Save the Children Philippines (SCP) welcomed its newest celebrity ambassador who will campaign for children’s rights to survival, learning, protection, and meaningful participation.
In a statement issued Thursday, April 15, SCP announced that renowned actress Liza Soberano has been appointed as the Save the Children Philippines Ambassador.
Save the Children Philippines Chief Executive Officer (CEO) lawyer Alberto Muyot lauded Soberano’s “earnest desire” to help the most deprived and marginalized children realize their full potential.
“We know that with Liza’s passion and influence, she will be inspiring a lot of children, youth, and adults to prioritize children’s rights at all times and create platforms for meaningful participation of children,” Muyot, a former Undersecretary of the Department of Education (DepEd), said.
SCP welcomed Soberano in line with its celebration of its 40th year of lifesaving work for and with children in the country.
Dream fulfilled
For Soberano, being a child rights advocate has always been a dream.
“Officially joining Save the Children Philippines as an ambassador is a dream come true for me,” said Soberano who has been silently donating to the child rights organization and sponsoring children in Uganda since 2016.
“I just want to help people in any form and in any way that I can, and I feel like through Save the Children, I’ll be able to do so much more,” Soberano added.
In the 2021 Global Childhood Report by Save the Children, the Philippines ranked 110th out of 186 countries with children fully experiencing childhood.
SCP noted that the study revealed that children in lower ranking countries have been missing out on childhood, including access to healthcare and nutrition, education, and protection from harmful practices like child labor and child marriage.
Before becoming an official Ambassador, Soberano has been addressing the said issues in her own ways. In 2018, she participated in Save the Children’s “Lahat Dapat” campaign against hunger and malnutrition, and rallied for children’s fair and equal access to nutritious food.
Last year, Soberano also supported Save the Children Philippines’ #SaveWithStories which raised funds for Project ARAL (Access to Resources for Alternative Learning) to help children from low income families and those with disabilities gain access to alternative learning modalities amidst school closures brought about by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
In the past, Soberano has also been cited for being vocal in her conviction to speak about women and children’s rights, protection of children from online sexual exploitation, and mental health.
“There’s nothing more grounding and heartwarming than seeing the look on people’s faces when you give them the simplest of assistance, may it be financial or just showing them that you are physically and mentally there to support them,” Soberano said.
While working “for and with children is both an opportunity and a huge responsibility,” Muyot expressed confidence that Soberano will be able to help in SCP’s programs for children.
Aside from Soberano, other SCP Ambassadors also include Katarina Rodriguez, Xia Vigor, and Ria Atayde.
As they work closely with children, SCP believes that they will be able to “amplify children’s voices” and help the organization “engage into meaningful and sustainable partnerships with stakeholders to further support children’s development needs and respond to humanitarian crises.”