As Rothlie Khy Vidal prepares for work each day, the Negros Polymedic Hospital nurse reminds herself that despite the country’s struggle against the COVID-19 pandemic, every day is a new blessing and a new beginning that gives us hope.
Rothlie is the only daughter of Sgt. Rolly Vidal, who was killed in action when she was only three years old. She became a Hero Foundation scholar in 2012, and with the help of the foundation and its donors, she graduated from her BS Nursing course at the Saint Paul University Dumaguete in 2019 and is now a medical frontliner.
As part of Ayala Land Inc.’s continued support for the Hero Foundation and its scholars, the company turned over its annual donation of P2.5 million in cash as well as 600 COVID-19 vaccine doses to the foundation in connection with its Alagang AyalaLand program.
Under the united effort of ALI’s Alagang AyalaLand and #BrigadangAyala, vaccine doses will be offered to 300 Hero Foundation scholars through the Ayala vaccination and immunization program. A scholar who is 18 years old and above or one adult member of his or her immediate family may avail of a free COVID-19 vaccine.
The Hero Foundation, which ALI has supported since its inception in 1988, is a non-profit organization that provides educational assistance to children of Filipino soldiers killed in action or totally incapacitated while in the line of duty. The educational stipend from the foundation helps augment their resources, allowing the children to finish their schooling and pay for other school-related expenses, such as uniforms, meals, transportation, and school supplies.
Through the years, ALI has sustained its support for the Hero Foundation by providing annual monetary donations, and more importantly, by encouraging employee volunteers and other companies as well to share their time and talent with the orphans. Aside from these, ALI also offers internship and employment opportunities to the foundation’s scholars at various Ayala Land companies and makes HERO donation boxes available at Ayala Malls nationwide.
ALI’s commitment has helped advance Hero Foundation’s mission of providing educational subsidies, tuition fees, books and other miscellaneous support to military orphans. The foundation, with the help of its corporate and individual donors in the private sector, has supported and served 2,702 orphan scholars since 1988.
“We hope to make a difference in the lives of the children of our soldiers through HERO Foundation, and will strive to further contribute to its mission of providing scholars with educational support as well as job opportunities when they graduate from school,” said ALI president and chief executive Bernard Vincent Dy.
Alagang AyalaLand is a broad community engagement program organized by the company to support COVID-19 response efforts, promote disaster preparedness and create livelihood through social enterprises. It has recently offered support to local government efforts towards the efficient roll-out of the vaccination program in the country. Its various developments, such as Ayala Malls Manila Bay, Circuit Makati, and South Park Center, among others, were utilized as vaccination centers by their LGUs, in collaboration with the COVID-19 Inter-Agency Task Force and the Department of Health.
#BrigadangAyala is Ayala Group’s united contribution to serving people and communities nationwide. It is Ayala Group’s integrated response to its almost two century-old commitment to national development by doing various social development and corporate social responsibility initiatives—ranging from disaster relief and response, assistance for public education, championing of social enterprises and public health advocacy, among others.
