Fil-Chinese businessmen donate P1M for 'Pablo' victims through Kapuso Foundation

A group of Filipino-Chinese businessmen on Friday handed to GMA Kapuso Foundation a P1 million check as donation for the victims of typhoon “Pablo,” which left over a thousand people dead in Visayas and Mindanao early December last year. Jovenson Ong, chief executive officer of Dragon Fireworks and president of the Association of Young Filipino Chinese Entrepreneurs (AYFCE), said they chose Kapuso Foundation as recipient of the fund because of its track record in providing relief assistance to calamity victims. “We feel that GMA Kapuso Foundation has been really helping our less fortunate countrymen. Nakita namin na taos-puso 'yung serbisyo so our association opted to give the fund to GMA Kapuso Foundation,” he said in an interview after the turnover of the check. He said they are fully aware of the devastation caused by "Pablo," tagged as the world's deadliest disaster in 2012 by a foreign research paper, so their members decided to pool money to help the affected residents. At least 1,067 were reported dead due to “Pablo,” which also damaged P34 million worth of infrastructure, agriculture and properties, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. Asked where they want the fund to be used, Jeffrey Ng, CEO of Cathay Land Inc/South Forbes Golf City Project and AYFCE's chairman, said they want the victims to have their own houses and a livelihood program to help them provide for their daily needs. The group also wants to help the victims to build new school buildings to allow the children to continue their schooling. “Siguro 'yung mga school buildings para makatulong sa edukasyon ng mga anak ng nasalanta,” Ng said. Long-term projects Winifred Avendaño, GMA Kapuso Foundation executive director, said they are now looking for long-term projects for the typhoon victims. “Patuloy pa rin po 'yung aming operations and projects sa Davao Oriental and Compostela Valley. Tapos na sa mga relief distributions, right now we are doing medical missions,” he said. “Ang mahalaga 'yung long-term po. Yung long term po kasi ay construction of classrooms and maybe houses for the victims so yung bulk nung donations would probably go to the long-term projects including na yung P1 million na dinonate ng Chinese professionals. Very thankful kami sa kanila,” he added. Gilberto R. Duavit Jr., GMA Network president and chief operating officer, described the donation as substantial and expects it to provide more food, clothes and basic necessities to the victims. “Maraming-marami ang matutulungan ng donation. In that respect definitely very, very significant [ito]. Patuloy ang ating pagtulong sa mga nasalanta ng Pablo at mas makakadagdag ng ating maitutulong ang generosity at compassion ng association,” he said. Ong said their association will continue providing help to the less fortunate people. “Tuwing may ganitong pangyayari, ang aming asosayon ay laging handang tumulong sa mga nangangailangan,” he said. Also present during the turn-over were GMA Network chairman and chief executive officer Felipe L. Gozon; AYFCE honorary chairmen Bernard Go, Michael Chenglay, Wilson Lee Flores, Peter Mangasing, Daniel L. K. Ching; AYFCE vice president Hubert Chua; and AYFCE directors William Villanueva, Kenneth Hung, and Robert Marie Sy. AYFCE, formerly Anvil Business Club, is a group of Filipino-Chinese professionals from different industries “who are dedicated to help out society in our own little way,” said Ng. — Amita O. Legaspi/KBK, GMA News