IBS Employees Rally to Support Philippine Typhoon Victims

SOLNA, Sweden, Dec. 9, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Within four days of Super Typhoon Haiyan crashing the Philippine coast November 8, International Business Systems (IBS), a global leading integrated ERP and supply chain provider, had mobilized its workforce to raise money on behalf of storm victims.

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Spearheaded by IBS Bookmaster Senior Business Consultant Rina Jacobson, a native of Lipa, Batangas in the Philippines, the IBS effort raised about $10,000 between November 13 and Thanksgiving Day (U.S.), November 28.

Jacobson launched the campaign through an email to IBS Chief Executive Officer Doug Braun, requesting permission to contact fellow employees. The IBS Leadership team agreed to match the first $2,500 collected, and a company-wide appeal was dispatched.

"We have a responsibility, not only as a company, but also as individuals to respond," Braun said. "Our IBS family fans out into the world. The storm victims in the Philippines require our prayers and support."

"I was in agony over the gravity of the situation as I watched the reports come in," said Jacobson, who currently lives in Kelowna, British Columbia, with her husband Brad, also a senior business consultant with IBS Bookmaster.

"We reached our matching gift amounts in a matter of days," Jacobson added. "I was overwhelmed by the response from the company and moved that so many people cared enough to help out."

More than 40 donors across the company pitched in, representing IBS employees in the U.S., Canada, Australia, Sweden, Finland, United Kingdom, India, Netherlands, Denmark and Singapore. Monies raised were donated directly to various relief organizations, notably the Red Cross (www.redcross.org) and the Adventist Development and Relief Agency of Canada (www.adra.org), which organized relief on the ground in disaster areas alongside the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), local and international partners and church organizations.

The typhoon, which was reported to be one of the strongest storms on record, left more than four-million people homeless and more than 4,000 dead, with rebuilding costs expected to exceed $18.7 billion (U.S.).

"Every dollar donated will go a long way to help the families affected by this disaster," Jacobson said. "I am grateful for everyone at IBS for their spirit of generosity and support."

About IBS
International Business Systems (IBS) is a leading global integrated ERP and supply chain distribution software solution provider.  For more than 30 years, we have helped customers such as Galexis, Sigma, Rexel, Maxell, GE Lighting, Marangoni, WorldPac, MacFarlane Group, Scholastic Editions, Fidelitone, Totes Isotoner, Volvo, Goodyear, Skil, Oriola, Inotech and many more, streamline, automate and accelerate their distribution network processes, and drive profitability and efficiency.

For more information, please visit www.ibs.net.