From its kick-off last February 11, 2021 to celebrate Chinese New Year, GT Foundation, Inc. (GTFI), together with Metrobank Foundation, Inc. (MBFI), successfully completed this year’s Bags of Blessing (BOB) through a series of distribution across 33 sites nationwide. Following health and safety protocols and physical distancing measures, a total of 18,000 families exchanged their issued vouchers into goods at select supermarkets in their localities and organized distribution activities in select parishes.
Last July 14, 2020, GT Foundation, Inc. (GTFI) and Don Bosco Technical Institute (DBTI) successfully held a virtual MOA signing for a three-year scholarship program with worth more than PhP7.4 million that will sponsor the education of 135 students from three Don Bosco Centers located in San Jose City, Nueva Ecija; Naga City, Camarines Sur; and Canlubang, Laguna.
The Metrobank Foundation, Inc. (MBFI) and the GT Foundation, Inc. (GTFI), together with Pacific Paint (Boysen) Philippines, commended this year’s batch of scholars during a series of virtual Graduates’ Conversations on June 30, July 2 and 7, 2020.
A total of 14 scholars finished their undergraduate degrees from Manila Tytana Colleges (MTC), University of the Philippines Diliman (UP), and University of Santo Tomas (UST). They are the recipients of the GTFI-Manila Tytana Colleges Youth for Excellence and Service (YES) and MBFI-Pacific Paint (Boysen) scholarship programs. Out of the 14 scholars, seven (7) graduated cum laude.
Metrobank and GT Capital Holdings, through Metrobank Foundation, Inc. (MBFI) and GT Foundation, Inc. (GTFI), donated PhP 5.6 million to Manila HealthTek, Inc., a private research and development company, for the distribution of UP-developed COVID-19 Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (rRT-PCR) detection kits. A total of 3,800 kits will be donated to the UP National Institutes of Health (UP-NIH), Maria Reyna-Xavier University Hospital in Cagayan de Oro City, and Ilocos Training and Regional Medical Center (ITRMC) in San Fernando City, La Union.
On June 27, the country inaugurated its largest molecular laboratory capable of detecting COVID-19 and other contagious diseases at the former Philippine Red Cross (PRC) Headquarters in Port Area Manila. Through the initiatives of the Philippine Red Cross, the project was partly funded by Metrobank and GT Capital Holdings through a PhP 18 million donation, coursed through its corporate social responsibility arm Metrobank Foundation (MBFI) and Ty family’s GT Foundation (GTFI). The donation went for the construction and equipping the facility with two automated extraction machines for testing of samples. With additional contributions from the Australian Embassy and the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FFCCCII), the laboratory has an overall capacity to test 14,000 samples a day.
Metrobank and GT Capital Holdings, through its corporate social responsibility arm Metrobank Foundation and the Ty-family’s GT Foundation, partnered with Manila Broadcasting Corporation’s DZRH Operation Tulong to distribute PhP 1.336 million worth of food packs to residents of Mandaluyong City. A kick-off ceremony was held on May 19 in Barangay Poblacion, graced by Mayor Menchie Abalos, Vice Mayor Anthony Suva Jr., district Councilors Anjelo Elton Yap and Benjamin Abalos III and City Chief of Police P/Col. Remigio Sedanto.
Metrobank and GT Capital Holdings, in partnership with GoNegosyo’s (Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship Foundation) Project ARK, turned over PhP 414,000 worth of antibody rapid test kits to the City Government of San Juan through Mayor Francisco Zamora on June 23. Through the Ty family’s GT Foundation, Inc. (GTFI) and Metrobank Foundation, Inc. (MBFI), 920 sets of antibody rapid testing for possible identification of active COVID-19 cases were sponsored to benefit the city.
The Metrobank Foundation, Inc. (MBFI) held separate turnover ceremonies on May 15 to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Philippine National Police (PNP) for its P1.84 million worth of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) donation. Held at Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo and Camp Rafael Crame in Quezon City, respectively, the donation includes 109,200 pairs of surgical gloves and 10,000 N95 masks which will benefit more than 12,000 AFP and PNP frontliners tasked to implement community protocols in this time of the pandemic.
Metrobank and GT Capital Holdings donate P18 million to Philippine Red Cross (PRC) for the construction of a fully operational molecular laboratory capable of testing 2,000 COVID-19 samples a day at the former PRC Headquarters in Port Area Manila.
The PPE sets consisting of hazardous material suits, face shields, N95 masks, gloves, and shoe covers will be distributed to select hospitals treating a high number of confirmed COVID-19 cases.
