HAPI’s fourth anniversary celebrates years of gifting humanism to Filipinos. It has been four years since philanthropist Marissa Torres Langseth founded Humanist Alliance Philippines, International (HAPI). The organization’s purpose of sharing goodness, inspiring minds, and giving love to humanity carries on. Truly, a world that champions science, logic, and empathy towards morality and evolution is a vision HAPI shares with humanists from all over the world.
On December 22, 2017, at 3 PM, HAPI – Secular Humanist Advocacy Development and Education (SHADE) as led by Executive Secretary Jamie Del Rosario Martinez together with HAPI Metro Manila Chapter as led by its Lead Convener, Janice Buenaventura, in partnership with the local government, celebrated HAPI’s fourth anniversary through a gift-giving program for the necessitous children of Ilaya Street in Muntinlupa City.
Unlike other humanitarian organizations, HAPI let its anniversary celebration be of the children, by the children and for the children, free from privilege speeches and grandstanding. Anyway, it is in the youth whom HAPI has been investing so as to see a future that is very bright for the country.
The gift-giving program was filled with fun music and dances as the children of Ilaya Street endearingly called the HAPI Kids, performed for their peers and at the delight of their donors. Exciting games like egg toss, flour relay, bring-me-what-i-want received cheers from fascinated onlookers. In return for such a lovely afternoon of gifts and kindness, the Kids sang ‘Happy Birthday’ for HAPI.
From its humble beginnings and roller coaster rides to its recent fresh approach to activism and humanitarian work, HAPI stays to continue doing wonders for the good of humanity. HAPI thanks the donors and sponsors who helped to make the celebration an opportunity to care and give.
An organization that is rooted in secular humanism, HAPI is committed to ensuring the separation of church and state, ending religious privilege in the country, and exposing inequalities of religious ideologies that divide humankind, while advocating equal rights for all, and helping fellow Filipinos who are in need.
Article Author;
McJarwin Cayacap
HAPI Metro Manila Member
Web Content Editor
National Events Officer-in-Charge
Coordinator for Foundation Beyond Belief
He’s currently in between careers, so he busies himself with anything that works for the good of humanity. Other than being a humanist, he is a realist, an art aficionado, a frugal foodie and a weary wanderer.
