Amid their daily struggles to make ends meet, this family
generously shares their time and effort to help other families in need. This
young family is led by a widowed mother who works as a laundrywoman to provide
for her six children. Yet she is able –together with her kids – to volunteer as
teacher to a non-profit organization that promotes social and economic
development in depressed areas in Manila.
One family, on the other hand,
has made it their advocacy to raise awareness about autism and offer
support to other families who has a loved one with the same condition. Moreover,
this family provides counseling and livelihood programs for parents of children
with autism, as well as art workshops for kids.
Another family –a young man in his mid 20s then and his
mother—decided to adopt a young boy dumped by his own family. Moreover, he
decided to adopt eight other homeless kids, and along with this new found
family, offer literacy and values formation programs to impoverished
communities.
These and more are this year’s recipients of the much-coveted Jollibee Family Values
Awards (JFVA) given during the Gabi ng
Parangal para sa Pamilyang Pilipino on September 25 at the Philippine
International Convention Center in Pasay City.
“The Jollibee
Family Values Awards is part of our continued commitment to celebrate and
champion the values that unite the Filipino family," said Jollibee
Philippines President Joseph Tanbuntiong. "It is very rewarding to meet
more and more families who serve as beacons of light, and share their
extraordinary stories to inspire and encourage other Filipinos to do the same."
This year’s
JFVA received a record 1,732 entries worldwide, the highest since the campaign
started in 2011, according to Jollibee. From this pool of entries, the top 15
families were shortlisted and deliberated upon by the 2014 JFVA Board of
Judges. See http://jollibeefoundation.org/jfvaboardofjudges/.
Finally,
eight families coming from different parts of Luzon, and other countries, were
chosen by the country’s number one fast-food chain for their advocacies that
have made a positive impact in their communities.
4th
JOLLIBEE FAMILY VALUES AWARDS WINNERS
GONZALES FAMILY
Cubao, Quezon City
Special Citation for Persons with Disability (PWDs)
The Gonzales family has made it their advocacy to raise awareness
about autism after their second son Magiting was diagnosed with autism in 1982.
Realizing that there was a lack of knowledge and understanding on how to handle this condition in the Philippines at that
time, Octavio and Jean used their own savings and sought help from their
relatives so that Jean can undergo training in the US and share what she had
learned with others back home.
In 1999, the Gonzales couple established the Philippine Association
for Citizens with Developmental and Learning Disabilities, Inc. (PACDLD). See http://pacdld.org/.
The PACDLD also put up Parent Resource Centers in different areas
across the country, where parents from poor communities can bring their
children to get checked up and diagnosed for free. At present, there are four
Parent Resource Centers nationwide:
National Children’s Hospital and Marikina City Health Office (both in 2008),
Baguio General Hospital (2009), and Zamboanga General Hospital (2010).
MANALAYSAY FAMILY
Cavite City, Cavite
Special Citation for Children
Harnin, or Tatz, has been involved in various projects and
activities for the benefit of children in need. In 1985, he established Club
8586, a Bible study group for young boys and girls. Over the years, the
organization grew to offer literacy and values formation programs, sports
festivals, and talent enhancement activities.
His work with homeless kids led him to cross paths with Cris
“Kesz” Valdez who started scavenging at two years old. At five, while playing
at the dumpsite with his fellow scavengers, Kesz fell into a pile of burning
tires and sustained severe burns. Harnin who rescued him and had him treated.
When the young boy’s mother finally dumped him, Harnin adopted Kesz, raising
him and other kids as his own.
Inspired by the generosity of his father figure and mentor, Kesz
established his own foundation—the Championing Community Children (C3)—when he
was seven years old.
Because of his efforts, Kesz was awarded the International
Children’s Peace Prize. Read http://www.childrenspeaceprize.org/Winners/2012.aspx.
Harnin is also known as the mentor of 2009 CNN Hero of the Year
Efren Peñaflorida, the man behind the Dynamic Teen Company and KaritonKlasrum
Read: http://edition.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/11/16/cnnheroes.tribute.show.
PALACIO FAMILY
Pandacan, Manila
The Palacios are active volunteers of the Families and Children
for Empowerment and Development (FCED), a non-profit organization that promotes
social and economic development in depressed areas in Manila. See http://fced.hope.org.ph/.
After her husband passed away six years ago, Rachel was left to
care for their six young children. She provides for the family by working as a
laundrywoman. As an FCED volunteer, Rachel goes to different areas to teach
values and basic reading and writing to street children under five years old.
She is also involved in parenting sessions in various barangays and is in charge of monitoring the community savings of
the foundation’s beneficiaries, visiting each of the 10 communities weekly
without any compensation.
