In its continuing commitment to enable Filipinos to find work or create their own businesses, the foundations of the companies led by Manuel V Pangilinan recently distributed 60 bicycles to disadvantaged residents of Quezon City. The initiative is part of Bike for Livelihood initiative, with the goal of teaming up with local government units (LGU) to facilitate the bicycle donations.
The latest donation goes on top of over 300 bicycles that have been turned over to underprivileged recipients in Pasig, Manila, Caloocan, Batangas as well as contact tracers from the Philippine National Police.
Working in partnership with Gretchen Ho, who founded the Donate a Bike, Save a Job project in 2020, the PLDT-Smart Foundation (PSF), One Meralco Foundation, Metro Pacific Investments Foundation and First Pacific Company Limited aim to donate at least 500 bicycles this year.
The donations also included 100 Smart phone retailer kits from First Pacific and 100 Pocket WiFi devices from Smart Communications. These digital tools will help small business owners connect to the market through online apps and platforms, the new normal for businesses.
During the launch of the Bike for Livelihood in June, Pangilinan, who initiated the project, said it could help support livelihood and transportation needs in the recipients’ respective jobs. “The best solution to poverty is livelihood. If you could provide [people] with a means of making themselves a livelihood, whether by delivering food or medicine or water, I think that’s something we should support,” he said. “I do hope they would use it for their families, so they can uplift their way of living. At the end of day, that’s what we’re all here for. Social orientation is embedded in our Group’s DNA.”
Supporting beneficial projects, such as Bike for Livelihood, the MVP Group foundations always work as a family, according to PSF President Ma. Esther O. Santos. “We try to pool our resources together,” she said, adding that, “The more companies, the better because we can reach out to more people in more communities.”
As they turned over bicycles to various LGUs, Santos observed the cheerful reception for the project, “People really welcome this initiative, in fact, they tell us it is what they need, especially in these times of the pandemic when bikes are the ideal transportation because apart from promoting social distancing, they also boost health and wellness,” Santos said.
This initiative is part of the donation drive of First Pacific’s 40th anniversary celebration, with the PSF taking the lead in the activities.
