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THE ABS-CBN FOUNDATION, INC.
WHO WE ARE
The ABS-CBN Foundation, US, was organized in California in 1997 to
provide support for the outreach and shelter programs of children
and women, primarily in the Philippines. The Foundation provides the
Filipinos in North America with a valuable link to the traditions,
values and customs of the home country and a venue for these émigrés
to give back to the country that nurtured them. The Foundation
allows the Filipino immigrant and his family to participate in the
development of his country through participation in the Foundation’s
developmental programs. The Foundation helps provide meaningful
integration of past life in the Philippines and current life outside
the country.
It is the Foundation’s good fortune to be associated with a major
player in the ethnic broadcasting community in the US, The Filipino
Channel, which shares its orientation and vision, a rare advantage
for a nonprofit organization like ours.
The Foundation office is located in Burlingame, California. It is
registered as a 501 (c) (3) charitable organization under IRS rules;
therefore, all donations to the Foundation are fully tax deductible.
WHAT WE DO
- Disseminate information on the plight of disadvantaged women and
children in the Philippines
- Solicit funds and other forms of assistance to promote the
rehabilitation of abused and other disadvantaged children in the
Philippines
- Harness the power of media to strengthen societal values and
achieve academic excellence in Filipino children
OUR SERVICE
The Foundation’s commitment is personal, its service individual. It
views development through the eyes of each child, each person, that
it assists. It has a face for every dollar it receives. The child is
the reason for the existence of the Foundation; it is the child that
we provide service to.
HISTORICAL LINK.
ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation, a media company in the
Philippines, established the Philippine foundation in 1989 as its
socio-civic arm in serving the Filipino. The Foundation was born out
of the moving experiences from two successful public service
television programs – Lingkod Bayan and Bahay Kalinga. Using the
power of television to move people to action, the programs generated
welfare funds for those in dire need of medical assistance. The
Foundation’s resolve was tested early on by the disastrous Luzon
earthquake of July, 1990 which leveled Baguio and seriously affected
the provinces of Tarlac, Pangasinan and La Union.
In 1993, ABS-CBN Broadcasting went global and established a foothold
in North America with the opening of The Filipino Channel. Four
years later, an independent ABS-CBN Foundation, Inc, US, was
organized, with management and operations completely separate from
the media company as well as from the Philippine based foundation.
However, all are bound by their shared vision of service to the
Filipino and commitment to realizing the best of what is Filipino.
OUR PROGRAMS
Bantay Bata 163
This is a 24/7 hotline which provides telephone counseling and
referral of reported cases of child abuse. More importantly, it
provides rescue services in response to crisis situations, with
local government and police assistance. Trained social workers field
about 5,000 every day, with almost 1.3 % of these calls
necessitating attention.
Every month, an average of 170 sick and less fortunate children come
to Bantay Bata in need of urgent medical help. Bantay Bata’s Medical
Assistance Fund, which is reserved for desperate cases, has been
able to help more than 3,059 children in the past 3 years.
Bantay Bata also facilitates access to legal authorities. Volunteer
lawyers hold free legal counseling on child abuse issues for
indigent clients. Corollary to this service is an extensive child’s
rights awareness campaign, which includes (1) outreach programs in
local communities to facilitate discussion on critical issues
surrounding children; and (2) home visitation programs, wherein
social workers visit abused children at home to monitor their
progress and to provide counseling and education to parents.
Bantay Bata operates the Children’s Crisis Center, which provides
temporary shelter to rescued children before their cases are
resolved legally. Children are provided with therapy and educational
opportunities before they are reunited with their families or
referred to proper child caring agencies.
Bantay Bata is in the process of completing a Children’s Village to
house the children who opt to remain with the Foundation rather than
be reunited with their families. The Village is located in the rural
clime of Norzagaray, Bulacan, and is especially designed to be a
haven for children to heal and embrace life once more.
The Foundation also educates the children under its care in the hope
that this training will prepare the children for a better future.
Educational TV (ETV)
Harnessing the power of media to promote the Filipino child’s
excellence in both academic and societal value fields is the
motivation for ETV.
Results from the 1999 Third International Mathematics and Science
Study of 8th grade math and science learning in 38 countries ranked
the Philippines in the bottom 3 countries. This low achievement is
understandable, given the documented lack of educational access for
poor and marginalized families, with public educational investment
favoring high income groups. Gross enrollment, completion,
graduation and retention rates are also below acceptable levels.
Teacher competency and quality are also below standards.
The Foundation response has been to partner with the Department of
Education to produce supplemental multi-media products promoting
science and math learning, in line with the government’s core
curriculum under the Philippine Education Learning Competencies or
PELC.
Educational television shows resulting from this partnership are
Sineskwela (literally movie school), Math Tinik, Hirayamanawari and
Bayani. These shows provide a common experience for all students,
stimulate interest and imagination, demonstrate abstract ideas and
equalize educational opportunities.
These on-air shows have been transferred to tapes and DVDs to
enhance its reach to remote and inaccessible areas around the
country.
A mid-life assessment of the program by Dr. Milagros Ibe, Director
of the University of the Philippines National Institute of Science
and Math Education, showed as much as a 23% differential between
those exposed to the science series and those who were not part of
the program. It was found that pupils in Grade 2 and 3 who watched
the Science program absorbed twice as much of the science concepts
than those who were not exposed to the shows. Interestingly,
understanding of the concepts in Filipino appeared to facilitate
transfer of learning to English.
The values formation series, Hirayamanawari and the cultural history
series, Bayani, stimulated students’ imagination and critical
thinking skills. An unintended benefit of the program, as reported
by the Apayao school district, with its challenging mountain
geography, is a drastic reduction in absenteeism and truancy.
Playground and classroom behavioral changes have been reported by
teachers as a result of the series.
OUR FUNDING
The Foundation relies heavily on the general public’s support. It
benefits from personal fund-raising events organized by Filipino
associations and families who are moved by the cases handled by the
Foundation.
The Foundation is part of United Way, the Consolidated Federal
Campaign and several other workplace giving programs nationwide.
Corporate and foundation support are most welcome.
DONATIONS
Please send your tax deductible donation to:
ABS-CBN Foundation, Inc.
859 Cowan Road
Burlingame, CA 94010
Checks, cash and credit cards are accepted.
CONTACT
Mail or visit: ABS-CBN Foundation, Inc.
859 Cowan Road
Burlingame, CA 94010
Telephone: (800) 527-2820
Staff: Lisa Cabahug
Executive Director
(650) 652-6660
lcabahug@abs-cbni.com
Teta Marcelo
Donor Relations Coordinator
(650) 652-6921
Mrs. Teresita Marcelo@abs-cbni.com
Yoly Samano
Finance and Administrative Coordinator
(650) 652-6689
ysamano@abs-cbni.com
Visit
the Bantay Bata site
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