JPMorgan Chase & Co. women employees built homes to celebrate Valentine’s Day festivities by taking part in Habitat for Humanity Philippines’ Women Build in Stonewell, Sto Tomas, Batangas, on Feb. 13. More than 50 women volunteers took part in constructing homes for families in need of decent and affordable homes.
The volunteers were exposed to various build activities such as land excavation, gravel bedding, wall panel drilling, and cement mixing and pouring. The build experience, which the women voluntarily signed up for under JP Morgan’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program, enabled them to become more empowered to participate in nation building from the grassroots.
“We hope to continue to partner with Habitat in helping, not just promote our CSR initiatives, but also actually make a difference in the lives of others by doing good works,” says Kristine Aquino, JPMorgan Chase &Co’s Senior Team member for Quality Control Billing – Corporate Investment Bank.
“Aside from just building homes, we’ll look into more community development activities such as house painting and donation drives to help in the sustainability of the communities.”
The Habitat Philippines Women Build volunteer work is another show of heart that proves that women can also do the heavy lifting and share the love for our fellow Filipinos.
“Habitat’s Women Build initiative here in the Philippines is gaining recognition among our society and has been able to empower women to do and build more to help better the lives of Filipino families who simply need a home to live in,” Charlie Ayco, Habitat’s Managing director and CEO said.
“We are overjoyed and very thankful that JPMorgan continues to partner with us in building communities and transforming lives,” Ayco added.
Habitat for Humanity’s Women Build originated in the early 1990’s in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA, wherein it encouraged women to help make a difference by building homes and communities. The initiative continues to seek to provide an environment in which women can feel comfortable learning construction skills that they might not otherwise have the opportunity to learn. Globally, over 1,400 homes have since been completed by Women Build volunteers.
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GMA blood drive yields 1,580 blood bags
On Feb. 10, GMA Network employees and their families, along with hundreds of their fellow Kapuso nationwide took part in the 8th Kapuso Bloodletting Day, yielding a total of 1,580 (711,000 cc) blood bags.
The blood drive held at the GMA Network Center in Quezon City produced 208 blood bags (93,600 cc), while the regional bloodletting activity produced 1,372 (617,400 cc) blood bags.
Director of National Blood Services for the Philippine Red Cross, Dr. Christie Monina Nalupta, expressed her utmost gratitude to GMA Kapuso Foundation as well as GMA employees for being part of the activity and helping spread awareness on the benefits of blood donation, not just for the beneficiaries, but also to the donors themselves. She commended them for their generosity and highlighted the fact that their participation also influences more people to donate to the cause.
GMA Kapuso Foundation EVP and COO Mel C. Tiangco recalled how the project began with the Network’s top management looking for a public service initiative in which the employees could take part.
“This bloodletting drive was the result of the Network’s vision of manifesting its promise of Serbisyong Totoo right here at home – by instilling it in the heart of our employees,” says Tiangco. “This activity not only addresses their welfare, since blood donation promotes a healthy lifestyle, but it also serves to provide them with the opportunity to help firsthand.”
“This may not increase your salaries, but it will definitely earn you points in heaven,” she added.
The Kapuso Bloodletting Day is an annual project of GMA’s Corporate Affairs Division, in cooperation with the Network’s socio-civic arm, GMA Kapuso Foundation and GMA Regional TV, in partnership with the Philippine Red Cross. GMA Regional TV’s stations in Ilocos, Dagupan, Naga, Cebu, Iloilo, Bacolod, Cagayan de Oro, Davao and General Santos also participate through simultaneous bloodletting events in their respective areas.
In addition to these efforts in promoting volunteerism through blood donation is the GMA Kapuso Foundation’s Sagip Dugtong Buhay Bloodletting Project, which has been running for 20 years now. In partnership with the Philippine Red Cross, Ever Gotesco Malls and Go Tong Foundation, 1,942 blood bags (873, 900 cc) were collected through the bloodletting event on Feb. 13 at t Ever Gotesco Mall, Commonwealth Center.