Transforming the Legacy of Light Village through strategic partnerships and basketball

MANILA, Philippines — Wisdom from corporate foundations suggests that rather than starting projects from scratch, it’s more efficient to partner with on-ground non-government or non-profit organizations that are already familiar with an area’s needs.

This was exactly how Sun Life Philippines and Sun Life Financial-Philippines Foundation adopted the Legacy of Light Village in Calauan, Laguna.

As Sun Life Philippines celebrated its 115th year in the Philippines more than a decade ago, it partnered with ABS-CBN Foundation in donating 115 houses to a community from esteros along Pasig River.

Together, they also equipped the resettlement area with amenities such as a children’s playground, learning center and a multipurpose court.

“Over the years, not only have we built homes and facilities, we have also transformed the community by providing livelihood and training opportunities as well as developing programs targeting the development of children and the youth,” said Alex Narciso, president of Sun Life Foundation.

Kristine Dianne Milllete, executive director of Sun Life Foundation, shared that Sun Life would visit the community every December to celebrate the Christmas season, during which one of the consistent wishes of the villagers was the installation of a fence around the basketball court, which serves as a venue for various events and gatherings.

Recently, the residents’ wish was finally granted, but the Legacy of Light Village basketball court got much more than a fence. It received fresh coats of paint, new hoops and rubber flooring, and most importantly, a sustainable training program for local coaches in the community.

This aims to enable local coaches to learn about nutrition, physical activity and protecting mental well-being. Afterwards, they will develop a basketball program to engage the youth in the community.

“Ang pagpapaayos ng multi-purpose covered court ay katuparan ng isang pangarap. Ito ay dream come true para sa amin. Ang hiling naming ay magkaroon lamang ng bakod ang aming court, ngunit higit pa ang aming natanggap. Napakalaking bagay po ito para sa amin,” said Wilma Vibar, president of Legacy of Light Village Homeowners Association.

On February 28, Sun Life executives, Beyond Sport representatives and Calauan residents graced the court’s inauguration event alongside Sun Life brand ambassador Donny Pangilinan.

“This is part of Sun Life Foundation’s ‘Hoops + Health’ program, a P40-million partnership with Beyond Sport, a global sport-for-social-change organization,” said Carla Gonzalez-Chong, chief client experience and marketing officer of Sun Life Philippines.

“We all know that the Philippines is a very basketball-loving country. Kahit sa maliliit na barangay, marami ang talagang naglalaro ng basketball. Dito po kami humugot ng inspirasyon.”

The whole program aims to leverage the power of basketball to encourage physical activity and promote healthier lifestyles by renovating basketball courts across Asia—starting with the Philippines.

Beyond mere physical renovation, this initiative represents Sun Life’s commitment to fostering healthier communities by improving access to physical activity.

The whole program builds on Sun Life’s 3x3 Charity Challenge, held in August 2023, which raised funds for capacity-building support, program development grants, and infrastructure revitalization projects, including the basketball court renovation in Calauan. 

Fred Turner, executive director of Beyond Sport, concluded: “Sport serves as a powerful instrument for positive social change. We are proud to partner with Sun Life on this impactful project, as we transformed this basketball court into a vibrant space where the youth can develop their skills and lead healthier lives.”