JTC GROUP of Companies, franchisee of known fast food brands Jollibee and Chowking, has once again made true to its promise to help the disadvantaged through its annual gift-giving to one of its recipients.
This year, JTC, through its chief executive officer Dr. Jaime T. Cruz and his wife JTC vice president for Treasury Ricci Cruz, decided to channel their aid through the House of Hope Foundation to help the children with cancer in their treatment.
JTC, in coordination with Security Bank through its representative Jason Ang, Visayas-Mindanao head, handed over a check amounting to P100,000 to Dr. Mae Concepcion Dolendo, founder and program director of House of Hope Foundation for Kids with Cancer during the turnover ceremony held last February 5, 2020 at the foundation's lobby.
"Kining House of Hope is malapit sa aming mag-asawa since just like us, mga parents may mga anak din kami, gusto namin lahat mga anak maging healthy," Cruz said during the event.
He said he is thankful that together with Security Bank they were able to secure P100,000 to donate to the foundation and he hopes that the amount will go a long way in helping the children with cancer, either in their educational or medical needs.
"I promised Dr. Mae that this will not be the last time (helping the foundation)," the Dabawenyo head of JTC added.
Meanwhile, Ang also expressed his gratitude for the JTC Group of Companies for partnering with them in donating cash to a foundation that serves wholeheartedly.
"I'm really very impressed of the service of Dr. Dolendo heading this, it's really a service without anything in return... and we hope we continue to be a channel of blessing to other, we can help more people, especially that mga iba na hindi pa nakakaalam may we continue to spread this na there's really an "in" thing here, and I'm really shocked that first ito (House of Hope for Kids with Cancer) sa whole Philippines and it's in Davao," Ang said.
He also vowed to communicate with their head office on their plan of future donation to the foundation, especially in the education aspect of the children housed in the foundation.
Dr. Dolendo thanked the donors as they not only gave money to the foundation but their precious time to be with them to help in their advocacy for the pediatric cancer patients.
Prior to the turnover ceremony in an interview, Dolendo said they can use the donation in anything that may be lacking in the cancer treatment procedure of the patients in the long run.
"Ang House of Hope ang ginagawa namin is we ensure na ang mga pasyente namin hindi sila talaga makulangan whether in terms of medicines or diagnostics, so ang ginagawa namin is kung ano ang kulang, like for example maubusan ng stocks ang hospital, so once maubusan we stepped into the gap," she said on the purpose of the financial donation.
However, she welcomes any kind of donation from anyone, whether it's their time, equipment or medicines, skills or talents because these are precious to the foundation.
Ciger Sario, managing director of JTC, also revealed that the company has been donating to the foundation previously Jollibee food packs for the children housed at the foundation, and it will be done continuously especially that the JTC CEO himself vowed to hold their annual Christmas Party at the foundation staring this year.
Also present during the cash donation turnover ceremony were Bryan Orozco, Security Bank senior manager; Dr. Ricardo Audan, Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) officer in charge; Josephine Mitaran, officer in charge of SPMC Desk Lingap-Malasakit Center, and Richard Orillanida, group manager – JTC Group of Companies, together with the children housed at the foundation and their caregivers.