Philam Foundation partners with VP Leni Robredo for Philam Paaralan

Proximity to a school is a factor that hinders Filipino children in far-flung areas from acquiring and pursuing the education that they dream of.

Such is the case for the youth in the remote community of Barangay Burabod, Camarines Sur, where students had to walk for approximately 5 kilometers in order to reach the nearest high school establishment.  Some students even had to pass by an unstable rope bridge just to get to school.

To address this problem, Philam Foundation responded to the request made by then Camarines Sur Congresswoman and now Vice President Leni Robredo to build two new classrooms in the said Barangay.

The classrooms were showcased during the recently concluded classroom turnover at the Severo High School.



Thanks to the help of Philam Foundation, Vice President Leni Robredo, and the local government, the students, as well as their parents, now have a renewed sense of hope of reaching their dreams as they continue their educational journey aided by their new classrooms.

The Philam Paaralan classrooms that can accommodate 100 students, are fully-furnished, well-lit, ventilated, and complete with restrooms and water sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities.  They are calamity-resilient and can withstand up to 300kph of typhoon strength.

Philam Paaralan is Philam Foundation’s flagship program, which aims to build classrooms in calamity-stricken and underserved communities around the country in partnership with the Department of Education. From its original target of building 65 classrooms in five years, Philam Paaralan is set to complete 121 classrooms, almost double its target in just four years

In photo:  Philam Life Chief Executive Officer Ariel Cantos shaking hands with the Republic of the Philippines Vice President and Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDDC) Chairman Leni Robredo, with the Philam Foundation President Max Ventura

Give2Asia partners with Philam Foundation for Philam Paaralan

Among the notable traits that Filipinos possess are generosity and helpfulness.  Wherever they might be, Filipinos aim to aid their fellow countrymen by donating to charities or by sending money overseas.

This is made possible through Give2Asia, which is a non-profit organization based in San Francisco, USA, that serves as a conduit to bridge resources from Filipinos abroad who want to donate to noteworthy programs that benefit fellow Filipino-Americans in Asia.

(L-R) Give2Asia President Birger Stampherdahl and Incoming Chair Mr. George Sycip 

with Philam Foundation President Max Ventura

The Philippines has received a big donation from Filipinos overseas through Give2Asia, who partnered with Philam Foundation in the construction of “Philam Paaralan” classrooms in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyen, in the hope of bringing back a sense of normalcy and an environment conducive for learning.

Each Philam Paaralan classroom is typhoon-resilient, fully-furnished and complete with restrooms and water sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities.


Together, Philam Foundation and Give2Asia continue to provide charitable works throughout the country.

Philam Paaralan is the flagship program of Philam Foundation, the CSR arm of the Philam Group, with the mission of helping people to live longer, healthier and better lives.  To date, the program has constructed 101 classrooms since it started 4 years ago in 2012.

Philam Foundation builds 65 classrooms after Typhoon Juan and Sendong

Year in and year out, the Philippines falls victim to natural disasters. By the time storms leave, communities are left behind destroyed, affecting the lives of many—especially children. Not only do their homes get ruined but their schools get devastated as well. In order to help the children return back to a state of normalcy, Philam Foundation heeded the call of the Department of Education to rebuild classrooms in disaster affected communities.

After Typhoon Juan and Sendong devastated the country in 2011, Philam Foundation committed to build sixty-five classrooms within five years. The first eight Philam Paaralan classrooms were built in Isabela, and six more in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan City.

From left to right: AIA Regional Chief Executive Officer Gordon Watson, Dep Ed Undersecretary Mario Deriquito, BPI-Philam Chief Executive Officer and President Ariel Cantos, and Philam Foundation President Max Ventura


Philam Foundation President Max Ventura called the project timely, as back during Philam Life’s 65th year, the Foundation decided to focus on empowering the Filipino children through healthy education as their primary thrust. “Building in the aftermath of Typhoon Sendong, Pablo and Yolanda, or Typhoon Haiyan as it was internationally called, only highlighted what Philam Paaralan is all about: giving children a healthy education and building communities,” said Ventura.
With more than enough time before their deadline, Philam Foundation has already gone above and beyond the original commitment, successfully constructing eighty-five classrooms in the past three years.

