Early in November 2022, Xavier University launched the #XUTabangPaeng call for donations for families and communities badly affected by Typhoon Paeng.  Led by the Social Development Office through the Social Involvement and Advocacy Program (SIAP), the call for donations invites all stakeholders to share their resources with families who were greatly affected by the typhoon and temporarily housed in evacuation centers.

On November 21, 2022, the Wishcraft Social Fund entrusted and turned over to Xavier University the monetary donation amounting to Php100,000.00 for the #XUTabangPaeng Call for Donation. Wishcraft Social Fund is the corporate social responsibility (CSR) arm of the Wishcraft Group of Companies. Mr. Leandro Atayde III, Managing Director of Wishcraft Group of Companies and the Executive Director of the Wishcraft Social Fund, and Ms. Margarita Romero-Atayde, Executive Director of Corazon S. Atayde Memorial Foundation, have been partners of XU in assisting disaster-stricken communities in the past through various resource mobilizations efforts: first through the Corazon S. Atayde Memorial Foundation during the #XUTabangMarawi for families displaced due to the Marawi siege in 2017, and second, through the Wishcraft Social Fund during the #XUTabangTulunan for earthquake-affected communities in Tulunan and Makilala, Cotabato in 2020.

Ms. Margarita Romero-Atayde and Fr. Mars P. Tan, SJ, during the ceremonial turn-over of donation from Wishcraft Social Fund for #XUTabangPaeng.

Margarita Romero-Atayde and Fr. Mars P. Tan, SJ, during the ceremonial turn-over of donation from Wishcraft Social Fund for #XUTabangPaeng. Nestor Banuag, Gail de la Rita, and Therese Baliwag from the Social Development Cluster were also present at the ceremonial turn-over activity.

In a brief meeting with XU President Fr. Mars P. Tan SJ, Ms. Margarita Romero-Atayde expressed her gratitude to Xavier University for organizing relief and response efforts and assisting communities in need. She emphasized that these organized mechanisms make it easier for private institutions to extend help and channel cash donation. Fr. Mars also responded with an affirmation of XU's involvement in various disaster risk resilience and management initiatives and networks. Members of the Social Development Office led by Vice President Dexter S. Lo also met with Mr. Leandro Atayde III, Executive Director of Wishcraft Group of Companies, at an earlier luncheon meeting to personally express gratitude for the generosity extended.

Leandro Atayde III, Managing Director of Wishcraft Group of Companies and Executive Director of the Wishcraft Social Fund and Margarita Romero-Atayde, Executive Director of Corazon S. Atayde Memorial Fund, exchanged insights on social involvement and advocacies work with Dexter Lo, XU VP for Social Development, Gail de la Rita, Director for Service Learning Program, and Nestor Banuag Jr, Director for Social Involvement and Advocacy Program.

The amount received from the partner's donation will form part of the #XUTabangPaeng fund drive intended for relief assistance to Teduray families in South Upi, Maguindanao. The immediate needs of the 500 indigenous families in Maguindanao are food items, kitchen utensils, hygiene kits, and children's learning materials. The relief distribution, scheduled for the first week of December, will also be facilitated in partnership with Gawad Kalinga – Cagayan de Oro Chapter.

As with XU's experience, the institutional response and assistance programs carried out by the University are made possible through the generosity of external donors, partner organizations to work with on the ground, the student volunteer’s participation, and the XU community's involvement in fund mobilization and other essential tasks. These kurambos efforts heed the call of alleviating the suffering of disaster-affected families and concretize the XU community's mission of being men and women for others.

#XUTabangPaeng is still open for donations. Cash donations can be deposited to the following account details:

𝘽𝙋𝙄
Account Name: Xavier University
Account Number: 9330-0016-55
(𝘚𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵/𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘴𝘭𝘪𝘱 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘭 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦@𝘹𝘶.𝘦𝘥𝘶.𝘱𝘩 𝘤𝘤: 𝘴𝘪𝘢𝘱@𝘹𝘶.𝘦𝘥𝘶.𝘱𝘩)

For more inquiries, please look for Mr. Nestor Banuag Jr. (0917 194 0942) or call 088-853-9800 local 9201/9202.