Ni REGGEE BONOAN

KAMAKAILAN lang inamin ni Shaina Magdayao na hinangad niyang magmadre noon dahil pakiramdam niya ay may calling siya para tumulong sa mga nangangailangan.

Hindi natuloy ang pagpasok niya sa kumbento pero nagtayo pa rin siya ng foundation “for kids, and eventually para sa lahat na rin,” sabi ng dalaga.

Umiiwas sana si Shaina na ipamalita ito kaya pamilya at non-showbiz friends lang ang dating nakakaalam. Pero sa pagkakataong ito, hindi na niya puwedeng itago sa media ang tungkol sa Smile Cares Foundation na katuwang niya sa pagpapatakbo ang Ginebra San Miguel player na si LA Tenorio.

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Hiningi nina Shaina at LA ang tulong ng Yes Pinoy Foundation ni Dingdong Dantes at ginanap ang pirmahan ng Memorandum of Agreement nila kamakailan.

“It’s the first time that I publicly announce the foundation, I’ve been helping na, ayokong magsabi pero years na rin, ‘yun na lang. All my works that I’ve been doing, I’m doing it with my non-showbiz group. Like when I had the Visayas run, kapag nalaman nila, they would openly give me donations hundreds of thousands, siguro alam nila na I used it properly and I promised naman na every run, I give them the original receipt kahit na isang piso lang. Alam nila (donors) kung saan napunta ‘yung pera nila, so maybe this time having a foundation, mas naging official lang, but for the longest time, they’ve been sharing generously.

“Nahihiya nga ako ngayon kasi kailangan naming ipaalam sa media kasi ang purpose nito is to encourage people to help kasi lumalaki na siya, lalo na ngayong may Yes Pinoy Foundation.

“Ang tanging purpose lang namin is to help and bring education to provinces. Ngayon, nagkakaroon na kami ng bigger dreams because of the Eco-camp. I’ve always been passionate in helping the youth, but I’m not that familiar with climate change, that’s where Dingdong comes in,”paliwanag ng isa sa cast ng The Better Half.

Pahayag naman ni Dingdong, “Wala kaming mararating kung kami-kami lang ang kikilos. And mahalaga talaga ‘yung if you get like-minded people, you share the same passion, love, and commitment to what you’re doing, so kaya namin ito ipinaalam sa lahat kasi ang target din namin hindi lang sa Siargao, siyempre nationwide.”

Inamin ni Shaina na ayaw sana niyang isinasapubliko ito.

“I’m very sensitive when it comes to sincerity, kasi I’ve been in the business for a long time and medyo mahirap iyon hanapin sa industrya namin, that’s why I’m very particular when it comes to sincerity and feeling ko kasi, when you help, you don’t need the media, you don’t need the coverage. Kaya medyo masakit sa akin ito ngayon na I’m talking about it right now, but they made me realized that since I have big dreams, we need bigger help, so that’s why we’re going formal with the contract signing and hopefully by using our voice we will be able to raise more awareness,” sabi ni Shaina.

Base sa personal na imbitasyon sa amin ni Shaina, humihingi siya ng tulong para sa project nilang STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics).

Nagsanib-puwersa sina Shaina, LA at Dingdong dahil iisa ang adhikain ng kanilang foundation, tulungan ang mga batang hindi nag-aaral sa rural areas. Tinuturuan sila kung paano gumawa ng sabon, lip balms, solar panel, at maraming iba pa na maaaring pagkakitaan.

Itatayo ng Smile Cares Foundation ang eco-camp sa Siargo Island, Surigao del Norte dahil may nagbigay doon ng dalawang ektaryang lupa. Magkakaroon ng groundbreaking sa Setyembre, kasabay ng surfing season.

Kuwento ni Shaina, pribadong mamayan ang nag-donate ng lupa at ayaw nitong magpabanggit ng pangalan.

“Nu’ng nalaman nu’ng taong ‘yun ang purpose ng Smile Cares Foundation, natuwa siya at gusto niyang tumulong at nag-donate nga siya ng two hectares of land, kaya sobrang saya namin, kaya binisita namin ‘yung lugar at sobrang ganda as in, malapit siya sa dagat, sobrang refreshing.”

Ang goal ng Smile Cares Foundation at Yes Pinoy Foundation ay makatulong sa 500 kids.

“That’s the minimum,” say ni Shaina na sinang-ayunan ni Dingdong.

Ang naging tulay ng merging ng foundations nina Shaina at Dingdong ay ang common friend nilang si Atty. Lucille Sering, kilalang environmental education advocate.

“I believe that we may have the substance, but if we don’t have the (celebrities), like in the States, they’re using celebrities like Leonardo Di Caprio and I can see the potential,” wika ni Atty. Lucille. “Dong has been helping us with the climate change commission before as our ambassador so it was just natural for them to hook-up and I’m glad that Shaina is also to environmental awareness, so it was easy to bring them together.”

Ang paglikom ng pondo ay sa pamamagitan ng fund-raising activities.

“ The first one will be on August and of course, we will be inviting again media. Matagal na naming dream ‘yun ng Smile Cares group, it’s called ‘play for charity’. So ‘yung challenge island, one of the programs the we franchised from the States, gagawin namin ‘yun and we’ll be inviting Dingdong and his network kasi nakikita n’yo naman na magkaiba (Kapamilya at Kapuso), so we’ll unite for a cause.

“And just the other day, nalambing ko na ang Ayala and we’ll be holding it in Ayala Alabang Town Center,” pahayag ni Shaina.

Kailangan ng grupo ng P25M para maipatayo ang eco-camp sa Siargao Island.

“And we’re fortunate that may mga pumasok na and because people can see the property built. And the reason also announced it at this early is for transparency, so people who would wanna help will see where it’s going and with the credibility of our chairs here in foundation.

“And after the groundbreaking in September, we’ll start building by October because our target is to open by May or June next year,” paliwanag ni Atty. Lucille.

Samantala, inamin ni Shaina na hating-hati ang oras niya para sa foundation at sa trabaho niya bilang artista sa The Better Half TV series.

So, may lovelife pa ba siya?

“Paano? Wala akong oras lumabas,” sagot niya sa amin.