Sun Life Foundation donates new boats to Iloilo fishermen

MANILA, Philippines - Sun Life Financial-Philippines Foundation Inc. is donating boats worth over P2.5 million to fishermen in Iloilo as part of its commitment to help in the rebuilding efforts in Super Typhoon Yolanda-affected areas.

Partnering  with Tabang Visayas, a coalition of civil society organizations and  international  aid  agencies,  Sun  Life  Foundation  is financing the construction  of  120  boats  which  will be distributed to fishermen in 11 different barangays in the said province.

The  project  is  being  supervised  by  Tabang  Visayas’ accredited arm in Iloilo,  the Assisi Development Foundation, a loose coalition of 22 member organizations  from  the  private  sector  working for relief, recovery and rehabilitation  in  the  Visayas. 

According to data gathered by the group, fishing  is the main source of livelihood  in many barangays in Iloilo, and one boat could support the livelihood of up to three fishermen.

“When  Typhoon Yolanda struck and destroyed their boats, the fishermen were left  with  no  means  to  support  their  families,”  Sun  Life Foundation Executive  Director  Joub  Miradora shared. “Providing them with boats, the main  tool they need in their livelihood, means helping them long-term, and that  is  very  much  in line with what we rally for in Sun Life Foundation – which is sustainability.”

Sun  Life  Foundation  Board  of Trustees member Karen Casas added that the company  considers  itself  a  partner  of  the  Filipino  people  in nation-building.  “We want to be very active and involved in the process of rehabilitation  after the major calamity that the Philippines experienced,” she said.

Consultation meetings have been  conducted with the beneficiaries of the project, while materials have been sourced locally to maximize the fund donated  by  the  foundation. 

The  boats will be tested for sea-worthiness before the turnover to the fishermen scheduled in March.

The  president  of  the  Assisi  Development Foundation, Benjamin Abadiano, expressed  gratitude  for  Sun  Life  Foundation’s  help. “Their assistance certainly  allows  us to reach  more  fishermen in need as we continue to extend post-Yolanda  recovery  and rehabilitation interventions throughout the  Visayas. Such collaborations among our organizations is truly valuable in optimizing the impact in our partner communities,” he said.

Sun  Life Financial is represented in the Philippines by its life insurance arm,  Sun  Life  of  Canada  (Philippines)  Inc. (SLOCPI); its mutual fund manager,  Sun Life Asset Management Company Inc. (SLAMCI); and its pre-need company,  Sun  Life  Financial  Plans  Inc  (SLFPI).  Sun  Life Financial-Philippines  Foundation. Inc. is the  philanthropy arm of  SLOCPI.