Families recovering from severe flooding in Quezon City received food assistance through a partnership between TGT Global and A-PAD Philippines, providing immediate support as communities continue to rebuild after days of heavy monsoon rains.
At least 50 families in Barangay Tatalon received food items on August 27, 2026 to help meet basic needs following floods that damaged homes and livelihoods.
Among them was 70-year-old Gloria Ortego, whose small sari-sari store was swept away by floodwaters. She said little was left after the water rose beyond head level, an experience she described as unlike previous floods in the community.
“Malaking bagay na ito lalo at wala talaga, limas at hindi pa kami nakaka-recover sa baha—lampas tao. Ngayon ko lang naranasan ang ganun. Noon kahit binabaha, magaan pa. Ngayon naiiyak ka na lang sa hirap,” Ortego said.
“This means a lot, especially when we have almost nothing left. Everything was swept away, and we have yet to recover from the flood, which rose above head level. I have never experienced anything like it. We had floods before, but they were manageable. Now, the hardship can bring you to tears,” she added.
Heavy rains in August inundated roads and low-lying communities across Metro Manila and parts of Northern and Central Luzon. In Quezon City alone, 2,146 families or 8,220 people were recorded in evacuation centers following flooding brought by the intensified southwest monsoon, or Habagat, from August 2 to 11, according to reports.
Days later, another spell of heavy rain caused flooding across several parts of the city as waterways swelled. E. Rodriguez Sr. Avenue in Barangay Tatalon was among the affected areas.
For residents of Tatalon, flooding is a recurring threat. Parts of the community lie near the San Juan River, leaving households vulnerable when prolonged rainfall causes waterways to rise. While residents say they have grown accustomed to floods, increasingly severe weather and difficult living conditions have made recovery harder for many families.
Private sector steps in to support recovery
The relief is initiated through TGT Global’s corporate social responsibility efforts. The company said it decided to respond after seeing the impact of the recent monsoon rains on communities in Metro Manila.
“As a company, we wanted to find a way to help, even through a simple initiative that could make a meaningful impact on affected families,” said Meri Frantseska Punio, Employee Experience Specialist at TGT Global.
TGT Global partnered with A-PAD PH for the first time to help identify and reach communities needing assistance. A-PAD PH coordinated with the community to identify families most in need and organized the distribution, including beneficiary validation and listing to help avoid duplication.
“Nagpapasalamat kami na napili yung area namin at nabigyan ng pag-asa ang mga tao dito. Kahit papaano, may tumutulong at nakakaalala,” area coordinator Alicia Estrellado said.
“We are grateful that our community was chosen and that people here were given hope. It means a lot to know that there are people willing to help and that we have not been forgotten,” she said.
Punio said the partnership also reflected TGT Global’s aim to encourage wider participation from the private sector and other organizations in humanitarian action.
“We hope initiatives like this can encourage other organizations, whether NGOs or private companies, to do the same and take action to help communities,” Punio said.
For A-PAD PH, the partnership underscores the importance of bringing together businesses, civil society, local authorities and communities not only to respond to immediate needs, but also to strengthen longer-term resilience.
“Relief assistance provides families with much-needed support in the immediate aftermath of a disaster, but our work cannot end there. Partnerships like this show why multi-sectoral collaboration is important—from businesses providing resources to local organizations and communities helping ensure assistance reaches those who need it most. At the same time, we need to continue working together toward long-term solutions that reduce the risks communities face from recurring floods,” Athea Peñaloza, A-PAD PH Executive Director said.
While assistance to 50 families represents a small part of the wider needs following the floods, for households that lost belongings, sources of income and basic necessities, the food assistance provides some relief as they begin the difficult process of recovery.
For Ortego and her neighbors in Tatalon, the food packages cannot replace everything the floods took away. But amid another recovery from a disaster they have experienced repeatedly, the assistance offers practical support and a reminder that affected communities have not been forgotten.