Chevron Philipines Inc. (CPI), marketer of the Caltex brand of fuels and lubricants, in partnership with William Tan Enterprises Inc. (WTEI), recently donated 50 fishing boats worth over P1 million to help fishing families recover from the devastation brought about by Super Typhoon Odette.
The fully-refurbished and restored boats were mechanized with diesel and gasoline engines to improve productivity, safety and efficiency. The recent turn over ceremony was done in Barangay 4 Sitio Umalad, Roxas, Palawan. WTEI and Caltex also provided free fuel to the beneficiaries to get them started.
The donation was made possible through Caltex Biyaheng Pagtulong held earlier this year. The fuel up-to-donate scheme had Caltex and its network of retailers and marketers donating Php1 for every liter of fuel purchased. The proceeds went to help typhoon-stricken communities get back on their feet.
Last December 17, Typhoon Odette made its 9th landfall over the municipality of Roxas in Palawan, causing severe damage to protected areas and displacing more than 3,500 families in the province. It also destroyed boats that were used to serve tourists in the area and fishing boats in the province of Palawan.
With the donation of Caltex and WTEI, the residents can safely resume earning their livelihood through fishing and tourism.
“We understand how devastating it can be to lose one’s main source of income, especially due to events that are out of our control such as natural calamities. It is our hope that the fisherfolks in Roxas, Palawan will be able to recover their losses caused by the typhoon through this donation,” said Billy Liu, Country Chairman of Chevron Philippines Inc. (CPI).
“Giving back to our host-community is a core value of our company and we always want to do it in a sustainable way. By donating boats as a means of livelihood, it’s the proverbial ‘give them a fishing pole instead of a fish’ approach to helping them build up their dignity. We want to extend help and to make safety a priority for our community,” said William Tan of president of WTEI.
CPI remains committed to its mission of helping improve the lives of the communities where they operate. It continues to lend a helping hand and support those badly in need of assistance. Aside from the island of Palawan, Caltex Biyaheng Pagtulong also provided relief efforts in Bohol, Cebu, Surigao, Butuan, and other typhoon-stricken areas.
CPI has since established a long tradition of donations to charitable institutions and other non-governmental organizations such as the Philippine Red Cross. The company has also immediately mobilized aid and relief donations in millions during Typhoons Ondoy, Yolanda, and Ulysses, just to name a few.
