Massive private sector relief operations underway for Marawi City —Duterte adviser

The private sector has stepped up to send help to those affected by the clashes between the military, an adviser of President Rodrigo Duterte said on Wednesday.

"There’s actually a massive effort really coming in from the private sector from different groups ‘no. So we’re talking about, you know, big and small organizations who are already willing to help,” agriculture entrepreneurship adviser Ana Margarita Hontiveros-Malvar said.

Dubbed as Kapatid for Marawi led by Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion who is also the founding chair of Go Negosyo and the ASEAN Business Advisory Council, the concerted private sector efforts are aimed for the quick delivery of basic food and water items.

Malvar said that the private sector had delivered 16 tons of relief items such as food packs, water, medicines, and hygiene kits to various evacuation centers.

A medical caravan will then follow the initial relief operations in Iligan and some of the border towns to Marawi City, like Pantar and Saguiaran.

“So the Kapatid for Marawi, is a program, it’s an on ground program that has been started about a week ago. This is supported by Philippine conglomerates, the alliance of business chambers, and all the entrepreneurs who are under our Kapatid network,” Malvar said.

“The Kapatid network is working towards will really be to, you know, help government and the communities in Marawi in rebuilding efforts once the fighting has stopped,” she added.

Help was also extended to the troops in Camp Ranao in Marawi City.

Some of the companies involved in the relief efforts to displaced residents of Marawi City includes LBC, Philippine Airlines, RFM, CDO Foodsphere, Century Canning, The Federation of Chinese Chambers, SL Agritech, Land Rover Club, Asia Brewery, and SM Foundation.

Different business chambers in the country also extended help for the Kapatid for Marawi efforts, Malvar said.

Meanwhile, Education Secretary Leonor Briones on Tuesday said that at least six business organizations pledged to help rebuild schools affected by the ongoing clashes. —NB, GMA News