Fast food chain to receive, process donations for Taal Volcano victims

MANILA, Philippines – A major fast-food chain has vowed to receive and process in-kind donations to victims of the Taal Volcano eruption.

According to McDonald’s Philippines on Thursday, they would receive donations through the Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC), which would put up Bigay Tulong receiving areas in 100 McDonald’s stores in Metro Manila.

“Starting January 16 until January 25, 2020, customers can visit select 100 stores in Manila to give their donations,” McDonald’s Philippines said in a statement.

“Participating stores will have a box located in the lobby area where donations could be dropped off. Customers are highly encouraged to donate the following items: blankets, face masks, canned goods (preferably easy to open), bottled water, biscuits, medicines, rice and sleeping mats,” they added.

The company said that they are also partnering with the Department of Social Welfare and Development in the distribution of relief goods to affected communities in Batangas and Cavite.

Batangas government data said that more than 26,000 families or 121,000 individuals were displaced due to the Taal Volcano’s eruption last Sunday.

However, child advocate groups said that the government might have forgotten to take into account other evacuees who chose to stay with their friends and relatives, and not in evacuation centers.

Save the Children Philippines said that over 300,000 people have been displaced — 124,000 of whom are children.

McDonald’s Philippines has provided a link to a Facebook post showing the participating stores.

According to the Philippine Institute for Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), a minimum of two weeks might be needed before people in evacuation areas would be allowed to return home – if the situation eases up.

But as of now, Phivolcs still refuses to bring down alert levels as a hazardous eruption may still occur even if the volcanic activity has decreased recently.

READ: 124,000 kids already displaced by Taal eruption — child advocate group

READ: Taal Volcano eruption displaces over 26,000 families in Batangas