TELUS displays Bayanihan in the TELUS Day of Service TELUS International Philippines donates P4.7 Million to Typhoon Relief

TELUS BAYANIHAN DAY OF SERVICE. Canadian Ambassador to the Philippines Mr. Neil Reeder together with his wife Mrs. Irene Reeder performs some physical activities as they took part in the exercise routine with the thousands of TELUS employees just before they pack goods that will be sent to the victims of Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) in the Visayas region during the TELUS Bayanihan Day of Service held recently at the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) gym in Quezon City.

TELUS International President; Mr. Jeffrey D. Puritt as he addresses the thousands of TELUS employees who voluntarily shared their time and talent by participating in the various relief operations in the disaster-stricken areas of Visayas region that was devastated by typhoon Yolanda. 

TELUS International employees as they show their good deeds in action by participating in the repacking of goods that will be sent to the families affected by the typhoon.
TELUS International President; Mr. Jeffrey D. Puritt as he took part in reloading the boxes that contains food that will be sent to the affected families of typhoon Yolanda in the Vizayas region.

Amazingly, the worst of times have this uncanny tendency to bring out the best in people. After reeling from the aftermath caused by superTyphoon Yolanda, Filipinos have turned to the spirit ofbayanihan to begin the country’s journey of rebuilding communities that were devastated in the Visayas region and bring renewed hope to the survivors.

Heeding the nation’s distress call, TELUS International Philippines (TIP) swiftly responded as more than 700 team members volunteered to help in the relief operations of Philippine Red Cross, Department of Social Welfare and Development and Gawad Kalinga a few days after the typhoon.  TELUS immediately donated over P2 million to the Red Cross, earmarked specifically for typhoon relief.  A month after the disaster, TIP held its TELUS Day of Service as a culminating event in a series of relief efforts, when more than 1,000 team members packed Christmas packages for 5,500 affected families in Leyte.  TELUS International Philippines has announced a further P2.65 million, donated by the company and its team members, to be distributed through the TELUS International Community Board to charitable organizations helping with rehabilitation following Typhoon Yolanda.

“Yolanda caught us off-guard,”says Gawad Kalinga Founder Tony Meloto.  “But the scale of the problem is nothing compared to the overflow of generosity and heroism, as friends and partners from around the world rally together in bayanihan to help the Filipinos rise again.”

“Our hearts go out to the victims of Typhoon Yolanda, and we are committed to helping alleviate the plight of those affected by this calamity,” shares TELUS International President Jeffrey Puritt. “TELUS is pleased to provide P4.7 million in financial support to victims of Typhoon Yolanda, for both immediate relief efforts and long-term rehabilitation but, even more inspiring for me, is our team members’ sense of obligation to lend their hearts, hands and minds in the service of others during the TELUS Day of Service.”

While relief efforts address the immediate need for food and clothes, non-profit organizations like Gawad Kalinga (GK) in partnership with TIP have drawn plans to tackle the longer-term need for shelter.

Both the rebuilding and relief operations are part of Operation Walang Iwanan, GK’s aid effort for Yolanda survivors.  Through the program, GK and its partners aim to build an initial 5,000 houses, as well as repair around 1,000 damaged houses.

“We have a big task ahead of us.  Our current effort is just a drop in the bucket,” says Meloto.  “But with the help of partners like TELUS, we can extend our capacity and overcome this challenge through bayanihan.”

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About TELUS International Philippines

TELUS International Philippines, Inc. is a leading Philippines-based provider of contact center and business process outsourcing solutions and a proud member of the TELUS International family. TELUS International is a global business process outsourcing company with almost 16,000 employees around the world, including in Canada, the United States, Eastern Europe, Latin America, the Philippines, and the United Kingdom. With over 150 million customer interactions annually via voice, email, chat and social media, across the telecommunications, utilities, finance, retail, and high-tech industries, TELUS International enables customer experience innovation through spirited teamwork, agile thinking, and a caring culture that puts customers first. As the global arm of TELUS, TELUS International is backed by a leading national telecommunications company in Canada, with P473.5 billion (CAD $11.2 billion) of annual revenue and 13.2 million customer connections. For more information, visit: www.telusinternational.com.