Press Release 87-2015

09 October 2015 - The Congress of Visayan Organizations in Hawaii (COVO) held a screening of its documentary film entitled, “Atong Gitukod: We Built It,” on September 25 at Café Julia, Honolulu.

The film documented the turnover of houses in two villages to survivors affected by earthquake in Sagbayan, Bohol and typhoon Haiyan in Dulag, Leyte in 2013. The documentary displayed an example of Filipino solidarity in action during disasters and the Filipino community’s commitment to donor trust and transparency and accountability in disaster fundraising efforts.

COVO and the COVO Foundation raised funds for the victims by conducting several fundraising projects including a charity concert in which proceeds from these events were matched dollar-for-dollar by Gawad Kalinga (GK) USA, a non-profit humanitarian organization. COVO and COVO Foundation partnered with GK USA to build housing units for Leyte and Bohol survivors.

Philippine Consul General to Honolulu Gina Jamoralin, who joined COVO officials in December 2014 in Bohol for the official turn-over of houses in Sagbayan, Bohol in December 2014 to the beneficiaries, thanked the COVO and Gawad Kalinga USA for helping provide the survivors their most basic need which is housing. She also expressed appreciation to the Filipino community in Hawaii for giving back to their kababayans back home.

Mr. Tony Olaes, Gawad Kalinga USA President, also spoke about Gawad-Kalinga USA as well as his experiences as a Filipino-American in the United States and how his values were shaped by his travels to the Philippines and seeing first hand Philippine conditions.

COVO President May Mizuno thanked all the donors and sponsors for their trust and confidence in COVO for conducting fundraising projects and charity concert for a worthy cause. END