MANILA – The fighting in Marawi has been raging for a month now. Most of the city’s 200,000 residents have fled, and many are stranded in evacuation centers.
The need is great, even for the soldiers tasked to protect the community. Thankfully, private individuals and organizations have stepped up to the challenge, to complement the government’s response.
Below are some of the groups and organizations that have reached out so far:
– Smart Communications provided load and pocket WiFi to the Ranao Rescue Team, a group that had been rescuing trapped civilians in Marawi City, as well as coordinating with organizations to conduct relief operations on the ground.
Smart Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan also announced through his Twitter account a donation of P2 million in load for soldiers on the battlefield.
He also promised help in the form of rice, water, blankets, dried food, and canned goods.
– Alagang Kapatid Foundation visited soldiers who were hurt in the fighting in Marawi, and distributed gifts, although what the soldiers said were needed the most were prayers for their brothers who were still out in the battlefield.
Alagang Kapatid is still accepting donations for evacuees. Here are the bank account details:
BDO peso account
Account name: Alagang Kapatid Foundation Inc.
Account number: 00-5310-41016-4
Beneficiary bank: BDO Unibank Inc – BDO Makati Ave-Ayala Branch
Address: Ground floor L.V. Locsin Bldg., 6752 Ayala Avenue corner Makati Avenue, Makati City
Swift code: BNRPHMM
BDO dollar account
Account name: Alagang Kapatid Foundation Inc.
Account number: 10-5310-46264-4
Beneficiary bank: BDO Unibank Inc – BDO Makati Ave-Ayala Branch
Address: Ground floor L.V. Locsin Bldg., 6752 Ayala Avenue corner Makati Avenue, Makati City
Swift code: BNORPHMM
BPI peso account
Account name: Alagang Kapatid Foundation Inc.
Account number: 1443-0533-32
Beneficiary bank: Bank of the Philippine Islands – Ayala Avenue SGV Branch
Address: 6758 Ayala Ave., Makati City
Swift code: BOPIPHMM
BPI dollar account
Account name: Alagang Kapatid Foundation Inc.
Account number: 1444-0214-85
Beneficiary bank: Bank of the Philippine Islands – Ayala Avenue SGV Branch
Address: 6758 Ayala Ave., Makati City
Swift code: BOPIPHMM
CITI Bank peso account
Account name: Alagang Kapatid Foundation Inc.
Account number: 0757138018
Beneficiary bank: Citibank NA, Philippine Branch
Address: Citibank Tower, 8741 Paseo de Roxas, Makati City
Swift code: CITIPHMX
CITI Bank dollar account (3rd CCY Remittance)
Account name: Alagang Kapatid Foundation Inc.
Account number: 0757138026
Beneficiary bank: Citibank NA, Philippine Branch
Address: Citibank Tower, 8741 Paseo de Roxas, Makati City
Swift code: CITIPHMX
Metrobank peso account
Account name: Alagang Kapatid Foundation Inc.
Account number: 264-3-264821763
Beneficiary bank: Metrobank Fort Burgos Circle Branch
Address: Taguig City
Swift code: MBTCPHM
PayPal account
Username or beneficiary: alagangkapatid@news5.com.ph
Those who wish to donate in kind may drop off the following suggested items at TV5 Media Center, Reliance corner Sheridan Streets, Mandaluyong City:
Uncooked rice
Canned sardines or tuna
Coffee
Monggo
Bath and laundry soap
Sanitary napkins
– One Meralco Foundation provided sleeping mats, cooking applinces, clothes, chairs, and tables to Marawi evacuees. In particular, it helped employees of the Lanao del Sur Electric Cooperative.
– Entrepreneurship advocacy organization Go Negosyo, led by Presidential Adviser on Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion, partnered with various companies to deliver 300,000 items to Marawi evacuees, including water, canned goods, milk, juice, medicine, other food items, mats, and blankets.
5,000 soldiers were also given care packages with the essentials: food packs, drinks, snacks, medicine, cellphone load cards, shampoo, soap, toothbrush, underwear, socks, and towels.
