FFCCCII donates 700 public schools at induction with Pres. Duterte

Seven hundred new public schoolbuildings for poor rural areas nationwide were pledged as donations by the Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce & Industry, Inc. (FFCCCII) new 2019-2021 officers under its Operation Barrio Schools civic project. It was announced on Aug. 6 at the induction ceremony with Pres. Rodrigo Duterte at the Heroes Hall of Malacañang Palace. The 222 newly-elected officers of FFCCCII were led by president Dr. Henry Lim Bon Liong, who was also conferred by Pres. DU30 with the Order of Lakandula award.

The FFCCCII recently volunteered to donate P1.2 million for immediate and total rehabilitation of fishing banca damaged at the Recto Bank incident; also donating P250,000 livelihood assistance for 22 fishermen, and donating five public schools under the FFCCCII Operation Barrio Schools civic project for the fishermen’s hometown of San Jose in Occidental Mindoro province. Dr. Henry personally added a personal donation of 50 sacks of Doña Maria rice for the fishermen.

In his speech, Pres. DU30 also revealed that he is going to Fujian province, south of China, to inaugurate a building for foreign students at a major university and which is named in memory of his Chinese mestiza mother the late educator Soledad Roa Duterte.

Since 1961, FFCCCII’s Operation Schools philanthropic project has already donated 5,750 public school buildings nationwide from Filipino-Chinese entrepreneurs.

Before the induction of leaders of FFCCCII, a business and civic umbrella group comprised of over 170 chambers and industry organizations nationwide, Pres. DU30 conferred on its president — the philanthropist, industrialist and hybrid rice pioneer Dr. Henry Lim — the prestigious Order of Lakandula, one of the highest honors given by the Philippines to acknowledge civil and political merits, for having demonstrated dedication for the welfare of the society.

Some notable past recipients of the Order of Lakandula from the Philippine government included Spanish King Felipe VI, Japanese Emperor Akihito, former Senator Hillary Clinton, the late Roman Catholic Church leader Jaime Cardinal Sin, etc.

President Rodrigo Duterte, former Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez and Education Secretary Leonor Briones, FFCCCII president Henry Lim Bon Liong; honorary presidents Domingo Yap, Domingo Lee, Jimmy Tang, Robin Sy, Francis Chua, Tan Ching, Alfonso Siy and Angel Ngu; EVP Mary Go Ng; VPs Alex Yap Cho Ty, David Chua, William Gosiaco, Michael Tan, Victor Lim, Delfin Letran, Cecilio Pedro, George Chiu, William Yap Castro, Jeffrey Ng, Tai Lian and Jose Go; treasurer Leonardo Chua; auditor Antony Chan; and corporate secretary and secretary general Fernando Gan.