MANILA, Philippines - A sage once said that to leave a lasting legacy to humanity, one must either procreate, plant a tree, or write a book. The current president of Friends for Cultural Concerns of the Philippines (FCCP), Araceli “Nene†Santos Leonor, has managed to do most of these.
For one, she is a doting mother to ten lovely grandchildren. For the love of Mother Nature and as members of different charitable institutions, she and her husband Domingo “Jun†Leonor have planted many trees. For posterity, she stands by her social advocacies and continues to build her legacy as the president of FCCP.
“FCCP is non-stock and non-profit organization with a vision to help uplift and animate the culture and art scene of the country,†says Nene. It was first put up in 1979 following the controversial establishment of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) by former First Lady Imelda Marcos in 1969.
When audiences at the performances of CCP started to peter out, a group of ladies took it upon themselves to put up FCCP (then known as Friends of the Cultural Center of the Philippines). Their goal was to foster the members’ sense of social responsibility, promote arts and culture in the country, and support all initiatives beyond the confines of CCP.
Annually from 1981 up to the present term of Nene, FCCP has held successful fundraising projects. One of which is “Fashion With A Vision,†which featured the FCCP ladies and gentlemen and their children as models. Creations of the country’s top designers using local and indigenous fibers were showcased.
Like in the past years, proceeds of the organization’s huge fundraisers during her term went into the artistic and cultural projects of FCCP. This includes, among others, the annual support earmarked for the scholars from the College of Music and College of Fine Arts of the University of the Philippines, the College of Fine Arts of the University of the East, and the Cultural Groups of Far Eastern University’s President Committee on Culture.
President Nene Leonor, with great pride, more than extolled the admirable creative synergy of its officers and members as well as the continuing support of the past administrations — including benefactors like ABS-CBN President Charo Santos-Concio as media partner — in helping the organization measure up to the highest expectations possible and address the pressing need to develop and nurture the untapped talents of the Filipino youth.
“I hope that what FCCP stands for and its continuing advocacies will serve as inspiration to those who will lead it after us,†concludes Nene. The grand lady of charity with a little lump in her throat is more than happy to hand over the key to this year’s incoming and next FCCP president.
She and Jun, while comfortably ensconced in the foliage of their haven and high-born party place, vow to continue helping other causes that benefit and enrich another person’s life.
As the Swedish philosopher Emanuel Swedenborg said, “People who work for charities rarely do so for money, glamour or prestige. More often, they care deeply about a social issue and work hard to make a difference in the world.†That’s them — most beloved and socially-conscious couple of high society Nene and Jun Leonor.