JCB announces $500,000 donation of kit to Phillipines disaster

by Nick Drew | Thu 14 Nov 2013

JCB announces $500,000 donation of kit to Phillipines disaster

British digger maker JCB has responded to the Filipino typhoon disaster with the news that machines and generators worth more than $500,000 are to be provided to assist in the aftermath of the catastrophe.

The company is sending a fleet of three 3CX backhoe loaders to help in the clear up operations following Typhoon Haiyan which was one of the most powerful storms ever recorded on land and which has left up to 2,500 people dead. In addition more than 120 JCB electrical generators are being provided through the company’s Filipino dealer Camec. The generators are already being used to power community buildings, including hospitals and local authority premises. The JCB backhoes will be deployed in clear up operations in the province of Tacloban City.

JCB has a long history of helping countries affected by major natural disasters and this is the second time the company has sent aid to the Philippines. In 2006 JCB sent a fleet of 3CX backhoe loaders after Typhoon Reming hit the Bicol region, destroying much of the infrastructure. Today JCB Chairman Lord Bamford said: “The human suffering and scenes of devastation in the Philippines have been heart-rending and I hope JCB’s contribution to the relief effort will help, in some small way, those who are bearing the brunt of this disaster. One of the main challenges facing rescue workers is clearing roads in the affected areas and the JCB backhoe is exactly the right machine for the job of removing debris.” The versatile JCB backhoe loader is the ideal machine for disaster situations thanks to its front shovel which can be used as a bulldozer and rear excavator that not only be used to dig emergency drains, but also to crane heavy objects. Crucially, the machine can get from site to site under its own steam with no need for additional transport. JCB Power Products offers a comprehensive range of 170 different of generators ranging from 1kVA to 3300 kVA in both diesel and petrol powered configurations. The generators despatched to the disaster zone are all small petrol models which can be carried easily by two people. They are ideal for powering medical equipment, fridges and microwaves as appliances can simply be plugged into the generator.

The latest contribution follows a series of other JCB machinery donations in recent years to other parts of the world hit by natural disasters, including machines worth more than £1 million to help in the aftermath of the Asian Tsunami in 2004, with JCB diggers deployed to Thailand, southern India, Sri Lanka and Indonesia. In 2008, six backhoe loaders worth over $600,000 were donated to help with the clear up in the aftermath of an earthquake in Sichuan province in China. In 2009 the company donated an excavator and a backhoe loader worth $250,000 to help the disaster relief effort in the city of Padang following the devastating earthquake that struck off the Indonesian island of Sumatra. In 2010, JCB donated diggers worth $150,000 to help the disaster relief effort in Haiti following the devastating earthquake that killed tens of thousands of people. The gift of two 3CX backhoe loaders was made by JCB Chairman Lord Bamford in response to an appeal from relief agencies for foreign aid.

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