Aboitiz-led Union Bank of the Philippines, through its employee-driven corporate social responsibility program Go Beyond Communities recently donated a total of P494,850 in funds and in-kind donations for around 1,200 families in the evacuation centers of Bauan and Banaba and Bauan Technological High School in Batangas.
Dubbed “Bangon South Luzon,” the bank’s employee-led donation campaign showcased the Ubuntu spirit, a core value of UnionBank that centers on teamwork and a sense of belonging in a community.
The donation and relief campaign was activated immediately after the eruption of Taal Volcano in early January. Toiletries, ready-to-eat food, hygiene and sanitary kits, medicine and masks were identified as the top priorities of the 26,000 displaced families from the provinces of Batangas, Cavite, and Laguna.
“UnionBank takes pride in its employees who demonstrated immediate and ardent response to the call for help to ensure that no one gets left behind,” said Edna Reyes, branch manager of UnionBank Batangas City.
A total of 850 employees gave donations, while 60 others volunteered to pack, transport, and distribute the items to the evacuees from Agoncillo town seeking refuge in nearby Bauan and Banaba. Evacuation centers in these municipalities are secondary targets of relief operations groups, so UnionBank employees decided to focus the distribution in these areas.
