FOR the Gothong Southern Group of Companies, 2020 was a time of change, a year of many firsts. While trying its best to roll with the punches brought by the pandemic, the company did not forget to give back and recognize those working in the front lines during this global health crisis.
Since the lockdown, Gothong Southern Foundation (GSF) has launched a series of initiatives to help Cebu’s health workers in its own way.
A sweet pairing
In partnership with Fujinoya Cafe and Bar, a specialty coffee and pastry shop under the Gothong Southern portfolio, a total of 1,950 coffee and cookie sets were given to hospital staff from August to October 2020. Recipients of these sweet treats and delicious coffee include the University of Cebu Medical Center, Perpetual Succour Hospital, Chong Hua Hospital Fuente and Mandaue, Cebu Doctors’ University Hospital and Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center.
Because Yello cares
The suspension of public transportation was a pressing concern for many frontliners who had to travel back and forth to work every day. “The pandemic has highlighted the fact that a majority of our country’s medical frontliners do not have their own transportation. And yet, we saw how they selflessly found ways to go to work,” said Caroline Joy Gothong-Ong, president of Gothong Southern Foundation (GSF).
Thus, GSF gave away 88 YelloCare bikes to medical frontliners all over Cebu Province in 2020. Addressing the need for more bikes for the frontliners, GSF launched the Sponsor-a-YellowCareBike-Program through the Stockcrowd funding platform. It was able to raise 338 bikes sponsored by generous donors and friends of the Gothong Southern Group of companies. These YellowCare bikes are being raffled off from Nov. 4, 2020 to April 7, 2021.
The 938 participants of the Sponsor-a-YellowCareBike-Program came from the following hospitals: Chong Hua Hospital Fuente and Mandaue, Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center, Cebu Doctors’ University Hospital, Perpetual Succour Hospital, Southwestern University Medical Center, University of Cebu Medical Center, St. Anthony Mother and Child Hospital, Cebu Velez General Hospital, Maayo Medical Clinic, Department of Health, Cebu City Medical Center, Prime Care Alpha COVID-19 Laboratory, St. Vincent General Hospital, Cebu South Medical Center, IC3 TTMF Bayanihan COVID Field Center, Eversley Childs Sanitarium and General Hospital, Women’s and Children’s Community Hospital, Sta. Rosa Community Hospital, Cebu Puericulture Center And Maternity House, Pilar Municipal Health Office, Visayas Community Medical Center, Mendero Medical Center, Cebu North General Hospital, Adventist Hospital Cebu, Dr. Ignacio M. Cortes General Hospital Inc., Allegiant Regional Care Hospitals, Our Lady of Rule Maternity and General Hospital, Cebu Provincial Hospital-Danao City, Amosup-Seamens Hospital and Camp Lapu-Lapu Station Hospital.
Happy Yello holidays
As 2020 came to an end (and what a year that was), GSF thought the frontliners deserved a break, even for just a night or two—and what better place to unwind and relax than at a posh city hotel? Forty-four frontliners were lucky recipients of a two-night stay at Yello Hotel in Lahug, a property under the Gothong Southern banner that soft-opened in December 2019.
While this battle is far from over and the future continues to hang in the balance, the Gothong Southern Group will continue to help Cebu’s frontliners in every way it can because as Gothong-Ong said, “Indeed, in the middle of all the uncertainty that we face, the heart of the Cebuano truly shines through.” SPONSORED CONTENT