At least 10 universities in Cebu City recently held a Cesafi relief caravan in northern Cebu.
The participating schools, which are members of Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi), were the University of Cebu, Cebu Institute of Technology University, University of San Carlos, University of San Jose Recoletos, Southwestern University, Cebu Doctor’s University, Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu, University of Southern Philippines Foundation, Cebu Eastern College and the University of the Visayas.
More than 20 buses carrying relief goods for victims of supertyphoon Yolanda converged at the Cebu Provincial Capitol last Nov. 15 at 6 a.m.
Each bus was escorted by volunteer teachers and students, with Women’s Auxiliary members from the Sacred Heart Center.
The volunteers gathered for a short prayer led by University of Cebu School Chaplain Fr. Lydeo Felizarta and Fr. Jerome Cayetano, SVD of the University of San Carlos before leaving for northern Cebu towns to distribute relief goods.
The schools had chosen the areas that they would service. UC and USPF chose the municipalities of Bantayan Island, Tabogon and Medellin; USPF also chose Bantayan Island; CDU picked Tabogon and San Remigio; CIT-U and USC picked Daanbantayan; USJ-R and SWU selected Bogo City; CEC opted for Medellin, and SWU for Hagnaya.
The show of support for the typhoon victims was overwhelming.
UC fielded three busloads of 2,000 relief packs each with two kilos of rice, 5 canned goods, 1 liter water and clothing.
One bus went to Bantayan Island and another to Tabogon and barangay Kawit in Medellin.
Felix Tiukinhoy Jr., in charge of the Cesafi relief caravan, said the activity was in coordination with the Cebu provincial government and the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
UC president and lawyer Augusto Go said the damage caused by supertyphoon Yolanda in northern Cebu was severe and that victims need all the help they can get.
“We should help our neighbors. Those people in the north need us. Even the little we can spare is a great help,” Go said.
The University of Cebu Teachers Association cancelled their Christmas party to donate the P500,000 budget to typhoon victims. UC donated a counterpart of P2 million for a total of P2.5 million.