Chooks-to-Go of Bounty Agro Ventures, Inc. (BAVI) today signed a memorandum of agreement with Special Olympics Asia Pacific (SOAP), formalizing a partnership to carry out a yearlong campaign to benefit people with intellectual disabilities (PIDs) at Discovery Suites Ortigas, Pasig City.
The Kaya ‘Yan, Manok ng Bayan campaign includes conducting sports fests and training sessions for PIDs all over the Philippines, as well as a nationwide recruitment of PIDs to BAVI’s offices.
Signatories of the memorandum were Chooks-to-Go President Ronald Mascariñas and Special Olympics Asia Pacific President and Managing Director Dipak Natali represented by Kaye Chastine Samson. Also present at the event were campaign ambassador and basketball player Kobe Paras; SEA Games gold medalists Nikko Huelgas, Jaime de Lange, and Roger Casogay; and Henry Munarriz, an international powerlifting athlete and the first BAVI employee who has an intellectual disability.
BAVI President Ronald Mascariñas: “Filipinos with intellectual disabilities have inherent dignity and abilities that must be recognized. We are grateful to Special Olympics Asia Pacific for helping us to appreciate more deeply the unique contribution of PIDs to the world of business. We are also happy that, through our involvement in sports, we will be able to help PIDs to excel in them and gain life skills and self-confidence in the process.”
SOAP President and Managing Director Dipak Natali: “It is our hope that people with intellectual disabilities be included in society; and having equal training and employment opportunities where they can showcase their talents in meaningful roles is one way we can achieve this. We sincerely thank Bounty Agro Ventures, Inc. for providing such opportunities to Special Olympics athletes in the Philippines. We hope to see more companies do the same, to help promote equality and inclusion for people with intellectual disabilities in the Philippines and across the Asia Pacific region.”
The Kaya ‘Yan, Manok ng Bayan campaign is set to have its first sports fest for PIDs in Metro Manila on January 25.