With the eruption of the Taal Volcano in Batangas now approaching its third day, help is fast pouring in for Filipinos hit hard by the latest natural calamity.
Among those who have extended help is Megaworld Foundation, the socio-civic arm of property giant Megaworld, which has organized a relief operation in Nasugbu, Batangas.
The beneficiaries include families from the towns of Agoncillo, Laurel, Lemery, Manghinao, San Nicolas, Taal, and Talisay who are currently seeking shelter in a number of evacuation centers in Nasugbu.
The Foundation is distributing much-needed relief goods, including food items, drinking water, and face masks, to the affected families. More than a dozen Megaworld employee-volunteers are taking part in the relief operation.
“More than anything else, we believe that it is in times of distress and calamity that we need to hold on to each other. We hope that in this small way, we can help alleviate the suffering of our fellow Filipinos,” says Francis Canuto, president, Megaworld Foundation.
Apart from its own initiative, Megaworld Foundation will also be donating to the ongoing relief efforts of three other organizations, including the GMA Kapuso Foundation, ABS-CBN Foundation, and Operation Blessing Foundation.
In addition, donation boxes for relief goods have now been put up in other Megaworld Lifestyle Malls such as Eastwood Mall, Lucky Chinatown, Venice Grand Canal, Southwoods Mall, and Uptown Mall. Those who would like to donate items like drinking water, first-aid and medical supplies, easy-to-open canned goods, toiletries and hygiene essentials, baby items (diapers, baby formula, vitamins), non-perishable food items like coffee, milk, and sugar, pillows and blankets, batteries and flashlights, and even pet food and animal feeds, may bring them to the malls’ Concierge beginning January 15.
Taal Volcano started spewing ash on Sunday, January 12, and is currently on Alert Level 4, which indicates the possibility of an imminent hazardous eruption, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).
To provide assistance to motorists who were affected by the ashfall, Megaworld Lifestyle Malls waived overnight parking fees in The Village Square Alabang and Southwoods Mall last Sunday.
