Teach them how to fish

MANILA, Philippines - Can you imagine that there are preschool children in a remote barangay in Bacolod who do not know who Kris Aquino is? This is because they live in an area  where there is no electricity so they’ve never had a chance to watch TV.

These same children walk two to four kilometers daily to get to their pre-school which is usually a makeshift area with no roof. Most of them even have to provide their own chair.

My heart hurt as Pinky Aquino Abellada, sister of P-Noy, narrated this story. Other distressing facts she shared were that lacking any preschool education, many students who went straight to Grade 1 got traumatized and felt incompetent, causing them to drop out of school at the second or third grade. Their lack of education would usually guarantee them a life of poverty and desperation.

Pinky was convinced that if the kids could get a head start by getting into a good pre-school, things could be turned around. They would enter elementary with more knowledge and confidence that would encourage them to complete their education.

My late father, Atty. Enrique Belo, always reminded me of the importance of a good education. “It’s the one thing people cannot take away from you. It is your ticket to a successful and fulfilling future,” he told me.

Vicki with dad, Atty. Enrique Belo, and mom, Nena Belo: My father always reminded me of the importance of a good education. “It’s the one thing people cannot take away from you. It is your ticket to a successful and fulfilling future.”

He would put his money where his mouth was by financing the education of at least a hundred scholars. He believed it was far better to teach someone how to fish than to just give them fish.

Pinky is the chairperson of the Aklat, Gabay, Aruga tungo sa Pag-angat at Pag-asa (AGAPP) Foundation Inc., which supports the learning sector primarily by putting up pre-school buildings in depressed areas. This is being done through generous donations from the private sector while working closely with the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS).

Convinced by the persuasive powers of Pinky and corporate imaging consultant Jojie Dingcong, I decided that this would truly be a worthwhile project for the Ike and Nena Belo Foundation, which I put up three years ago in honor of my parents and their legacy.

The foundation has also been Belo’s way of giving back, after being in the cosmetic surgery business for 21 years now. The core advocacy is geared towards the physical, mental and social welfare of the beneficiaries.

We want to be part of shaping people’s lives by fulfilling their goals and giving them a sense of value and satisfaction. Yes, we can make thousands of people’s dreams to be beautiful come true. But outside my clinics, we go beyond suctioning unwanted fat and doing make-overs to help poor but deserving students even in far-flung areas.

Milagros Macayan, principal of CV Ramos Elementary School, Dr. Vicki Belo, Alexis Alisan and DepEd District 5 Supervisor Gemma Ledesma

Education is part of the many advocacies of the Ike and Nena Belo Foundation, which was also created for rehabilitation of burned victims, surgery of children with cleft palate and environmental awareness.

I am on top of all the activities and charitable missions of foundation, which include annual scholarship grants to poor but deserving students, community outreach, public service, medical missions, surgical assistance and environmental drives.

Last year, the foundation funded the renovation of the Children’s Cancer Ward and Hematology Center of the Philippine Children’s Medical Center (PCMC) in Quezon City.

To date, the foundation has eight scholars, most of whom are children of Belo employees. These students are compelled to maintain good grades every semester, with nothing below 85 percent in their report cards.

AGAPP works really fast. In only five months, I found myself in the beautiful province of Bacolod to attend the turnover of two classroom buildings at the Crispino V. Ramos Elementary School in Barangay Taculing.

With me was my daughter Cristalle, who was so happy about the whole thing. It is her dream to devote her life to teaching children once she feels comfortable enough to let go of her baby, Belo Essentials, the skin care whitening line of products we launched for the premium mass market.

Cristalle herself is not new to school kids and classrooms. After completing her business management degree at the Ateneo de Manila University, she spent six months as a volunteer in Bukidnon, where she taught pre-school students.

In Bacolod, they prepared a short program for Pinky and me. I loved it because it was simple and not pretentious, devoid of long-winded speeches. Millie Kilayko helped organize the heartwarming ceremony.

I heard that Pinky had given strict instructions not to honor her or make sipsip. The best part of the festivities was when the pre-school children who were so cute in their uniforms, walked from their old broken down rooms to the spanky, new, clean and comfortable classrooms.

The rooms were airy and spacious, with brand new desks and chairs. National Book Store donated a whole library of children’s books.

To say that it was a heartwarming moment would be totally an understatement. I could almost feel my father next to me smiling, happy and proud that the lessons he taught me as a child had resulted into something so tangible.

Pinky Aquino-Abellada and Dr. Vicki Belo with CV Ramos Elementary School preschool pupils

I have pledged to build another two classrooms this year. I encourage you to do the same. Sharing your blessings can make a huge difference in the future lives of our children and our country.

Aside from Bacolod, Pinky has been to Cebu, Negros and other provinces in the Western Visayas to build classrooms for young students. She informed me that AGAPP targets to build 50 pre-school classrooms by June 30 this year, P-Noy’s first year into office.

Hopefully, by the end of PNoy’s term in 2016, AGAPP will have built 1,000 classrooms and libraries nationwide.

It’s nice to see people working together for the greater good of the country, especially in helping pre-school kids start their educational path.

As my father always reminded me, “You can’t take your money with you when you die, so leave earth a better place than when you came.”