Leading telecommunications company Globe Telecom lends its support to Mano Amiga (Helping Hand) in providing scholarships to underprivileged children and easing unemployment by hosting Bistro Café, the organization’s social enterprise and livelihood program.
Bistro Café offers authentic, delicious and affordable home-cooked meals prepared by parents of the Mano Amiga students. One hundred percent profit of the food establishment goes directly to the scholarships of the students. At the same time, all products used by the Café are supplied by local farm-to-table suppliers as a way to help in the advancement of the Filipino food business industry.
To assist Mano Amiga, Globe provided Bistro Café with two-month free space at its headquarters’ dining area, allowing thousands of Globe employees and their guests to try the tasty Pinoy snacks that the Café serves.
“As its main advocacy of bringing sustainable livelihood to individuals from low-income families, Bistro Café is committed to offer not only healthy meals, but also offer basic employability skills training to help alleviate unemployment in the best way that we can through the kitchen and livelihood center in the future. At the same time, it supports Mano Amiga’s goal of providing international quality and affordable education to underprivileged children to give them a better life,” said Abee Magallona, Business Development & Social Enterprise head of Mano Amiga Academy.
Fernando Esguerra, Globe director for Citizenship said, “Globe continues to develop partnerships that support sustainable livelihood and conservation as part of our sustainability strategies in the communities that we serve. We also share Mano Amiga’s dream of giving everyone access to quality education. Through such initiatives, we hope that we are able to create a positive impact in the society.”
Mano Amiga is currently raising funds for more scholarships and to complete the construction of its new campus in Betterliving, Paranaque City that can accommodate 800 students from Kinder to 12th Grade. The same campus will provide access to livelihood training, skills development, health services, and values formation for the families of the students.
The organization started in Mexico in 1963 and has grown to over 40 schools all over the world, particularly in Latin America. Mano Amiga Academy was established in 2008 in a temporary facility in FTI, Taguig as its first school in the Philippines. At present, the new campus in Paranaque City caters to Kinder to 7th Grade students from underprivileged backgrounds.
To get in touch with Mano Amiga, visit www.manoamigaph.org, Mano Amiga Pilipinas on Facebook and @manoamigaph on Instagram.