TOKYO—Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd., has joined with its two Philippine subsidiaries—Yokohama Tire Philippines Inc. and Yokohama Tire Sales Philippines Inc.—to make a donation to the Philippine Red Cross in support of the agency's efforts to assist victims of the devastating earthquake that struck the central Philippines on Oct. 15.
Yokohama said the funds—more than $19,000 (about 1.9 million yen)—were presented by Yokohama Tire Philippines Executive Vice President and Yokohama Tire Sales Philippines President Masahiro Yuki to Philippine Red Cross Chairman Richard Gordon at the agency's Manila headquarters on Nov. 5.
The Philippine's government estimated the 7.2 magnitude quake with epicenter on Bohol Island that struck Oct. 15 and killed 218 people and injured another 768. In addition to the Red Cross donation, Yokohama Tire Philippines held a donation drive from Oct. 29 to Nov. 8 to accept cash donations and pledges from Yokohama Tire Philippines employees. These contributions will also be handed over to the Red Cross.
Yokohama Rubber Group said that in keeping with its "commitment to being a responsible corporate member of the wider society and communities in which it operates, Yokohama Tire Philippines has been an active supporter of past disaster relief activities in the Philippines."
In September 2009, when Typhoon Ketsana struck Luzon Island causing flooding and other major damage in Metropolitan Manila, Yokohama Tire Philippines helped provide food to typhoon victims through cooperation with the Philippine army and the Clark Development Corp., the administrator of the Clark Special Economic Zone that is home to Yokohama Tire Philippines' factory. Employees distributed other items to evacuees from landslides that hit the Arayat residential district not far from Yokohama Tire Philippines' factory.