Korina’s Tsinelas campaign goes on

MANILA, Philippines - Korina Sanchez continues her advocacy to change the lives of millions of Filipino children one pair of slippers at a time as she recently launched her Isang Milyong Tsinelas campaign early this year.

Korina’s Tsinelas Campaign originally started as a public service segment on her top-rating News Magazine Sunday show Rated K in 2004 when she launched a project that aimed to provide the schoolchildren of Samar, Leyte brand-new slippers. Korina learned that most, if not all, of the schoolchildren of Samar, Leyte had to either walk barefoot or wear tattered slippers to school. Korina immediately identified rubber slippers or tsinelas as a basic need for the poor, especially that of children.

Since then, Korina has given away over a million pairs of slippers to children in most provinces and cities in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao through her show Rated K. Korina’s latest project Isang Milyong Tsinelas aims to solicit one million pairs of slippers which will be given away to poor children nationwide.

The campaign’s central message is hope begins with the first step. “The campaign firmly aspires to inspire Filipino kids all over the country in achieving their goals and dreams with the hope that none of them will never attend school barefooted,” says Korina. “It is our dream that every child in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao will be empowered with a decent pair of slippers which they can use every day as they attend school and play with each other.”

Today, Korina’s countdown to one million slippers is in full swing as she is partnering with several groups and corporations that share her vision of ensuring that no Filipino child will walk barefoot ever again.

“The campaign is very much open to donations through Rated K and ABS-CBN Foundation,” says the award-winning broadcast journalist. “It’s such a great challenge to collect and give away one million pairs of slippers but the look on every child’s face as it lightens up with the sight of brand-new slippers is worth the all effort.”

Korina explains why the campaign is very special to her, “While many already give food, clothes, education, medicine and shelter to the poor, we have identified slippers for children as a basic need we fail to acknowledge before. With a decent pair of slippers we don’t only ensure safety and health to these kids. We restore dignity and revive hope. Hope begins with the first step.”

For donations, call Jannice at 0905-2750220) and Stanley at 0917-5691361.