PHL group to offer holiday cheer to seniors in Lingayen, Pangasinan
Frenz4hope, a community group of friends in Lingayen, Pangasinan, will be holding a special holiday giving program benefiting 100 homes of senior citizens in barangays Aliwekwek and Balangobong. This special holiday program, which is being sponsored by Roberto Villanueva, a Filipino American arts producer and educator residing in Manhattan, will involve home visits providing gifts to seniors. The event is scheduled to take place on December 15, 2021.
Frenz4hope wants to focus on senior citizens for this upcoming community program because they believe senior citizens are often overlooked throughout the year. Children are typically the ones who get the attention during this holiday season. The group wants to give senior citizens blankets to keep them warm during one of the coolest months in the Philippines. They also want to give the seniors mugs with the uplifting message —“I’m like fine wine. I get better with age.”
Since seniors often have to take medications or vitamins to maintain their health, they will also receive pill boxes. Finally, because the world is still in the midst of the pandemic, the seniors will receive hygiene pouches/kits that contain face masks, handkerchiefs, alcohol spray bottles, and antibacterial soaps. All of these items will be provided in reusable/eco bags to help reduce environmental waste or promote elimination of single-use plastic bags that harm the environment.
Villanueva is thrilled to sponsor this holiday giving program because he is no stranger to the idea of giving to senior citizens. His company BalaSole Dance has been providing several seniors centers in New York City free tickets to their performances for the past 10 years. He wants to give them an opportunity to get out of the senior centers and enjoy an evening of dance, and to feel that they are still a part of their local communities. He wants to honor them for paving the way for the younger generations.
This holiday giving program for seniors is being organized and administered by Frenz4hope members Jefferson Moreno Alano, John Chris Campos, Roman Dela Cruz, Arjay Flores, Gladys Formanes, Denilyn Lucas, Joey Lucas, and Lovely May Soriano.
Roberto Villanueva, the executive & artistic director of BalaSole Dance, has 27 years of professional background in financial management, operations and strategic planning, as well 30 years of experience as an arts producer, educator, performer in North America, Europe and Asia.
As a philanthropist, he has funded programs that help marginalized and overlooked artists, financially disadvantaged children, and under-served seniors citizens through his own non-profit organization BalaSole Dance, as well as donated funds to higher education and performing arts organizations in the United States. He took a mission trip to the Philippines in 2019 to provide free educational services and performances to higher education institutions like University of the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila University, De La Salle University, and De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde.
As a spinal cord tumor (SCT) survivor, he has been dedicating part of his time in spreading awareness about this rare disease and helping other SCT patients and survivors through his informational and educational blog titled “My Spinal Cord Tumor Journey”: rvsctjourney.com.