The spirit of Christmas is very much alive despite the recent devastation caused by super typhoon Yolanda as many kind-hearted and good Samaritans share their blessings with the typhoon survivors. Thousands of PAGCOR employees nationwide donated their Christmas party budget to extend help to survivors of the recent calamity in Eastern Visayas.

No less than Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) received the check amounting to over P6.5 million from PAGCOR Chairman and CEO Cristino Naguiat Jr., held on December 16, 2013 at the DSWD Central Office in Batasan, Quezon City.

According to Chairman Naguiat, the donation came from all PAGCOR’s employees in its corporate offices and various Casino Filipino branches. “It is our employees’ way of commiserating with the victims who had lost their properties, livelihood and loved ones. We hope that this simple gesture will be of great help to those who were severely affected by Typhoon Yolanda,” Naguiat added.

Secretary Soliman lauded the generosity of PAGCOR employees in unselfishly sharing their blessings with those who need help the most.

“Salamat sa mga PAGCOR employees na ginive-up ang Christmas party nila and all other Christmas activities para maka-tulong sa mga nasalanta ng Yolanda…That’s really, really nice because it comes from the heart,” Soliman noted.

Soliman added that the PAGCOR employees’ donation will be used to purchase more food packs starting January 2014 to ensure that relief efforts will be continuous, especially in areas hardest hit by the super typhoon. According to her, the donation of PAGCOR employees also sends a message to victims that there are many people who are still very willing to help them.

“Para sa mga na-biktima ng Yolanda, unang-una, ang mensahe ng Pasko sa atin ay pasa-salamat na tayo ay buhay, na tayo ay may pagkakataon pa na baguhin ang kalakaran ng ating pamilya at ng ating buhay. Pangalawa, maraming nagma-mahal at gustong tumulong sa inyo kaya lakasan ninyo ang loob ninyo, tatayo tayo,” Soliman said.

According to Soliman, the DSWD alone has already distributed P2 billion worth of food packs to more than 900,000 families who became victims of the recent typhoon. She added that survivors in the Visayas are in need of shelter and livelihood to help them rebuild their homes and communities.

Typhoon Yolanda struck the Visayas region last November 8, 2013 and left massive destruction in several provinces. Many coastal communities were wiped out by the storm surge that swept through the region. As of December 16, 2013, the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management (NDRRMC) reported that the death toll has reached over 6,000. Meanwhile, 27,468 have been reported injured while 1,779 others remain missing.

Chairman Naguiat said PAGCOR employees have been actively doing their share in extending help to the typhoon survivors. “Bukod sa kanilang desisyon na wag nang mag-Christmas party, marami rin sa mga empleyado namin ang nagbigay ng donation in cash and in kind sa DSWD, Red Cross at iba pa. Malaki rin ang kanilang naging tulong sa repacking ng mga relief goods na pinadala ng PAGCOR, Resorts World Manila at Solaire sa mga nasalanta ng bagyo,” Naguiat cited.

According to the PAGCOR Chief, the spirit of volunteerism and “bayanihan” is innate among the agency’s employees. “Marami kaming Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects na mismong mga empleyado ng PAGCOR ang punong abala sa implementation. These projects include the PAGCOR Feeding Program, “Brigada Eskwela” and Pamaskong Handog, among others” Naguiat said.

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