GMA Kapuso Foundation (GMAKF), one of the country's highly recognized leaders in public service, rounded out another remarkable year in 2011 with various meaningful projects that helped those in most need.

In the spirit of delivering Serbisyong Totoo, the Foundation further achieved its mission of improving the lives of underprivileged Filipinos, while nurturing a sense of volunteerism among different members of the community.

All year round, GMAKF successfully implemented its Health, Education, Values Formation and Disaster Relief programs through different developmental projects.

Under Kalusugan Karavan, thousands of indigent patients became recipients of various forms of health and medical assistance especially in calamity-stricken areas like Cotabato, Davao, Bulacan, Pampanga, Cagayan de Oro and Iligan.

GMAKF also engaged in pilot projects such as the Thyroid Mission in San Jose, Oriental Mindoro and an Operation Bukol utilizing local anesthesia operation inside a mobile surgical van in Carcar, Cebu. These were respectively done in partnership with the Philippine Thyroid Council and Rotary Club of San Francisco del Monte, and served 249 individuals in total.

Upon receiving a growing number of requests from schools all over the country, the Foundation widened its school rehabilitation project to becoming the Kapuso School Development (KSD) project. The project now includes the repair of dilapidated classrooms that are not necessarily caused by typhoons, construction of water and sanitation facilities, and an environmental awareness campaign. 

In 2011, GMAKF completed the construction of 8 new classrooms in 3 public elementary schools in Pangasinan, Zambales and Camarines Sur, and installed a water supply and hand washing facility in Mascap Elementary School in Rizal, where it also built 3 classrooms in 2010. Proceeds from GMAKF's KSD fundraising initiative, 'Ogie and Regine's Celebrity Ukay-Ukay' reached up to P6,382,703, and part of the funds went to the construction of classrooms of Adiangao High School in CamSur. 

Likewise, GMAKF distributed school supplies to at least 45,000 grade school pupils through its long-standing project Unang Hakbang Sa Kinabukasan.
Under its Give-A-Gift projects, the Foundation fed hundreds of malnourished children via its 120-day feeding program, while a select few underwent cancer treatment and some had surgery for hernia.

Meanwhile, during the most trying times of the year, GMAKF reached out to a total of 606,408 individuals or 151,602 families, who became victims of calamities through its disaster relief program Operation Bayanihan.

Through the concerted efforts of its staff, volunteers, and benefactors, GMAKF extended the much needed relief assistance to the victims of typhoons, flash floods and heavy rains that hit the areas of CARAGA, Central Luzon and Mindanao.

More recently, when typhoon Sendong struck Iligan and Cagayan de Oro, GMAKF remained at the forefront of the relief operations, and also held medical missions and feeding activities. As of January 10, GMAKF has received Php 69,143,041.93 cash donations and Php 18,974,632.06 worth of in kind donations for the victims of Sendong.

The Foundation served its purpose of being a bridge between those who are in need and those who are willing to fill in these needs by collecting donations, repackaging relief goods, and mobilizing volunteers.

Moving beyond providing short-term relief assistance, GMAKF made plans this 2012 for long-term rehabilitation projects, particularly a housing construction and a water supply repair project in a rural community in Iligan, as well as classroom rebuilding projects in Cagayan de Oro and other identified Sendong-affected areas.

Once again this year, GMAKF looks forward to touching and inspiring more of our less fortunate brothers and sisters with the aforementioned projects, in addition to new and existing ones.

Plans to further strengthen its regional reach through the forthcoming inauguration of its Davao and Dagupan chapters are also underway, adding to its newly launched branches in Cebu and Iloilo.

Through these, the GMA Kapuso Foundation will continue to uplift the lives of the underprivileged and nurture the bayanihan spirit, believing that these projects are pebbles that create ripples of unity, compassion and change.