ABS-CBN Foundation Inc. (AFI) celebrates 31 years of service to the Filipinos this July by looking back at its different projects and efforts that brought love and transformation to Filipinos.
Through its programs Sagip Kapamilya, Bantay Kalikasan, and Bantay Bata 163, AFI has provided relief, helped preserve our natural resources, and offered life-changing intervention to communities all over the country with the support of donors and partner organizations, including the ABS-CBN network.
Hundreds of thousands have counted on humanitarian assistance from Sagip Kapamilya, which respond to various disasters and calamities such as Typhoon Yolanda and Habagat, the eruptions of Mayon Volcano and Taal Volcano, the landslide in Benguet, Mountain Province, and the armed conflicts in Zamboanga and Marawi. It also leads to the rehabilitation of classrooms and gives away new bags and school supplies to students.
Scores of residents leave Barangay Ucab in Itogon, Benguet on September 16, 2018 after a massive landslide buried several houses at the heigh of typhoon Ompong’s onslaught. Ompong left 49 people dead, mostly from the multiple landslides in Benguet and Mountain Province. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News 
Bantay Kalikasan, meanwhile, is the group behind the 2009 Pasig river rehabilitation project that aimed to clean the 19 tributaries, “Kapit Bisig Para sa Ilog Pasig,” and the Guinness World Record holder for largest foot race in the world “10.10.10 Run for the Pasig River.” It also led the planting of one million trees to save the La Mesa Watershed, the water source of 12.8 million Metro Manila residents, which it continues to care for up to this day. Nowadays, Bantay Kalikasan is busy helping Filipinos turn their communities to eco-tourism sites as shown in the award-winning program “G Diaries.”
Bantay Bata 163, the first child-focused 24-hour helpline in Asia and in the Philippines, has gone beyond rescuing victims of child abuse. It provides scholarships and livelihood trainings for young Filipinos and their families to help in their recovery. It also established the “Children’s Village” in Bulacan, a halfway home where about 150 rescued children are cared for until they are ready to return to their families and society.
Led by its former chair Gina Lopez, AFI also developed the iconic educational TV programs “Sine’skwela,” “Bayani,” “Hiraya Manawari,” “Epol Apol,” and “Mathinik.”
During this pandemic, AFI has been providing relief to Filipinos through “Pantawid ng Pag-ibig: Isang Daan. Isang Pamilya.” The campaign has raised over P427 million cash and in-kind donations as of July 13 and delivered food and basic necessities to over 840,000 families. It has also donated personal protective equipment (PPE) to frontliners in over 100 hospitals during this community quarantine.
Throughout all these milestones and accomplishments, the socio-civic organization has always relied on ABS-CBN. Recently, AFI joined various groups and sectors in calling for the renewal of the ABS-CBN franchise, emphasizing the important role the network plays in their advocacies.
According to AFI managing director Susan Afan, ABS-CBN is their biggest and most reliable donor and partner, and first responder. “Ang isa po sa pinakamalaking donor ng Foundation ay ang ABS-CBN Network. Sila po ang nagpapalago ng aming kakayahan na mag-fundraise para mas marami po tayong magamit na pondo sa ating mga proyekto,” she shared.
She added that without ABS-CBN, the Foundation will not only lose millions in subsidy, but it will also lose access to the network’s resources such as warehouses, logistics, manpower, and digital assets. All of which are crucial in meeting the needs of Filipinos, especially during calamities, Afan said.
Nevertheless, AFI continues to serve Filipinos up to this day. Learn more about AFI’s programs and milestones in its July 2020 newsletter. Stay updated with its public service programs by following @ABSCBNFI_ph on Twitter, @abscbnfoundationinc on Facebook, or visit www.abs-cbn foundation.com.
