Coming from the challenges that our country encountered last year from the conflict in Zamboanga City to the earthquake in Bohol and Cebu and before 2013 ended, the devastation brought by Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) that affected Eastern Visayas particularly in Tacloban, Samar, Cebu, Iloilo, and Antique, various organizations and private/public sectors joined the call of service including Coca-Cola. The leading beverage joined two big organizations namely Habitat for Humanity and Philippine Red Cross and launched the campaign RebuildPH to encourage every Filipinos to take part on the Yolanda recovery efforts.
RebuildPH aims to generate donations both in-kind and cash which will be given to Habitat for Humanity in building shelters for the survivors of Yolanda and for the Philippine Red Cross for the relief and medical needs while the survivors are in their care. The campaign also serve as the hub for volunteers who wanted to take part on the campaign where sign-up form can be found at the www.cokeurl.com/rebuildph.
As part of the roadshow to generate more volunteers and donations at the same time for awareness, Coca-Cola together with Habitat for Humanity and Philippine Red Cross created an activity last January 30 at the Araneta Coliseum grounds still connected with RebuildPH campaign. Joined by volunteers from both Habitat for Humanity and Philippine Red Cross and their members and also from Coca-Cola their executives, employees and celebrity ambassadors including Enchong Dee, Kathryn Bernardo, Julia Montes and Joseph Marco.
The activity includes volunteer sign up program, blood donation, in-kind and cash donation and information drive. While on the stage people behind the RebuildPH including Attorney Adel Tamano of Coca-Cola Philippines, Cecille Alcantara of Coca-Cola Philippines Foundation, Charlie Ayco of Habitat for Humanity Philippines and Richard Gordon of Philippine Red Cross shared the on-going recovery program happening in Yolanda affected areas and what will be next step in fulfilling the campaign. Meanwhile, band frontliners Kean Cipriano, Tutti Caringal, Eunice Jorge and Kleggy dedicated their songs to those who are taking that big step in making this campaign a reality. Robi Domingo hosted the said event.
Before the RebuildPH started Coca-Cola responded to the call of service immediately right after Yolanda. They donated $2.5 Million for relief operation last November through their international sister companies and here in the Philippines the Coca-Cola Foundation raised Php 4 million from their employees that were used for humanitarian efforts. Aside from that, the company channelled their promotion and advertising budget for November and December and given it as additional expenses for communication and logistic resources of their partners Philippine Red Cross, Department of Social Welfare and Development and Armed Forces of the Philippines to aid the typhoon survivors.
Coca-Cola also lend their assets including the trucks for relief to DSWD and Red Cross and also their Tacloban bottling plant that was used by the United Nations World Food Programme (UN WFP) as their warehouse.
The RebuildPH campaign is still on going for those who wanted to take part visit www.CokeURL.com/RebuildPH for complete information. Meanwhile photos from the RebuildPH event are available at the www.facebook.com/ASKbyFlowGalindez.
