Celebrities' acts of kindness

For the past several years, my small office has been doing the rounds of hospitals, orphanages, day care centers and depressed barangays to distribute food, goodies and whatever we can beg, steal, score from friends, family and sponsors. Lately, we visited a depressed barangay near the Sacred Heart Church in Kamuning, Quezon City. We have also been to the depressed areas in Sampaloc, Anonas and Kamias. “Our targets for distribution are the depressed areas,” Cynthia Rivera exclaimed. Cynthia, Liza, Judy, Amar, Lance, Rowena and Andy are the most active in this endeavor. “Una muna, feeding program lang kami. We would buy longganisa and rice and we would cook and pack them in styros. Then we decided to buy canned goods, noodles and other goodies.”

The spirit of charity has rubbed off on Ai-Ai de las Alas, Mariel Rodriguez, Erik Santos, Pooh that they take time off from their busy schedules to do charity work. “I started at the bottom. I know how it is to be hungry. I tell my children to be frugal, not to waste food, kasi ang daming batang nagugutom sa mundo,” said Ai-Ai who is one of the most generous persons I know.

“Mariel always asks what can she do to help. That is why if we schedule a visit to hospitals, or day care centers, we inform her and she is helpful,” Liza added. Erik, on the other hand, personally visits charity wards of hospitals. During his birthday last year, Erik did a hospital tour singing for the sick. Pooh was instrumental in the construction of a school building in his hometown in Northern Samar. In fact one building was named after him. “Nahihiya talaga ako. I do not deserve such honor,” said Pooh who comes from very humble beginnings. He remembers the time when he would ask a cup of rice from a neighborhood store. “Hihingi ako ng bigas tapos ilulugaw ko at makakakain na kami.” One of the most hardworking guys in the celebrity business, he is also one of the most in-demand.

My friends like Puregold, BPI, Nikon, Intermatrix have been supportive in our little charitable undertaking. Last year, we participated in the bazaar of Tin Tin Bersola at the World Trade Center where we sold clothes, shoes, and other personal items of movie stars. The proceeds helped feed street children in Barangay Kamuning.

We live in a small world. We must take care of one another because if we don’t who would? This is an era of interdependence. Former US President Bill Clinton once said, “We should move from an unstable, unequal interdependence to an integrated community — globally, nationally and locally. Interdependence just means that you can’t escape each other. To have a community, you need to have three things: Shared responsibilities, shared benefits and simple sets of shared values.”

There is no small charitable act because a simple act of charity and kindness can go a long way. I have been in dire straits but I survived because of the kindness of others. I will not forget the little acts of kindness I got from strangers many times in my life. Maya Angelou said it well when she wrote, “When you learn, teach, when you get, give.”

Golf tourney for caddies’ kids

This year’s Louis Coson Friendship Cup teed off at Tagaytay Midlands Golf Course with 150 of the best and brightest players from the corporate and business world. They were there to show their support for the cause and love for the sport. The Louis Coson Friendship Cup is an annual golf tournament that raises funds for scholarships.

Robert Coyiuto Jr. of Audi Philippines and PGA Cars teamed up with SM Group of Companies, SM Foundation, Prudential Guarantee & Assurance Inc., in sponsoring the event and the highly-coveted hole-in-one prize from PGA’s Audi Showroom, the Audi A4.

The tournament, named in honor of the late Louis Coson (a business luminary and well-known benefactor) was organized by his friends and colleagues, Manuel Chan and Hans Sy. His friends saw it fit to combine Louis’ great love for golf with his legacy of charity. Among those present were Audi Philippines head Benedicto Coyiuto, the Sy family headed by Henry and Felicidad Sy, their children, Hans and his wife Carol, Tessie Sy-Coson and Herbert Sy, Tagaytay Highlands and Belle Corp.’s Willy Ocier and Jerry Tiu. Other dear friends who came to show their support were Johnny Cobankiat, president of Ace Hardware Philippines, Inc.; Tony Ang, president of Tiara Commercial & Industrial Corp., local distributor of Sanden car air-conditioners and Michelin Tires; and Rolando Hortaleza, chairman and CEO of Splash Corp.

The tournament raises funds to finance the college education of children of golf caddies. The scholarship grant is managed by the SM Foundation which is also tasked to monitor the performance of the scholars and attend to their needs. For the past years, friends of Coson held golf tournaments, the proceeds of which went to caddies’ funds. Two years ago, they decided to establish the Louis Coson Scholarship Fund to finance the schooling of the children of caddies.

Aside from the basic tuition of the scholars, the fund also shoulders the monthly allowance of the scholars plus all incidental expenses that are incurred in the course of the scholars’ four-year college education.