ONE young boy was busy receiving fares and giving out change for his jeepney-driver father plying the Pasong Tamo Street (now Chino Roces)-PRC route. One time, his father asked him if he wanted to study at Don Bosco College. He said yes, but at the back of his mind, he knew it was impossible, because they didn’t have the money to pay for his schooling in a private school.
But as fate would have it, he, along with other youngsters in the Don Bosco area. were invited for catechism classes and asked by the school chaplain if they wanted to study in the esteemed school. He readily said yes and, soon after, he joined the school as a teacher—a way of saying “thank you” to the school and to his sponsor, whom he never met or had the chance to know to this day.
For 30 years now, Arman Marquez, currently the external relations officer of Don Bosco Makati, spends his time and expertise helping shape the future of the country’s underprivileged youth.
Marquez shared his inspiring story during the awarding ceremony of 2016 Panasonic Asian Scholarship Program, where 22 young students from Don Bosco Makati, Mandaluyong and Canlubang received their certificates from Panasonic Manufacturing Philippines Corp. (PMPC).
He encouraged them to study hard and never waste the opportunity given to them by the Japanese firm.
The scholarship program is one of the citizenship activities of Panasonic aiming to help resolve various social challenges in the world executed along with the basic thought, “A Better Life, A Better World.”
Under such basic thought, Rika Fukuda, general manager of the corporate social responsibility (CSR) and citizenship department of Panasonic Corp. (Japan), said, “We have focused our activities on ‘environment and energy’ and supporting the development of next generations.”
“Consequently, the Panasonic Scholarship Program in the Philippines was also established under that thought, as a way to express its appreciation to society and to foster the development of highly educated experts who can contribute to the progress of society,” she said.
Panasonic Corp. was established in Japan in 1918, when Konusuke Matsushita, the founder of the company, started a small workshop to make an improved attachment plug.
Today it has become one of the most comprehensive manufacturers in the world and is set to celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2018.
“This program actually traces its very objective from our belief that Panasonic exists as a ‘public entity,’ and it recognizes its role as a corporate citizen. This means our company’s existence is not just for financial gain, but also to help create a healthy and sound society,” said Shinichi Hayashi, PMPC president and chairman of Panasonic Scholarship (Vocational Program).
“In the Philippines this localized program is committed to serve as a platform in cultivating new breed of leaders. This includes providing promising students—carefully selected—the opportunity to complete either an undergraduate or vocational course, and become dynamic assets of the industry, in particular, and of the society, in general,” he said.
Lorenz Magsingit, HR-Training and CorCom of Panasonic Philippines, said the students themselves would be receiving a good sum of money monthly, which they could use in all their school-related expenses, such as fare, uniform, books, materials and even help out their parents for other “expenses at home.”
“Most of the students—ranging from 17 to 23 years of age—come from impoverished families who hardly make both ends meet. One of them does scavenging, many work on menial jobs, such as tricyle driver or construction helper, some were either orphaned or abandoned by their parents, so they really need the money to help them all throughout their 10 months of schooling and five months of training,” Magsingit said.
The scholars are currently enrolled in various courses, such as fitter machinist, mechatronics servicing, ref and air-conditioning mechanic, electrical installation and maintenance, and electro mechanical technology.