MANILA, Philippines - A woman whose daughter gave birth to a clef-lipped after she was abused, a father who braves the toughest conditions to deliver the day's paper and a man who quit his job abroad to teach poor students for next to nothing.
These are only a few of the moving stories of ordinary people told through The Philippine STAR's #28StoriesOfGiving, an anniversary series and a social media campaign aimed to give back.
To make the causes of the featured people and groups even more known, the top broadsheet opened an exhibit Wednesday night showcasing the 28 stories in one of the busiest shopping malls in the country, SM Megamall.
Read all the #28StoriesOfGiving here
Phones kept ringing and potential donors started knocking after the stories were published on the front pages of the STAR, representatives from the featured foundations said at the opening ceremony at the mall's Fashion Hall.
The STAR calls them "unsung modern-day heroes worthy of recognition but also in need of assistance."
For every tweet or social media post encouraging any of the 28 people and organizations while using the official hashtag, P5 is added to the newspaper's "give back" anniversary fund.
"Serving the country and its people is not a duty, it's the Philippine STAR's passion," the media outfit said.
Open from July 30 to August 6, the #28StoriesOfGiving exhibit is a testament that life is best lived when it's offered to others.