GPCCI lights up the season
ON CHRISTMAS eve, 10 typhoon-ravaged barangays in Ormoc, Leyte received a special gift from the German-Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GPCCI).
After being plunged into darkness for more than a month following the devastation wrought by Typhoon Yolanda in November, residents from these 10 barangays are now enjoying the light provided by the 10 LED solar streetlights donated by the member firms of the GPCCI and private citizens from Germany.
“With contribution to the solar streetlight project of Ormoc, GPCCI demonstrated again its key role in pooling and coordinating relief efforts for the restructuring of disaster-torn areas,” said Dr.Guenter Matschuck, president of GPCCI and president of Maschinen and Technik Inc.
The GPCCI learned from the City Council of Ormoc—through a German countryman who had lost his house and all his belongings during the onslaught of the supertyphoon—that darkness in the streets has been causing so much worry among the people in the communities, prompting the business organization to act immediately and answer the plea of Ormoc residents.
The streetlights were manufactured and installed by Maschinen and Technik Inc. (Matec), a pioneer in renewable energy application in the Philippines.
Mounted on six-meter poles, the 30-watt LED streetlights, which can last for two days without sunshine, consisted of 120watt solar panels and 100amph batteries.
According to the GPCCI, the installation of the solar lights is expected to “immediately contribute to the increase of security and safety in the communities.”
“Being independent from the grid, the barangays will have light without any electricity cost,” the group stressed.
“The renewable energy in the reconstruction of Visayas is the best example for a sustainable result in rehabilitation and is a first step to start to mitigate through the use of RE further impacts of calamities caused by climate change,” Matschuck added.
Prior to the installation of the solar-powered streetlights, the GPCCI has already distributed a total of 1,667 relief packages, application
of and has sent 200 crates of assorted goods containing items such as water, food, cloth, blanket and towel.
It also sent financial support to the foundation of St. Francis of Assisi in Samar, while giving direct assistance to the rehabilitation efforts in Javier, Leyte by providing the chainsaws.
Meanwhile, Matschuck believes that the destruction caused by Typhoon Yolanda could help provide a unique chance to improve the country’s infrastructure with state of the art technology.
“Tacloban, Ormoc, Palo and the other municipalities can rise from the ashes and become user-friendly, safe and energy efficient model towns, if new master plans are implemented. We Germans have seen it happen twice, once after the war and the second time in East Germany after our reunification. GPCCI offers to be a platform to bring German city planning experience to the Philippines,” Matschuck concluded.
A month after the devastation brought by Typhoon Yolanda, hundreds of thousands of Filipino families are still displaced and affected areas in Eastern Visayas remain in ruins. After immediately opening its stores to accept in-kind donations to be turned over to nongovernment organizations and local government units, McDonald's Philippines, led by its Chairman and Owner, George T. Yang, donated Php 30 million and opened the first ever McDo Bigay Tulong Command Center. As its first central hub for relief operations for accepting donations and repacking of goods, McDo Bigay Tulong aimed to strengthen the reach of its relief assistance by also directly distributing the goods to the affected areas.
Over 1,000 McDonald's employees and partners were mobilized to help in repacking of goods in the McDo Bigay Tulong Command Center and in other relief operations centers such as ABSCBN's Sagip Kapamilya and Department of Social Welfare and Development National Resource Operations Center (DSWD NROC). Furthermore, around 10,000 McDonald's meals were provided to volunteers working in different relief centers in Metro Manila and Cebu. To date, over 15,000 relief packs have been directly distributed by McDonald's employees and partners to numerous families in Leyte Province, specifically Tacloban City and municipalities such as Palo, Dulag, Julita, Tabon-tabon, Guian and Ormoc; Roxas City and several municipalities in Iloilo; and Samar Province. Additional packs were coursed through respective local government units in other typhoon-stricken areas.
In light of the Christmas season, McDonald's employees and partners have been continuously helping to repack and send out 4,150 special Christmas relief packs for families in Tacloban, as well as preparing for a visit with Ronald McDonald. Just recently, McDo Bigay Tulong volunteers, together with Ronald McDonald, surprised the kids in Tubigon for a special McCelebrations -a gift that will hopefully bring smiles amidst the recent typhoon.
More than providing immediate relief, McDonald's is committed to continuing its operations of helping typhoon victims through rebuilding and rehabilitation efforts moving forward.
For more information on how you can help, visit www.mcdonalds.com.ph.