Camps would also be sent a supply of chicken, sacks of rice, gallons of water, gas stoves, and LPG canisters.
To donate in kind, coordinate with Gelle Jimena (0917-312-7984 or 0999-887-9276). To donate in cash, call Sophia Ramos (0928-552-3285). To send letters to the troops, coordinate with Jarielle ?Reyes (0918-965-6333). For more information, contact Ginggay Hontiveros-Malvar (0917-524-9957 or ?0908-898-0428).
– Philippine Business for Social Progress has a simple plea to bring smiles to the faces of affected teachers and volunteers doing humanitarian work: send them lipstick and make-up. Brand new is best, for hygiene and health safety purposes.
It has received over P50,000 worth of CDO canned goods for families in Marawi. According to a report by The Philippine Star, PBSP had already collected donations and pledges worth P5.68 million.
Through the help of donors, over a thousand families in neighboring Saguiaran town have already been given non-food relief packs.
To help, call 527-3740/42, or visit www.pbsp.org.ph.
– Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Cabinet Secretary Khal Mambuay-Campong and private individuals also launched “Letters of Hope” for parents and children in evacuation centers. Those who wished to send encouraging messages could contact Rina at 0917-861-5497 and mgzaraneta@gmail.com.
The Philippine Postal Corporation (PHLPost) also expressed willingness to deliver letters of support to the soldiers.
The Blas F. Ople Policy Center campaigned for Filipinos overseas to boost the morale of soldiers through letters. It asked the Overseas Workers’ Welfare Administration (OWWA) to accept donations from Filipino communities abroad.
Philippine Army’s Civil Military Operations Group (CMOG) identified the three main projects under #OgopMarawi:
Under the #OgopMarawi (help Marawi) campaign of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, they hoped to provide school supplies to about 50,000 students;
clothes, hygiene kits, and inspirational messages for the troops; and relief assistance to the displaced civilians.
– San Miguel Corporation pledged business start-up packages for families of soldiers killed in action. These packages were estimated at P2 million per family.
– Globe Telecom was also providing 15 days of free texts to all networks and free calls to Globe and TM subscribers in Marawi City.
According to a report by BusinessWorld, Globe has also allocated prepaid load and mobile Wi-Fi devices for volunteers in Iligan City, and put up Libreng Tawag and Charging Stations across Lanao del Norte.
– Aboitiz Foundation and Pilmico donated P4.2 million worth of water, noodles, sardines, bed foam, pan de sal, and Pilmico-developed high-energy biscuits for the benefit of 20,000 affected families.
These 100-gram high-energy biscuits have 450 kilocalories – the equivalent of one full meal – each. According to a press release, these nutrient-rich biscuits were designed as an efficient relief solution that not only addressed hunger but provided adequate nutrition through a sustainable food supply.
– Caritas Manila, the social services and development arm of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila, also called for donations of 200 folding beds, 250 units of thermos, and 200 kettles for evacuees who had sought refuge in the Social Action Center of the Diocese of Iligan.
In a press release, Caritas Manila also related the plea of the Diocese for antibiotics, medicine, and supplements such as ceterizine tablets and syrup, calamine lotions, oresol solution, eye drops, vitamins, lagundi tablets or syrup, blood pressure medication, amlodiphine, ranitidine tablets, mefenamic acid, iodopovidone, and gauze for the sick.
They also appealed for television sets to “help improve and ease the psychosocial conditions” of the traumatized children.
Donors could give online through http://ushare.unionbankph.com/caritas/ or by bank deposit:
BDO – Savings Account No.: 5600-45905
BPI – Savings Account No.: 3063-5357-01
Metrobank – Savings Account No.: 175-3-17506954-3
For dollar accounts:
BPI – Savings Account No. 3064-0033-55
Swift Code – BOPIPHMM
Philippine National Bank – Savings Account No. 10-856-660002-5
Swift Code – PNBMPHMM
Donations could also be made via Cebuana Lhuillier, free of charge. Donors could also drop off items at Caritas Manila, 2002 Jesus St., Pandacan, Manila or at Radio Veritas, West Ave. corner EDSA, Quezon City.