Yolanda survivors get new lease on life with Sun & Moon Village

A milestone was reached as 50 newly constructed homes were turned over by Resorts World Manila (RWM) with at least another 150 ready for occupancy to accommodate a total of 209 families who survived the wrath of the strongest storm ever recorded to make landfall.

Just last year, RWM, in partnership with Bouberg Productions, IMG artists, Enda Markey, and Ultimate Shows produced a 2-night charity concert entitled “Do You Hear the People Sing?” at the Newport Performing Arts Theater (NPAT). The funds raised during the concert were used to build these new homes for the survivors of typhoon Yolanda in Barangay Dolores, Ormoc, Leyte.

Present during the ceremonies were Habitat COO for Disaster Response Leonilo Escalada; OCCCI Board of Director chairperson Fr. Elmo P. Manching; OCCCI chair on housing committee Director Juanito Reyes; NEDC field officer Janet Pasicaran; city councilor Hon. Pedro Ebcas; Barangay Captain of Barangay Dolores Pedro Pepito; and RWM Director for Corporate Communications Owen Cammayo.

Named Sun & Moon Village after a song penned by music theater composers Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil for the musical Miss Saigon, the project is a collaborative effort with partners Habitat for Humanity, National Confederation of Cooperatives (NATCCO), and the Metro Ormoc Community Multi-Purpose Cooperative (OCCCI).

“RWM is committed to responding and helping the Filipinos especially in times of calamities,” said Cammayo. “Enabling a fresh start for some of the Yolanda survivors is both an advocacy and a privilege. We are confident that these new typhoon-resilient homes will be as tough and resilient as our countrymen.”

Delta Volunteers build 10 homes with Habitat for Humanity in Manila, Philippines

Delta Air Lines and Habitat for Humanity International will join forces March 7-16, to help build 10 Habitat homes in Quezon City, outside the capital of Manila, as part of Delta’s Force for Global Good program to effect positive local and global change. This year’s volunteers come from 16 cities throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Delta International H for H Build
“Delta has been serving Manila, Philippines, for more than 60 years, and we are strongly committed to the communities we serve,” said Vinay Dube, Delta’s senior vice president – Asia Pacific. “A total of 90 employees, retirees and customers, including 40 local Manila employees, will be building homes in Quezon City, the largest city of metropolitan Manila.”

“Giving back to the communities where Delta people live and work is a civic obligation and an integral part of our company’s culture,” said Tad Hutcheson, Delta’s vice president – Community Affairs. “Our long-standing relationship with Habitat for Humanity has given us the opportunity to build more than 100 affordable homes around the world.”

While building the 10 new homes, Delta volunteers will work side by side with the families who will live in the new community — called Bistekville 4 — when it is completed. The structures will be built to resist earthquakes, hurricanes and floods and will be primarily made from concrete block, which will require minimal ongoing maintenance for the new owners.

For a second consecutive year, Delta volunteers will be joined by Dan DeRiemer of Roswell, Ga., a Delta SkyMiles Diamond Medallion member who bid a record 556,000 miles through Delta’s SkyMiles Online Auction to win the opportunity to participate in the build with his wife, Laura.

Delta employees from around the globe use vacation time and pay a portion of their expenses to volunteer on the international builds and help those in need of simple, decent and affordable housing, while also taking the opportunity to learn more about the country and its culture. Delta has participated in similar projects in Chile, China, Dominican Republic, Ghana, Haiti, India, Japan, Mexico, South Africa and Thailand.

“We are very appreciative of Delta’s support,” said Charlie Ayco, CEO of Habitat Philippines. “We are honored to be chosen as the host for Delta’s annual international build and look forward to partnering together to help families obtain safe and affordable housing.”

Delta has supported Habitat for Humanity for more than a decade and strengthened the partnership in 2006 by becoming a national partner and unveiling the first 767-300 featuring a unique Habitat for Humanity livery and a Delta Force for Global Good decal. The special livery helps raise awareness of Habitat for Humanity’s global work and highlights the efforts of employee participation in Delta’s Force for Global Good.

Delta operates daily flights from Manila to Tokyo-Narita and Nagoya-Centrair, where customers can connect to daily flights to the U.S. More than 150 employees are based in the Philippines. Delta is committed to supporting the Philippines community, a country that Delta has served for more than 60 years. During the past 10 years, Delta has sponsored a scholarship program at Concordia College Manila to support underprivileged students and recently partnered with Ayala Foundation, a Manila-based nonprofit organization, through the SkyWish charity program thus allowing customers to donate miles to support its efforts.

