Super Typhoon Rai (Odette) December 2021

The Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF) is the local OCHA/UNDP Connecting Business initiative (CBi) Member Network and represents the Filipino private sector as an observer on the UN Humanitarian Country Team. PDRF also operates a private sector Emergency Operations Center (EOC). 

PDRF is organizing and mobilizing the local private sector to support the response to Typhoon Rai through its EOC, in coordination with the government and the UN system. They have organized three operational briefings to their member companies and partners (which were also attended by government and UN representatives). 

PDRF has also deployed teams to the most affected provinces for rapid damage and needs assessment. In addition, PDRF is participating in the ​National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) Response Cluster meetings, ​Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) and Inter-Cluster Coordination Group meetings, and Early Recovery Cluster meetings, and is in touch with the Philippine Red Cross Disaster Management Services and Operations Center.

PDRF has raised tens of thousands of dollars in financial and in-kind contributions from local companies. For example:

• Jollibee Foods Corporation and McDonalds are providing food to more than 33,000 individuals; a PDRF team is in southern Leyte making distributions.
• Makati Med sent a medical team to Siargao, where the typhoon made first landfall, and has rescued and transported 66 people.
• Air Asia is offering free seats to humanitarian workers and free cargo space to transport relief goods wherever their planes fly.
• Consunji Construction is sending teams to repair evacuation shelters in Siargao and Cebu.
• Smart Communications Incorporated through BizTalk and F&H Marketing is providing free calls and mobile phone charging services to evacuees.
• Aboitiz Foundation, Aboitiz Power, and Davao Light and Power ​Company sent five teams of linemen to help restore toppled power lines.
• Bounty Agro Ventures, Inc. (Bavi) has pledged to provide financial support to employees whose homes were damaged or destroyed by the typhoon.
• Support has also been received from Globe Telecom, Ayala Corporation, BPI Foundation, Inc., Pilmico Foods Corporation, RCBC, Fintech Alliance.PH, PayMaya and others.

PDRF has also issued a call for financial and in-kind donations in partnership with a wide range of companies, accessible here.

For more information, please contact CBi Philippines focal point Tiina Turunen tiina.turunen@undp.org or CBi Program Coordinator Kareem Elbayar at elbayar@un.org.