Cebu Pacific News Archive

Cebu Pacific Joins Habitat for Humanity

Approximately a hundred employees of Cebu Pacific Air took time off from their duties in the airline and trooped to Bacolod and Rizal to volunteer for the STIHO and World Leaders Build – sponsored projects, Habitat for Humanity.

Though not used to such kind of labor – and though exposed to a lethal combination of scorching heat and occasional drizzle – the Cebu Pacific team readily mixed cement, lugged hollow blocks, and did other muscle-aching tasks. They worked alongside the homeowners, skilled workers, students, government personnel and other employees from various multinational companies.

“It was heartwarming to see our teammates – most actually on their hands and knees – doing hard physical labor, just for the sake of reaching out,” said Cebu Pacific Director for Sales Rose Santos, also one of the team leaders. “It just goes to show that Cebu Pacific's commitment to serve is not confined only to the walls of its offices and interior of its aircraft.”

Rose, along with Ana Mendoza, Macky Cui, Mario Rosales and Charlie Palpal-Latoc, led different teams of employees from various departments for a week of building homes at Talisay in Bacolod , and another week at Pinugay, Rizal. Another employee from Marketing, Malou Badong took it upon herself to handle all logistical requirements – from travel arrangements to food and transportation, to group uniforms, gloves and caps.

In addition to donating man hours, Cebu Pacific provided air transportation from Manila to Bacolod and back, to some 300 volunteer Dutch nationals from STIHO, a Netherlands-based supplier of construction materials. In Rizal, Cebu Pacific acquired 2 houses, which in turn, were donated to two families.

The airline employees were able to forge friendly relationships with the homeowners, who have been dreaming of owning homes for some time.

“The work was really difficult and backbreaking, but fun,” said Ana Mendoza, Cebu Pacific's Director for Promotions. “There's something extremely fulfilling in knowing that you were instrumental in making someone's dream come true.”