Patriots act

These origami doves were distributed during Independence Day at select Shell stations to spread hope among Pinoys.

Manning checkpoints; completing 12- to 24-hour hospital shifts, cleaning public spaces, running restaurants and delivering food.

Amid the pandemic, these otherwise “ordinary” acts have been seen in a different light—brave and selfless—and the people behind them—our front-liners—modern-day heroes. And as the country continues to weather this health crisis, a large corporation is encouraging other Filipinos to be just as brave, through the simplest of ways, such as wearing face masks bearing the country’s most patriotic symbol: the Philippine flag.

Be brave

Under its Maging Magiting (Be Brave) campaign, Ayala Foundation is inviting both individuals and companies to buy Magiting masks, which feature designs inspired by the Philippine flag. For every purchase of 100 of these masks (the minimum number being sold) for P10,000, the foundation will give another 100 to frontliners, as well as students, people returning to work and others who are in need of them.

For a minimum order of 5,000 masks, companies can also have their logos included in the face masks’ design (email [email protected] for more details.)

“The Maging Magiting program is aligned with one of Ayala’s corporate values, which is commitment to national development. This is also aligned with Ayala Foundation’s vision for communities that are productive, creative, self-reliant and proud to be Filipinos. And we see the flag as the most powerful symbol to express one’s commitment to the country,” says Ruel Maranan, president of the Ayala Foundation.

“Kagitingan (bravery) is frequently associated with people who sacrifice their lives in times of war; the Maging Magiting program expands the meaning of kagitingan, to cover ordinary Filipinos who do extraordinary acts in everyday situations—people who do their job with dignity and integrity, people who look after not just their families but their communities, and others.”

The Maging Magiting campaign was officially launched in 2018, long before the pandemic began. It is the Ayala Foundation’s advocacy program “to promote love for country and respect for our national symbols, and to encourage Filipinos from all walks of life to be heroes in their own ways and in their own spheres of influence.”

More flags

Initially, the campaign’s purpose was to fulfill the need for more Philippine flags around the country, which, then, was at 10,000, according to the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP).

With the help of its partners in both the public (the Department of Education (DepEd), the Philippine National Police, the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office of the Department of National Defense, and the NHCP) and private (Ayala Corp., Integrated Micro-Electronics, Inc., Generika, Bounty Agro Ventures Inc.’s Chooks-to-Go) sectors, the Ayala Foundation was able to distribute 10,454 flags to 17 regions across the Philippines.

This year, aside from the creation of the Magiting masks, the Maging Magiting campaign continues its partnership with the DepEd and the NHCP through the Digital Magiting Conference series, the first of which was livestreamed on May 26 for 200 public school teachers in Region 3. The conference enables these teachers to integrate lessons in history and the heroism of Filipinos from the past with current events as a way of strengthening love of country among students nationwide.Call for nationalism

“Maging Magiting’s call for nationalism starts with giving honor and respect to our national symbols, but is also embedded in Ayala Foundation’s existing programs—in education (holistic, inclusive and nationalistic education), youth leadership (Filipino young leaders serving their respective communities through various projects), sustainable livelihood (empowering local workers and entrepreneurs and connecting them to potential markets) and arts and culture (celebrating the best in Filipino art, history and culture),” Maranan says.

Magiting masks by the Ayala Foundation

Another corporation is using a different symbol to spread hope across the country during these uncertain times—the dove, in origami form. Pilipinas Shell will be sharing these simple paper craft pieces with guests at select Shell stations across the country to spread hope among Filipinos.

“Despite these unprecedented times, Filipinos are not powerless. As long as everyone thinks of and moves for each other, the Philippines will bounce back,” says Randy del Valle, Pilipinas Shell vice president for retail. “There is a lot more that we need to do as individuals and as communities for a better tomorrow. That’s why it’s important for us to hold onto this newfound hope. Let the origami dove serve as a reminder of this.”

Promotions

As land travel restrictions are eased, Pilipinas Shell is also offering its customers promos: P20 worth of items from select stations for every single purchase of either Shell FuelSave or Shell V-Power fuels worth P750 or P500, respectively; and the Get Gas, Get Bigas promo, which gives customers one free kilo of rice for every purchase of either P2,000 or worth of Shell FuelSave or P1,500 worth of Shell V-Power (these promos run until July 15). Pilipinas Shell, on this Independence Day weekend, is also honoring its own front-liners—the mechanics, attendants, store clerks and other personnel working hard to continue serving their fellow Filipinos on the road, while also keeping them safe from COVID-19 through stringent sanitation measures.

“Whether at home, at work, or in the service of others, each and everyone of us can do something for our nation,” Del Valle says. “As long as we have compassion, we, Filipinos, can survive anything.” INQ

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