His Eminence Gaudencio Borbon Cardinal Rosales, Archbishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Manila, Hosts First Charity Dinner
His Eminence Cardinal Rosales commends GPF and donors at the first Alllights Village Charity Dinner for their support to help Filipino families in villages with no electricity.
Congressmen, mayors, businesses and other Global Peace Foundation (GPF) supporters contributed more than of Php 1,000,000 at a November 15 charity dinner to provide solar lamps for homes without electricity in remote communities and regions in the Philippines.
An initiative of GPF Korea, the Alllights Village Project (AVP) provides solar lighting, while building model villages embodying GPF’s vision of “one family under God” by promoting interfaith harmony, family values, and, character and peace education.
Dr. Primitivo Chua, chairman of Alllights Village Project Philippines, thanked local supporters and their representatives who attended the dinner and encouraged them to recommend the cause to their friends and families, pointing out that the project has a “huge goal to fulfill in the Philippines alone.”
“In the past, our Korean friends have been helping us establish the first villages; we believe that this is the time for us to show our ownership, and hope that our local supporters who have genuine concern for our Filipino brothers and sisters can lend their helping hands to support,” he added.
GPF Philippines President Dr. Michael Zablan welcomed the individual and group donors while GPF Asia Pacific regional representative Mr. Jinsoo Kim gave opening remarks, citing how the expansion of Alllights Villages to Philippine communities can help contribute to national development by providing community-level infrastructure, educational opportunities, and vocational training.
Top: Manila Bulletin features Alllights Village Charity dinner on their front page. Other GPF media partners, such as Presidential Communications Operations Office and Philippine Information Agency; DZEC, DZXL,and DWAD Radio; PTV4 News, TV5 Broadcasting Network, and ABS-CBN News Channel also helped to promote Alllights Village event. Bottom: Consul of Korean Embassy to the Philippines receives a Plaque of Recognition.
The dinner, held on at Tent City, Manila Hotel, was the first of several charity events planned for Alllights Village Project, which seeks to help families with no electricity in the more than 34,000 sitios or villages in the Philippines.
With currently nine Alllights Villages in remote communities of Nueva Ecija district, GPF plans to expand the project in regions as far as Mindanao, Visayas and other parts of Luzon. And with government and local support, GPF Philippines hopes to expand the project to other countries.
Through the generous support of charity dinner donors, including leading senators and congressional representatives, regional governors, city mayors, private citizens, the embassies of the Republic of Korea and Sri Lanka, and other foreign and local businesses, the Alllights Village Project Philippines will assist at least six additional rural sitios with projects in key areas of literacy, health, family finances, and environmental sustainability.
Project patron Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales commended GPF and all the Alllights Villages donors, and he challenged solar technology manufacturers to create a “solar stove” that will also address the increasing cost of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) used for cooking. With the rising cost of LPG, rural residents cut trees for firewood, an unsustainable environmental practice.
“If we can provide heat to the people, especially to the people in far areas, to those who are living in the mountains or islands, we can also provide food,” he said.
For more information on All-Lights Village Project Philippines or to learn how you can help, contact GPF Philippines at [email protected] or call (632)622-4415.
