11 Notable Charity Foundations Of Prominent Filipinos That Aim to Create Change

What would you do if you have so much money enough to give a positive impact to the world? Well, the country’s super rich are not just racking up eleven digits into their bank accounts all for themselves, because these tycoons are not only big key players in their respective industries and fields, but are also the big guns of philanthropy.
You may have come across with some of their programs, so in the name of charity, we list down eleven prominent business tycoons and icons in the Philippines who had created foundations that aim for a significant change of the country’s welfare.
1) SM Foundation
You may have known someone being a scholar of the company, or you’re probably familiar of the foundation’s community service events and even participated in it.
Well, SM Foundation is the corporate social arm of the SM Mall giant tycoon Henry Sy‘s group of companies. Being cited by Forbes Asia in 2009 and 2013, the retail magnate has been considered a hero for philanthropy. Forbes Asia also noted Sy’s $112-million donation to an unnamed foundation in December of 2012, that’s a whole lot of money! Sy’s SM Foundation, the main vehicle for his philanthropic efforts, focuses on education which provided hundreds of scholarship programs and public school building donations, on health where medical missions are carried out and the building of health centers, on community development through conducting livelihood seminars, greening drives, and disaster response management, including care for environment and persons with special needs.
2) Joel Cruz Aficionado Foundation Inc.
You may have seen his empire gracing the magazine shows on television, read his success story on the pages of publications, taken notice of countless celebrities as his brand ambassadors, and watched his interviews as a father to two sets of twins on news reports. Well, with blessings pouring down for the founder of perfume Aficionado, Joel Cruz, his philanthropic projects is his big way of paying it forward. Under his belt of charity works, the Lord of scents established his very own Joel Cruz Aficionado Foundation Inc. The foundation exists to help abandoned children and troubled teenagers  as well as the elderly and the disabled. The company had its yearly charity events where Cruz has visited charity institutions such as Hospicio de San Jose, Tahanang Walang Hagdanan, UP PGH Pediatric wards 9 & 11 to name a few. This eventually led him a spot in Forbes Asia Magazine 2013 list of 48 philanthropic heroes from the Asian Pacific region.
3) Emmanuel and Jinkee’s Heart Foundation Inc.
Having been born without a silver spoon, our boxing champ and senator, Manny Pacquiao, knows what it’s like to have gone a day without a meal. So, it’s no wonder with all the fame, fortune and success Pacquiao’s having, he has it in his heart to give back to his community and countrymen. Sooner than later, Forbes Asia said Pacquiao’s foundation, which started in 2014, has already awarded more than 200 scholarships and extended more than $400,000 in medical assistance to needy people! Outside the foundation, it has been reported that Pacquiao also spends $400,000 a year on college costs for 1,000 students and has helped fund the construction of hundreds of houses with Habitat for Humanity Philippines, a foundation for community development. Forbes Asia noted Pacquiao for contributing hundreds of thousands of dollars to relief funds after devastating typhoons in recent years. Pacquiao has also said he regularly sponsors medical missions and continues to implement his scholarship programs. Not just a Filipino champ on the ring, but definitely a champ on improving Filipino lives!
4) Gokongwei Brothers Foundation
When it comes to the pursuit of providing funds for education in the country, the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation by the Gokongweis is first on that list.
Built on the conviction that education is one of the keys to a better future for the country, the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation (GBF) was set up in 1992 to help uplift the socio-economic condition of the Filipinos through the funding of educational projects. Their credentials on educational pursuit includes donation on facilities, providing of scholarships to various schools, supporting educational programs of different institutions such as Immaculate Concepcion Academy, Xavier School, De La Salle University, the University of Asia and the Pacific and the University of San Carlos, strengthening the field of engineering in the country, the building of schoolhouses in underprivileged public school compounds and the donation of its prime lot in Ortigas for the EDSA Shrine. The foundation also managed to grant 70 Filipinos with 10-month scholarship in China in 2007 and 2009. GBF’s charitable causes tagged the charity institution as Philippines’ most endowed foundation. Really great!
5) MVP Sports Foundation
While other foundations focus on the development of communities, the strengthening of education, the care for environment and the improvement of livelihood and lives, this foundation aspires to become the driving force in the development of world class Filipino sports champions as well as the leading proponent of a winning culture through sports.
We know Manuel V. Pangilinan as the Telecom King, but MVP has also been a longtime advocate in the welfare of sports in the country. The Sports Czar soon established the MVP Sports Foundation where it aims to help both grassroots development and elite programs for eight national sports associations. Right now, the foundation provides money and logistical support to boxing, cycling, basketball, football, taekwondo, badminton, tennis and running sports associations. Such a good sport MVP!
