McDonald's also wants to feed hungry minds

MANILA, Philippines - “Working hard” is tops on George Yang’s personal list of must-dos.Another one that follows it is “giving back.”

 Success is measured not only by how much you have accumulated, but by how much you have given back.George certainly finds fulfillment in sharing his success with the community that helped him reap it.He calls it compassion.

“Whatever charitable thing you’re doing, that’s compassion. Helping people is compassion,’” he says.

Foremost of the charities he personally supports is the umbrella foundation called the Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC), a global initiative for the welfare of children adapted by the international McDonald’s community.In the Philippines, it began by providing help to children afflicted with leukemia and who needed financial help.He expanded it by giving educational support as well to the underprivileged.

Two businessmen with a voice: “George got a louder applause than I did! That’s when the performing bug really bit!” said Jose Mari Chan.

“Education is the basic foundation for a healthy citizenry, a healthy country.You see developing countries moving fast because they pay attention to education,” he adds. He steered his foundation’s efforts towards primary education, where children are supposed to learn the basic components of literacy: reading, writing, comprehension. Thus the Bright Minds Read (BMR) program was created, in response to a Department of Education survey that four out of 10 first graders who attend public school cannot read. BMR develops effective methods of storytelling and imparts more efficient skills to teachers. The BMR’s goal is to make every child a reader.

In 2002, BMR pilot tests in 14 public schools in 14 municipalities reached 4,200 pupils and reduced the rate of non-readers from 40 percent to only four percent by the end of the school year. Today, BMR is currently adopted in over 3,700 public schools nationwide, with a coverage target of 37,000 public schools.

While improving the state of our education is a daunting task, putting a child through school, as George Yang puts it, is its own reward.

George, the music patron, performing with his Klassikal Music Foundation scholars: “Someone gave me a small gift for me to enjoy in my old age. So, I’m giving back in my own little way.”  Photos by JOVEN CAGANDE