Employee-volunteers join the relief efforts in Batangas during the medical mission spearheaded by the PLDT-Smart Foundation and Makati Medical Center Foundation.

January was a tough month. While the days have been dark, there will always be light at the end of the tunnel as volunteers from various organizations work together to help alleviate the hardships of our fellowmen who were most affected by the Taal Volcano eruption and other calamities.

A beneficiary receives the hygiene kit from an employee-volunteer.

Working with a group of PLDT employee-volunteers and the CSR consortium of the MVP Group Tulong Kapatid, the PLDT-Smart Foundation (PSF) provided hygiene kits to the families affected by the volcanic eruption. 

Employee-volunteers from the Transport Backbone Planning (Network Engineering Department) joined the medical mission and psychosocial activities spearheaded by the PSF and the Makati Medical Center Foundation. PSF, along with the employee-volunteers, distributed hygiene kits to displaced families in four areas in Mabini, Batangas, including Anilao East, San Jose, Majuben and Solo. 

Employee-volunteers help repack hygiene kits for the displaced families affected by the Taal Volcano eruption.

Arjie Songcayauon from the Transport Backbone Planning Department was one of the employee-volunteers who joined the relief efforts in Batangas. He said, “Spending some time in such a meaningful and fulfilling service such as the distribution of hygiene kits to the affected families is my own simple way of helping others. It is a privilege to have witnessed the Filipino Bayanihan spirit that shines amidst hardships such as disasters and calamities. Our collective efforts created positive change not only to the lives of the affected individuals and families but to every employee-volunteer as well.” 

More employee-volunteers also joined the relief efforts of PSF by participating in the repacking of over 2,000 hygiene kits which will be distributed to families severely affected by the Taal Volcano eruption. Unilever Philippines provided 2,500 hygiene items to PSF to aid relief efforts in Taal. 

Face masks and towels are among the items included in the hygiene kits for Taal volcano evacuees.

The employee-volunteers came from various clubs within PLDT. May Ann Furio from the PLDT Mountaineering and Outdoors Club Inc. was one of the employee-volunteers who helped in the repacking of the kits. According to Furio, the essence of volunteerism lies in giving one’s time and effort. “Whenever I offer my time and efforts to events like this, I feel rewarded and blessed at the same time for the opportunity to help,” Furio said. 

Jan Lester Bisco from the PLDT Lens Camera Club was another volunteer who gave his time in helping out in the relief efforts in his own simple way. “I may not be in the field, giving it directly to affected families, but the thought of making them feel our ‘malasakit’ in our own little way is already rewarding for us volunteers,” he said. — K. Mallari