LAST January 12, Taal Volcano in Batangas erupted, forcing thousands of Batangueños living near the volcano to evacuate amid the real dangers of continuous earthquakes and ashfall, which destroyed local livelihood as well as severely disrupted day-to-day living, communication, and travel in the province and nearby areas. Currently, the government has sustained Alert Level 4 over Taal Volcano – meaning a hazardous explosive eruption is still possible within hours or days.
Following this, the Aboitiz Foundation, the corporate social responsibility arm of the Aboitiz Group, together with several Aboitiz business units (BUs) in South Luzon, mobilized much-needed aid to residents affected by this calamity.
As of January 14, several team members from AP Renewables, Inc. Makiling-Banahaw (APRI-MakBan), LiMA EnerZone Corporation (LEZ), and Aboitiz Land, Inc. have pitched in to assemble relief packs containing food, 10,000 N95 face masks to combat the respiratory impact of the ashfall, sleeping kits, hygiene kits, and drinking water.
These packages will be distributed to 5,519 families, or 11,071 individuals in evacuation centers in Malvar, Sto. Tomas City, and Lipa City, Batangas as well as in San Pablo City and Bay, Laguna.
The Aboitiz Foundation also immediately set up a donation page (#TaalVolcano Eruption Call for Donations) to help affected families through its online donations platform KINDer by Aboitiz (KINDer.aboitiz.com).
“The Aboitiz Group is one with Batangas in this time of urgent need. We sincerely hope our assistance will directly help our Batangueño brothers and sisters as they face this challenge with courage and hope,” said Maribeth L. Marasigan, Aboitiz Foundation President and Chief Operating Officer.
APRI, LEZ, and AboitizLand all have a presence in South Luzon. APRI operates the MakBan Geothermal Power Plant in Bay and Calauan, Laguna, and Sto. Tomas City, Batangas, while LEZ operates LiMA Land’s distribution system in Lipa City and Malvar, Batangas. AboitizLand has industrial, commercial, and residential developments in San Juan, Malvar, and Lipa City, Batangas.
The Aboitiz Group is always in the forefront of disaster relief in BUs’ host communities. In 2019, 410 Aboitiz team member volunteers provided 41,661 families with food and non-food relief packs, while 18,597 families benefited from power line restoration.| – BALIKAS News Network
