Steadfast in its commitment to education and community development, the J. Amado Araneta Foundation (JAAF) granted educational assistance to 79 high school and college students recently at the Gateway Gallery in the Gateway Tower Mall.
In a celebration attended by Araneta Center officials led by Judy Araneta-Roxas, Vice Chairman of the Araneta Group, the student beneficiaries of JAAF’s “Dare to Dream” project received P40,000 in scholarship assistance.
Aside from actively helping partner organizations in the education of worthy students, JAAF in 2017 came up with the Dare to Dream project, its own scholarship program that aims to help financially-challenged employees of Araneta Group send their academically-excellent children to school.
“We recognize that the strength and future of the Araneta Group – even the J. Amado Araneta Foundation, largely depends on its employees,” said Christine Diane Romero, JAAF’s executive director. “The program aims to empower the Araneta workforce and foster the ‘Araneta culture’ of excellence, integrity, loyalty and pride.”
From close to 200 applicants, 79 students were chosen based on their academic performance, extra-curricular and community involvement, their household’s financial capability and the Araneta Group employee’s tenure in the company.
Last year’s pioneer batch had 69 grant recipients, with four of them being able to graduate from their studies through the financial aid.
“The assistance given by the foundation was beyond its monetary value. It gave us emotional and mental relief. It supplied fuel to my goal to graduate and it also gave my parents some relief from financial difficulties. With the assistance I received, I was able to focus on my studies and was able to graduate on time,” said Nicole Llaguno, one of Dare to Dream’s beneficiaries last year.
During the celebration, JAAF also extolled its partnership with the Gerry Roxas Foundation, Caritas Manila, HERO Foundation, Saint Martin de Porres Center and San Jose Seminary.
In June, with the help of 150 volunteer rowers, JAAF and the Araneta Center Inc. donated P120,000 to HERO Foundation through the corporate social responsibility project “We Row For HERO” held at the Gateway Mall. The financial aid will help send children of fallen soldiers to school.
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