Actress Arci Muñoz and philanthropist Renan Ponce Pascual-Morales have agreed to collaborate and gather their resources towards a common goal, which is to be of service to those in need.
To start off, the two who recently met in Batangas and instantly got acquainted, are encouraging people to get vaccinated.
“We randomly met in an outreach program last year and after that, we just clicked instantly and decided to work together to extend our hands to help our fellowmen during these dark and trying times,” the actress told Manila Standard Entertainment.
“When Renan said that he wanted to help and that he wanted to do this… kasi, we have the same advocacy, same vision, same mission. So, sabi ko, ‘Yes, of course, let’s do this. This is just the beginning of our partnership and of course, it will go a long way. There’s some sense of fulfillment that I’m able to do my duty as part of the reservist program,” she added.
The singer and actress has officially earned the rank of sergeant under the Philippine Air Force Reserve (PAFR) Command after training in October 2020. Through the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), she has been tapped to become an ambassador of its “Disiplina Muna” campaign that promotes the culture of discipline as key to good governance.
“So, meeting Renan is serendipitous. I have so much on my plate right now. And sabi ko sa kanila, it will be a great privilege for me if I can help you with this little way to encourage people to get vaccinations,” Arci related.
Renan, as Bespren ng Bayan Foundation chairman, focuses on various advocacies to help uplift the lives of Filipinos. And now that the two have partnered to further promote the importance of getting vaccinated, they feel that they can make more meaningful projects together in the next coming months.
“Having her on board allows us to reach more people. And since we share the same mission and vision, I can see that we can collaborate on more projects other than what we are promoting right now,” Renan said.
Arci and Renan’s mission starts in Nueva Ecija. The campaign aims to give financial support to vaccinated individuals as an incentive to Renan’s kababayans. Those getting their first dose received P200 while those who got their second dose received P100.
Asked if their effort was politically motivated, Arci and Renan both echoed each other.
“With the platform we have, we feel that we have this responsibility to reach out to people,” they said with Renan underscoring that public service doesn’t always mean going into politics or running for a political post.
“You all know that I used to be a public servant. I have not made any decision whether to run for office or not. What I can assure you is that we have this kind of foresight that our group will act depending on our situation. We jump from vaccines to planting trees,” Renan stated.
“We need sustainability. And what we’re trying to accomplish here is to prioritize what the people need and make sure that these efforts will continue,” he ended.