Cebu City Councilor Dondon Hontiveros (third from left) is joined by the Board of Trustees during a presser to launch the DH25 Foundation. | Photo by Glendale Rosal
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City Councilor and former basketball star Donaldo “Dondon” Hontiveros led the formal launch of his “DH25 Foundation” which aims to reach impoverished Cebuanos to help them earn access to free technical and vocational education.
Hontiveros, who also serves as the Cebu City Council’s scholarship committee chairperson, realized the importance of technical and vocational courses which led him to founding his charitable institution that mainly caters to the poorest of the poor here.
“Being the chairman of the scholarship committee of the City Council, I saw the importance of technical and vocational courses,” Hontiveros said during the foundation’s launch on Monday, Dec. 18.
Hontiveros was joined during the launch by the foundation’s Board of Trustees (BOT) in Vincent Raymund Escobido (president), Cris Fernandez (vice president), Joseph Rajah Nuñez (corporate secretary), Vincent Ian Brigoli (treasurer), Carlos Pio Zafra (board member), and his son, Isiah Miguel Blanco, (board member).
Hontiveros during the launch of the DH25 Foundation. | By Glendale Rosal
The foundation will initially accept 125 qualified scholars starting February 2024. These scholars will be granted access to free technical and vocational courses of their choice, Hontiveros said.
These courses would include welding, plumbing, food and beverages, housekeeping, bread and pastry production, wood works, etc.
“We will screen the scholars. They should be from Cebu City. We will be the ones to send them to school. For example, a scholar can enroll for a welding course at Don Bosco,” said Hontiveros.
“These courses can be finished in two to four months with a high employable rate. We are accepting scholars who are 18-30 years old so they can already apply for work after graduation,” he added.
Depending on the course, the foundation would be spending P7,000 to P16,000 per student.
To sustain the foundation’s scholarship program, Hontiveros said they would hold fund-raising activities, most specially basketball tournaments and training camps.
Besides that, Hontiveros said they would also welcome private donors.
“We are positive that the foundation will generate a lot of interest and a lot of people will come forward to help,” said Escobido.
Part of DH25 Foundation’s goal was to provide work and livelihood for the scholars after they graduate from their chosen courses. They would do this through industry linkages and with the help of friends and fellow Don Bosco alumnus.
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