Metrobank furthers mission to ‘heal’ Filipino nation

Ten underprivileged children, all burdened with a physical deformity because of either a congenital defect or an accident, are about to have their lives changed, thanks to the generosity of a bank that has made it its mission to help “heal” the Filipino nation.

Cure Philippines Inc., which runs the Tebow Cure Hospital in Davao City, is one of the beneficiaries this year of the Metrobank Foundation Inc. and GT Foundation Inc.’s ( the family foundation of Metrobank Group chair George S. K. Ty ) Grants Program.

To mark Metrobank’s 54th anniversary and as part of a longstanding tradition of sharing blessings, the program turned over P25 million to a mix of government, nongovernment, socio-civic and development organizations.

“2016 is a year of change,” said MBFI president Aniceto Sobrepeña at the turnover ceremony  in Makati City. “Making a difference is the bedrock of Metrobank, not just as a bank but as a corporate citizen. But it is not something we do alone. Through our Grants Program, we are able to maximize our resources through the partnerships we forge with like-minded organizations whose projects are in line with our primary thrusts on health, education, arts, and livelihood, or HEAL.”

The grant awarded to Cure Philippines will allow Tebow Cure Hospital to cover the cost of surgery of 10 kids who, according to the hospital’s executive director Leron Lehman, “have a congenital deformity or disability—such as cleft lip and palate or clubfoot—or they experienced some kind of accident or trauma and proper treatment was neglected resulting in a deformity of some sort.”

Lehman added that the children should also come from a poor family who can’t afford proper treatment, usually from an indigenous peoples group. Cure Philippines is currently looking for such deserving patients.

The Tebow Cure Hospital was born out of a partnership between football player Tim Tebow’s  Foundation and Cure International.

The medical facility has been providing pediatric orthopedic surgical care since 2014 to kids from marginalized communities.

“The average cost [of surgery] is approximately P80,000. After applying PhilHealth coverage, patient contributions and other sources of funding, the average remaining unpaid balance is nearly P50,000. This is the amount that we subsidize with the help of our generous donors,” said Lehman.

The Tebow Cure Hospital is just one of Metrobank’s 35 beneficiaries, which were chosen by the foundation based on how their programs were aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In particular, Sobrepeña said the foundation chose to support groups that have programs addressing the following issues: Water sanitation and hygiene for schoolchildren in underprivileged communities; educational assistance of “vulnerable” sectors such as indigenous peoples and persons with disabilities; the lack of physical access to schools; capacity development of teachers, and agro and social entrepreneurs; arts as a tool for psychosocial intervention programs; the promotion of local visual artworks and artists; and financial literacy of OFWs, IPs, PWDs and women.

“Aligning our grants program with the SDGs is important to us since we want to make significant and relevant solutions which contribute to the country’s and the world’s development agenda,” said Sobrepeña. “We followed a defined set of qualifications in reviewing the proposals submitted to us. The proposed programs and projects must be sustainable and designed to contribute a significant impact in the lives of the people they wish to serve.”

MBFI and GTFI’s other chosen organizations include: Planet Water Foundation, which plans to install a water filtration system in Lapinig Central Elementary School in Samar province, which will provide clean water to around 1,000 residents while serving as an educational tool on hygiene for some 500 students; the Rotary Club of Bacolod, which will also install handwashing facilities in 14 public elementary schools in Bacolod City and Negros Occidental; Cartwheel Foundation Inc., whose Early Childhood and Elementary Education (ECEE) Program for Higaonon Young Learners in Agusan del Sur trains para-teachers and tribal leaders on Indigenous Peoples (IP) education approaches, as well as conduct sessions on psychosocial wellness and sustainability planning.

Then there’s Deaf Evangelistic Alliance Foundation, Inc. (DEAF, Inc.), which is constructing a new building for its hearing-impaired school in Cavinti, Laguna; Negros Oriental-based Vallehermoso Helping Hands Foundation, which has a two-week arts program consisting of art education training and workshops on visual arts, music and dance; Rags2Riches Inc., which plans to expand its capacity-building program Artisan Academy; and the Philippine Council of Cheshire Homes for the Disabled Inc., (Philcoched), which provides livelihood training for PWDs.

The P25 million is part of Metrobank’s P150 million disbursed and programmed consolidated grants budget for 2016, said Sobrepeña.

“While seemingly impressive, [P25 million in grants] is a small contribution to the magnitude of needs around us. What is impressive is the unrelenting efforts to make a difference,” he said.

As the MBFI—founded in 1979—continues to grow, Sobrepeña said they plan to forge more partnerships, both here and abroad, to constantly evolve as an organization.

“There remains much to be done,” he said. “More than ever, we want to make significant and sustainable solutions to social development issues that our country is facing. We hope to contribute in healing the nation, one grant at a time.”