Each Philam Paaralan is typhoon-resilient, and built with complete facilities: desks, tiled flooring, blackboards, electric fans, and lighting fixtures. As part of their vision to give each child a healthy education, each classroom is also fitted with Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) stations, to promote a healthy and clean lifestyle.

“We could not have accomplished this feat without our many project partners, the Department of Education, as well as the local governments where we built our classrooms,” said Ventura. “Thanks to these gracious organizations and people, we were able to not only build classrooms, but also hope,” he concluded.

According to Ventura, Philam Paaralan is more than the sum of its parts, more than the funds raised, and more than the number of classrooms built. “It is about the lives it has touched, the communities it has revived, and the children it has nurtured,” he said.

Even after achieving remarkable results, they have yet to show signs of slowing down. Philam Foundation commits that their 100th classroom will be completed by July of 2016. Considering that each classroom is able to hold about fifty students, a total of 5,000 children will immediately benefit from this project. Since future generations will also utilize the structures, the number of lives touched by these buildings becomes multiplied tenfold.

For more information on Philam Foundation, visit http://www.philamlife.com

The Happy Hearts Fund partners with Philam Foundation to rebuild a school

Two years after Typhoon Yolanda ravaged Leyte, local and international humanitarian organizations are still participating in ongoing rehabilitation efforts. Some organizations, though, focused on arguably the most important aspect of the development of the children who survived the wrath of the typhoon—their education.

The Happy Hearts Fund, a non-profit organization founded by philanthropist and international supermodel Petra Nemcova, partnered with the Philam Foundation and The Travel Corporation to rebuild a school within the Alangalang district in typhoon-hit Tacloban. The Happy Hearts Fund, dedicated to rebuilding schools after natural disasters, moved quickly in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan to commence rebuilding efforts in affected areas.

From left to right: Max G. Ventura, President of the Philam Foundation; Petra Nemcova, founder of the Happy Hearts Fund; Robin Yap, President of The Travel Corporation (Asia); Gerry B. Raynes, Principal/Director of Alangalang Elementary School; and Loreto T. Yu, Municipal Mayor of Alangalang, Leyte.




In partnership with Happy Hearts Fund and Philam Foundation, The Travel Corporation (TTC) generously contributed US$40,000 towards the rebuilding of the Alangalang School. The Philam Foundation, the corporate social responsibility arm of the Philam Group of Companies (PGC), launched Philam Paaralan with the Department of Education. The program aims to rebuild schools affected by natural disasters, and to make them more resilient against future disasters.

‘We are very pleased to have been able to help Petra and the Happy Hearts Fund in completing the important restoration of the Alangalang School. Robin Yap, the President of The Travel Corporation (Asia) in attending this opening, proudly represented TTC's brands Trafalgar, Insight Vacations, Contiki and Uniworld in commemorating this important event and in doing so reiterating our company's commitment to giving back to local communities around the world, especially in a much loved country such as the Philippines. We are honoured to assist Petra, her team and their remarkable mission to rebuild schools wherever possible. God bless them all and may the children enjoy learning and sharing at this important educational institution in the many years to come.” said Brett Tollman, Chief Executive of TTC.

“We work tirelessly to bring brighter futures to children affected by natural disasters, and this school opening positively demonstrates that, with strong collaborations, we can provide safe, resilient schools, restore a sense of normalcy to those affected by natural disasters, and create sustained response after first responders leave,” Nemcova said. “Attending a school opening is such a meaningful and unforgettable experience for everyone, from the students to parents to teachers, the whole community and of course, all of the partners involved. The ripple effect that this school provides is what keeps us pushing forward in our mission to rebuild, safe resilient schools for children who are forgotten for years after natural disasters because of a lack of sustained response. We are so excited for the Alangalang school opening as it marks a new beginning and better future for children, their families and the whole community,” she added.

