Ayala : to help rebuild 1,000 homes in Pampanga

Ayala to help rebuild 1,000 homes in Pampanga

Ayala is committed to helping 1,000 of Pampanga's hardest-hit families rebuild their homes which were destroyed by the 6.1-magnitude earthquake last April 22, 2019. Ayala continues to work closely with the local government to assist in rescue operations and in ongoing relief initiatives. It is also jumpstarting its rehabilitation efforts in agreement with the provincial government to deliver and distribute building materials.

Today, Ayala is providing 20,000 GI sheets and 20,000 pieces of plywood through Ayala Foundation (AFI), at the request of House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Governor Lilia Pineda. As of this morning, Ayala has begun transporting these materials to Guagua, Porac and Lubao and aims to complete delivery and distribution within the next few days.

'We feel that this assistance is most critical. It is absolutely imperative that we provide shelter for these 1,000 families that lost their homes in the earthquake. As in most disasters, it is the poor that is worst affected,' said Ayala Chairman & CEO Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala. 'Ayala continues to support ongoing relief operations, and our resources are available for anything that Pampanga's community may need.'

'This earthquake destroyed their homes because they were not built to quality structural standards. It's important that we help them rebuild their homes now so they can also start rebuilding their lives,' shared Ayala President & COO Fernando Zobel de Ayala.

Immediately after the quake, Ayala Land (ALI) sent its Alviera and Makati Development Corporation (MDC) emergency response and safety teams to assist in rescue efforts in Porac, where the 4-storey Chuzon Supermarket collapsed, trapping and killing many. MDC deployed heavy equipment to assist in the rescue and in road clearing operations.

Since the earthquake, the Ayala group has been providing assistance in relief efforts to meet the needs of the Pampanga community. Manila Water Foundation (MWF), for example, delivered 600 units of 5-gallon water bottles to 600 families yesterday as part of its Agapay Tubig Program's relief efforts. In partnership with the Municipal Government of Porac, Manila Water Philippine Ventures and Clark Water, MWF aims to provide clean, safe and potable water to families in nine hard-hit barangays: Pio, Babo Pangulo, Diaz, Babo Sacan, Cangatba, Mancatian, Manibaug Libutad, Pulung Santol, and Planas. MWF is set to deliver another 400 bottles today.

Globe Telecom (Globe) has set up a 'Cell Site on Wheels' in Porac to boost network strength in the area. On April 23, Globe deployed Libreng Tawag and Libreng Charging stations in three sites and restored mobile and broadband signal in Pampanga.

AFI is already working with partners on-ground, including the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF), and is looking into relief operations in the mountainous areas of Porac, where Aeta schools and communities are affected. AFI will also reach out to LGUs and NGOs to coordinate relief and rehabilitation efforts.

Meanwhile, Ayala Corporation and Ayala Aviation Corporation have a helicopter on standby and are providing PDRF operations center support.