The MVP group continues its conglomerate-wide assistance to ensure the safety and recovery of the affected communities from the recent Mt. Bulusan eruption in Sorsogon.
PLDT-Smart Foundation (PSF), Alagang Kapatid Foundation, Inc. (AKFI), and One Meralco Foundation (OMF) through Tulong Kapatid, the consortium of foundations and companies led by businessman Manuel V. Pangilinan, have mobilized relief efforts in response to the Mt. Bulusan eruption. All have extended aid in their own capacity and provided necessities such as food packs, water, medicine, and communication assistance to affected communities in Sorsogon, making them among the first responders from the private sector to have aided residents in the area.
“MVP Group Foundations are now active in Bulusan area with relief work and soup kitchens. Led by PLDT-Smart and One Meralco. Our sympathy and prayers go with the victims,” said PLDT Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan, in a June 13 tweet.
Starting right on the day PHIVOLCS declared the Mt. Bulusan eruption and raised its alert level, PLDT-Smart, One Meralco and the rest of MVP companies were at the forefront of extending relief assistance in high-impacted areas.
PLDT and its wireless unit Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) immediately set up Libreng Tawag (free calls) and Libreng Charging (free charging) stations in barangays in Juban and Casiguran, Sorsogon, which served the communication needs of its residents.
Apart from the technical assistance on-ground, the PLDT group also provided 1,500 food packs and 10,000 pieces of N95 masks to distressed residents. This is on top of the relief assistance from PSF which included 2,500 relief packs, 20,000 pieces of N95 masks, and 15,700 caps of multivitamins. PSF and the PLDT group have reached many barangays in Juban and Casiguran, Sorsogon and provided affected families with the immediate help they needed.
AKFI and PSF also ran their soup kitchen and fed residents 1,000 hot meals. AKFI also distributed 1,850 food packs to 13 barangays in Sorsogon. One Meralco Foundation also stepped up and turned over 1200 loaves of bread to 600 families and 168 pieces of canned goods to 28 families.
Guided by the group’s core value of ‘malasakit’ or compassion, Tulong Kapatid unfailingly finds ways to quickly extend help to communities in need, particularly in times of disaster.