UNUSED and leftover bath soaps from hotels just might help someone in need.

The American Chamber of Commerce (Amcham) in the Philippines-Visayas, in collaboration with the Hotel, Resort and Restaurant Association of Cebu Inc. (HRRAC), seek to gather unused and leftover bath soaps that will be reused and repackaged.

Jose Marques, an AmCham board member, calls it the Soap for Hope program.

“It’s much easier to market solid soap, and it’s something that is easy to package,” he said.

The soap collected from various hotels in Cebu will be turned over to a hygiene company that will process and sanitize it again to make it reusable.

The finished product will then be given to a beneficiary who will repackage it and sell it to the market for funds for charity.

Carmela Malagar, executive director of HRRAC, said pickup points are established for hotels to donate their soaps in Cebu, Mandaue City and Mactan Island.

“We will coordinate with our members and even non-members, as long as they belong to our industry, and we will relay to them this partnership program,” she said.

This will the first long-term program for the AmCham Foundation that Marques and the other members are set to establish in Cebu.

The Amcham-Visayas Chapter is a private, independent, non-profit association that promotes and develops trade, commerce and investment between the United States of America and the Philippines.

“Here, we will have the Amcham Visayas Foundation. We will organize it and once it’s organized, it will function as the corporate social responsibility arm of Amcham,” Marques said.

Amcham is looking for beneficiaries that can package and market the soap for funds for a charity program.

“They have to be willing to participate in the program and wholeheartedly learn how to market the soap,” Marques said.

The HRRAC, on the other hand, will call on member hotels to donate unused and leftover bath soaps that the group can deliver to beneficiaries who will be chosen to spearhead the program. (JOB)