The 'little' that matters

How much excitement can a columnist expect in a room full of NGOs and foundations celebrating another foundation’s 15th anniversary?

To be quite honest an average person would have called the “party” a support group for fundraisers or a room full of polite competitors cum combatants who all need grants, aids and partnership.

It was a very uncomfortable situation for me to realize that except for those at the Presidential table, I did not know anyone in the entire ballroom of the Inter-Continental in Makati.

In the same breath, I wondered how an annual anniversary could draw special guests such as Fernando Zobel de Ayala, Education Secretary Armin Luistro, CNN-HERO Efren Penaflorida, DSWD Secretary Dinky Soliman as well as very high ranking officials of the US-AID.

I surmised that, like many of us, the VIPs could not turn down a personal invitation from Petron chairman Ramon Ang who personally hosted the 15th anniversary of the Petron Foundation, alongside Petron president Eric Recto.

In between bites and gulps, I surveyed the room. I grew desperate and alienated not recognizing anyone. There was this kid across me who seemed so out of place and lost in the crowd of adults. Beside him were two men who seemed to be taking everything like members of a tour group, nodding positively at every presentation.

I was lost in it as well, so I simply listened to the presentation, the recognition and the awards and then it all made sense.

All through the years, I have known Petron as a “gas station”. In typical Pinoy fashion, I or we identify companies or corporations for their product and vice versa. That’s why we use company names as generic IDs such as Xerox for photocopy, Frigidaire for refrigerator, Kodak for pictures, etc.

In like manner, I have simply thought of Petron as my source for BLAZE 100 or my gasoline of choice. The only time we think of Petron as a corporation is when fuel prices go up and the media actively remind us that there is a company behind the product.

Last Tuesday, I went to attend a dinner-anniversary but went home with an education on the many more important things that Petron does other than sell petroleum products.

Beyond the gas stations, I learned from no less than Fernando Zobel de Ayala who spoke on behalf of Habitat for Humanity, that Petron has been an active partner and supporter of Habitat. From physical participation to funding, Petron has joined hands with Habitat For Humanity in building not just homes but communities for under privileged Filipinos.

During the 15th anniversary, Fernando Zobel de Ayala not only got a dinner at the Presidential table, he also received on behalf of Habitat a P10-million check as well as the commitment of Petron Foundation and Petron employees to continue building more homes.

For his part Secretary Armin Luistro gave a touching talk about how he loves to go on long, aimless, unplanned long drives to get rid of stress. Oftentimes he would find himself in an area where his outdated GPS can’t reorient itself.

So he would often input church, munisipyo or Petron. The DepEd Secretary went on to say how Petron has become his model of clean toilets, lights, excellent service and hope for those lost along the road, like him.

As a gifted speaker Secretary Luistro or Brother Armin drove home by sharing how he wished that someday, with their partnership with Petron, many, if not all our public schools would also be known for clean toilets, lighted classrooms and teachers who give excellent service, students who represent excellence and schools that become symbols of hope for children lost in their poverty.

In the course of an audiovisual presentation, I learned that Petron has released a P120-million check for DepEd’s “Adopt a school” program. Through this cooperation Petron schoolbuildings will rise in the Visayas-Mindanao area where the need is most serious.

Aside from the Petron-DepEd partnership, I also discovered that Petron has been building or renovating public schools in partnership with the USAID in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao particularly in Regions 9 and 12.

It was really inspiring to see before and after images of dilapidated schools with collapsed roofs, shattered windows, degraded by typhoons and the elements being transformed into brightly colored school rooms of blue and white brimming with school children saying “Salamat sa Petron and USAID”.

By the end of 2011, the target is to have built 600 Petron-USAID-DepEd schools, mostly in the ARMM.

Beyond the “usual” funds from the Petron Foundation, GM Marilou Erni announced that night that Petron employees voluntarily collected contributions for the DSWD for use in future relief efforts. Not to be outdone, the Petron management as well as the San Miguel Corporation matched the collection and reached P5 million.

When Efren Penaflorida took his turn at the podium, it was not about his being “CNN-HERO”. He simply used it as a springboard to talk about a young boy born to poverty, burnt in a kitchen accident, helped and aided by well meaning individuals.

He in turn, learned, shared and helped heal others. All along he would make and save money until one day his mentor’s mother needed an operation. This little boy who had so little gave all that he had for the operation.

That was the little boy across the table. When they called Chris Valdez aka “KEZ” on stage I saw a boy with a collection bucket transformed into a “giant of a man”. He walked confident, rest assured that the “little” he had would make all the difference.

That is the “little” I’m talking of.

It does not matter if the little we, or others give is a little over a hundred pesos, a little over a million or a little over a billion. What matters is that it makes a difference.

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