Mario Crespo

Typhoon Agaton Victims Gets Assistance

IN FEBRUARY 2006, Former Manila congressman Mark Jimenez gave away truckloads of relief goods to flood victims and residents of Aurora, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Viscaya, Isabela, Cagayan, Kalinga-Apayao and Camarines Sur hit by typhoon Agaton in late January. Learning from his experience in Mindoro, he had one strict directive to his staff: Keep politicians out. He expressly instructed members of his Nagkakaisa sa Diyos, Nagkakaisang Pilipino (One in God, One Filipino) foundation never to allow politicians — from mayors and higher officials — to ride on the relief work and gain political mileage.He wanted the distribution or what he called his sharing to be lowkeyed, meaning no publicity or photo ops whatsoever.

Hundreds of thousands of packages containing rice, canned goods, instant noodles and clothes were loaded in convoys of six 10-wheeler trucks and distributed to hapless victims of typhoon Agaton and indigent families in various provinces.

“The goods were directly given to the beneficiaries, without the usual politicians as go-betweens — no publicity, no fanfare, no photo opportunities,” Jimenez said. The whole humanitarian enterprise costed Jimenez P70 million.

Help for Calapan Mindoro Flood Victims

DURING THE FIRST WEEK of December 2005, Oriental Mindoro was hit by massive floods due to heavy rains.Then before Christmas, typhoon Quedan hit Southern Luzon and the Bicol region exacerbating further the devastation in Mindoro. Before leaving for Bukidnon, Mark Jimenez released P1 million to officials of Calapan in Mindoro for the flood victims.But in the Monastery of the Transfiguration in Malaybalay, Jimenez was extremely bothered by the thought of the hapless people in Mindoro. He requested a monk, Rev.Fr. Columbano to go to Calapan to coordinate the relief effort.

Fr. Columbano organized a group of volunteers and enlisted the help of the Philippine Coastguard to ferry the relief goods to Mindoro. The Guardian Brotherhood, composed of police and military personnel, also helped in distributing the goods.

Coming out of the retreat, MJ released over P3 million more so that more relief goods could be purchased. Additional foodstuffs, blankets, more medicines and other needed supplies were purchsed. Staff members of MJ’s organization ensured that his donations directly went to the people and benefited the flood victims in Calapan.

P50M to educational plan victims

MARK JIMENEZ donated P50 million to Pacific Plan Inc. and to College Assurance Plan policyholders so that the children beneficiaries of the failed educational plans could enroll during the opening of classes in June 2006.He later on gave another P50 million to help some 40,000 victims of the pre-need companies enroll during the second semester. PPI and CAP remains indifferent to the plight of their plan holders despite repeated pleas from distraught parents of the students.Jimenez had also refunded the P340,000 bail bond paid by leaders of Parents Enabling Parents (PEP) coalition who were fighting a libel case filed by the PPI management at the Makati Regional Trial Court.

The money was placed in a trust fund although the initial donation was used to pay for the tuition of the poorest among PPI and CAP plan holders. Mark Jimenez said he was appalled at the fate of the pre-need subscribers and wondered how the owners of PPI and CAP could sleep at night knowing what they had done to thousands of young people hoping for a better life through education.

Feeding the hungry, Giving hope to the poor…MJ

IN MANILA, FORMER congressman Mark Jimenez started feeding the hungry and giving hope to the hopeless by sharing food for the soul and food for the stomach to people in neglected areas.Convoys of as many as 10 trucks carrying packs of Kenny Rogers fried chicken, bread, fruit juices, and T-shirts fan out to various districts of Manila on weekends or fiesta celebrations to share MJ’s blessings.Barangay officials and Hulog ng Langit staffers make a survey of needy families and homeless children in a given area days before the distribution and provide them with coupons to claim their food packs. Thousands of recipients line up for the manna from heaven to satisfy their empty stomachs.

In every barangay that the caravan visited, some 1,800 families get the food packs regularly. In addition, they receive what Mark Jimenez calls food for the soul: packs containing rosary, holy water, and Divine Mercy posters. MJ has distributed about a million of these religious kits and he plans to give 14 million more.

“They can use the rosary as an instrument to pray to God,” he says, “the holy water to drive out evil, and the Divine Mercy posters to remind them that God has prepared a place for us in heaven and wants us to be with Him. So, they should not lose hope.”

Relief Goods Distributed By Mark Jimenez In Bicol, Bondoc Peninsula

Controversial businessman Mark Jimenez recently visited devastated areas in Bicol and distributed some 50,000 packs of foodstuffs and roofing materials worth P15 million to the victims of supertyphoon Reming.More than 800 people were feared to have died in Legaspi City and Albay when flash flood, mud and boulders from the slopes of Mayon volcano came roaring down to the surrounding towns below at the height of supertyphoon Reming, burying and destroying almost everything on their path.Over 28,000 houses were totally destroyed, while more than 91,000 were partially damaged. Some 201,927 families had been adversely affected by the disaster. Deeply touched by the plight of the Bicolanos, Jimenez immediately organized his own private relief effort and visited devastated areas in Legaspi City, Daraga and Guinobatan in Albay province.Without fanfare, he ordered the distribution of packs of rice, sardines, noodles, T-shirts, and candles to the victims. Truckloads of roofing materials were also given to help people rebuild their homes.

Jimenez said it was his own way of sharing whatever blessings God has given him. He categorically denied he had political ambitions. “Please don’t ask me why I’m doing this,” he told reporters who covered his activities in Daraga and Guinobatan. “What I’m doing should be done by all normal people who love God. If they have the resources and they don’t, they are the abnormal ones. Not me.”

He said he would also be sending some 30,000 packs of foodstuffs to the Bondoc Peninsula in Quezon province. Help would also be coming for residents of Casiguran and Marinduque.

Aside from food packs, Jimenez was also giving away thousands of rosaries, vials of holy water, and posters of the Divine Mercy.

He deplored politicians who were in Manila debating how to change the Constitution while their constituents were dying and starving in Bicol and other areas. “What destroyed our country is dirty politics,” he said. “And don’t expect me to take part in it. How many politicians have visited this place?” he asked.

Jimenez said he had already visited 37 provinces since he returned to the country in December 2005, and he planned to visit all provinces to share his blessings to those who need them.