BY LEANDER C. DOMINGO
CAUAYAN CITY, Isabela: SM Foundation Inc. through SM City Cauayan joined international and local groups extending a helping hand to affected families of the massive flooding in Isabela and Cagayan, serving hot meals and drinking water in particularly in Barangay (village) Gagabutan here.
Village captain Sherwin Garcia of Gagabutan said around 300 hot meals were served as lunch of the affected families in their barangay and “we are very grateful for the immediate aid given to us by SM.”
Krystal Gayle Agbulig, SM City Cauayan public relations manager, said SM Foundation Operation Tulong Express has earlier turned over about 3500 drinking water for the East Tabacal Region, one of the identified severely flooded areas in Cauayan City that urgently needed clean drinking water.
She said Operation Tulong Express, the calamity response program of SM Foundation in collaboration with SM Supermalls and SM Markets aims to provide immediate relief to calamity victims.
Donations are also accepted through Operation Tulong Express booths set in SM Malls nationwide, she added.
As an immediate respite, Agbulig said SM also allocated 2000 “Kalinga packs” of rice, mineral water, instant noodles and ready-to-eat canned goods to be distributed to other flood-affected families in Cauayan City.
“SM has always been supporting communities and we at SM City Cauayan will continue to do so especially during calamities. Our relief efforts aim to reach out to around 3000 flood-affected families in Cauayan City”, said Sheila Marie Estabillo, SM City Cauayan Mall Manager.
Estabillo said relief operations in Isabela are conducted in coordination with the Local Government Unit of Cauayan City, Cauayan City Food Bank, with the support of City Social Welfare Development, City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office and Bureau of Fire Cauayan City.
Meanwhile, SM City Cauayan also served as shelter to stranded shoppers and mall employees during times of calamities.
Agbulig said the mall provides free parking spaces for those who wish to shelter their cars in the mall’s parking area and a free charging station was deployed in the mall.
SM Foundation Inc., the socio-civic arm of the SM Group of Companies is continuously taking the lead in the relief efforts in calamity-stricken areas. LEANDER C. DOMINGO
PHOTO:
SM Foundation through SM City Cauayan assists typhoon hit residents in Isabela. PHOTO COURTESY OF SM CITY CAUAYAN