Delta Volunteers build 10 homes with Habitat for Humanity in Manila, Philippines

Delta Air Lines and Habitat for Humanity International will join forces March 7-16, to help build 10 Habitat homes in Quezon City, outside the capital of Manila, as part of Delta’s Force for Global Good program to effect positive local and global change. This year’s volunteers come from 16 cities throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Delta International H for H Build
“Delta has been serving Manila, Philippines, for more than 60 years, and we are strongly committed to the communities we serve,” said Vinay Dube, Delta’s senior vice president – Asia Pacific. “A total of 90 employees, retirees and customers, including 40 local Manila employees, will be building homes in Quezon City, the largest city of metropolitan Manila.”

“Giving back to the communities where Delta people live and work is a civic obligation and an integral part of our company’s culture,” said Tad Hutcheson, Delta’s vice president – Community Affairs. “Our long-standing relationship with Habitat for Humanity has given us the opportunity to build more than 100 affordable homes around the world.”

While building the 10 new homes, Delta volunteers will work side by side with the families who will live in the new community — called Bistekville 4 — when it is completed. The structures will be built to resist earthquakes, hurricanes and floods and will be primarily made from concrete block, which will require minimal ongoing maintenance for the new owners.

For a second consecutive year, Delta volunteers will be joined by Dan DeRiemer of Roswell, Ga., a Delta SkyMiles Diamond Medallion member who bid a record 556,000 miles through Delta’s SkyMiles Online Auction to win the opportunity to participate in the build with his wife, Laura.

Delta employees from around the globe use vacation time and pay a portion of their expenses to volunteer on the international builds and help those in need of simple, decent and affordable housing, while also taking the opportunity to learn more about the country and its culture. Delta has participated in similar projects in Chile, China, Dominican Republic, Ghana, Haiti, India, Japan, Mexico, South Africa and Thailand.

“We are very appreciative of Delta’s support,” said Charlie Ayco, CEO of Habitat Philippines. “We are honored to be chosen as the host for Delta’s annual international build and look forward to partnering together to help families obtain safe and affordable housing.”

Delta has supported Habitat for Humanity for more than a decade and strengthened the partnership in 2006 by becoming a national partner and unveiling the first 767-300 featuring a unique Habitat for Humanity livery and a Delta Force for Global Good decal. The special livery helps raise awareness of Habitat for Humanity’s global work and highlights the efforts of employee participation in Delta’s Force for Global Good.

Delta operates daily flights from Manila to Tokyo-Narita and Nagoya-Centrair, where customers can connect to daily flights to the U.S. More than 150 employees are based in the Philippines. Delta is committed to supporting the Philippines community, a country that Delta has served for more than 60 years. During the past 10 years, Delta has sponsored a scholarship program at Concordia College Manila to support underprivileged students and recently partnered with Ayala Foundation, a Manila-based nonprofit organization, through the SkyWish charity program thus allowing customers to donate miles to support its efforts.

Skil launches Paint the Town Red for grassroots communities nationwide

For the past six years, the Philippines has been one of the highest growing countries for Skil, one of the most recognized brands in the global power tool industry. Skil is giving back to the Philippine community through its recent philanthropic endeavor Paint the Town Red, which aims to construct 40 basketball half-courts in 40 selected barangays nationwide.

The campaign underscores Skil’s commitment to creating sustainable corporate social responsibility (CSR) projects aimed at community building and youth development.

“Skil is investing in sustainable CSR projects that do more than just widen brand awareness and visibility. The main idea is to do good and to do well. Through Paint the Town Red, Skil does not only build basketball courts for communities to enjoy, but we also donate small power tools for their various projects,” said William Go, Bosch Power Tools Country Sales Director. “In partnership with local government units, we are able to conduct hands-on training workshops and seminars for members of the community to teach them how to properly use power tools as a source of livelihood.”

The campaign also brought Skil ambassador and champion basketball coach Norman Black onboard to exemplify the brand’s strong American heritage and commitment to delivering precision and performance to a range of power tool users.
“Coach Norman is more than just a poster boy for the brand, he is Skil personified. He gets the job done, whether for basketball or for the carpentry projects he does at home. In line with the campaign’s mission to contribute to grassroots youth development, Coach Norman is the perfect role model to inspire and engage the youth to get into sports as a fun and healthy outlet with all its physical and social benefits,” said Martin Valenzuela, Skil Brand Manager.

Paint the Town Red recently turned over the first of 40 basketball half-courts to Barangay Bangkal in Makati with more than 100 barangay residents and guests in attendance. Among esteemed attendees were Congresswoman Monique Lagdameo, Barangay Chairman Fermin Eusebio, Bosch Philippines Managing Director Joseph Hong and Skil Brand Ambassador Norman Black. After Bangkal, Skil will take the campaign on the road with stopovers in other communities in Manila and Cebu.

To strengthen its relationship with local communities, Skil and Robert Bosch, Inc. continue to support various advocacies, namely Class of 2010, Habitat for Humanity and MyShelter’s Liter of Light among others. These projects form part of the company’s initiative to uplift the Philippine society and contribute to the evolving economy.