Celebrating opportunities, gratitude and RC Cola with Asiawide Refreshments Corporation

MANILA, Philippines - They lead difficult lives  displaced from their own indigenous community and living in an impoverished village where education takes a back seat, these children had nothing to look forward to, no future to map out. But it all changed three years ago when the doors of opportunity opened up for them.  And in a night of gratitude, the scholars of Kanawan Elementary School expressed their appreciation to Asiawide Refreshments Corporation (ARC), the licensed manufacturer and distributor of RC Cola in the country, for helping them achieve their dreams.

Gratitude filled the ballroom as the scholars serenaded and presented a handmade “thank you” card to ARC executive vice president and chief operating officer Gerry T. Garcia. The scholars were brought by the Rotary Club of Pag-asa, Quezon City District 3780. The club bestowed its organization’s annual top honors to the cola firm for pioneering corporate social responsibility efforts particularly geared toward the youth.

 â€œIn our journey towards success, there comes a point where we realize that we’ve always been at the receiving end. Warren Buffett, a man whom I admire, said, ‘Someone’s sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.’ This has been my personal guiding principle,” mused Garcia. “Being under the shade may mean security, protection or a place to rest. Someone did it for us a long time ago so what we’re doing today, in a way, is to pay it forward.”

In his acceptance speech, Garcia added that the projects with Rotary Club of Pag-asa QC District 3780 are an example of seeds planted three years ago whose fruits are slowly being enjoyed today.

“How many times have we thought about doing something for the future? We may not be able to witness the tree grow.  But I hope that our tree — the seed that we planted today — will benefit a lot of people,” he said.

Continuing its commitment to fuel education, opening doors and inspiring Filipino youth, ARC provided another endowment to the club, which Rotary Club of Pag-asa QC District 3780 president Lorenzo Dizon graciously accepted.

For three years now, ARC has embraced the indigenous Kanawan community in Bataan, providing educational materials to schoolchildren and conducting daily feeding programs. Through the company’s assistance, Kanawan now has 170 students attending first to sixth grade. Seven previous graduates are now studying as scholars at a private high school in Bulacan. The scholarship program also falls under the development and capacity building initiatives of the club. Among ARC’s latest beneficiaries is Odelco Elementary School in San Bartolome, QC.  

ARC has also been playing a pivotal role in helping the abandoned elderly residents of Tahanan ni Maria in Carmona, Cavite, and the orphans at Holy Trinity for Children in Fairview, QC.

“ARC is one of our major sponsors in implementing various social projects,” said Dizon.  

Garcia also highlighted that his personal mission is well-aligned with the values, mission and vision of ARC as a Filipino enterprise whose products have found their way into Filipino homes.