» Operation Bayanihan in Zambales
Heavy rains brought by Typhoon Kiko triggered flooding and caused the Zambales dike to collapse. Thousands of families evacuated and some were left homeless as the town was declared to be under a state of calamity.
The GMA Kapuso Foundation immediately undertook its Operation Bayanihan, serving a total 3,640 individuals from 6 affected Barangays in Botolan. Residents who evacuated in Botolan Covered Court (200 individuals), Taugtog Covered Court (280 individuals), Botolan South Central School (200 individuals), Botolan North Central School (680 individuals), and in Brgy. Babon, San Juan (2,280 individuals) received packs of relief goods. An Aeta community was also included in the number of beneficiaries served as they stayed in Taugtog Covered Court .
200 packs of clothing and assorted medicines for children were also distributed to some evacuees.

» 13th Sagip Dugtong Buhay: Promoting Volunteerism among Filipinos

The GMA Kapuso Foundation in partnership with the Philippine National Red Cross conducted its 13^th Sagip Dugtong Buhay at Ever Gotesco Malls in Commonwealth, Quezon City last August 7, 2009. This year’s bloodletting activity was participated by a total of 656 individuals comprising members of the Civil Relations Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine Air Force in Clark, Airbase, Philippine National Police (Northern Police Distict, Southern Police District, Eastern Police District and Quezon City Police District), Motor Trade Nationwide Corporation, La Consolacion College in Manila, TAU GAMMA PHI Triskelion Grand Fraternity (Montalban Council), Alpha Phi Omega, College of Nursing of the New Era University, Metro Manila Development Authority, St. Peter Parish, Different Youth Organizations and walk-in individuals. This year’s Sagip Dugtong Buhay was able to generate 656 bags of blood, equivalent to a total of 283,500 cc’s of blood.

» Flood Victims in Cotabato Received Help
Incessant heavy rains for the past weeks in some parts of Cotabato and Maguindanao caused waterways to overflow resulting to severe flooding. Thousands of families in Cotabato City were forced to evacuate their flooded homes.
The GMA Kapuso Foundation immediately deployed a team to provide assistance to the affected residents in Cotabato City . 2,300 families received packs of relief goods containing rice, noodles and canned goods from August 5 to August 8, 2009.
Included in the 2,379 affected families served during August 5 to 6 were from the following evacuation centers:
N.D. Village (123 families); RH 7 Brgy. Hall (114 families); and Central Pilot Elementary School (234 families); Don E. Sero Elementary School (100 families); Datu Siang Elementary School (237 families); Lugay-lugay Elementary School (132 families); Sanitarium Sultan Kudarat (95 families); Biniruan Diversion Bridge (60 families); Ustadz Compound (13 families); PPA (401 families); RH 6 (Chapel D.C. Krislam Ville) (96 families); Datu Mangilay (28 families); Rebuken (36 families); Sandakan (28 families); J. Marquez (223 families); Madrasah Poblacion 3 (20 families); Bahay Maria Street/ Doña Teresa/ Don Ceasar/M. Estrella (373 families); and in PNRC-Cot (66 families).

» Give A Gift: Hernia Surgical in Naga City

As part of the Give-A-Gift: Surgical of the GMA Kapuso Foundation, children suffering from Hernia in Naga City received free corrective surgery. 30 children from indigent families who registered for the free operation first underwent a series of laboratory procedures such as CBC and Chest X-ray at the Naga Health Care Center. 20 of those children who passed the laboratory procedures were successfully operated in Bicol Medical Center last August 1, 2009.

The Give A Gift: Hernia Surgical in Naga City was made possible through the help of doctors, anesthesiologists and pediatricians form the Philippine Society of Pediatric Surgeons. The Foundation collaborated with Naga Health Care Center and Bicol Medical Center for the free laboratory examinations and operation fees.

» GMAKF’s ‘Wheelchair Giving’ project
The GMA Kapuso Foundation gave wheelchairs to 17 beneficiaries with physical disabilities from Metro Manila and provinces such as Ilocos Norte and Bicol last July 30 at the GMA Network Studios. The ‘Wheelchair Giving’ activity is in line with this month’s celebration of the 31st National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation week on July 17-23.
 
