Southwestern University PHINMA was the first school in Cebu to respond to the needs of its students, employees, and neighboring communities during the onslaught of typhoon Odette. With the help of PHINMA Foundation and its sister schools all over the country, it activated the Helping Hands program a day after the strong typhoon hit the province and other parts of Visayas and Mindanao.
Thousand students based in Cebu South were visited by the school’s Student Life Department and Supreme Student Government (SSG) and were each provided 10-liter bottled water, 5 kilos of rice, and other goods.
On December 17, it immediately opened its doors to individuals without electricity and internet connection by offering the PHINMA Hall as a charging station and internet hub. It then organized the first batch of Relief Operations for all university stakeholders and community partners by December 19. Distribution of thousands of bottled water, canned goods, biscuits, and other essentials was conducted on December 21, 24, and 29 to its students and employees residing/stranded in the city. It also extended help to residents of Sambag I and II, the Muslim communities, and local farmers living in the mountain-barangays of Sudlon, Cantipla, and Kansagahan, Cebu.
Just before Sinulog, a thousand students based in Cebu South were visited by the school’s Student Life Department and Supreme Student Government (SSG) and were each provided 10-liter bottled water, 5 kilos of rice, and other goods as well as psychological first aid to help students get by these difficult times.
“This is our way of checking on our students from the 23 municipalities/cities in the southern part of Cebu affected by this devastation. We are planning on conducting the same for our students from Cebu North and other areas within VisMin this month,” shares SSG President Clint Vincent Noel.
Cash assistance was also provided to select residents of Sambag 1 and 2, SWU PHINMA’s partner-barangays.
The officers of the Medicine Student Council (MSC) also distributed relief goods to all Filipino and international students in the School of Medicine stranded in Cebu last December.
Aside from these programs initiated by SSG and MSC, the university is also sending bottled waters to students and selected communities in Surigao, Palawan, and Bohol this month. Likewise, the Community Development Department has started going around Cebu province to distribute additional goods to heavily affected communities.
Beyond the relief operations, rehabilitation assistance was also provided to selected students, employees, and members of the school’s partner communities with the help of PHINMA Foundation. Cash assistance for rebuilding their houses destroyed by the strong winds during the typhoon was distributed by the university. One of the affiliate companies of PHINMA Corporation, Union Galvasteel, is also offering discounted rates for roofing materials as their way of alleviating the burden of the victims.
University stakeholders line up for the relief goods distributed by SWU PHINMA last month.
Employees of PHINMA Corporation and PHINMA Education, as well as partner organizations, donated cash as support for this purpose. Even the Office of the Vice President of the Republic of the Philippines also distributed their donation of rice, bottled water, juice packs, blankets, and sleeping mats through this initiative of the university.
“The university administration, employees, and student-leaders are ready to provide swift relief and rehabilitation assistance to the rest of our stakeholders and community partners during disasters and natural calamities. We are lucky to be part of a national conglomerate readily available to extend help whenever needed, and committed to making lives better for the Filipino people.” -Albert Gamboa SWU PHINMA, COO
SWU PHINMA’s Supreme Student Government (SSG) distributed the relief packs to students from 23 municipalities/cities in Cebu South.
SWU PHINMA’s Helping Hands project was also extended to our Muslim brothers and sisters residing in Cebu who were heavily affected by the typhoon.
Residents of mountain barangays within Cebu City were given cash assistance so they can rebuild their homes destroyed by typhoon Odette.