Putting back the pieces after the storm

MANILA, Philippines - The dust has settled and yet Typhoon Yolanda survivors are still faced with a pressing question – how do they start over after losing so much?  The situation is particularly daunting to a number of them who relocated to Metro Manila and its suburbs armed only with faith and determination.

Getting a job becomes a big challenge, especially for survivors who do not have the right educational qualifications. Globe Telecom decided to lend a hand, starting with those staying in Isla Bonita, a housing community for roughly 100 families from Leyte who were adopted by the municipality of Rosario, Cavite.

“When we learned about this housing community, the first thing that came to our mind was how Globe can help.  Initially, the sales team set up a Libreng Tawag station and provided tents for medical missions and debriefing, but going around the area, we realized there was so much more that could be done,” said Bernie Llamzon, Globe executive vice president for consumer sales.

He added: “We decided to give the survivors a means to sustain their stay in Rosario.  Most of them were not able to finish their schooling so their choices are limited.  Providing the survivors with jobs will help bring back normalcy into their lives and give them hope for a better future.”

For the survivors who want to start anew, this opportunity was the silver lining they had been looking for. Out of some 50 applicants, Globe hired 16 as distributor selling agents deployed to various areas in Cavite during project executions to sell SIM cards and prepaid load. At a daily rate of P450, they now have resources to meet their daily needs.

The provision of livelihood opportunities to calamity victims is part of Globe Telecom’s Project Wonderful sustainable development platform which aims to help the government in nation-building and in helping disaster survivors recover from the ordeal.