Procter and Gamble and Coca-Cola to aid Philippines recovery efforts

Procter and Gamble has announced that it will be taking part in a new humanitarian project to support the revival of economic activity and livelihoods in the Philippines, which is still recovering from the impact of Super Typhoon Yolanda.

The company has signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and fellow consumer giant Coca-Cola on the initiative, which will be focused on Leyte, the province that was worst affected by the typhoon.

This work will help establish new sari-sari stores – small community shops – while rehabilitating damaged or destroyed outlets located in public markets. The partners will also help store owners get access to micro-financing loans and other interventions that will allow them to succeed.

Procter and Gamble has already donated more than $2 million (1.22 million pounds) in cash and relief goods to the relief efforts so far.

Sumeet Vohra, president and general manager for Procter and Gamble in the Philippines, said the company will "leverage its portfolio of well-known household brands, its extensive distribution network, its commercial expertise and its long history of partnership with micro entrepreneurs who operate sari-sari stores to achieve this goal".

Initiatives such as this have helped the firm make considerable progress towards its environmental and corporate social responsibility goals for 2020 during the last 12 months.