If you’ve been on a Cebu Pacific flight anytime in the last four years, you may have encountered members of the crew asking passengers for their loose change, with any amount being welcome. After all, the coins you accumulate during a foreign trip will be of no use to you when you come home. The amount being too small to convert into your local currency, they end up in your growing stack of coins. This, by the way, also contributes to the shortage of coins in the monetary system. While it’s not a crime, a Senate bill was filed a few years ago seeking to prevent the large-scale hoarding of coins. In any case, wouldn’t it be better if you knew that your unwanted coins were going to a good cause?
Called “Change For Good,” the fundraising campaign is the brainchild of the United Nations Children’s Fund. A program of UNICEF in partnership with the international airline industry, Change For Good has raised more than $160 million worldwide since its inception in 1987. Thus far, Cebu Pacific is the first and only airline in Southeast Asia to join this global initiative. In the Philippines, the donated funds are used for UNICEF’s First 1,000 Days Health and Nutrition program, which focuses on providing children with proper nutrition in their first 1,000 days of life, a critical stage in their overall development.
A Cebu Pacific flight attendant holding UNICEF's Change For Good donation bag.
Launched on board Cebu Pacific flights on July 1, 2016, this simple way of raising donations has proven surprisingly effective, raising more than $1 million as of May 24, 2019.
In reaching this significant milestone, Lance Y. Gokongwei, the airline’s CEO and president, said in a statement, “Cebu Pacific values our partnership with UNICEF to help ensure that the most vulnerable children get timely support through the First 1,000 days program. We commend our staff and crew and most of all, our passengers, for their contributions which have now reached the one-million-dollar mark.” He added, “the amount is a testament of the public’s support in sharing the vision of UNICEF and the airline for a healthier future for our children.”
When UNICEF’s partnership with Cebu Pacific began in 2016, Mr. Gokongwei said, “We at Cebu Pacific fervently believe this sets the foundation for optimal learning in the future. With the First 1,000 Days program, a child can arrive in the 1st grade classroom healthier, stronger, and more mentally prepared to absorb the lessons for the day. Ultimately, this foundational program will contribute to a more educated and productive Filipino.”
UNICEF National Goodwill Ambassador Anne Curtis encouraging Cebu Pacific passengers to contribute to the Change For Good campaign.
Fast-forward to today, UNICEF Deputy Representative Julia Rees remarks that the partnership has indeed helped change thousands of children’s lives. “UNICEF thanks Cebu Pacific and the generosity of its passengers for raising funds to help children in their first 1,000 days, the most crucial period of their life. These donations helped advocate for laws and policies such as the First 1,000 Law. Now, mothers and children in every barangay can have better access to basic services starting from conception until the child is two years old.”
Signed into law on November 29, 2018, Republic Act 11148 seeks to scale up the national and local health and nutrition programs through a strengthened integrated strategy for maternal, neonatal, child health and nutrition in the first 1,000 days of life. Also known as the First 1,000 Days law, it provides for the training of health workers, nutrition checks and breastfeeding counseling, health check-ups, psycho-social support for mothers, social-welfare support for marginalized families, and home visits for families in far-flung places.
For more information on Change for Good, visit www.unicef.org/corporate_partners/index_good.html
