The birth of a village. The Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation (PDIC) partnered with Gawad Kalinga (GK) Community Development Foundation, Inc. for the construction of the PDIC-GK Village in Lawaan, Eastern Samar that will benefit families hit by supertyphoon Yolanda in 2013. PDIC President Cristina Q. Orbeta (center), Lawaan Municipal Planning Development Officer Marno Abayan (left) and Acting Mayor Raul Gade (right) led the groundbreaking ceremony on January 31, 2015.

A community will soon rise in Sitio Malmangan in the coastal town of Lawaan, in Eastern Samar after being badly hit by supertyphoon Yolanda in 2013 and typhoon Ruby in 2014. The Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation (PDIC), Gawad Kalinga (GK) Community Development Foundation, Inc. and the local government of Lawaan led the groundbreaking rites of the PDIC-GK Village on January 31, 2015. Expected to be completed in November 2015, the PDIC-GK Village will provide permanent shelters for at least 22 beneficiary families. PDIC President Cristina Q. Orbeta, GK Head for Eastern Samar Renato Badilla, Lawaan Acting Mayor Raul Gade and future beneficiaries were present during the groundbreaking ceremony. President Orbeta, in her message to the beneficiaries, paid tribute to their courage and resilience, and expressed optimism that they will look after their village as one community.

In support of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program, the PDIC partnered with GK in March 2014 to raise funds for Yolanda victims through the benefit run held in May 2014. Drawing close to 3,000 runners from the public and private sectors, the benefit run raised almost P2 million. The amount was turned over to GK to jumpstart the construction of the PDIC-GK Village in Lawaan.

A sequel benefit run, Takbo 2, to be jointly hosted by PDIC and GK, is set in May 2015 to raise funds to add more beneficiaries to the housing project.

The PDIC's corporate social responsibility program advocates for the protection of the environment and the balanced development of communities.

* * * * *