It takes only one person to achieve greatness, but it takes more than a village, maybe a whole country or a whole continent, to honor that greatness, even much more to help shape it.

This idea must have driven American business mogul and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller to establish the Asian Cultural Council (ACC) in 1963. A non-profit, its aim is “to promote international dialogue, understanding, and respect through cultural exchange activities in Asia and the US” in pursuit of a more peaceful world. So far, through fellowships, grants, and other cultural exchange initiatives, the ACC has been a gamechanger for as many as 6,000 artists, scholars, and professionals from 26 countries, 300 of whom since the founding have been Filipinos, nine of the Philippines’ 65 national artists included, namely, Lamberto Avellana, Francisco Feliciano, Jose Joya, Lucrecia Kasilag, Jose Maceda, Alice Reyes, Alejandro Roces, Ramon Santos, and Kidlat Tahimik.

ACC Philippines was established in 2000 with the help of Filipino designer Josie Natori, who has been a board trustee at the ACC headquarters in New York since 1995. She is now ACC global chairman while ACC Philippines, chaired by Ernest Escaler, is currently run with as much verve for its mission and vision by its honorary chairperson, the first lady Liza Araneta Marcos, its president Maribel Ongpin, its treasurer Malu Gamboa, its executive director Tess Rances, and its trustees Isabel Wilson, Mercedes Zobel, Dr. Joven Cuanang, Anton Mendoza, Rajo Laurel, and Ching Cruz.

Replete with riveting performances from soprano Rachelle Gerodias and baritone Byeong-In Park, ACC Philippines recently threw a dinner at the Goldenberg Mansion in Malacañang. It was in thanksgiving to the non-profit’s current crop of generous donors, such as last year’s Sabin and Bettina Aboitiz, Piki and Monina Lopez, and Fernando and Catherine Zobel and this year’s Rep. Len Alonte, Chole Cuenca Chua, Charlie Gonzales, Willie Keng, Jaime Ponce de Leon, and Kelly Prehn, as well as to announce ACC’s existing and future programs and goals. 

“As we approach the ACC Philippines’ 25th anniversary in 2025, we are hoping to raise an endowment fund of ₱250 million,” said Escaler to roaring applause.

It does take one person and a village, maybe a whole country or a whole continent, to help that one person achieve greatness, but as Gino Gonzalez, scenographer, design genius, and ACC grantee in the 1990s, said at the dinner, looking directly—and tearfully—at Natori, who helped him through ACC even when he was unknown to her, “By helping one person, you’ve helped an entire community.”