JCI Manila

The Junior Chamber International of Manila has a standing disaster relief program called "Oplan Damayan" (Operation Plan Help) which enables the chapter to quickly respond to calls for assistance during calamities.

Its most recent activation was Oplan Damayan Sendong which was put into action a day after Typhoon Sendong. JCI Manila mounted a donation drive netting more than P1 Million in cash or kind during a span of a month. Relief goods and cash were channeled through JCI Manila's Cagayan de Oro-based sister chapter JCI Macajalar 24K and JCI Manila's Senator Johnny "Man of Action" Fetalvero who hails from Iligan and spearheaded the chapter's relief efforts there. JCI Manila's logistics partners were ZestAir and Sulpicio Lines which sent tons of the chapter's relief goods for free. 

Members of JCI Manila flew to Mindanao last January 26 to visit and turnover relief support in the affected areas of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan. First stop was Iligan, where JCI Manila is building 50 stronger permanent houses for flood victims. The chapter also met and worked together with JCI Iligan, JCI Iligan Dayang-Dayang and JCI Iligan Kulintang in a feeding program and goods distribution.

After Iligan the JCI Manila team drove back to Cagayan De Oro for a feeding and goods distribution program with sister chapter Macajalar 24K at a community where houses were wiped and 205 killed in a single night. Turnover of donations from JCI Manila to JCI M24K followed during dinner later that night. 

Both activities were great opportunities for our chapters to get to know each other and strengthen bonds, aside from just saying "hello" in National Conferences and other events.