Relief packs from SM Foundation were distributed to 256 families at the Apolinario Mabini Elementary School evacuation site on September 25, following the fire that destroyed more than 200 homes in Barangay 27.
The relief distribution was carried out under SM Foundation’s Operation Tulong Express (OPTE) program, in partnership with the Bacolod City Department of Social Services and Development (DSSD). OPTE is SM Foundation’s disaster response initiative, implemented with SM Supermalls and SM Markets, to provide immediate assistance during calamities.
Each family received a “Kalinga Pack” containing rice, canned goods, and other basic food items. SM City Bacolod employee volunteers, led by assistant mall manager Lorenzo Benedicto, assisted DSSD personnel in handing over the aid.
“The families affected by this fire are facing difficult circumstances, and we hope this assistance helps ease their immediate needs,” said May Castro, public relations manager of SM City Bacolod. “Together with the city, we continue to stand with our communities in the spirit of a stronger Bacolod.”
The fire, which broke out shortly after midnight on September 12, destroyed some 200 houses and damaged other property in the barangay, displacing close to 900 individuals. Families remain temporarily housed at the school while awaiting further assistance.*
