February 4, 2022
Super Typhoon Rai (Odette) wreaked havoc on Siargao Island in the Philippines in December 2021, ripping down homes, trees and power cables in its path. The 160 miles-per-hour winds (260 km) brought heavy rain, widespread flooding and landslides. Communities were destroyed, and hundreds of thousands of residents were left homeless by the storm.
Roughly a dozen Alta employees were directly impacted by the typhoon. An employee relief fund was established and distributed in January to aid them in rehabilitating (story here).
Alta also made a significant donation to Father Al’s Children Foundation, Inc. (FACFI), to help rebuild and repair its Sisters of Mary School in Cebu, which was particularly devastated by Typhoon Rai. The foundation provides its students with high school education, food, clothing, shelter, medical and dental services free of charge. In addition, the students receive intensive vocational skills trainings. Alta Resources first became familiar with Father Al’s Children Foundation and its Sisters of Mary Schools in 2010 through several graduates of the school who subsequently went to college and then worked for Alta Resources, and Alta has been supporting FACFI since. “Father Al’s Children Foundation is a highly valuable asset to the Philippines, much like United Way is in the United States. The foundation has helped so many children over the years to create bright, strong futures for themselves, and as soon as we learned that some of its schools were hit by Typhoon Rai, we knew we needed to help them get back on their feet immediately,” said Jim Beré, chairman and CEO of Alta Resources. “The Philippines is an integral part of Alta’s global tapestry, and our thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected by Typhoon Rai.”
To learn more about Father Al’s Children Foundation, click here.
