Jennylyn Mercado and Dennis Trillo (Image: screengrab from YouTube/Jennylyn Mercado)
Jennylyn Mercado and her husband, fellow actor Dennis Trillo, have called for donations for survivors of typhoon Odette through their relaunched relief initiative “StarTruck.”
The couple announced the return of the donation drive in a video on Mercado’s YouTube channel today, Dec. 22. “StarTruck” was first launched in November 2020 to help give aid to victims of typhoon Ulysses in Cagayan last year.
“Lahat po ng inyong donasyon ay titiyakin namin na makakarating sa Cebu, Siargao, Bohol, Palawan at Negros, katuwang po ng aming mga trusted coordinators and partner organizations,” Mercado assured the public.
(We’ll make sure that all of your donations will reach Cebu, Siargao, Bohol, Palawan and Negros, together with our trusted coordinators and partner organizations.)
She and Trillo urged fans to work together in helping those who fell victim to the super typhoon.
Mercado explained how individuals can donate through “StarTruck” on her Instagram page yesterday, Dec. 21. She also lamented the prospect of the typhoon victims having a bleak Christmas this year.
“Pasko na sa darating na Sabado pero nakakalungkot na marami sa mga kababayan natin sa [Visayas at Mindanao] ay tila hindi ito maipagdiriwang tulad ng dati dahil sa pinsalang dulot ng bagyong Odette. Kaya naman muli tayong magkaisa at tumulong sa kanilang pagbangon,” she said.
(Christmas is coming this Saturday, but it’s sad that many of our fellow Filipinos in Visayas and Mindanao may not be able to celebrate it like they used to because of the damage brought by typhoon Odette. So let’s unite once again and help them rise back up.)
The actress then encouraged the public to include typhoon victims in their prayers so they will have strength and courage despite the calamity.
Super typhoon Odette made its first landfall on Siargao island last Thursday, Dec. 16 and devastated various parts of Visayas and Mindanao.
The Office of Civil Defense said that about 156 individuals have been confirmed dead, while 37 are still missing as of this writing. The national police, however, noted that the death toll related to the typhoon is much higher at 375. /ra
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