Filinvest helps build Pinoys' dreams

MANILA, Philippines - Christmas came early for the children of Hospicio de San Jose as employees and officials of Filinvest Land, Inc. (FLI), one of the largest real estate companies in the country, hosted a party just for them.

The Catholic hospice, whose mission is to respond to the urgent needs of abandoned and handicapped kids, was filled with fun and laughter as executives and employees of FLI brought food, games and gifts to its residents. Since its foundation in 1778, this welfare institution has already provided care and shelter to the poor, sick, handicapped and abandoned children in Manila. Today, a total of 157 kids below 12 years old, who used to roam the streets of Manila to beg for alms, have since found a home in Hospicio de San Jose.

Hospicio administrator Sister Socorro Evidente, who was a major contributor to the institution’s transformation from being just a halfway house for treating the sick, elderly, and the handicapped to being a permanent home that offers formal education as well as health and spiritual programs, was more than happy and grateful to Filinvest for sharing their time, talent and resources with them.

“We thank Filinvest for reaching out to us and making the children of Hospicio de San Jose happy this holiday season,” she says.

For their part, executives and employees of Filinvest were equally happy after fulfilling a charitable tradition as part of the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility. Aside from the food and gifts, Filinvest also raised P70,000 cash and donated this to the Hospicio.

“It was a very enriching experience for everyone involved,” says FLI president and CEO Joseph Yap, “it feels good to know that even in our own small way, we would be able to make a difference in their lives.”

Also present during the event were FLI executives Michael Gotianun and HRAD vice president Danilo Salonga.

With its corporate vision of fulfilling the Filipino dream, FLI strives to make a difference in the lives of Pinoys by undertaking projects and activities that help alleviate the socio-economic conditions of the less fortunate community. The Christmas bash for Hospicio was just one of its many outreach projects.

Filinvest Land Inc. executive Michael Gotianun with Hospicio de San Jose administration head Sister Socorro Evidente

In 2008, FLI also threw a Christmas party for orphans at the Bethany House of Sto. Niño Orphanage in Bulacan. To coincide with its 50th year celebration in 2005, Filinvest also staged its “Run for a Child” program, a charity run where participants pledged support to send a child to school for an entire school year. The fun run raised P2.8 million for the education of children in elementary and high school.

The following year, FLI organized another fun run to raise funds for the needy scholars of the Educational Research & Development Assistance foundation (ERDA). The event raised P5 million for ERDA, a CSR partner of FLI for the past 25 years. Founded in 1974 by Fr. Pierre Tritz, ERDA sends disadvantaged children to pre-school and technical-vocational high school. It provides scholarships for college students and gives livelihood and skills training as well as shelter for the homeless and scavenging children.

In cooperation with local barangays in the area and the Muntinlupa government, FLI has also continuously maintained pre-schools and ERDA learning centers in Muntinlupa. The Filinvest Corporate City Foundation also supports Muntinlupa ERDA scholars’ needs like books, school materials, uniforms, transportation, and other miscellaneous expenses. 

Filinvest also spearheaded the building of the Gotianun Learning Center in Sabana, Manila. The center equips former Tondo scavengers with livelihood skills and provides projects that can help support them in the future.

In 2009, FLI also distributed relief goods to victims of Ondoy. They also cleaned up and provided material assistance to hard-hit areas throughout Metro Manila. Some 10,000 families in Bagong Silangan in QC; San Mateo, Rizal; Alabang Ilaya, Muntinlupa; Cupang, Marikina City; and evacuation center at Alabang Elementary School received P20 million worth of food, medicine and clothing materials from FLI employees.

FLI’s vision of fulfilling the Filipino dream does not only mean providing the best homes for Filipino families. The company’s community outreach programs address the plight of the homeless, whether due to poverty, calamity or the out-of-school youth, with charity and fundraisers for their livelihood training and education. 

“Our company remains true to its commitment of building the kind of homes that Filipino families need,” Yap says, “but more than that, we also make it a point to see to it that we’re also able to help enrich lives of people in the community they are in. After all, this is still at the very core of Filinvest’s vision of helping build the Filipino dream.”