

You can donate the following denominations: Globe: 5, 25, 100, 300, 500 or 1,000; Smart: 10, 25, 50, 100, 300, 500 or 1,000.