Help continues to pour in for victims of the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that shook Mindanao in June.
Beyond damaged homes and disrupted livelihoods are families working to regain a sense of normalcy and communities working day by day to rebuild what was lost.
Employees of Allianz PNB Life (Allianz) began a voluntary fundraising drive to help affected families move forward. Allianz matched the amount contributed by its employees, bringing the total donation to PHP350,000.
The funds will be coursed through the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF) for its Child and Maternal Support Program for selected communities in Sarangani province and General Santos City.
“Behind every recovery effort are families doing their best to rebuild their lives one day at a time. The support from Allianz PNB Life employees and the company’s matching contribution will help provide essential care for mothers, newborns, and young children in communities still recovering from the earthquake. We are deeply grateful for this partnership, which shows how collective action can bring comfort, hope, and practical assistance to those who need it most.” PDRF president Butch Meily said in a news release Tuesday.
The program will provide emergency nutrition assistance, newborn care packages, and hygiene and sanitation kits, particularly for children under five years of age, lactating mothers and their newborns, and other families still dealing with the effects of the disaster.
For Allianz employees who contributed to the initiative, the drive was a reminder that recovery takes time and that even small acts of support can help ease the burdens families face as they rebuild their lives.
Ryanne Balintec, Information Portfolio and Business relationship manager, said contributing to the drive was a simple way of letting affected families know that they had not been forgotten.
“The earthquake may no longer be in the headlines every day, but we know that many families are still rebuilding their lives. We wanted to do our part, however small, to help them get back on their feet and move forward,” Balintec said.
The fundraising drive showed how individual acts of generosity become more meaningful when people act together, according to Pionna Arenas, Service Excellence lead.
“What moved me was seeing colleagues willingly come together to help people we may never personally meet. Individually, our contributions may seem small, but together, they can help a family take another step toward rebuilding,” she said.
Rozanne Magararu, chief marketing officer of Allianz PNB Life, said she is grateful to their employees for coming together to support families facing difficult circumstances and to their partners at PDRF for delivering much-needed assistance on the ground.
“At Allianz, creating security and peace of mind goes beyond the protection we provide through our products. It is also about standing with communities during difficult moments and helping families regain a sense of stability as they recover and rebuild,” she said. (PR)
Article by Philippine News Agency
