Following the 6.9-magnitude earthquake that hit Cebu Sept. 30, business units of Aboitiz Power Corp. (AboitizPower) in the province were mobilized to provide support to affected families and communities.

Visayan Electric Co. Inc., in partnership with the Aboitiz Foundation, distributed over 1,000 relief packs to Bogo City and the municipalities of Medellin, Daanbantayan, and San Remigio, which included clean water, ready-to-eat food, and hygiene kits.

“It’s our bayanihan spirit that makes a difference,” said AboitizPower SVP and COO of the Distribution Business Group Anton Perdices.

“We are in a position to help and keep the bayanihan spirit alive as we support communities in recovery and contribute to collective rebuilding efforts.”

Visayan Electric continues to work with the Philippine Red Cross and local government units, while also doing reenergization efforts within affected sites in its service area.

It is the second largest privately-owned distribution utility in the Philippines.

Therma Visayas Inc., the operator of the 300-MW baseload power plant in Toledo City, donated 1,000 packs of relief goods to the local governments of Bogo City, Daanbantayan, and Medellin.

The activity was conducted in coordination with the Toledo City government, which facilitated the link with the recipient local government units.

Residents of host barangays in Toledo also volunteered to help repack goods, which included drinking water, biscuits, noodles, coffee, and blankets.

As of Oct. 4, generating units of TVI are fully online and supplying power to the Visayas grid, following the completion of safety and structural inspections.

Through "Operation Tulong," the public service arm of radio station DZRH, AboitizPower and the Aboitiz Foundation donated water filter buckets to Medellin and San Remigio.

Clean and potable water is an essential resource and one of the most requested by the residents displaced by the earthquake.

Developed by non-profit organization Waves for Water, the water filter buckets address this need by filtering freshwater sources like rainwater, rivers, springs, and deep wells to remove bacteria and protozoa.

“Ang isa sa mga partner natin ang Aboitiz Foundation at AboitizPower. Isa sila sa lagi-lagi naming kaagapay sa pagbaba sa community, lalong-lalo na yung naapektuhan ng kalamidad,” said DZRH Head of Relief Operations Mae Binauhan.

(One of our partners is the Aboitiz Foundation and AboitizPower. They are one of our constant companions in reaching out to communities, especially those affected by calamities)

As of Oct. 3, the Aboitiz Group — a diversified conglomerate with investments in power, banking, and financial services, food, and infrastructure — gave out more than P2.5 million in assistance, with 11,385 liters of water, 3,600 food packs, and 2,000 non-food items distributed to 3,600 families.