Sun Life Foundation reaffirms commitment to sustainable programs

MANILA, Philippines - Sun Life Financial-Philippines Foundation Inc. reaffirms its commitment to help  build a brighter world through strong programs and volunteerism as it enters a new phase five years after its incorporation.

 â€œWe’re  entering  2014  with  a  renewed  vigor  fueled  by  all  the accomplishments  of  the  past  five years wherein we were able to touch so many  lives  in  many  different  ways,” said Sun Life Foundation executive director Joub Miradora. “It’s truly fulfilling to know that the sustainable programs  and  partnerships  we  supported  have  helped  many  distressed Filipinos.”

With  the  banner  campaign of “Brighter World,” the Foundation has already given  close  to  a P100 million to the different causes it champions, such  as  education,  health  and well-being, environment, culture, and the arts.

In  the  field  of  education, Sun Life Foundation expanded its scholarship program  to  accommodate more scholars in different universities nationwide who are taking up critical courses such as Mathematics and Biology. To date it has also sponsored more than 40 college scholars in various universities nationwide.

A  professorial chair grant amounting to P1.2 million was also donated to  the  University  of  the  Philippines  Diliman to help in financing the researches  and  other  academic  works  of  professors in the Institute of Mathematics and School of Statistics.

The  foundation also supported livelihood projects for the residents of the Legacy  of  Light  Village  in Calauan, Laguna. Close to 100 residents, who used to be informal settlers along Estero de Paco near Pasig River, now not only  enjoy  a  safe  and  secure  environment in the village that Sun Life Foundation  helped  build,  they  also enjoy the company’s support in their pursuit of livelihood.

Funded  by  Sun  Life  Foundation,  close  to  1,000 micro-entrepreneurs of Microventures Foundation Inc. enjoyed a special learning program on how to properly  handle  their  finances  in  their  sari-sari stores. The program continues to expand to benefit more participants.

Meanwhile,  a  substantial  donation was awarded to Ephpheta Foundation for the  Blind Inc. to help 3,000 Filipinos who needed assistance in improving their eyesight.

Sun  Life  Foundation also promptly responded to help those affected by the natural  disasters that struck the Philippines last year. Donations both in cash  and  in  kind  were  handed over to the Philippine Red Cross, ABS-CBN Sagip  Kapamilya,  and Healthcare Advantage Institute, among others, to aid those  affected  by  calamities  including  Typhoon Maring, the magnitude-7 earthquake in Bohol, and Typhoon Yolanda.

“Sun  Life  Foundation  will  continue to advocate sustainable programs and partnerships because those ensure that more Filipinos will benefit and more sectors  can  be  included,”  Miradora  shared.  “We  look  forward  to the opportunity  to  help and the Filipinos can count on Sun Life Foundation to be there in times of need.”

Sun  Life Financial is represented in the Philippines by its life insurance arm,  Sun  Life  of  Canada  (Philippines)  Inc. (SLOCPI);  its mutual fund manager,  Sun Life Asset Management Co. Inc. (SLAMCI); and its pre-need company,  Sun  Life  Financial  Plans  Inc  (SLFPI).  Sun  Life Financial – Philippines  Foundation Inc. is the philanthropy arm of Sun Life Financial in the Philippines.