When Super Typhoon Carina hit the Philippines, many areas in the Greater Manila Area were submerged in heavy floodwater. Grace Remodano was one of the many Filipinos who had to be rescued in Tondo, Manila, during the onslaught of the typhoon. She recounted how they couldn’t leave their house because the flooding was so severe, describing it as being 'higher than a person's height,' with water levels that reached well above their heads. “Lahat ng gamit namin nabasa (all of our things got wet in the flood). Ang hirap po talaga (it was so hard for us),” Grace said.
This was a common sight in many areas in the Greater Metro Manila. Super Typhoon Carina brought on torrential rains and strong winds to different parts of the Philippines, forcing thousands of Filipinos to evacuate their homes because of the rising floods. Many experienced power outages, water disruptions, and mild to severe damages to their homes due to the calamity. About 4.8 million individuals were affected with 108,000 people still in evacuation centers as of this week.
In aid of restoring normalcy to the lives of affected families, Ariel, Procter and Gamble’s trusted laundry brand, launched the “Cycles of Care” community program to provide relief by offering free laundry services to those affected by Super Typhoon Carina. In partnership with Save5 Laundromat and Beko Washing Machine Brand, the multi-day event served over 13,000 families who needed clean clothes, beddings and blankets for their homes.
“Through Ariel’s 'Cycles of Care' free laundry services, we are helping affected families restore normalcy in their lives and homes by providing access to clean clothes and beddings that were stained and muddy from the floods. This is especially needed by those without access to clean water and electricity after the typhoon. Ariel laundry detergent is great at stain removal and is a trusted laundry detergent for washing machines,” said Ralph Morales, Ariel Philippines brand director.
Ariel Philippines collaborated with Save5 Laundromat to activate 100 Save5 branches in this relief program. The partnership recorded over 27,000 washing machine cycles and over 216,000 kgs. of stained, soiled and muddied clothes washed and cleaned using Ariel Laundry Detergent across the participating branches.
Beko provided washing machines that were used for the free laundry services in Barangay Tumana, Marikina City. This community is one of the heavily flooded areas in the city due to the overflowing of the Marikina River.
Several residents who availed Ariel’s free laundry services left the participating laundromats with grateful smiles while carrying their baskets of clean clothes.
By providing access to clean clothes and blankets in the aftermath of calamities like Super Typhoon Carina, restoring a sense of normalcy and providing comforts of home to affected families allows them to focus on rebuilding their lives.
P&G also stepped up as a Force for Good in the community by donating its trusted health and hygiene products such as soap, shampoo, and diapers to affected cities, barangays, and evacuation centers. These donations were facilitated through collaborations with government and non-governmental organizations such as the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Philippine Red Cross (PRC), Manila Water Foundation, World Vision Philippines, and the GMA Kapuso Foundation.