First Alllights Village Charity Dinner hosted by

First Alllights Village Charity Dinner hosted by Cardinal Rosales raised 1M

Hosted by His Eminence Gaudencio B. Cardinal Rosales, Archbishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Manila, the first Alllights Village Charity Dinner assembled several public officials, representatives of business corporations, Korean donors and GPFF partners, and collected 1,023,000 PhP (25,259 USD) in order to energize remote and deprived communities in the Philippines.

His Eminence Cardinal Rosales commended GPFF partners and all donors for their generous support in the first Alllights Village Charity Dinner

Top: Manila Bulletin features Alllights Village Charity dinner on their front page. Bottom: Consul of Korean Embassy to the Philippines receives plaque of recognition.

“In the past, our Korean friends have been helping us establish the first villages. We believe that now is the time for us, as Filipinos, to show our ownership,” he added.

The Alllights Village Project (AVP) aims to reduce illiteracy and improve the quality of life of Filipinos living in communities without electricity. An initiative of GPFF Korea headed by Mr. David Yoo, AVP provides portable lamps and street lamps that are solar-charged while building model villages embodying the vision of “one family under God”.

Project patron Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales commended GPFF partners and all advocates of the Alllights Villages who invested effort, time and money for the project to expand. He also challenged solar technology manufacturers to create a “solar stove” that will address the increasing cost of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) used for cooking at the same time minimizing the cutting down of trees for fuel-wood. “If we can provide heat to the people, especially to the people in far areas, to those who are living in the mountains or islands, we can also provide food,” the Cardinal shared.

Chairman of AVP, Dr. Primitivo Chua, thanked all the donors and encouraged them to advocate the cause to their friends and families. He particularly stressed the need to raise more awareness and involvement, pointing out that the project still has a “huge goal to fulfill in the Philippines alone”.

GPFF Philippines president Dr. Michael Zablan welcomed all the individual and group donors while GPFF Asia Pacific regional representative Mr. Jinsoo Kim gave the opening remarks. He cited how the expansion of Alllights Villages to Philippine communities can help contribute to national development by providing community-level infrastructure and opportunities on education and livelihood.

Among the individual donors for the first Alllights Village Charity Dinner are: Philippine Senate President Juan Ponce-Enrile; Congresswoman Ma. Amelita Calimbas-Villarosa; Congresswoman Ma. Theresa Bonoan-David; Senator Vicente C. Sotto III; Congresswoman Catalina Bagasina; Retired General Florencio Magsino; Congressman Karlo Alexei Nograles; Congressman and Filipino actress Lani Mercado-Revilla; Quezon City vice mayor Ma. Josefina Go-Belmonte; Chinese General Hospital president Dr. James Dy; Senator Pia Cayetano; Manila mayor Alfredo S. Lim; Valenzuela City mayor Sherwin Gatchalian; Congressman Dakila Carlo Cua; Congressman Juan Edgardo Angara; Congressman Arnulfo Go; Quezon City mayor Herbert Bautista; Makati City mayor Jejomar E. Binay Jr.; Congresswoman Emi Calixto Rubiano; Mrs. Mercedita Chico; Nueva Ecija governor Aurelio Umali; and, Red Cross treasurer and governor Leonida “Baby” Ortiz.

Foreign and local groups such as San Miguel Corporation, Bagong Henerasyon Partylist, Embassy of the Republic of Korea to the Philippines, Embassy of Sri Lanka to the Philippines, and, Metrobank Foundation, Inc. also donated to the cause.

Through these generous donations, the Alllights Village project in the Philippines will move faster in lighting up more homes and more villages while brightening the hopes and dreams of underprivileged Filipinos to achieving a better life through improvements in key areas of literacy, health condition, family income and budget, and environmental sustainability.

Delegates of the 10th Philippines and Korea Global Peace Leadership Exchange pose for a commemorative photo at the Alllights Village exhibit display after the Charity Dinner

GPFF media partners such as Presidential Communications Operations Office and Philippine Information Agency, DZEC Radio, DZXL Radio, DWAD Radio, Manila Bulletin, Business Mirror, PTV4 News, TV5 Broadcasting Network, and ABS-CBN News Channel also helped to promote Alllights Village prior to the event.

For more inquiries on Alllights Village Philippines or to know how you can help, contact +6326224415 or contactus@gpffoundation.org.ph.