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» GMAKF Reaches Out to Typhoon Victims through Operation Bayanihan (Typhoon Ondoy, Pepeng, Ramil, Santi and Tino)

The last quarter of the year has always been a much anticipated time as it begins the countdown for Christmas. This year took a different twist as five (5) consecutive strong typhoons, started by Ondoy as September was about to end, hit the country. Heavy rains and fierce winds, combined with widespread devastating floods and landslides battered much of Metro Manila and nearby provinces in Luzon.

The GMA Kapuso Foundation, who was then preparing for its yearly Christmas gift-giving project, Give-A-Gift: Alay Sa Batang Pinoy, had to suddenly divert its focus from gift-giving to relief operations. The GMAKF worked together with volunteer individuals and groups, round-the-clock to provide immediate relief assistance to various communities which desperately needed help. The Operation Bayanihan (relief operation) was in full swing 24/ 7 at that time. After Ondoy and Pepeng came Ramil, Santi and Tino which had the foundation doing relief operations for more than a month, serving a total of 747,347 individuals from the following areas: Quezon City, Marikina, Pasig, Manila, Rizal, Muntinlupa, Pateros, Taguig, Valenzuela, Malabon, Bulacan, Laguna, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan, Dagupan City, La Union, Benguet, Pampanga, Cagayan, Isabela and Kalinga. The massive relief operations were made possible through the help of different departments of the GMA Network, GMA Reporters and Talents, Donors and Volunteers.

Massive flooding also caused schools to be submerged in neck-deep waters, damaging books and instructional materials. Seeing the immediate need of the students in those schools, GMAKF quickly provided sets of school materials containing notebooks, pad papers, ball pens/pencils, sharpener, eraser and color. A grand total of 8,258 grade school students from 47 public elementary schools, damaged by typhoons, received the school materials that they need.

GMAKF also conducted its Kalusugan Karavan (medical mission) for Filipinos in areas adversely affected by the calamity brought by consecutive super typhoons. GMAKF team, together with volunteer medical doctors and nurses provided free consultations and medicines to the affected residents in evacuation centers. Kalusugan Karavan visited Rizal last October, serving patients from Angono Municipal Park (1500 patients), Wawa Covered Court in Tanay (1,000 patients), Brgy. Burgos in Montalban (450 patients) and Sto. Niño in Hagonoy (1,528 patients). In addition, two medical missions were also conducted in in Rosales (100 patients) and in Asingan (600 patients) in Pangasinan. Through the help of Regional TV Expansion department of the GMA Network, four (4) medical missions were made possible in the areas of Pililia, Rizal (300 patients), Brgy. San Juan in Cainta (400 patients), Paete, Laguna (323 patients) and in Dagupan City (304 patients).