It was to fulfill a commitment and keep a promise. Margot Torres, the Overall Chair of the 21st PAC, trooped to Baguio City to turnover 100% of the proceeds of the Araw Awards night to the City of Baguio Red Cross Chapter.
In recent ceremonies held at the Sangguniang Panglungsod hosting at the Baguio City Hall, the AdBoard-21st PAC donated the amount of P1.3million to the Baguio Chapter of the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC). During the turnover, Torres spoke of the sorrow felt when the AdCon had to transfer to Subic.
“Nasaktan din po kami.” (We were also saddened.) We all knew that Baguio was ready to take us. But surrounding provinces could not commit to have their roads ready.”
Torres also revealed how, in the wake of the disaster, the Baguio Mayor hounded the AdCon. “ He fought hard for your city. But [he] realized that provinces couldn’t commit. He was truly magnanimous. [And] for the first time, we were hosted by two cities, Baguio and Subic.
“But in the words of General MacArthur, I shall return,” Torres added.
According to Torres, the City of Baguio will also receive a donation of a new ambulance from the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority.
During talks at the ceremonies, Torres also learned that Baguio City PNRC Head Erding Ballajadia, will use the donation to fund a refrigeration center for the Blood Bank. This is in line with the transformation of the Baguio Red Cross to a regional center for the Blood Bank.
Given the chance to introduce Brand Aid, Torres enlightened the City with Project Ahon and its fund-raising efforts for PNRC to build houses for typhoon victims to help them move on.
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In turn, Baguio City Mayor Peter Rey Bautista Jr. expressed his thanks to Torres and the AdBoard, as well as his intentions to sit down with Philippine Daily Inquirer president Sandy Prieto-Romualdez, the in-coming Overall AdCon Chair, to “hopefully force the issue that they should return to Baguio.”
