Sun Life leaders – (clockwise from left) Sun Life Asia President Kevin Strain, Sun Life of Canada President and CEO Dean Connor, Sun Life Asia President for New Markets and Business Development Roger Steel, and Sun Life Philippines President Riza Mantaring – takes a stroll along the streets of Legacy of Light Village with ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation Executive Director Gina Lopez.
How do you build a brighter world? The Sun Life Foundation brightens the way with the Legacy of Light Village, recognized as a model community for its focus on holistic and sustainable development. Located in 110 hectares of land in Calauan, Laguna, the Village has been growing since its creation five years ago by Sun Life and the ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation.
Successful relocation
Funded by a P49-million donation, the Legacy of Light Village is now home to families who used to live along the banks of Estero de Paco and Pandacan. Aside from providing affordable housing, the Village also built livable spaces such as a playground for kids and a youth center with a mini-library. A few steps from the houses, one can find the gym and a volleyball court for whole community to use.
One of the foremost challenges of relocating is being uprooted from a job or source of income. To truly make the Village a nourishing place, Sun Life invested on a Learning Center equipped with computer units and a comfortable area for training sessions.. Livelihood initiatives such as a duck farm and crafts-making provide income-generating opportunities.
Part of the family
Throughout the years, the Legacy of Light Village has become part of the Sun Life family. Volunteer activities such as visits, recreational activities, and friendly sport matches allowed Sun Lifers to bond with the residents. The Foundation team also checks on the community regularly, to assess their changing needs and situation.
This kind of attention is critical in engaging the hundreds of families who now lives in the Village. Scholarships are sponsored for qualified students while homeowners take good care of their properties. And when some of the houses were damaged by strong typhoons, the Foundation facilitated its rehabilitation.