Yield Guild Games raises $1.45M for Philippine typhoon relief

A total of $1.45 million has been raised by Yield Guild Games (YGG) to help and support people in the Philippines affected by typhoon Odette on the 16th of December 2021.

As of February 1, 2022, about $1 million has already been allowed to people who are in need within the digital currency. 

The funding was used to buy basic and essential goods like power generators, canned food, and medicines. The goods were transported and turned over to the nonprofit organizations and the Philippine Navy and Army on the ground to help distribute to affected communities. 

At the time when the initial 1 million dollars was disbursed to the Philippines in the form of essential goods, crypto of about $450,000 was left in crypto accounts. According to a YGG spokesperson, the crypto assets at that time were yet to be converted to fiat currency. 

YGG Philipinas, the Filipino division of the P2E gaming guild declared and kicked off the relief operation immediately after the typhoon hit the region. YGG Philipinas immediately crowdfunded about $100,000 with many crypto enthusiasts sending in various cryptocurrencies. These cryptocurrencies include Acie Infinity (AXS), Wrapped Ether (wETH), Smooth Love Potion (SLP), USD Coin (USDC), and Ether (ETH). 

Luis Buenaventura, the Country Manager of YGG Pilipinas spearheaded the initiative. He explained during an interview with Cointelegraph that a larger percentage of the YGG community aisin the Philippines. Hence, the disaster was close to heart which prompted swift action from members of the community. 

Luis went on to say the YGG community is Filipino-led. A lot of the staff reside in the Philippines and certainly, a larger percentage of the global P2E community is established in the Philippines. For this reason, a lot of P2E games came out to support the initiatives after assessing the damage of the natural disaster. 

He added that the YGG community is as vital to the core team and a lot of them were affected by the typhoon. Many of which were displaced from their homes, while others are living without power and water for months. He claimed that many of the staff were residing in areas the typhoon hit hard. 

Apart from the funds the YGG community crowd-funded, several other communities in the vast we3 community also came to the rescue. The co-founder of the NFT P2E game Axie Infinity,  donated a total of $55, 000 (1,000 AXS) to the initiatives on the 25th of December 2021. 

He gave a speech imploring the vast crypto community to help individuals affected by the typhoon in the Philippines. He affirmed that as people come together and help rebuild and recover what was lost in the Philippines, they are carrying out the true essence of a community. 

Gabby Dizon, the co-founder of YGG also affirmed that the relief efforts coming from different angles of the broad crypto community are commendable. He claimed that it showed the unity and power of the web3 gaming community. In his words, the reaction of the community to the typhoon disaster in the Philippines is a true testimony that the movement is more than just being a gaming community. 

On the other hand, players of the P2E game DeFi kingdoms (DFK) also promised to donate another $500,000. To raise more funds, its developer team also decided to chip in an extra $250,000 all to cater for those affected by the typhoon. 

Because some of those affected by the typhoon urgently needed cash before the essential goods arrived, YCG launched an aid project dubbed ‘Crypto Ayunda. This project entails sending cash aids to people who need direct and urgent assistance. 

According to the data made available, an estimated 9 million people have been affected by typhoon Odette with approximately 320,00 still being displaced from their homes. The natural disaster damaged more than 50,000 homes and about $250 worth of agricultural products. 

On the other hand, Axie Infinity continues to expand its community while launching new initiatives for its community. Just recently, Axie released a trailer of the latest cards to be featured in the launch of Axie Origin (3). The trailer displays the Back and Tail part cards for all featured classes.