The year 2020 greatly surprised everyone with a lot of unexpected events, starting from the Taal Volcano eruption in January, to the most devastating worldwide COVID-19 pandemic and, then, to a series of natural calamities.
Towards the end of 2020, the Philippines faced a series of strong typhoons that hit several parts of Luzon. This included Typhoon Ulysses (Vamco), which mainly affected the region’s northern areas and caused deadly devastations such as landslides and heavy floods. As calls for rescue and assistance circulated around social media, netizens became aware of the situation and several decided to take action; many groups and organizations conducted donation drives to help those in need.
The circumstances likewise became a calling for Our Lady of Fatima University (OLFU) Valenzuela’s Junior Banking and Finance Executives (JBFINEX) to help Filipino families and provide some assistance for them to rise again.
Composed of Business Administration Major in Banking students from the College of Business and Accountancy, JBFINEX created a donation drive entitled “Bagaheng Bayanihan, Bigayang Bangkero”. Initially scheduled to run from November 16, 2020 to November 20, 2020, the initiative was extended for three more days and officially concluded on November 23, 3030
The target of the drive was to raise funds and collect supplies for the victims of Typhoon Ulysses’ calamitous aftermath. The funds were then used to buy grocery items which were remitted to the Red Cross-Valenzuela Chapter in coordination with Red Cross 143 OLFU, another student organization of the University.
The list of grocery items bought and collected were as follows:
- Bath soaps
- Bottled water
- Canned goods
- Coffee
- Cotton buds
- Cup noodles
- Face masks
- Face shields
- Shampoos
- Tissues
- Toothpaste
It is proven that generosity makes one a happier person. The simple donation drive conducted by JBFINEX gave an opportunity for students and for other people to extend their help to Filipinos in need.
Story and Photo Credits:
Shobe M. Mejidana
President, JBFINEX-OLFU Valenzuela
