MANILA, Philippines - Accentuating the role of business in improving social services, the Doña Marta T. Hernandez (DMTH) Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Victory Liner, has taken a proactive role championing projects that benefit communities where the bus liner has served in the past 60 years.
More than 1,800 students from various public schools in Olongapo City (Cabalan, New Cabalan, and Barretto) were given dental kits composed of a tumbler, toothbrush, and toothpaste during a dental health campaign. The foundation also brought dentists to speak with students on basic dental hygiene.
Working in partnership with Manila Doctors Hospital, St. Joseph Cathedral of Alaminos, Unilab, AM Europharma, Generics Pharmacy, and Red Cross Pharmacy, the Doña Marta Hernandez Foundation gave free medicine and medical checkup to the people of Bgy. Recudo in Alaminos, Pangasinan. Some members of the Hernandez family (which owns Victory Liner) as well as Victory Liner employees volunteered in the medical mission.
“We want to touch all areas in our bus routes. This is our way of thanking them for patronizing Victory Liner. We also want to help them in our own little way to have a better life,” says Vernie J. Abcede, Hernandez heir heading the foundation’s works.
Aside from recognizing the importance of improving community health, the foundation also worked on ensuring that children’s interests and needs are addressed. In cooperation with Bantay Bata, the underprivileged youth from the Children’s Village in Norzagaray, Bulacan were treated to a party hosted by the foundation with several members of the Hernandez clan, including fourth-generation heirs, in attendance. For years now, Victory Liner has been a partner of Bantay Bata, providing transportation for their trips and sponsoring various Bantay Bata activities like teachers’ training.
To coincide with the school opening, the foundation also started a back-to-school project, providing school kits to children from Infanta, Ago, and Mabini in Pangasinan. Bantay Bata also became a recipient of this drive, with elementary students receiving notebooks and pencils.
These campaigns underscore the foundation’s thrust in helping empower Luzon communities to achieve better education, health, and entrepreneurship training and opportunities.
Aside from the continuous medical and dental campaigns, the foundation has more projects in the pipeline: feeding program for young children in indigent community in Zambales, tree-planting drive also in Zambales, water filter campaigns and livelihood trainings for retiring and retired Victory Liner employees. More, the foundation is actively involved in the clean water campaign and tree planting activities in partnership with the Rotary Club of Makati-Paseo de Roxas.