‘Called to Rescue’
dad and ran away. He died in his daughter’s arms who was crying. There were no security guards in the facility, only a manong (caretaker).”
“The work starts after the rescue,” continues Anthony. “Because how do you help this girl? That’s the tough part. So, we work with lawyers.
Justice is part of the healing process. You can have all the counselors and psychologists that you want, but if the kids see that the person has gotten away with it, mahihirapan yung healing.”
Anthony says the victims are mostly female, from infants to teenagers. But some victims are mothers who fall into the trap, I kid thee not!
Anthony says one victim, a mother, would suddenly excuse herself from the dinner table, go to the den and do her online “exposure.”
Called to Rescue is coming out with a short film next week to raise awareness about human trafficking and the damage it does to body and soul of children who may be emotionally stunted by their trauma. The message of the short film that will debut next week, according to Anthony, is, “Journey with people through the healing process. And you don’t have to be the rescuer, you don’t have to have a gun. You just walk with “I headed the PLDT-Smart Foundation, once. And MVP (tycoon Manny V. Pangilinan) had the heart for helping kids in conflict with the law. In my time, PLDT-Smart gave P40 million through DLSU in Dasmariñas to build Bahay Pag-Asa. And just seeing a child through the process of being rescued, and then seeing him transform? MVP told me, ‘Anthony, for one child, we will do this. Even just for one, we will do this.’ And Donny, because I was doing this, was present at the groundbreaking. He was probably eight or nine years old. And then he got to know the boys. And through the years, he’s been going back there, playing basketball with the boys, because we love basketball. The pandemic disrupted his visits somewhat, but bumabalik-balik siya doon, taun-taon, because he has a relationship with the boys. For me, I’ve learned a lot,” explains Anthony.
Donny was recently honored by PeopleAsia magazine as one of its “Men Who Matter.” During the awards rites, he thanked his mother Maricel, “the strongest woman I know,” and his father Anthony. “Thank you for being one of the biggest reasons why I am the man I am today,” he said of his father.
“It’s such an honor to be in a room full of significant men,” added Donny, the other half of the “DonBelle” love team (with Belle Mariano), which has been touted as the, “New Gen Phenomenal Love Team.” Which makes Donny’s dedication to Called to Rescue even more admirable.
“I believe men who matter — matter, because they continuously do what makes them passionate every day,” Donny said, adding, “And with everything, I would like to say that everyone here, I hope we’re just not remembered as men who mattered in one point in history, but men who continue to matter as they do their Godgiven talents every single day, and leave a legacy of impact in their own specific worlds.”
“One act of reporting can change a person’s life,” concludes Anthony. (You may reach the Called to Rescue hotline at 09175410287 or send a direct message to its social media channels on Facebook and Instagram.)