AIR21 leads the way in Cebu relief efforts

By admin on January 28th, 2022

Total Logistics Solutions Provider AIR21, together with premium airport bus transportation service UBE Express, leads the relief efforts of typhoon Odette affected areas in Cebu. Typhoon Odette struck the Philippines on December 16, 2021, with the majority of the devastation concentrated in the Visayas region. Odette’s typhoon level was raised to signal number 4, leading to widespread damages to the provinces of Cebu and Bohol and forced these provinces to declare a state of calamity.

After typhoon Odette had passed AIR21 rushed to account for all their personnel, shipment, and facilities. AIR2 Central Visayas Operational Manager Mr. Vincent Niño Tacocong recalls having to personally go to the houses of some of his employees in order to ensure they were safe and that he had to go to Mactan Bridge, the only place that had enough cellphone signal, to send reports to his superiors and messages to the rest of his team.

It would take four days after the typhoon before all employees were accounted for and returned to active duty and an entire week after the typhoon for AIR21 to get the resources to assist with the delivering of relief goods.

Photos taken by Expertlink Guard Erick Parlocha at the AIR21/U-Freight office in MCIAA, Cargo Complex, Laup-Lapu City on December 18, 2021. From left to right: Vincent Niño Tacocong, Jonel Batiancila, Charlie Etulle, Oliver Salve, and Rengrid Eguna.

With the coordination of current Naga City Mayor Kristine Vanessa Chiong and former Mayor Val Chiong, AIR21 sent three trucks along with five drivers and couriers to Naga City, Cebu, to help with the distribution of relief goods within the area.

UBE Express also assisted the Semiconductor and Electronics Industry (SEIPI) of the Philippines with the transportation of their 3,000 boxes of relief goods using their airport buses from December 24, 2021, to January 10, 2022.

“Even though we are also affected by the super typhoon, we still serve our clients in sending their relief goods to their station here in Cebu,” says Mr. Tacocong. “This is all possible thanks to the assistance of OneLGC Chairman, Mr. Alberto D. Lina, and the OneLGC family”.