Twenty-one (21) wheelchairs were also previously distributed to selected indigent individuals during the ‘Serbisyong Totoo’ event held last June 27 in Cebu City. Ms. Mel Tiangco, EVP of GMA Kapuso Foundation, personally gave the wheelchairs to the beneficiaries.          

» Kapuso School Inauguration in San Fernando , Romblon

The GMA Kapuso Foundation through its Kapuso School Rehabilitation (KSR) Project recently inaugurated two school buildings with eight brand new classrooms (four classrooms per school building) in San Fernando, Romblon last July 17.

The condition of both Mabini Elementary School and San Fernando Central School which were both severely damaged by Typhoon Frank last 2008 was brought to the attention of the Foundation and seeing the immediate need for rebuilding the schools, the GMA Kapuso Foundation, together with Habitat for Humanity Philippines, immediately set off to repair the schools.

Present during the inauguration of the Kapuso school buildings were Mr. Manuel B. de la Fuente, Jr. (Executive Director, GMA Kapuso Foundation), Mrs. Loby F. Florentino (DepEd District Supervisor, San Fernando), Mrs. Eve Fajutag (DepEd ASDS, OIC Office of the SDS), Hon. Samuel B. Roda (Brgy. Capt, San Fernando), Hon. Angeles B. Chan (Vice Mayor, San Fernando), and Hon. Nanette B. Tansingco (Mayor, San Fernando).

In conjunction with the KSR Inauguration is the Kapuso Para Sa Kalikasan (KPSK) Project.  Seedlings of Narra trees were planted within the vicinity of Mabini Elementary School and San Fernando Central School. The KPSK aims to protect schools from future incidents of strong rains and typhoons which often hit the country. 

New school bags with school supplies were also distributed to the sixty-two (62) Grade One students from Mabini Elementary School and to the one hundred forty-five (145) Grade one students from San Fernando Central School as part of our Unang Hakbang Sa Kinabukasan (UHSK) Project. In addition, mountain bikes donated by DH Crew Riding were also turned over to the schools; six mountain bikes were given to Mabini E.S. and four mountain bikes to San Fernando Central School .

» Last Steps of the First Steps to a Future: End of the 2009 Unang Hakbang Sa Kinabukasan
The Unang Hakbang Sa Kinabukasan (First Steps to a Future) took its  last steps for this year, as the GMAKF Team distributed the remaining 207 bags to Grade 1 students in Romblon last July 17.
 
Now on its twelfth year, the GMA Kapuso Foundation Team once again traversed mountains, crossed rivers and hiked though rough roads to reach children of poor families who will attend school for the first time. Exceeding its 45,000 target beneficiaries, this year’s Unang Hakbang Sa Kinabukasan project served a total of 45,884 Grade 1 pupils from 587 selected, most underserved public elementary schools in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.  In particular, the children who received our bags and school supplies were from the areas of: Abra, Apayao, Pangasinan, Bataan, Quezon, Romblon, Albay, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Camarines Norte, Catanduanes, Masbate, Sorsogon, Antique, Iloilo City, Cebu City, Negros Oriental, Northern Samar, Southern Leyte, Davao City, Surigao del Norte, Maguindanao, Sarangani, Sulu and Tawi-tawi, including schools in depressed areas of Metro Manila.
 
Since its launch in 1997, the UHSK project has served close to a quarter of a million Grade One students from the most marginalized sectors of Philippine Society.

» Fire Victims in Pasig , Immediately Served by the GMA Kapuso Foundation
Fire struck three barangays in Pasig City last July 17. The GMA Kapuso Foundation immediately conducted relief assistance by giving relief goods to the affected residents in evacuation centers.
 
A total of two hundred seventy (270) families from Brgy. Santolan and forty-one (41) families from Brgy. Maybunga received relief goods and loaves of bread. The same assistance was also extended to sixty-four (64) other families in Brgy. Sta. Lucia.

» Residents affected by Typhoon Isang and Typhoon Gorio
One thousand (1,000) families or a total of four thousand (4,000) individuals in Ilocos Norte who were affected by heavy rains and severe flooding brought about by Typhoon Isang and Typhoon Gorio were given relief assistance by the GMA Kapuso Foundation. 299 families from the Municipality of Nueva Era, 583 families from the Municipality of Adams and 118 families from the Municipality of Marcos received packs of relief goods consisting of two kilos of rice, five packs of noodles and four cans of sardines.  Mats were also distributed to the affected families last July 19 and 20.