Dressed in a sleek all-black ensemble, I approached a middle-aged woman to extend my congratulations on the momentous occasion when her loved ones gathered to celebrate a significant milestone in her life.
Drawing closer and uttering her name, she warmly embraced me with genuine appreciation, expressing gratitude for my presence at the event.
Despite our limited acquaintance, she embraced me wholeheartedly, and in that instant, I realized why numerous individuals chose to join her on that Friday afternoon, overcoming heavy traffic caused by payday and the long weekend.
Known to Ateneans as Ate Alma, Alma Fermano is a photocopy operator at the university and a family breadwinner. The woman somehow became the source of strength for many Ateneans when they felt despair after failing an exam or the person whom they celebrated with when they achieve something.
The pandemic has inflicted immense pain and challenges upon our lives, and the unexpected arrival of another tragedy would only add to the burden. In 2020, when Typhoon Ulysses struck the country, Ate Alma was among those who experienced devastating consequences.
Upon learning about the severe damage inflicted on Ate Alma’s home by the floods, university students took immediate action and initiated a fundraising campaign, leveraging the capabilities of GCash.
Utilizing the power of social media, students and graduates spread the word and began sending their donations to Ate Alma through GCash’s Send Money feature. This feature facilitated real-time and remote donations, allowing volunteers to contribute directly to Ate Alma’s GCash wallet, regardless of their location.
Even alumni from various graduating classes, who held fond memories of Ate Alma, were able to participate and contribute from their respective locations. In the end, thanks to the collective efforts of Ate Alma’s community, enough funds were raised to provide her and her family with essential goods, significantly easing their path to recovery after the devastating typhoon.
“To be honest, GCash has been a tremendous help to me. I can’t believe it because it’s my first time experiencing this. Thank you so much to GCash,” Ate Alma shared in the vernacular.
“I was really surprised, I never expected that there would be such a large amount that quickly arrived. Imagine, it reached 100,000 in my GCash.
They really kept sending donations through GCash until our house was rebuilt,” she continued.
Directed by Antoinette Jadaone, the second GCash story tells the life of Ate Alma and how the digital wallet changed her life in one snap with the help of people whom she had touched once in their life.
GCashStories is a series launched by GCash to highlight stories of hope and progress to inspire millions of people that there is still hope strength and light in times of struggle.
“#GCashStories is everyone’s story,” said Neil Trinidad, GCash’s Chief Marketing Officer. “And this campaign aims to turn our moments into movements.”
Ate Alma’s story succeeded the first GCash story which featured the life of Cocoy Rubio who became a small business owner with the help of GCash’s different services after losing his job due to the pandemic. Thanks to GLoan, Cocoy was able to start his own business and make the necessary transactions that helped him succeed.
The digital wallet app is set to release more #GCashStories in the future. But for now, get your tissues ready and be inspired by watching the story of Ate Alma and the community that rallied behind her here.