Like many parts of Luzon, Batangas City also bore the brunt of two recent typhoons that battered the country in recent weeks. Typhoon Quinta made landfall on October 25 and caused substantial damage as it brought heavy remains and strong winds. Hundreds of families in various areas of the city had to be evacuated from their destroyed homes. As a result, the entire Batangas City was placed under a state of calamity on October 26 due to the devastation.
Disaster struck anew as Typhoon Rolly barreled through a large swath of CALABARZON on November 1, bringing intense rainfall and destructive winds. In Batangas City, the typhoon caused flash flooding in some areas in which floodwaters rose to levels the worst the city had experienced in years.
Grasping the impact to the communities and recognizing the imperative for bayanihan, JG Summit Petrochemicals Group (JGSPG), together with Gokongwei Brothers Foundation (GBF), immediately organized operations to provide food assistance for the city’s typhoon victims.
On November 5, in coordination with the office of Congressman Marvey Mariño of the 5th District of Batangas and the office of Batangas City Mayor Beverley Dimacuha, JGSPG distributed 3,200 food packs for residents of Barangays Simlong, Pinamucan Ibaba and Pinamucan Proper. Each pack contained rice and other essential food items.
The donation were turned over in the presence of Congressman Mariño and City Council members, while Mayor Dimacuha joined the JGSPG Team during the distribution to the three barangays.
On November 16, with funding from the GBF Juan Community initiative, JGSPG, together with other Batangas-based units of the Gokongwei Group, including Universal Robina Packaging, Universal Robina Flexible Packaging and Robinsons Supermarket, led the turnover to the office of the City Mayor another tranche of aid that will be able to produce 4,000 food packs. Intended recipients were families in Barangays Libjo, Pallocan West, San Isidro (Little Simlong), Talajib, Dela Paz and the Solid Baybayin Communities. Every pack will contain rice, and other food essentials supplied by Universal Robina Corporation.
JGSPG’s Government Affairs Team spearheaded both relief distribution efforts. The company has always been a partner of the city and provincial governments in times of calamities, providing much needed assistance to help fellow Batangueños in need. At the beginning of the year JGSPG provided support for evacuees displaced due to the eruption of Taal Volcano. The company also helped in augmenting the food supply in several municipalities and localities in the province, in addition to Batangas City, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through the combined efforts of JGSPG and GBF five tranches of food aid were distributed between March and August.