6) Ayala Foundation
Ayala has been associated with high-end, spacious and environmentally friendly malls. It has become a household name related to the upper upper, but Ayala is more than just a leading player in economic development. Formerly Filipinas Foundation Inc., Ayala Foundation is the social development arm of the Ayala Corporation and one of the pioneering corporate foundations in the country. AFI seeks to achieve this through programs in education, youth leadership, sustainable livelihood, and arts and culture. Today, AFI envisions communities where people are productive, creative, self-reliant, and proud to be Filipino.
7) Tan Yan Kee Foundation
Forbes Asia magazine included Lucio Tan as one of Asia’s top philanthropists for having been a generous donor to many educational, medical, cultural and other causes. His family has their philanthropic Tan Yan Kee Foundation named after his late father.The foundation is the corporate social responsibility arm of the Lucio Tan Group of Companies.
For almost thirty years, the foundation has been approaching corporate social responsibility from a holistic commitment framework targeting education, culture and sports, health and social welfare including environmental concerns, research and manpower development. Through the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce & Industry, Inc. (FFCCCII), Tan has donated many public school buildings to the poor rural barrios nationwide through FFCCCII’s unique “Operation: Barrio Schools” project.
8) Jollibee Foundation Inc.
At Jollibee, happiness is king. Well, the Filipino fast food giant is staying true to its tagline. Since December 2004, Tony Tan Caktiong’s Jollibee Foods Corporation extended its social arm through Jollibee Foundation Inc. It aims to invest in people and help them succeed in the way Jollibee knows how. Its programs consist of the “Busog, Lusog, Talino School program”  which targets to eradicate hunger among public schools, the “Farmer Entrepreneurship program” and many more programs on education, housing and community development, leadership development, environment and disaster response.
9) Megaworld Foundation
Megaworld Corporation is the real estate company founded by Andrew Tan, but the corporation does not limit itself to the business sector alone, it also ventures its high success through contributions to society. The real estate mogul’s company believes that corporations exist to serve others. Since 1999, the corporation’s socio-civic arm, Megaworld foundation has placed socio-economic development and empowerment for the less privileged. It has been primarily promoting education through scholarship awards and is known to support causes of various organizations with financial assistance to promote poverty alleviation, people empowerment, social justice, good governance, environmental conservation and other noble undertakings.
10) AY Foundation
AY Foundation is the corporate social responsibility face of Ambassador Alfonso T. Yuchengco’s company. It is known to be active in both education and health. The company sponsors deserving employee’s children, center-base street kids  and members of the cultural minorities  in education. In health, the company annually conducts 5-6 medical and surgical missions in various places in the country and on average the team stays for 10 days, providing free medical consultations and performing minor and major surgeries. Aside from their endeavors on health and education, the company has two award-giving bodies namely the Blessed Teresa of Calcutta Award (formerly know as the Mother Teresa Award) which is dedicated to seek individuals who, like Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, have fully and selflessly dedicated at least 25 years of their lives to humanitarian work, giving away 1 million cash support for a charitable institution of the recipient, and the AYF National Discipline Awards which awards outstanding high school graduates who best exemplify the virtues of discipline, integrity, self-sacrifice and courage.
11) Aboitiz Foundation
The conglomerate has traced its commitment in giving for the less fortunate over a century ago when its forefathers first established their business in Leyte. Their legacy of sharing has continued to surpass for generations, until one of its first leaders, Don Ramon Aboitiz started corporate philanthropy. Eventually, the Aboitiz Group of Companies created its corporate social responsibility through the Aboitiz Group Foundation Inc. The company’s CSR focuses its efforts on education by building infrastructures, giving away scholarship grants, engaging in the distribution of library kits and book donations, renovation of school libraries, and conducting quiz bee competitions. They have supported graduates from primary to tertiary education where scholars are given the opportunity to become part of the company.  Their efforts also highlight enterprise development by providing loans, enhancing businesses, and improving marketing skills of entrepreneurs. Also present are their advocacies for health and child care. Plus, their efforts for the environment wherein the Weather Philippines Foundation (WPF)  is their largest CSR initiative. It aims to deliver critical and accurate weather forecasts to the Filipino community, with the hope of improving nationwide disaster preparedness, and timely response to variable weather conditions.
It’s really a great feeling to know that these business empires are also game-changers in creating change in the community as a whole. Like Pawnhero, we don’t just answer your financial setbacks through the convenient use of our Pawnhero app. We also aim to provide financial literacy for our readers. So visit our website and like us on Facebook to learn more and keep up to date on Pawnhero.