Island Pacific Raises Funds to Purchase Boats for Fishermen Affected by Typhoon Odette

WALNUT, Calif., Feb. 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Through Project Simon Peter, Island Pacific comes to the aid of fishermen in Palawan and Siargao as they raise funds to replace the boats Typhoon Odette destroyed. Aside from being Filipinos, fishermen are close to Island Pacific's heart because their livelihood is what brings life to Island Pacific's core offering – fresh seafood. Without their hard work in the sea, Island Pacific won't be where it is now.

Farming and fishing communities have been particularly hard-hit.
"Tulungan niyo akong mapagawa ko ang bangka ko para makapag-hanapbuhay kami. Walang-wala na talaga. Ang bahay ko, sira na," Ricky Viguella shared. He is one of the fishermen in Siargao who struggles to make ends meet after his fishing boat was destroyed, stripping him off of the only source of income he knows.

Fishing boats, gears, and seaweed farms in Siargao and Palawan, among others, were damaged or lost – leaving fishing communities with little to no livelihood or food sources. According to survivors, most donations they receive are food, water, medicine, clothing, and shelter. These are good short-solutions, but Island Pacific wants to create a long-term and more sustainable impact to help these fishermen restart and recover.

Project Simon Peter aims to help fishermen restart and recover.
Island Pacific's Project Simon Peter targets to replace damaged and lost boats. This will help fishermen rebuild their lives as they go back to the only source of livelihood they know – fishing.

The cost of a new bangka in Palawan ranges from $1,000 to $1,500 for small to medium-sized boats that can fit two to four fishermen. Large, engine-powered boats in Siargao cost $2,000. Any amount will be helpful in the recovery of these fishermen and their families. Interested individuals may bring their donations to any Island Pacific branch. 100% of the proceeds will go directly to building boats and rebuilding lives of affected fishermen in Palawan and Siargao.

For those who want to sponsor an entire banka, they may get in touch with a manager at any Island Pacific store near them. Their names will be imprinted on the boat to honor their generous contribution.

Island Pacific partners with local residents and Petix Productions to bring donations to the Philippines.
Island Pacific has partnered with Petix Productions in Palawan and Richard Sharpe, a local in Siargao, to make sure the donations from Project Simon Peter reach the fishermen. On top of the Filipino supermarket's fundraising efforts, Petix Productions is also raising funds for construction materials like plywood, marine epoxy, and bronze nails to repair some boats.

Typhoon Odette is more destructive than Yolanda.
Nine days before Christmas, Super Typhoon Odette hit the Central Philippines. According to the UN Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA), Typhoon Odette is the world's second most destructive disaster in 2021 next to the earthquake in Haiti. Odette is more destructive than Super Typhoon Yolanda in 2013 in terms of areas affected. Typhoon Yolanda hit four areas (North Cebu, Panay, West Leyte, and East Leyte), while Typhoon Odette ravaged eleven regions. In just a few hours, the storm impacted 9.9 million lives and brought $262 million (P13.4 billion) worth of agricultural damage and affected 2.2 million workers. Learn more here

[Island Pacific is supermarket chain dedicated to promoting Filipino Food and Seafood to the rest of the world. It is headquartered in Walnut, California and currently has 16 supermarket branches serving communities in California and Las Vegas.]

SOURCE Island Pacific Market