Responding to local neighbors in need, the San Marino Consulate General stepped up to provide essential food relief to ten 10 families navigating severe hardship. The beneficiaries from Barangay 191 – Zone 20, Barangay Electrical, Pasay City have been hit particularly hard, caught between heavy urban flooding and ongoing local construction disruptions.
The Republic of San Marino, known as the world’s oldest constitutional republic, has long grounded its global diplomatic presence in values of peace, solidarity, and civic duty. Putting these principles into practice locally, Jean Henri Lhuillier, Honorary Consul General of the Republic of San Marino to the Philippines and President and CEO of Cebuana Lhuillier, personally led the distribution drive at the Consulate in Makati.
“During challenging times, it is important to be present and extend support where it can make a difference,” Lhuillier shared. “Through this initiative, we hope to provide these families with some much-needed assistance as they navigate the difficulties brought by the situation in their community.”
For the receiving families, the relief was both practical and deeply comforting. “Malaking tulong po ito sa amin,” said one grandmother of three as she received her family’s food pack. A single mother from the neighborhood agreed, sharing how much emotional weight the gesture lifted off her shoulders: “Nakakagaan po ng loob na may mga taong handang tumulong sa amin.”
The consulate selected the recipient families based on immediate need and location, aiming for a neighborly effort that prioritized real human connection alongside essential aid. For the San Marino team, the initiative served as a practical demonstration of solidarity, translating values of generosity into meaningful action for their Philippine host community