In a powerful display of business with a heart, entrepreneur Anna Donita Tapay chose to mark her birthday last Sunday by sharing warmth and compassion with the street dwellers and beneficiaries of the Arnold Janssen Kalinga Center. This year’s celebration held particular significance, commemorating a decade of Ms. Tapay’s unwavering commitment and selfless service to the center’s mission.
What made the event even more impactful was the presence of Tapay’s entire team and staff from her various ventures, including real estate firm 7th Galaxy Axis Company, events group JClick, restaurant business Mad Café Don Antonio (D&F Foods LLC), and manpower and recruitment firm Manpower Group Philippines Company. Their collective participation underscored a shared commitment to humanity and community service, moving beyond typical corporate social responsibility to an active engagement with those in need.
For the past ten years, Tapay has been a silent yet steadfast pillar of support for the Kalinga Center. Her decade-long dedication stands as a testament to the profound impact of genuine love and consistent effort.
A call for authentic leadership and social responsibility
Beyond the heartfelt celebration, Tapay’s enduring commitment serves as a poignant reminder and a wake-up call for the nation’s leadership. The event starkly contrasted the authentic, ground-level service demonstrated by Tapay and her teams with the performative acts often seen in political spheres.
“While the poor remain hungry, dirty, and hopeless in the streets, some officials continue to wear masks of concern, faking aid, showing up only for photo opportunities, and filling their pockets with what belongs to the people,” the organizers stated, echoing a sentiment of frustration with perceived systemic failures. The celebration became a quiet but powerful statement about true leadership being rooted in sacrifice and transformation, not privilege or mere titles.
Purpose Beyond Profit
The spirit of the celebration resonated deeply with Michael Jackson’s timeless message in “Heal the World”: “There are people dying, if you care enough for the living, make a better place for you and for me.” This act of sincere service from Ms. Tapay and her businesses underscores the idea that healing communities begins with genuine acts of love.
The event powerfully articulated a profound business philosophy: “If money is your main reason for pursuing business, you may build profits but never true success. But if your heart is set on serving humanity… then you begin to grow – quietly, humbly, and steadily – until one day you realize you’re no longer just building a business, but walking the very path Christ walked — a life of purpose, compassion, and eternal value.”
Anna Donita Tapay’s life serves as an inspiring example that greatness is not measured by power, but by compassion. Her 10 years of relentless dedication to the Arnold Janssen Kalinga Center and its beneficiaries offer a powerful testament that hope thrives not in politics, but in the collective kindness of people.