MANILA, APRIL 1, 2013 – It all started with a story where children had to swim or wade through bodies of water just to get to school in the mangrove village of Layag-Layag in Zamboanga City. The story may be considered a norm in most impoverished areas in the Philippines but it moved Jay Jaboneta to build the Philippine Funds for Little Kids (popularly known as the Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation) in 2011.
Jaboneta, a former campaign manager of lawyer-author-philanthropist Alex Lacson in the 2010 elections, with the help of Anton Lim, a veterinarian, businessman, humanitarian and a frequent speaker, saw through the completion of the Yellow Boat Project’s first boat on March 27, 2011.
Two years later, the same compassion still serves as the propeller to complete another boat at Kinablangan, Davao Oriental. The boat, known as boat no. 3, was done in partnership with Smart Talk n’ Text along with Canon Philippines and Tate Publishing. Unveiled to 4,909 supporters on Facebook, the boat is one of the 50 Yellow Boats of Hope that will serve the Typhoon Pablo ravaged area. According to the foundation, the boat will not only bring the high school kids to school but will help in the livelihood of the parents.
In an article written by Jaboneta for the Huffington Post dated March 2, 2012, he said, “The Yellow Boat Project became more than just a dream to help these kids get to school safe and dry – it has become a national movement dedicated at helping communities become empowered agents of economic and social change.”
But according to him, the real heroes in the story are still the kids who “brave the waters just to get to school. Whether by boat or by swimming to school, they have conquered the challenges of water and distance”. The boat serves as a symbol that serves as a vehicle for knowledge and learning.
With over 150 yellow boats in one year, the Yellow Boat will be here to stay, helping improve the lives of many.
For more information, please visit: www.yellowboat.org
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