Dolefil Cares: Sends Relief Mission to Yolanda victims

Dole Philippines (Dolefil) proves once again that its recent win in the  4th AmCham CSR Excellence Awards is very well earned.

On December 2, 2013, Dolefil reenergized its Caravan of Hope Relief Operations and travelled all the way to the municipalities of Culasi and Tibiao, in Antique; and, Sigma in Capiz to spread cheer and goodwill to over 2,800 families.

Fifty four volunteers from Dolefil and its partner agencies joined four units of 40-ft winged vans from Polomolok, South Cotabato for the mission.

According to Mayor Chris Andaya, of the Municipality of Sigma, “This is the first time that we were given a complete package, with shelter, food and blankets.  So far, this is the biggest help that the families here have received and we are blessed to be chosen by Dole”.

Making up the relief packs of the Dolefil Caravan of Hope are things that addresses the primary needs of the beneficiaries like clothes, underwear, ropes, tarpaulin sheets, cooking pots, sleeping materials, mosquito nets, survival and hygiene kits.  They also received food packs consisting of rice, canned goods, salt, sugar, coffee, milk and several canned Dole products.  The volunteers also brought with them a team of doctors from South Cotabato who conducted a medical mission for the affected families.

Teary-eyed but joyful beneficiaries uttered endless “madamo gid nga salamat” (“thank you so much” in their dialect) to the Caravan of Hope team upon receiving their early Christmas gifts.  A young mother with five kids said, “Madamo gid nga salamat sa tanan nga nagbulig sa amon sa sini na kalamidad. Dako ni nga bulig sa amon kay subong daghan sa among gamit nangaguba, (Thank you so much to all those who helped us during this calamity. This is a big help to us since our properties have been damaged)”.

“We chose to provide relief to Antique and Capiz because other provinces have been receiving help from other institutions whereas these areas still need a lot of aid,” Atty. Melquiades L. Hernandez III, Corporate Affairs Division Director of Dolefil explained.

According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction & Management Council (NDRRMC),  the cost of damage to Region VI (including Antique and Capiz) is estimated at P3 billion, with over 572,328 families affected.

In a statement, Dolefil VP and Managing Director Simon Denye remarked, “Dolefil is very thankful for all those who have contributed to the Caravan of Hope, to all the employees who donated, to our friends and business partners. We wouldn’t be able to go a long way without everyone’s support.”

The Dolefil Caravan of Hope is a “bayanihan” project initiated by Dolefil with its partner, Mahintana Foundation, Inc., along with its three unions, LEAD, LEAD.PH and LEAD-Calumpang, and APASI/Nordson, GAME Equipment, Combustion Retrofitting, Pave Consumer Ltd., MG Marketing Imports, Control Union Philippines, DARBC, UEMSMPC, SRC, FARB, TIBUD, CAMPCO, PMSC, MMHCFI, DECCO, LR Specialists Builders, 2GO, NFI, Twin Circa, SLSPI, PNHS, BSNHS, CSP, LPMPC, AMCOOP, MMCS, Digital Detours and CV Travel & Tours, and in coordination with i-CODE, PhilDHRRA, PROCESS-Panay and SDFI.

Last year, the Dolefil Caravan of Hope also helped the victims of the typhoon in Northern Mindanao.  To learn more about it, CLICK HERE.