Present during the turnover of the Bikes for Livelihood in La Union are, from left: Smart Assistant Vice President and Head of Government Relations Jose Lukban Rosete; Sangguniang Panlalawigan ng La Union Board Member Joy Ortega; PLDT Stakeholder Management Digital Wellness Executive Katherine P. Diaz De Rivera; Smart Assistant Vice President and Head of Stakeholder Management Team Stephanie V. Orlino; PLDT and Smart First Vice President and Head of Corporate Communications Cathy Yang; PLDT-Smart Foundation President Esther O. Santos; Donate A Bike, Save A Job Founder Gretchen Ho; Provincial Governor of La Union Rafy Ortega-David; DOT-1 Regional Director Jeff Ortega; San Fernando, La Union Vice Mayor Alfredo Ortega; and Ed Ortega.
PLDT and Smart, together with the PLDT-Smart Foundation (PSF), have partnered with Donate A Bike, Save A Job Founder Gretchen Ho by providing Bikes for Livelihood to the Province of La Union.
Bikes for Livelihood started in 2021 with the support of MVP Group Chairman Manuel V Pangilinan, who provided 500 bicycles to Donate A Bike, Save A Job which aims to deploy bicycles to essential and frontline workers amid the pandemic.
Donate A Bike, Save A Job Founder Gretchen Ho talks with one of the beneficiaries of the bicycles.
PSF has also been actively supporting the initiative and has since turned over bicycles to a number of local government units. “We believe in the extraordinary ways that we can help other people. Our Chairman MVP has inspired us to give back to communities and provide help to those most in need,” said PSF President Esther Santos.
“These bicycles are a sustainable way for us to provide help. When we ride our bicycles, it allows us to travel and commute safely going to and from work or school, or start our own livelihood like a small business of selling balut. We hope that this will go a long way for the people of La Union,” said Donate A Bike, Save A Job Founder Gretchen Ho.
“Our hyper-collaboration on livelihood was established at the height of the pandemic. It is a commitment that we, in PLDT and Smart, have made even during the most challenging times, which reinforces our determination in pursuing this partnership. It is our aim to uplift the lives of our fellow Filipinos who have lost their jobs amid the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Cathy Yang, PLDT and Smart First Vice President and Head of Corporate Communications.
In photo are some of the beneficiaries of the Bikes for Livelihood in La Union.
“These ‘Joyful Bikes’ serve as a reminder for the people of La Union that there is hope amid life’s difficulties. We are grateful for the generosity of our partners as these bikes will greatly help our community and bring a sense of comfort into their lives,” said Joy Ortega, Sangguniang Panlalawigan of La Union Board Member.
Promoting livelihood programs is a key part of PLDT and Smart’s commitment to help the Philippines attain the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG), particularly UNSDG 1 which stands for no poverty and UNSDG 8, decent work and economic growth.
