Honorary donors feted at Tzu Chi’s Chinese New Year get-together

February 10, 2025

Honorary donors feted at Tzu Chi’s Chinese New Year get-together

Guests gathered for a sumptuous hotpot dinner

By Joy Rojas

Donors big and small are the lifeblood of the Tzu Chi Foundation. Through their unwavering generosity and selflessness, they have helped volunteers in the Philippines carry out the missions of Dharma Master Cheng Yen for the past 30 years. From alleviating poverty through academic and technical-vocational scholarships, to easing the suffering of the sick with quality medical attention, and providing immediate relief to calamity survivors, the humanitarian efforts of Tzu Chi have impacted countless lives.

In gratitude, Tzu Chi Philippines hosted a Chinese New Year get-together for its honorary members on the evening of February 8 at the Buddhist Tzu Chi Campus in Sta. Mesa, Manila. The event began at Harmony Hall with a filling dinner of vegetarian hotpot and dim sum treats, then continued at the Jing Si Auditorium, where they listened to reports on Tzu Chi’s milestones in 2024. Each guest received angpao, an auspicious red envelope containing commemorative coins from Master Cheng Yen, and all went home with apples and oranges, symbols of prosperity and good fortune.

Ambassador Francis Chua, who has supported Tzu Chi Philippines since its inception, never fails to attend such gatherings. “Tzu Chi is an organization that gives all kinds of help without asking for anything in return,” says Chua, philanthropist and chairman emeritus of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry. “All over the world, wherever there’s a calamity, you’ll find Tzu Chi there, and all of us, we volunteer.

“We give freely [even if people ask] us, ‘Why should you give?’ We never ask why. We just say that, since Tzu Chi is a family that helps everybody, it's also incumbent upon us to help others in return.”

That noble act of giving without expectation has helped 11,764 families who lost their homes to typhoons and fires; facilitated the medical needs of 15,317 patients; covered the tuition and allowances of 1,550 scholars; and saw 39 students graduate from Tzu Chi’s welding, caregiving, and refrigerator and air-conditioning courses—all in 2024 alone.

In the same year, volunteers were also able to turn over a permanent housing project for Typhoon Yolanda survivors in Palo, Leyte; mount medical missions in Sultan Kudarat, Palo, and Navotas; and organize successful fundraisers like the vegetarian and lifestyle fair Fiesta Verde and the first Charity Run for Education.

And yet, a lot still needs to be done. Foremost is raising funds for a Tzu Chi hospital in the Philippines, a facility that will make quality healthcare accessible and affordable to all.

“This hospital is not a simple hospital,” says Chua. “It needs a lot of donations. So, everyone should jointly contribute for the success of this hospital.”

Finding millions to finance a much-needed hospital is a tall order, but it does come with its rewards. “Tzu Chi, for one, teaches us to forget ourselves,” says Chua, when asked how his involvement with the foundation changed his life. “So, whenever we do anything, we should not think of ourselves, we should think of other people. How are we going to help other people?”

Noting the hearty spread of dishes laid out before him, he adds with a smile, “Tonight, we have this sumptuous dinner. Do we have to pay for it? We don't have to pay for it. It’s [for] all the volunteers. Everything is based on volunteerism, and that’s how Tzu Chi works.”

Tzu Chi’s kitchen and bakery volunteers prepare delicious vegetarian treats for the honorary members’ get-together.

The honorary members Chinese New Year get-together hosted by Tzu Chi Philippines began with a dinner of hearty hotpot and dim sum treats at Harmony Hall.

The get-together was a chance for Tzu Chi Philippines volunteers, family and friends to bond over good food and each other's company.

Each table had ingredients for a vegetarian hotpot, as well as delicious veggie dim sum.

Guests receive a copy of “The Power of Compassion,” a book detailing Tzu Chi Philippines’ milestones in the last five years.

At the Jing Si Auditorium, Tzu Chi Philippines CEO Henry Yuñez welcomes honorary members and guests.

Ambassador Francis Chua, philanthropist and chairman emeritus of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, has supported Tzu Chi Philippines since its inception.

Ambassador Francis Chua and Tzu Chi Philippines CEO Henry Yuñez presented plaque of recognition to donors for their support to Tzu Chi Foundation.

Tzu Chi Education Committee Head Rosa So presents a case study on John Welter Manayaga and Jean Myca Manayaga, twins who were awarded with Tzu Chi scholarships in 2024.

Tzu Chi volunteers perform the graceful sign language of “Thousand Hands.”

Tzu Chi Philippines CEO Henry Yuñez (second from right) leads in the distribution of angpao, red envelopes containing commemorative coins from Master Cheng Yen. Here, he presents Mrs. Betty Ang with an envelope as her husband, Ambassador Francis Chua (in suit), looks on.