CEBU CITY, Philippines— Noted volleyball player Cherry Ann “Sisi” Rondina from Cebu expressed her gratitude to those who supported her campaign to help frontliners in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-hit Barangay Luz here.
As of May 3, 2020, the fundraising drive that Rondina started has already raised P152, 900.
The group started their distribution Monday, May 4, and will finish distributing it today.
“Dagko jud kaayo kog pasalamat sa mga nitabang ug ni donate. God bless natong tanan laban lang jud ta ug ampo para sa mga apektado ug sa atong mga frontliners. Salute me nilang tanan. Dasig lang Sugbo!” said the former University of Santo Tomas (UST) volleybelle in a message to CDN Digital.
(I am truly grateful for all those who helped and donated. God bless us all and let’s keep on praying for those who have been affected and for our frontliners, we salute you all. Keep the faith, Cebu.)
The 23-year-old Rondina, known as a fierce competitor on the hardcourt and sand court where she has won multiple titles, launched her fundraising campaign last April 19, 2020.
Read: Former UST volleybelle Sisi Rondina selling her jerseys and shoes for frontliners in Barangay Luz
Rondina, with the help of her volleyball teammates, created the “#tinabangay PPEs for the Frontliners of Brgy. Luz, Cebu” Facebook page where they can put some of the donated jerseys from UST players up for bidding to raise the needed funds to supply enough PPEs for the frontliners.
Read: Sisi Rondina raises P52k for barangay Luz’s frontliners
Aside from her former teammates in UST, Rondina also got some help from her fellow Cebuanos like Kim Chiu and Jun Mar Fajardo, the six-time PBA Most Valuable Player from Pinamungajan, southwestern Cebu.
“We made 300 PPEs, hygiene kits, face mask, gloves, and face shields, we donated some to our frontliners in Campo as well,” said Rondina, who is from Compostela town, northern Cebu.
With the production of the PPEs, Rondina partnered with the Southwestern University Phinma School of Medicine. /bmjo