The STAR goes back to its roots by giving back

MANILA, Philippines - On July 28, The Philippine STAR will be turning 28 years old.

After two golden decades, the broadsheet that has defied too many odds to come out on top remains a force to reckon with – influential, impartial, truthful and strong.

Above all, it stands proud as a proponent of social good.

This is why for its forthcoming 28th year, The STAR brushes aside the glittery spectacle of anniversaries and instead celebrates with all its partners by giving back.

Paying homage to the many enthusing stories that graced its pages in years past, The Philippine STAR launches #28StoriesOfGiving, a campaign that turns the spotlight on 28 inspiring stories of people and organizations – true-to-life accounts of individuals and groups who have devoted their lives to helping themselves or others; they are some of the unsung modern-day heroes worthy of recognition but also in need of assistance. These stories will run as a series from July 1 to the 28th, our first day of publication.

Though anchored on our print edition, this charitable venture will also leverage the power of social media in order to elicit participation from millions of Filipinos in online communities. Every netizen is encouraged to post or “tweet” a message of support for any of the 28 beneficiaries (whose heartrending narratives are to be featured on our front page) with the official hashtag, #28StoriesOfGiving.

For every Twitter and Facebook post, P5.00 will be added to The STAR’s existing ‘give back’ anniversary fund.

With our hunger to serve equaled only by our drive to succeed, The STAR has also vowed to donate a percentage of its July anniversary sales and to allocate a portion of every newspaper sale on our actual anniversary day.

The Philippine STAR expects to generate a total of P5 million from this month-long CSR effort.

In tomorrow’s issue, follow the story of OFW-turned-volunteer teacher Primitivo Lumibao, whose devotion to students helps change their lives forever.

This year’s anniversary commemoration may not have the pomp of the usual corporate festivities complete with proud anniversary slogans, but for The STAR, the absence of grandeur makes it more meaningful.

After all, serving the country and its people is not a duty, it’s The Philippine STAR’s passion. Indeed, it’s a good time to give back.

For comments and suggestions to #28storiesofgiving, email [email protected] follow @philippinestar on Twitter or visit The Philippine Star’s page on Facebook.