Ayala Land Inc. continued to raise funds for children of fallen Filipino soldiers over the holidays by distributing greeting cards, which represent cash donations to Help Educate and Rear Orphans or Hero Foundation as a “gift of hope” to corporate partners and clients. The ALI-Hero Christmas card project has generated millions of pesos in funding for the orphans’ education.
“We remain committed partners of the Hero Foundation, sharing its goal of providing military orphans with quality education and honoring our fallen heroes by creating a bright future for their children,” said ALI human resources and public affairs head Eliezer Tanlapco.
ALI shared Hero Christmas cards with its clients and partners with the aim of raising more awareness and financial support for the children. The company had already raised over P2 million in donations for the Foundation through the cards since 2010, but ramped up promotions in 2016 to turn over close to P4 million more.
Established in 1988, Hero Foundation is a non-profit organization that provides educational assistance in the form of stipends to children and dependent siblings of Filipino soldiers killed in actionor totally incapacitated while in line of duty. The educational stipends from the Foundation help augment their resources, allowing the children to finish their schooling and pay for other school-related expenses such as uniforms, meals, transportation and school supplies.
ALI has been a partner of Hero Foundation from the beginning, being one of the first companies to pool its resources for the soldiers’ children. Jaime Zobel de Ayala was a founding member, while his son Fernando Zobel de Ayala, chairman of the board of ALI, also heads the foundation’s current board of trustees.
Through the years, ALI has sustained its support for the foundation by providing annual monetary donations, and more importantly, by encouraging employee volunteers and other companies as well to share their time and talent with the orphans. Aside from these, ALI also offers internship and employment opportunities to the Foundation’s scholars at various Ayala Land companies, and makes Hero donation boxes available at Ayala Malls nationwide.
ALI’s continued support for Hero Foundation reinforces its commitment to local economic growth and nation-building. As a leading developer of sustainable estates, the company not only builds properties that help enrich quality of life, but is also actively engaged in various social development initiatives to reach out to more Filipinos.