MANILA, Philippines — Filipina actress Angel Locsin has joined educator Jack Ma, Korean singer Lee Ji Eun (IU), and 27 others in Forbes Asia’s annual “Heroes of Philanthropy” list, which highlighted outstanding altruists in the Asia-Pacific region.
In a statement Tuesday, Forbes Asia cited Locsin’s advocacy of aiding victims of violence, natural disasters, and the conflict in Mindanao.
After earthquakes hit Mindanao island in October, Locsin, best known for playing Filipino comics superhero Darna in a 2005 TV series, donated P1 million ($19,000) and distributed truckloads of relief supplies to affected residents. During the 2017 Marawi siege, she joined the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines, donating and distributing food packets and school supplies to thousands of displaced residents.
“These are urgent times when we have to act as fast as we can to save lives and rebuild communities, and we don’t even have to think why,” she was quoted as saying in the Forbes Asia feature. “The only motivation we need is being part of humanity.”
The feature also said Locsin has donated as much as P15 million to causes such as educational scholarships for students, supporting the economic and political rights of indigenous people, and ending violence against women and children over the past decade.
Singer-actress IU is the youngest to make this year’s list with a total of 900 million won ($800,000) donation to a variety of causes since 2018, according to the magazine.
Forbes Asia’s said its roster includes billionaires, entrepreneurs, and celebrities across the region who are “committed to solving some of the most pressing issues facing the Asia-Pacific.”
The magazine said it sifted through dozens of candidates, reviewed their monetary contributions, the depth of their involvement, as well as the reach of their philanthropic efforts.
“The goal is to highlight those giving their own money, not their company’s (unless they are the majority owners of a privately-held firm). The focus is on individuals who provide the capital and are personally committed to achieving a long-term vision,” Forbes Asia pointed out.
Forbes Asia has also honored Azim Premji as this year’s Asia’s most generous philanthropist by giving away a chunk of his shares, worth US$7.6 billion, in tech firm Wipro to his education-centered Azim Premji Foundation.
The billionaire, it added, retired in July as Wipro’s executive chairman after more than five decades at the helm. Premji is the first Indian to sign the Giving Pledge, his total lifetime giving now stands at $21 billion, according to Forbes Asia.
Jack Ma, who recently stepped down as executive chairman of China-based internet giant Alibaba, and Suh Kyung-bae of the Suh Kyung-bae Science Foundation are also two of the honorees.
Another Filipino, Hans Sy, who had helped launch Child Haus’ newly renovated center in Quezon City to house 40 cancer-stricken children and their caregivers, was also included in the list.
The full list can be found here and in the December issue of Forbes Asia.
