THE Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (Rafi) unfolds a new chapter of history following the announcement by its chairman of the board Mikel Alberto Aboitiz on the change of leadership, with Amaya Cristina Aboitiz-Fansler as Rafi’s new president and chief executive officer after the retirement of Dominica Chua, effective Jan. 2, 2021.
Chua, who joined Rafi in 1975, has continuously helmed the organization and been a prime mover of community development, with her full range involvement in the foundation’s activities. She will serve as a member of the board of trustees and assume the role of senior consultant and adviser to the entire enterprise.
“It has been four wonderful decades of transforming the lives of people and communities. I would like to sincerely thank you for your support to me and the foundation in this remarkable and eventful journey,” said Chua.
Assuring its partners that she will not leave the foundation dear to her without a worthy successor, Chua added: “Taking on my role is Amaya, the eldest daughter of the late Roberto Aboitiz. The work of the foundation is close to her heart, through her involvement—both working on the field and as a member of the board of trustees. I am sure that she will continue and nurture the relationship that Rafi has established with our partners and network of stakeholders.”
Aboitiz-Fansler has been a part of the organization as the executive director of the Rafi Dolores S. Aboitiz Children’s Fund in 2011, and then became one of the members of the board of trustees and program champion of the Rafi Education Development Unit and Center for Leaders.
With her new role in the foundation, she will continue the legacy and carry forward the mission, consistently touching people and shaping the future.
Despite the challenges brought by the Covid-19 pandemic that led the foundation to shift its working dynamics, Mikel Aboitiz remarked that Rafi retains its resilient culture with most of its programs continuously achieving several significant milestones.
“I noted that we made a tremendous difference in the lives of the people we reached in our regular programs and in the humanitarian response we did for Covid-19 affected families and communities. Most notably, we recognized the value of shifting to digital platforms not only to improve our reach but also to enhance our effectiveness in the delivery of our programs and services,” said Aboitiz.
Aboitiz-Fansler also expresses her gratitude to the Rafi employees who have lived up to becoming a Hero (hopeful, empowered, resilient and optimistic) even in this crucial time.
“As I (re)join Rafi, I have spent some time reflecting on who we are. I am inspired by our history, our growth, and our mission to be Architects of Change. We are here for the people we work with—the nanays, teachers, students, budding leaders, advocates, communities—and that our role is to reach out, work with, listen to, empower them, bring people together to find ways to make their own lives better,” shared Aboitiz-Fansler, in her new year’s message. (PR)