GUIUAN, Philippines,
March 23, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --
Honeywell (NYSE: HON) announced today the grand opening of the
Ngolos Honeywell Elementary School in Guiuan, Eastern Samar in
the Philippines. The community
school replaces a facility that was destroyed by Typhoon Haiyan
(Yolanda), a Category 5 storm in November
2013.
Honeywell President of Indonesia, Alex
Pollack, led the opening ceremony, joined by project members
and dignitaries, including Christopher
Sheen Gonzales, Mayor of Guiuan; Annaliza Gonzales Kwan, former Mayor of Guiuan;
Kerry Kennedy, Director of Honeywell
Hometown Solutions; Richard Walden,
CEO Operation USA and Esperanza Esquierdo, Ngolos Honeywell Elementary
School Principal.
"Honeywell helps to rebuild the lives of our employees and the
communities affected by natural disasters," said Pollack. "It is
our hope that with the support of Honeywell Hometown Solutions and
Operation USA, we can bring
normalcy back to the children and families."
"In Guiuan, every person, family and building was impacted by
the typhoon. Honeywell and Operation USA completed one of the first major
construction projects in our municipality in less than a year,"
said Mayor Gonzales. "Our children now have a beautiful school that
will serve all future generations. Thank you so much Honeywell and
Operation USA for providing a safe
and comfortable learning environment for the children."
Honeywell Hometown Solutions, the company's corporate
citizenship initiative, immediately partnered with Operation
USA, to rebuild this elementary
school in this region. It was funded by more than 1,800 Honeywell
employees who contributed to the Honeywell Humanitarian Relief Fund
(HHRF), which provides direct support to Honeywell employees and
communities in need whenever a natural disaster strikes. One
hundred percent of employees' donations go directly to the people
who need help rebuilding their lives as they cope with destruction
from wildfires, hurricanes, tsunamis, flooding, earthquakes and
other types of natural disasters.
"Honeywell has demonstrated unwavering commitment to the
recovery efforts in the Guiuan region and without them this vital
project could not have been realized," said Walden. "We are honored
to have worked hand-in-hand with Honeywell and its employees to
build this elementary school and see the positive impact it has on
the entire community."
The Ngolos Honeywell Elementary School is more than 6,000 square
feet in size and currently serves 250 students and eight teachers
in grades 1-6. The facility includes eight classrooms, an
administrative office, two bathrooms, a playground and a basketball
court. Honeywell will continue to support the project through a
5-year term agreement.
The school was designed to withstand winds up to 155 miles (250
kilometers) per hour and has been designated as an evacuation
center for the residents of Ngolos Barangay in the event of an
emergency or natural disaster. In December
2014, the school was used as an emergency shelter during
Typhoon Hagupit and kept the community safe from harm.
Operation USA is an
international relief agency that helps communities overcome the
effects of disasters, disease and endemic poverty by providing
privately-funded relief, reconstruction and development aid.
Since 2001 Honeywell employees have generously responded to
other natural disasters, including the Hurricane Sandy in the
northeastern part of the U.S., the earthquake and tsunami in
Japan, as well as tornadoes,
flooding and wildfires around the world.
Following Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda), the Honeywell Aerospace
business supported the region by creating new aeronautical
navigation procedures which will be used to improve aid, relief,
recovery and rebuilding efforts for the Leyte region including
Tacloban and the surrounding areas. Honeywell and Hughes Aerospace
absorbed the entire cost of the development of these approaches at
the airport to ensure the flow of relief supplies is not impacted
in the future. Also, the Honeywell Subic Bay site, opened in 2003,
provides repair and overhaul on aircraft wheels and brakes.
About Honeywell Hometown Solutions
Honeywell Hometown
Solutions, the company's corporate citizenship initiative, focuses
on five areas of vital importance: Family Safety & Security,
Housing & Shelter, Science & Math Education, Habitat &
Conservation, and Humanitarian Relief. Together with leading public
and non-profit institutions, Honeywell has developed powerful
programs to address these needs in the communities it serves. For
more information, please visit www.honeywell.com/citizenship.
About Honeywell
Honeywell (www.honeywell.com) is a
Fortune 100 diversified technology and manufacturing leader,
serving customers worldwide with aerospace products and services;
control technologies for buildings, homes and industry;
turbochargers; and performance materials. Today, Honeywell is
working closely with local distributors and dealers to provide
products and services in the
Philippines. Honeywell CEASA (Subic Bay) Company, Inc.
employs about 20 employees locally. For more news and
information on Honeywell, please visit
http://www.honeywellnow.com/.
Media Contacts:
Kerry Kennedy
Tele.: 973-455-4087
Kerry.kennedy@honeywell.com
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SOURCE Honeywell