It’s the Season to be Cherry!
In December 2017, the leading Filipino mobile phone brand, Cherry Mobile, has initiated a special project that values Filipino culture. Dubbed as the “12 Gifts of Christmas”, it was particularly designed to strengthen family ties and kinship. Acquiring a decent meal during special occasion like Christmas is somewhat difficult to achieve for the impoverished families of peasants, farmers, fisher folks, and labourers from rural and urban poor communities. These families comprise about 22% of the total population.
Close family ties and kinship are significant Filipino values which are nurtured and passed on to generations. A family gathering during holidays and special occasions helps nurture relationships, as family is considered the fundamental source of support (emotional, moral, financial, and the like) that a person needs to help achieve their full potential and eventually become a responsible member of the society. Strengthening family ties is about supporting every member of the family in pursuit of a stronger nation.
Distance is not a hindrance to reconnect with loved ones all over the world using advanced technologies like cellular phones and tablets to share the spirit of the Christmas season. However, for geographically isolated areas where internet connection and phone signal are inaccessible, Cherry Mobile brought noche buena packs for thousands of impoverished families to experience the same Spirit being celebrated worldwide.
Cherry Mobile’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) team and local volunteers crossed mountains, plain fields, rivers, and oceans all over the country with high hopes of creating happy memories in indigent families that they may cherish for a lifetime. Amidst the threats of uncertain weather conditions, windings of rough roads ahead, the very rugged terrains across sight during travels and daunting heights of mountain ranges, not to mention the sea conditions in between islands of the archipelago, there was a stronger will to go against the doubts and reach fervent souls, hoping to be lightened up by the labor of love that was ”12 Gifts of Christmas.” The road to bring this happiness is never easy.
There were instances of conquering the tides and hiking ridge to ridge in areas of Mountain Province, Kalinga, Isabela, La Union, Cebu, Bohol, and Misamis Oriental. There were also two (2) hospitals that benefited in this project – Justice Jose Abad Santos General Hospital and Gat Andres Bonifacio Memorial Medical Center that cater to indigent patients from Binondo, Tondo, and Quiapo. To date, about 10,000 families nationwide have benefited from this project from across ethnic lines, across life’s challenges and blessings, across differences, across dreams, across every Filipino soul whose aspirations deserve a place at the table of self- actualization. (L-R) MSN Foundation Chairperson Venus Tan-Ngu and Cherry Mobile CEO Maynard S. Ngu during the “12 Gifts of Christmas” activity in San Andres, Manila. Sharing the gift of Christmas: A small family residing in San Mariano, Isabela Province received their Noche Buena package ..package. All smiles: A woman from Daanbantayan, Cebu treasured her Noche Buena package upon receiving.
The road to bring this happiness is never easy. There were instances of conquering the tides and hiking ridge to ridge in areas of Mountain Province, Kalinga, Isabela, La Union, Cebu, Bohol, and Misamis Oriental. There were also two (2) hospitals that benefited in this project – Justice Jose Abad Santos General Hospital and Gat Andres Bonifacio Memorial Medical Center that cater to indigent patients from Binondo, Tondo, and Quiapo. To date, about 10,000 families nationwide have benefited from this project from across ethnic lines, across life’s challenges and blessings, across differences, across dreams, across every Filipino soul whose aspirations deserve a place at the table of self-actualization.
The special nuance to this project is its unwavering quest to further its spans in reaching communities and lighten up their hurdles from day to day. Cherry Mobile, through this special CSR project, has definitely redefined the usual concept of reaching out and making many of our kababayans happy. It has exemplified that celebrating the holiday season meant sharing the warmth of reconnecting families and unifying communities to start anew as a challenging year ends and as a promising future unfolds.
The 12 Gifts of Christmas was made possible in partnership with the Philippine Task Force for Indigenous People’s Rights, Cordillera Peoples’ Alliance, San Gabriel the Archangel Parish (La Union), Graphics All Store, Department of Social Welfare and Development – Region 7, Municipal Government of Daanbantayan (Cebu), Municipal Government of Cagayan de Oro, 6 Mobile Inc., Sun For All Children, ERDA Foundation, Lampara, Kaisaka Inc., CNI Youth Organization, and partner state universities of Cherry Mobile across the country. This project has given so much motivation and inspiration to relevant organizations and institutions, both in the public and private spheres, to partake and pour in whatever they can offer and eventually create a connection that amplifies not only the message of hope but also service out of the Bayanihan spirit.
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Learn more about the Cherry Mobile and its other CSR programs through:
FB: www.facebook.com/barangaycherrymobile
Instagram: @cherrymobileph
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/CherryMobilePH
Twitter: @cherrymobileph