PACIFIC REGION. DFS Group has responded swiftly to assist people affected by Super Typhoon Yutu which struck the islands of Saipan and Tinian in the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas (CNMI) on 24 October.
In the aftermath of the damage left behind by the Category 5 typhoon, DFS senior management including DFS Saipan President Marian Aldan-Pierce and General Manager Milan Rabold mobilised much-needed relief measures for staff and local residents, including shower and laundry facilities and fresh water supplies.
DFS has also set aside an initial donation of US$60,000 for the CNMI Chapter of the American Red Cross to support recovery efforts on Saipan and neighbouring Tinian.
DFS teams around the world were also quick to offer their help. The company set up an online fundraising website and has committed to match all employee donations, with a target to raise US$100,000 in individual pledges. Other DFS divisions, including South East Asia and Hawaii, have so far contributed over US$50,000 to support their colleagues, their families and the community.
The company’s response to the devastation caused by Super Typhoon Yutu was particularly rapid thanks to measures put in place in 2015, when it stepped in to support Saipan residents hit by Super Typhoon Soudelor.
“We continue to see a high number of natural disasters around the world, impacting the lives of countless people,” said DFS Group Chairman and CEO Ed Brennan. “DFS is committed to supporting our employees and their communities in good times and in bad, and we will do everything we can to help the people of Saipan to recover from the effects of Super Typhoon Yutu.”
“DFS is an international company, but we are also proud to be a local business,” said Marian Aldan-Pierce. “We look forward to resuming normal operations serving visitors to our island as well as local residents, but for now we remain focused on helping families to rebuild their lives.”
DFS began operations on Saipan in 1976. The company employs over 300 people across two outlets at Saipan International Airport and at T Galleria by DFS on Beach Road.
*To access the DFS Saipan fund-raising page, and for more details on the relief effort, click here.