Island Pacific's Project Simon Peter Turns Over First Batch of Boats to Fishermen Affected by Typhoon Odette

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Mar 08, 2022, 13:58 ET

WALNUT, Calif., March 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Island Pacific Grocery Store and Seafood Market turned over the first batch of boats from the initial funds raised through Project Simon Peter just one month since their fundraising launched.

In partnership with Nautilus, Petix Productions, and Richard Sharpe, fishermen from Palawan and Siargao received their boats last February 19. They even designed it themselves out of gratitude. As soon as the paint dried, they sailed into the sea to bring the new boats to their home island where their families were waiting.

"Tuwang-tuwa ang pamilya ko na mayroon na akong hanapbuhay, para mabuhay ko ang pamilya ko," Ricky Viguila, a fisherman in Palawan, shared upon receiving his boat.

120 more fishermen in the list are waiting for their boats.
This is only the first turnover. There will be many more to follow as Island Pacific continues to raise more funds for 120 fishermen in the waiting list. Small to medium-sized boats in Palawan range from $1,000 to $1,500, while large boats in Siargao cost $2,000. 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.

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 or donate directly via Island Pacific dedicated GoFundMe page for Project Simon Peter at https://www.gofundme.com/f/island-pacifics-project-simon-peter. 100% of the proceeds will go directly to building boats and rebuilding lives of affected fishermen in Palawan and Siargao.

Project Simon Peter will run until April 17, Resurrection Sunday, just in time for the culmination of the Lenten Season.

What is Project Simon Peter?
Project Simon Peter is Island Pacific Filipino Supermarket's fundraising initiative for the benefit of fishermen in Palawan and Siargao who lost their boats when Typhoon Odette hit the Philippines last December impacting 9.9 million lives and bringing $262 million (P13.4 billion) worth of agricultural damage.

Donate now.

[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