• CHERYL G. CRUZ
The Light the World giving machines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were unveiled Dec. 4 at Robinsons Bacolod, and will receive donations until Jan. 5 next year for the benefit of three charity partners.
These include the USLS Bahay Pag-asa Youth Center, the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital, and the Kalipay Negrense Foundation, whose programs support vulnerable youth, children facing medical challenges, and survivors of abuse or neglect, the church said.
“We select those organizations that we trust, those who make a difference in people’s lives,” Ruth del Mundo, director for Temporal Affairs of the Latter-day Saints, said when asked why the church chose the three charity partners.
“(These charity partners) help disadvantaged children, those who are sick, and need assistance. We’re excited and thankful that we could partner with them in helping make a difference in the lives of these people,” she stressed.
Guided by this year’s theme, “Experience His Light”, Bacolodnons and Negrenses are invited to participate “in simple, direct acts of service that bless families in need, including vulnerable children across the country,” the church said of this annual Christmas giving initiative.
Each giving machine offers a range of essential items, including food packs, hygiene kits, school supplies, medical care, psychological support, vitamins, and youth rehabilitation services, all of which donors can select and purchase for beneficiaries in need. Cash and digital payment options are also available.
The church said its support for the giving machines reflects its broader mission to care for the poor, strengthen families, and help individuals become spiritually and temporally self-reliant.
Church leaders said 100 percent of the donation goes directly to the charity partners. “Administrative costs, including marketing efforts, are fully shouldered by the church and are not drawn from donated funds. The giving machines are staffed by volunteers in each host city, who dedicate their time and resources to support the project and its beneficiaries.”
Aside from Bacolod, other giving machines’ host cities are Manila, Cebu, and Davao.
City will launch their Giving Machines on December 1, 2025, at Ayala Malls Abreeza and will work with the Archdiocesan Nourishment Center, House of Hope Foundation for Kids with Cancer, and SOS Children’s Village.
The Philippines has been hosting the giving machines since 2018, and recorded strong community participation in 2024, with 6,305 donors contributing P750,000 to charitable causes.
The Church also amplified these efforts by donating an additional P500,000 to each participating charity organization. Globally, the giving machines have raised more than USD50 million, and helped thousands of people since the initiative began, it added. | CGC
