MVP gives back

The 68th birthday of businessman Manny Pangilinan went pretty much the way it has always been in previous years — with MVP giving back and sharing his blessings to Filipinos, particularly the Cabalens in his hometown of Apalit, Pampanga. This practice has become a tradition with the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company chairman whose involvement with corporate social responsibility activities primarily through the PLDT Foundation has continued to increase over the years.

The celebration began early with a 7 a.m. thanksgiving Mass officiated by Pampanga Archbishop Paciano Aniceto at a technical school in San Simon. This was followed by a briefing with Angeles City Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan and members of the Pampanga Chamber of Commerce and Industry, who stressed the need for an efficient road network and transport system that could ease the congestion in Metro Manila while spurring development in Central Luzon. 

MVP — who has been dubbed “the Apalit taipan” by his proud town mates — revealed plans to invest more in water, electricity and agriculture in Pampanga, and it was certainly no coincidence that Food Security and Agricultural Modernization czar Francis Pangilinan (whose father Donato also traces his roots to Pampanga) was present during the business briefing. 

One of the highlights of the birthday celebration was the turnover of a P10-million check donation from PLDT-Smart Foundation to the Kapampangan Development Foundation (KDF), and another P10 million that helped the organization purchase a three-storey building that would house the group’s livelihood center and a clinic for persons with disability.

Founded in 1987, KDF has been providing social and health services to marginalized residents in Pampanga especially those in need of prosthesis, eye surgery and livelihood. Not surprisingly, the building has been named the MVP Building in honor of its donor Manny Pangilinan, who graced the blessing and inauguration during his birthday.  This was followed by the turnover of a drinking-wash water station courtesy of Maynilad.

Manny capped his birthday by having a private dinner with executives from the MVP Group of Companies and a few close personal friends who all wished him a happy birthday.