Renowned actress Liza Soberano fulfils her dream to be a child rights advocate as she was appointed Save the Children Philippines Ambassador who will campaign for children’s rights to survival, learning, protection, and meaningful participation.
Save the Children Philippines welcomed Soberano in line with its celebration of its 40th year of lifesaving work for and with children in the country.
“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 said.
Save the Children Philippines Chief Executive Officer Atty. Alberto Muyot lauds 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 said.
In the 2021 Global Childhood Report by Save the Children, the Philippines ranked 110th out of 186 countries with children fully experiencing childhood. 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.
Prior to 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.
In 2020, Soberano 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 COVID-19 pandemic.
Soberano has also been vocal in her conviction to speak about women and children’s rights, protection of children from online sexual exploitation, and mental health.
Muyot added that working for and with children is both an opportunity and a huge responsibility. With Ambassadors Katarina Rodriguez, Xia Vigor, Ria Atayde, and Liza Soberano working closely with children, they will be able to amplify children’s voices, and help Save the Children engage into meaningful and sustainable partnerships with stakeholders to further support children’s development needs and respond to humanitarian crises.
“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,” said Soberano.