CORPORATE foundations and business groups in Metro Manila and Cebu are overhauling their budgets and operations to sustain their relief efforts after the recent string of disasters in the country.
This, as they prepare for the Disaster Resilience Convention on Feb. 4–5, 2026, at Maayo Hotel in Mandaue City, with a broader discussion on these crises set for next year’s convention.
League of Corporate Foundations (LCF) Executive Director Celine Santillan explained that handling budgets for disaster response remains a persistent challenge for corporate foundations.
The organization’s two-day corporate social responsibility (CSR) convention usually draws around 150 participants in Metro Manila. However, this year, Santillan said the organization is managing their expectations.
With each day having a specific focus, the group hopes to gather at least 120 participants per day in Cebu.
Santillan said beyond the event, most member companies allocate annual budgets for CSR, including disaster relief.
“Companies have disaster or calamity budgets, but when something hits, they have to go back to their parent companies and ask for more,” she said.
She added that other organizations raise support from buyers, consumers, and employees to meet urgent needs.
LCF Chairperson Shem Jose Garcia, who oversees CSR operations at Vivant, echoed Santillan’s experiences, especially after back-to-back disasters.
He said Vivant originally used only a small portion of its annual disaster-relief budget, but the recent earthquake consumed the entire allocation.
Soon after, Typhoon Tino struck, forcing the company to pause its medium-term rebuilding plans.
“We had to redirect funds that were reserved for long-term rehabilitation because the immediate needs after the storm were overwhelming,” Garcia said.
To cope, Vivant pulled additional resources from other business units and split rebuilding funds across the current and upcoming fiscal year.
“We’d love to say we have unlimited resources, but the reality is that we have to juggle budgets when disasters happen one after another,” he added.
Cebu-based businesses
In Cebu, businesses themselves were not spared from damage.
Mark Anthony Ynoc, president of the Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said he was moved by how many companies chose to help despite suffering heavy losses.
He cited factories in Mandaue City, including textiles and paint manufacturers, that experienced unusually heavy flooding.
“Many of our members were badly affected, yet they still reached out to the community,” he said, noting that the Chamber must also manage donor fatigue among its members.
Beyond corporate contributions, employee-led efforts continue to play a major role in disaster response.
Jessie Cubijano, Executive Director of the Primary Structures Educational Foundation Inc., said while their core CSR program focuses on education and scholarships, disaster relief has become a natural extension of their work, especially given their expertise in construction.
Their disaster response began 12 years ago during Typhoon Yolanda in 2013, when employees initiated a program to adopt and rebuild an entire community — a model that continues today.
In the latest series of disasters, the group sent food and water to Northern Cebu and prepared skills-training programs for affected households.
Although the recent typhoon delayed their rollout, they remain committed to rebuilding homes and training residents in construction-related skills for livelihood.
The foundation has also canceled its upcoming Christmas celebration.
“We realized it wasn’t the right time to hold a party. Instead, we’re redirecting the entire budget to help reconstruct the homes of families affected by the disaster,” Cubijano said.
Recent assessments from the Cebu Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office show that around 15,000 families across 10 local government units lost their homes far beyond what CSR groups alone can cover.
Still, corporate foundations emphasize that helping even a fraction of these families can make a meaningful difference.
Despite budget constraints and operational setbacks, corporate foundations and businesses say they remain committed to providing immediate relief and supporting long-term recovery efforts in communities devastated by consecutive calamities. / ABC