P10 Million for 10,000 Families: Metrobank Group and GT Capital Holdings share Bags of Blessings in celebration of Chinese New Year

Written by Apps Dev on July 28, 2017. Posted in GT Foundation, Media, News

The Metrobank Group and GT Capital Holdings, Inc., through the Metrobank Foundation, Inc. (MBFI) and GT Foundation, Inc. (GTFI), celebrated the Chinese New Year through the 2017 Bags of Blessing (BOB) program which kicked off on January 28, 2017 at Taguig Lakeshore Hall in Lower Bicutan, Taguig City. Through a P 10 million worth of donations, 10,000 families from 18 cities and municipalities nationwide will receive P 1,000 worth of food bags. Photo shows Metrobank Group founder and chairman Dr. George S.K. Ty (4th from left) leading the ceremonial turnover of goods to a beneficiary. He was joined by Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)Secretary Judy Taguiwalo (5th from left); Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano (4th from right); Metrobank Foundation adviser Mary Ty (3rd from left); Metrobank chairman Arthur Ty (2nd from left); Federal Land, Inc. (FLI) chairman Alfred Ty (3rd from right); FLI senior vice president Anjanette Dy Buncio (rightmost); Metrobank Foundation corporate secretary Alesandra Ty (2nd from right); and Metrobank Foundation president Aniceto Sobrepeña (leftmost).

In celebration of Chinese New Year, the Metrobank Group and GT Capital Holdings, Inc. kicked off its nationwide “Bags of Blessing” last January 28, 2017 at the Taguig Lakeshore Hall in Taguig City. Spearheaded by the Ty family foundation — GT Foundation, Inc. (GTFI), together with Metrobank Foundation, Inc. (MBFI), PHP 10 million worth of food packages will be distributed to 10,000 families in select areas in Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao, and the National Capital Region. During the distribution in Taguig City, held in partnership with Federal Land, Inc. (FLI), 500 underprivileged families received bags containing rice, milk, sugar, canned goods, and noodles among other basic commodities.

A brainchild of Metrobank Group founder and chairman Dr. George S.K Ty, Bags of Blessing is a series of nationwide gift-giving activities held to welcome the Year of the Fire Rooster as a way of carrying out the Metrobank Group and GT Capital Holdings’ tradition of sharing. Instead of “ang-paos” — red envelopes containing monetarial gifts — bags containing assorted food items are distributed to underprivileged families. In support of the government’s anti-poverty programs, beneficiaries are primarily families who are not yet members of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

The distribution was led by Dr. Ty, who was joined by DSWD Secretary Judy Taguiwalo; Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano; Metrobank chairman Arthur Ty; FLI chairman Alfred Ty; FLI senior vice president Anjanette Dy Buncio; MBFI corporate secretary Alesandra Ty; MBFI adviser Mary Ty; GT Capital president Carmelo Bautista; FLI president Pascual Garcia; AXA Philippines president Rahul Hora; First Metro Asset Management president Augusto Cosio; MBFI president and GTFI executive director Aniceto Sobrepeña; and First Metro Securities Brokerage president Gonzalo Ordoñez.

“For five years now, the Bags of Blessing has served as an opportunity for our employees, scholars, and partners to give back to our communities which have always been at the core of our corporate values. In response to Pope Francis’ clarion call for Filipinos to go to the peripheries, we have given our best efforts, along with our partners, to reach out to poor families who are not yet listed in any major poverty alleviation programs. Through the Bags of Blessing, we hope to alleviate their hunger while celebrating the New Year together,” said Sobrepeña.

The partnership with the DSWD, which coordinated with the social welfare and development offices of the different local government units, was instrumental to locating the beneficiaries who are in the margins of the society.

The leaders and employees from the network of Metrobank branches as well as the different subsidiaries and affiliates of GT Capital Holdings and the Metrobank Group are mobilized to help in the series of gift-giving activities. The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) also serve as partners, providing security and logistical support.

Simultaneous distributions also took place in the regions on the same day—Baguio City; Balanga City, Bataan; Imus City, Cavite; Sta. Rosa City, Laguna; Iloilo City; Cebu City; Palo, Leyte; Cotabato City; and Zamboanga City, with 500 beneficiary families each. Davao City will have 1000 families as beneficiaries.

Distributions for 500 families each will also be conducted in the succeeding days in Makati City, Pasay City, Marikina City, Quezon City, Navotas City, and Caloocan City. The City of Manila will have1000 families as beneficiaries.