Inside Asian Gaming recently teamed up with global gaming supplier Light & Wonder and the Hann Foundation – the social development arm of the HANN Group – for an important charity initiative called Light Up Impact, delivering relief packages to local Philippine communities impacted by recent flooding.
In late August, large parts of Central Luzon in the Philippines were hit by severe flooding due to a persistent southwest monsoon – known locally as Habagat – with the low-lying areas of Pampanga, Bulacan, Nueva, Ecija, Bataan and Zambales among those most affected.
The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Central Luzon reported in early September that more than 4.24 million people had been impacted, including almost 150,000 people having to relocate from their homes and close to 34,000 farmers and fishermen facing agricultural losses.
In an effort to provide some small but meaningful assistance to some of those in need, Inside Asian Gaming teamed up with Light & Wonder and the Hann Foundation for the Light Up Impact charity initiative – delivering critical support for two Pampanga communities caught in the middle of the massive weather event.
Ana Christi Galura, Executive Director of Hann Foundation – the social development arm of the HANN Group – explained that this year has seen one of the worst flooding situations the region has experienced in decades.
“The last time some of these areas were flooded, I believe, was in 1972, when supposedly there was literally 40 days of rain in Region 3,” she said.
“Some of our colleagues themselves, their houses are now submerged and they have had to evacuate. That’s the situation now in Region 3 and in particular Pampanga and Tarlac.”
Light Up Impact was the brainchild of the Light & Wonder team, which not only developed the charity concept but also provided the funding behind it. Hann Foundation also played a major role by providing considerable logistical support, identifying the communities and working with local authorities to ensure those most in need received the benefit.
“What Hann Foundation did was reach out to municipalities and local government units, LGUs, to find out which barangays (the smallest unit of government in the Philippines) have not received as much assistance from either LGUs or other NGOs,” Galura continued. “And we specifically targeted those areas.
“For example, the area that was allocated to Light and Wonder and to IAG for this project is Apalit, which is one of the lowest-lying regions of Pampanga, and a lot of its livelihood comes from farming. Those barangays have also received the least amount of assistance from either the LGU or the private sector.”
On 9 September, representatives of all three organizations joined forces in Light & Wonder’s Clark office – located around two hours north of Manila and right in the heart of Pampanga – to pack 900 kits containing selected food and non-food essentials. Each kit, packed into a reusable 12-liter plastic container, included a 5kg bag of rice, chicken noodles, beef noodles, canned sardines, corned beef and ready-to-eat canned goods plus toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap and an insect repellent.
The following day, on 10 September, Light & Wonder, IAG and the Hann Foundation ventured out to the communities in question, ably assisted by the Philippine Air Force which helped transport the kits.
The chosen communities were located in the northern part of Apalit, with Hann Foundation explaining that a key factor in determining the beneficiaries was a letter endorsed by the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWDO). The MSWDO said that, while relief operations were already underway in some areas, farmers and affected families in northern Apalit had yet to receive sufficient relief assistance.
The coordinated contribution saw families gather at the chosen locations, where Light & Wonder, IAG, the Hann Foundation and the Philippine Air Force delivered all 900 kits directly to the chosen recipients by hand. This personal touch was incredibly well received, with locals offering genuine smiles and warm handshakes after receiving their kits.
“It is obviously some basic stuff [in each kit] but that’s really helpful for them,” said Galura, adding that Hann Foundation has become highly adept at such distribution as part of its ongoing PROJECT BAYANIHANN.
“Bayanihan in the Philippines basically means cooperation. What we did, the literal act of passing down the relief package from person to person, that is the usual image that comes to mind when Filipinos talk of bayanihan, because that’s how it started many years ago.”
Ging Masinda, Regional Account Manager at Light & Wonder, said the company had specifically sought to provide relief directly to affected communities in order to ensure maximum impact.
“That’s the great part of Light Up Impact – we’re not just funding it or packing it, we are delivering it directly into the hands of the people,” she said.
“We all have very busy lives and it’s easy to become oblivious and fail to see what’s happening around us. So, I’m glad that we have this opportunity to impart our time and be able to connect to the community. Maybe this could even be an ongoing thing for Light & Wonder.”
For Masinda, Light Up Impact is especially significant because it provides an opportunity to help out fellow Filipinos.
“Growing up, my parents always taught me to help the community when you can, if you can,” she said. “It’s one way to share your blessings, and that’s why I’m really proud to be part of this kind of initiative.
“There are a lot of organizations that provide donations, but what we are providing to these communities is essential for them.”
While Hann Foundation – established in 2017 with the goal of giving back to the communities that surround Hann Casino Resort in the Clark Freeport Zone – is financially backed by the HANN Group, Galura noted that the additional support provided by Light & Wonder by way of its Light Up Impact initiative has been just as important – “because we’re able to expand the scope of our project.
“Thanks to the funding provided by Light & Wonder we were able to add more beneficiaries and really make a meaningful difference.” she said.
