In January, the Taal Volcano eruption changed the lives of the people in Batangas, Cavite, and neighbouring provinces. Homes, roads, and livelihood were destroyed.
During this period, a total lockdown was enforced in several areas, with over 160,000 people forced out of their homes and into different shelters across the province. These displaced people were struggling with access to basic commodities. Among them were also some Marlow crew and their families originating from the province.
In response, Marlow launched an aid program to identify the areas in need of assistance and prepared and distributed essential items, including food, clean drinking water, hygiene kits and medicine.
“Especially when faced with a calamity, sticking together as a community achieves more good,” said Chief Executive Officer, Administration, Marlow Navigation Phils., Inc., Tony Galvez.
“It is with humility to acknowledge and express our profound gratitude to all volunteers, staff and seafarers alike, who pitched and helped create emergency supply drops and to those who visited the evacuation sites in the area of Batangas to help deliver this relief,” continued Galvez. “Furthermore, to our parent company, Marlow Navigation group’s head office in Cyprus, which provided additional financial support for this aid program.”