‘Sparking Hope’
PeopleAsia magazine aims to not just “spread,” but also to “spark,” hope this Monday, April 12, for its “People of the Year” awards night its first virtual People of the Year awards.
And yet, the show goes on because the magazine aims to shine a light on people who spark hope. And God knows just how much we need it not the dazzle of ceremony, but the sparkle of believing in people who make us look up to the skies and see a firmament of a million lights.
Our “People of the Year” roster includes these bright lights of hope: special awardees Vice President Leni Robredo, Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon Lopez and Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto. The roster also includes The Philippine STAR editor-in-chief Ana Marie Pamintuan, Deputy House Speaker Rep. Mikee Romero, Philippine General Hospital director Dr. Gerardo “Gap” Legaspi, Pilipinas Shell president Cesar Romero, AC Energy president and CEO Eric Francia, Metro Pacific Investments Corp. chief finance officer and chief sustainability officer Chaye Cabal-Revilla, I-FERN’s president and CEO Tommanny Tan, and Cavite Gov. Jonvic Remulla.
Special Awards for Public Service are being given to Robredo, who has put her experience in NGO work to good use, not just through her signature anti-poverty program, Angat Buhay, but also through the Office of the Vice President’s efficient response to COVID-19; and to Lopez, who is cited for striking a balance between lives and livelihood, by adopting smart, responsive strategies for reopening the economy in 2020. Sotto, on the other hand, was voted as the “People’s Choice Awardee” by PeopleAsia’s readers
The magazine is also honoring Sta. Elena Construction and Development Corp. and its president and CEO Alice Eduardo as “Builder of the Year” for the company’s steely efforts to keep its cranes and backhoes humming despite the lockdown; and HSBC Philippines as “Bank of the Year” for its extraordinary achievements in business in these challenging times.
Cook for Good
Hands on Manila Foundation, Inc. (HOM) celebrates Good Deeds Day in the Philippines tomorrow, April 10, with a “Cook for Good” theme, and with the Arnold Janssen Kalinga Foundation, Inc. (AJKFI) as beneficiary.
HOM will be providing 1,000 packed meals for street dwellers in Metro Manila. AJKFI will be cooking all the meals for now using money donated by individuals through the efforts of HOM and corporations.
“Since 2015, providing dignified, systematic and holistic care has been the core mission of the Arnold Janssen Kalinga Center. Through the partnership with Hands on Manila, we join hands to embrace more homeless people and offer them dignified packed meals, and a message that their lives matter, that they are not forgotten. By joining our hands together, lives can be recreated and renewed, even during this time of the pandemic,” says Fr. Flavie Villanueva, founder of AJKFI.
Good Deeds Day is part of a global movement that unites people from 108 countries to do good deeds for others and the planet.
Formally established in August 2001, HOM brings to the Philippines an innovative and alternative model of volunteer service. HOM is the first Points of Light, USA international affiliate in the world. It is committed to empowering individuals to act as citizens and to realize their ability to contribute to the community in meaningful ways. By providing a variety of flexible, tangible volunteer opportunities, HOM seeks to enhance citizen capacity to serve the community effectively.
Hannah Wojno, director of International Good Deeds Day, expressed her joy on this unique project:
“Thank you to all volunteers in the Philippines for your generosity and heart. I am proud of our incredible partner, Hands on Manila, the official Good Deeds Day representative in the Philippines, for their innovative Cook For Good activity and for the incredible work they’re doing.”
Hands on Manila is on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
For the love of its staff
Macao Imperial Tea, the largest milk tea chain in the Philippines, has announced that it will provide vaccinations to its employees for free.
“This initiative by the company is not just for its employees, but to also encourage and inspire other SMEs to consider doing the same effort for their staff,” Fredley Group of Companies founder and CEO Avin Ong believes.
Ong further clarified that the vaccination will not be mandatory and will follow the guidelines issued by the Department of Health and the Department of Labor and Employment.
Apart from giving free vaccines to its employees, the company is also extending assistance to its employees’ household members by sourcing vaccines for them. “Leave no one behind. Our employees’ safety in and out of our workplaces has always been of utmost priority,” Ong added.
This vaccination program will include all employees from the Fredley Group of Companies — Macao Imperial Tea, New York Fries and Dips, Nabe Japanese Izakaya + Hot Pot, Mitasu Yakiniku, Hosaku International Buffet, Liang Crispy Roll, Café Kitsuné and Maison Kitsuné.
Fredley Group of Companies currently operates nationwide with over 250 stores.
(You may e-mail me at [email protected]. Follow me on Instagram @joanneraeramirez.)
- Latest