Elder children Michel, Chemil and Merielle also participate in the
child development sessions and youth trainings of FCED, facilitating
peer-to-peer activities tackling topics such as bullying.
SOLIDUM FAMILY
Pandacan, Manila
The Solidum family uses their expertise and talents to educate the
public about dengue prevention. The parents are active with the Dengue ReMove
Program, a commissioned research of the Department of Science and Technology –
National Research Council of the Philippines (DOST-NRCP), with Dr. Judilyn
heading the eco-socioeconomic arm of the project and Dr. Gilmore serving as
research specialist. See http://www.nrcp.dost.gov.ph/index.php?
To further raise awareness about dengue, the couple created the
storybooks Moskee Ang BampirangLamok,
Dinudugosi Dino, and Huwag MOKONG
Kagatin: Ang Kwento ng Batang Na-dengue. Published by the DOST-NRCP, these
books shed light on how people can prevent mosquito infestation, symptoms of
dengue, and the actions one should take in case he gets dengue fever. The
Solidum family also holds the annual Kwento
Concierto, a benefit storytelling concert. The proceeds of this endeavor go
to the dialysis fund of the pediatric kidney patients of the PGH.
SERRANO FAMILY
Taguig City
The Serrano family is a staunch advocate of children’s education.
Pastor Nestor and his wife Maryann, a professor, founded the Champions Alive
Foundation, with the goal of providing free education to out of school youth
and adults (OSYA). The organization gives free review classes for
underprivileged Filipinos from 15 to 66 years old, and is committed to helping
keep children off the streets and away from drugs, petty crime and other bad
habits.
Each of the Serrano children also heads the various projects of
the Champions Alive Foundation. The Serranos also have outreach and feeding
programs, sharing their blessings to impoverished communities in Ilocos, Baguio
and Antipolo. See https://www.facebook.com/gsaquartet
and https://www.facebook.com/ctdmi.
VILLA-WILCOX
FAMILY
San
Jose, California
Jollibee-Coca-Cola
Global Pinoy Family of the Year
Special Citation for Education
The Villa-Wilcox family proves that love and generosity know no
boundaries. In 2008, they founded Project PEARLS (Peace, Education, Aspiration,
Respect, Love, Smiles), that provides educational, scholarship and feeding
programs to underprivileged childrenin Bulacan, Manila, and Zamboanga, as well
as Dagupan, Caloocan, Guimaras, and Masbate.
In the summer of 2010, Melissa was also introduced to the children
of Ulingan, a slum area in Tondo that earns a living by making charcoal (uling). See http://www.projectpearls.org/
All the members of the Villa-Wilcox family play an active role in
the various outreach activities of their organization. Melissa serves as the
Executive Director, leading the group in developing outreach programs and
getting the help of volunteers to extend help to more and more children, while
dad Clif and daughter Francesca help in fundraising events and developing
educational programs. Melissa’s brother
Juan acts as the Team Leader in the Philippines, overseeing the programs and
outreach events in the different areas.
Special Citations
HAGAD FAMILY
Singapore
Special Citation for the Environment
In 2011, the Hagad family bought a
property in Daliaon, Davao City. They found out that the area
did not have a stable water supply and residents had to walk one kilometer to
get water from a communal deep well. They decided to fund and lead the
construction of a waterworks system, working with the barangay and other
experts so that the community would have access to water. Eduardo’s brother
also helped manage and oversee the project while the family was in Singapore.
The Hagad family and their relatives
also give back to the community through gift-giving programs. They prepare
school bags and other school supplies for underprivileged children from five to
12 years old. In addition, the family
donated medical devices such as blood pressure monitors with stethoscopes, nebulizers
and wheelchairs to the barangay
health center.
MACALINTAL FAMILY
Victoria, Oriental Mindoro
Special Citation for Minority Groups
A teacher at the Aurelio Arago National High School, Alvin
observed that many Mangyan students drop out of classes because of various
struggles. Some of them have to walk 30 kilometers for five hours or go by
boat, paying a P250 monthly fee, just to get to school. This motivated him to
establish BalayLakoy, a home center
for Mangyan students who live far from the campus.
While Alvin is in charge of screening the students who want to
stay at Balak Lakoy, his wife Rina
acts as a second mother to the pupils who live there, teaching them about good
values and proper hygiene.
The family is also involved in other projects such as the Hapag ng Pamilyang Mindoreño, helping
facilitate pre-cana seminars for couples who are getting married. Alvin and his
brothers also send 14 scholars to Aurelio Arago National High School.
Congratulations to all the winners and kudos to Jollibee for honoring their examplary deeds!
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