Max Ventura, President of the Philam Foundation, expressed his deepest gratitude to the groups and individuals who helped make the rebuilding of the school possible. “We are very grateful to Petra and her team from Happy Hearts as well as to their corporate partners like The Travel Corporation for their generosity and trust in our Philam Paaralan Program,” he said. “We honour them by building these disaster-resilient and conducive learning spaces that will benefit hundreds of school children for years to come. Together with our partners, we are able to build back better and offer hope to communities gravely affected by calamities. The schools that we build do serve as beacons of hope for many,” he concluded.

To know more about Happy Hearts Fund and The Philam Foundation, please visit http://happyheartsfund.org/ and http://www.philamlife.com/en/about-us/about-philamlife/our-affiliates/philam-foundation/philam_foundation.html

Philam Life presents National Artist Vicente Manansala's paintings at the National Museum

Philam Life CEO Axel Bromley

The last time I made a visit to the National Museum was in high school and it was a school field trip. I had a vague memory of the museum, until I saw the movie "Night at the Museum". Now that I am older and wiser, I suddenly had an urge to visit our own National Museum,  to see what's iconic artifacts are inside and if its in mint condition, to ghost haunt, see the Spoliarium painting by the National Artist Juan Luna, and what the museum offers now that Im two and a half decade older. Until I got an invite from a PR friend.

Spoliarium 

Philam Life offers an exclusive tour of the Philam Life Gallery by National Museum Assistant Director Dr. Ana Labrador last June 16 together with Philam Life CEO Axel Bromley to the media guests. The building itself is newly renovated and painted, the hallways are clean, the exhibition room is well- lit and organized. We first passed by the "Spoliarium" painting by National Artist Juan Luna. Spoliarium is a Latin word for coliseum's morgue which refers to the basement of the Roman Colosseum where the fallen and dying gladiators are dumped and devoid of their worldly possessions.

 Philamlife brings the Vicente Manansala collection , another illustrious National Artist,  the late Vincent Manansala, had his work exhibited at the National Museum. Vicente Manansala was a cubist painter and illustrator of no small renown. He was commissioned by Philam Life to create murals for the Philam Life Head Office. Following his passing in 1981, he was posthumously proclaimed a National Artist in Painting on the same year.

The gallery houses Manansala's  art collection that depict Filipino life, rendered in the artist signature style of “transparent cubism”.

Philam Life donated Php 1 million to the Museum through the Philam Foundation. The sum will be
used for the further upkeep of the paintings at the Philam Life Gallery, and was received by Dr. Ana Labrador on behalf of the National Museum.

The Philam Foundation has also been cooperating with the National Museum in building classrooms in typhoon-affected areas under the “Philam Paaralan” program. They jointly built four new classrooms - two in Loon South Central Elementary School, in Loon, Bohol soon after the earthquake and two in Salug Elementary School in Guiuan, Eastern Samar, which was among the schools devastated by Typhoon Yolanda.

Philam Life’s new CEO takes pride in its Manansala collection. “As an art connoisseur myself, it is a privilege to be part of an institution that strongly supports the arts,” said Mr. Axel Bromley. He believes in the importance of developing education and promoting the advancement of Philippine arts and culture. “We hope that through this partnership with the National Museum, more Filipinos can appreciate our collection and have access to these precious artworks of National Artist Vicente Manansala.”

Visit The National Museum, the Manansala paintings are now available for public viewing. The best part is, admission is free.

Sandiwaan Center equips youth with computers from Philam Foundation

Philam Foundation, Inc. (PFI) donates 24 of its computer sets to Sandiwaan Center for Learning (SCL).

On photo (from left) receiving the computers are Joey Sebastian and Fr. Ben Beltran, SVD  from Sandiwaan Center for Learning, from Nilo Zantua, Rene Acebuche and Max Ventura from Philam Group.

SCL is a technology-based, non-formal educational center that equips out-of-school youth and other marginalized sectorsa host of technopreneurial skills ranging from basic computer literacy to robotics.

Through this partnership, PFI aims to help SCL and its beneficiaries gain the necessary skills to enter the information technology industry and embark on their own start up businesses.