Extending support, reaching out to help communities rise

Bulacan Gov. Daniel Fernando and DSWD Undersecretary Pinky Romualdez were among those who witnessed the turnover of goods in DSWD Pag-Abot Centers and relief operations centers.

Supertyphoon “Carina” barreled through the country last July, dumping torrential rains across Luzon.

In the Philippine capital alone, La Mesa dam overflowed and the Marikina River reached the third and highest alarm. The flooding caused billions of pesos in damages in Luzon, and left loss and ruin in its wake.

Thousands of people needed help afterwards to rebuild their lives, including those living in Marikina, Valenzuela and Navotas, and in nearby provinces of Rizal, Bulacan and Pampanga.

In those places, “Digibuddy” employee volunteers distributed relief packs to 15,160 households, bringing hope and cheer to an estimated 75,800 individuals. These distribution efforts and the prior repacking activities were under an initiative of BingoPlus Foundation, the social development arm of DigiPlus Interactive.

Digibuddy volunteers joined BingoPlus Foundation in delivering essentials to affected communities.

The effort was in coordination throughout with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), enabling it to muster more impact on the lives of the disaster survivors.

The humanitarian work with DSWD extends to other vulnerable sectors. DSWD Pag-Abot Center and other shelters received rice and milk to benefit abandoned children and elderly. The help would reach some 787 homeless individuals rescued and housed in halfway homes.

Community resilience has been one of the advocacy pillars of BingoPlus Foundation. In Barangay Bigayan, for example, efforts had started even before Carina hit. Digibuddy employee volunteers went to communities to bolster resilience there.

Water filters and rainwater catchment tanks provide access to clean water.

In Bulacan, a total of 610 residents in Norzagaray, including members of the Dumagat community, received a rainwater catchment tank and household water filtration systems, in partnership with Waves 4 Water. The essential addition to the community empowers the barangays with sustainable access to clean water.

The children of Dike Adwas Elementary School, also in Norzagaray, received emergency life-saving go bags. They also underwent a disaster preparedness training in a fun and engaging way through “Masters of Disaster” learning game sets designed by the Asia Society for Social Improvement and Sustainable Transformation.

Meanwhile in Cebu, there’s also an ongoing effort, making good on a P10-million commitment. It engages with public and private partners to rehabilitate livelihoods and enhance disaster response capabilities in vulnerable communities.

As the country anticipates more typhoons in the months ahead, DigiPlus Interactive and BingoPlus Foundation remain dedicated to building a stronger, more resilient Philippines.