San Juan, COSTA RICA – January 15, 2014 – Victims of Typhoon Haiyan are getting support for a new start in the New Year from Concentrix employees in the Philippines, where more than 14 million people were affected by the worst natural disaster in the country’s history.
The powerful storm that swept across the Visayas last fall claimed more than 6,000 lives and left four million homeless.
“As news of the effect of the storm surge hit, a lot of our employees came to us and expressed their intent to give donations and pledges,” said Ellen Jane Garcia, the Concentrix Davao site director in the Philippines.
Concentrix matched their $7,400 cash gifts and the $14,800 total was donated to the ABS-CBN Foundation, an emergency humanitarian assistance organization.
“The cash donation may not be huge, but it definitely represents the big hearts of all our employees who have pledged their support,” said Ellen, who also thanked the company for matching what the employees shared.
Associates from all the Concentrix centers in the capital of Manila, Cagayan de Oro and Davao made the donations, which were presented in a check to the foundation by the human resources team and operations managers.
“Just two days before Christmas, Concentrix Philippines turned over perhaps one of the greatest gifts we could offer our brothers and sisters affected by Typhoon Yolanda — or Haiyan — in the Visayas,” Ellen said.
The devastated area is one of the three main regions of the Philippines where scores of islands surround the Visayan Sea. Before the 200-mph supertyphoon landed, leveling the palms and everything else fringing the white beaches, the tropical turquoise waters were international tourist attractions.
Other major landings in the history of the Visayans were Magellan’s 1521 arrival off the Cebu coast to mark the first visit by Europeans, and General Douglas MacArthur’s triumphant promised return to the country during World War II. He landed near Tacloban, which was in the path of the storm.
In Cebu, formerly a popular scuba diving destination, houses along the coast and on island-villages were destroyed. The screaming category 5 winds flattened churches, municipal buildings and schools. Cebu City, the country’s oldest city called “Queen of the Southern Philippines,” also had damage.
Concentrix personnel were spared in the November 8 destruction, but many had been hit by typhoons and floods before and wanted to help.
“They also thought this was a good way to give back all the generosity they received,” Ellen said. She said when the global company’s executives heard about the fund drive, Concentrix announced it would match what the employees pledged. “With this gift, we wish everyone a very exciting 2014 and pray that all of us continue to enjoy life’s abundance in spite and despite of all the challenges we may encounter,” said Ellen, who was a Concentrix 2012 Circle of Excellence winner from the Philippines in the “inspiration” category.
Others who want to help provide food and other relief to the hard-hit islands where thousands are homeless and still missing can contribute by clicking here.