ZFF Comes to Aid of Capiz Towns

Some 30 kilometers south of the Capiz provincial capital of Roxas City, sits a typhoon-devastated rural town getting little outside help.

In a short speech before the distribution of relief packs to 120 families of Barangay Mapulang Bato, Dao Mayor Joselito Escutin said Zuellig Family Foundation, along with the Social Action Center of the Archdiocese of Roxas, was the first non-government organization to help his town. According to Escutin, his town was “back to zero” after typhoon “Haiyan” destroyed buildings, felled trees and electric posts, left roofless buildings and homes and inundated most parts of Dao. Barangay Mapulang Bato is where a ZFF-funded birthing facility was built. It served as a refuge for 20 families during the onslaught of the super typhoon. Between November 19 and 20, the foundation held medical missions in Dao and Ivisan, another Capiz partner-municipality of ZFF. The foundation’s team of health professionals and volunteers was able to attend to over 1,800 persons during the two-day mission.

Following the mission in Ivisan, Mayor Felipe Yap commented that everyone who availed of the free services came out happy and satisfied.

Mounting the medical missions and distribution of relief packs entailed the assistance of the local government units of Ivisan and Dao and other groups to which ZFF is grateful. Dominican sisters and faculty opened their school, Our Lady of Fatima Academy, for the medical mission while Robinsons Supermarket Merville and Iloilo branches packed and loaded goods for distribution. Medicines were donated by the Interphil Laboratories Inc., Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines and Zuellig Pharma.

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ZFF has ongoing recovery programs in Eastern Visayas. To help in these efforts, please get in touch with Sealdi Gonzales,scgonzales@zuelligfoundation.org, or call her at (632) 8213329 local 117.