STAR honors #28StoriesofGiving beneficiaries

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine STAR honors and awards beneficiaries of its 28 Stories of Giving campaign at today’s launch of an exhibit featuring all 28 stories. Readers are invited to witness the opening of the exhibit and the honoring of the beneficiaries, which will be held from 3 to 6 p.m. at The Block, SM City North EDSA in Quezon City.

The campaign, which was The STAR’s way of celebrating its 28th anniversary last month, featured 28 individuals with extraordinary stories of lending a helping hand to people or causes in need. 28 Stories of Giving ran on the front page of the newspaper from July 1 to 28.

One of the stories was that of Primitivo Lumibao, a former OFW who came back to the Philippines to teach technical skills to local children, or that of GRACES, a state-run geriatric facility in Quezon City that continues to help the elderly despite its cash-strapped, dilapidated state.

Another featured story is that of Josephine Bundoc, a doctor from Physicians for Peace, who helps disabled individuals get prosthetic legs and other mobility aids, or that of teacher Rey Bufi, founder of The Storytelling Project, who goes to far-flung villages to read stories to children deprived of access to learning materials.

More than featuring stories of great individuals, The STAR also leveraged on its online and social media influence to bring the stories closer to its readers and get them involved.

Thus, for every tweet or status update about each featured story, the newspaper donated P5 to the individuals or groups featured. The campaign also generated feedback from readers that directly extended help in the form of cash or material donations.

This will be the second in a series of 28 Stories of Giving photo exhibits in major malls in the metro, with the first one held last July 31 at SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City.