Robinsons Bank brings smiles in the homes of children this holiday season

 

TODA member Charlie R. Madriaga, along with his children, receive Robinsons Bank’s Christmas gift.

(Disclaimer: Masks were only removed for the photo.)

This Christmas season, Robinsons Bank's promise of a brighter future for every Filipino took the path of donating electronic tablets to schoolchildren in various communities nationwide to help them cope with the requirements of online schooling for the coming year 2021. 

“Many families are still struggling with the setup of remote learning, whether it is the lack of a gadget to use or difficulty in accessing the internet. We wanted to provide support to these children so they can continue with their education and achieve the brighter future they deserve,” RBank President Elfren Antonio Sarte stated. 

Mr. Sarte also added that “Our strong advocacy on financial literacy for children has led us to witness their eagerness and passion for learning. It would be disheartening to know that there are children out there who want to keep learning but have no means to. So, we pushed for this initiative to really help those children in need.”

TODA Member Gerardo Legarda, along with his wife and daughter, receive Robinsons Bank’s Christmas gift.

(Disclaimer: Masks were only removed for the photo.)

In lieu of RBank’s corporate giveaways, the children received sim cards along with the electronic tablets, which they can use to access the internet for their online schooling. 

Despite the challenges that this year has brought, the Bank’s passion for service remains unwavering. RBank will always be committed to fulfilling the needs of the Filipino people. 

With Robinsons Bank, the future is bright!

Embassy of Czech Republic x World Vision: Bridge to Employment Project

 

Here's an inspiring story worth reading: Despite the difficulty of finding a stable job, Rodelyn Rabaya, still hopes to earn a decent living. “I worked as an office encoder and as a warehouse assistant but since the contracts ended, I have been without work since then,” said the 23-year-old unemployed resident of Baseco, Manila.

Especially now with a global health crisis, she thought opportunities were hard to come by for someone like her who did not earn a college diploma. Rabaya had to drop out from first year college to give way for her other siblings’ schooling.

Based on the report of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the unemployment rate increased to17.7% last April from the 5.3% unemployment rate last January 2020. PSA data also showed that though 13 million Filipinos continued to have jobs, they were unable to report for work due to the risks brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

These statistics reveal that wage-earners who are forced out of work due to the lockdown are in danger of a decreased or zero income. This affects their ability to provide essential needs of the family, including education for their children.

“I want to provide my child everything she needs but not to the point of spoiling her. I want her to finish her education,” shared Rabaya.

Building opportunities

World Vision is a non-profit organization whose vision is for every child to experience life in all its fullness by helping improve the welfare of children, their families and communities, in partnership with individuals and local and international institutions.

Together with the Embassy of Czech Republic in Manila, World Vision launched last October 2020 the “Bridge to Employment Project” in Barangay 649-Baseco.

This one-year project will support 50 students under the Alternative Learning System Program of the Department of Education, and 30 more who are enrolled in technical-vocational-livelihood programs of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.

Rabaya said she immediately signed up when their local government youth organization announced the project the through social media.

“They were looking for 18 to 24 year old people who wanted to continue studying though a scholarship, and whom the project will eventually help land a job,” said Rabaya, who immediately signed up for the contact center training among other available courses such as computer programming and events management.

She said she is eagerly waiting to start her 18-day online training.

“We at World Vision are excited for the students of the Bridge to Employment Project. This gives them a chance to continue reaching their dreams. We are thankful to the Embassy of Czech Republic in Manila for supporting our projects of looking after the welfare of families, especially the most vulnerable children,” said Rommel V. Fuerte, World Vision (Philippines) National Director.

The “Bridge to Employment Project” is one-year project aims to assist the education of 80 students so they can one day support their own families through livelihood and employment.

To know more about World Vision, visit www.worldvision.org.ph. For updates, follow /worldvisionph on Facebook and @worldvisionphl on Instagram.