Pacquiao, along with Diosdado Banatao and P.J. Lhuillier were chosen as top philanthropists along with 40 others in Asia.
Pacquiao was chosen for his foundation’s scholarship program for the poor but deserving students.His foundation awarded more than 200 scholarships and extended more than $400,000 in medical assistance to needy people. The foundation also spends another $400,000 per year for the schooling of 1,000 college students.
Aside from his scholarship programs, Pacquiao has also helped many homeless people by spending for the construction of homes through the Habitat for Humanity housing program.
Pacquiao is also a regular contributor to relief funds for calamity victims.
Diosdado Banatao was cited for his efforts in reducing poverty through technical education, innovation and entrepreneurship.
Through his Philippine Development Foundation which he set up in 2010 and gave it more than $1.5 million to set up facilities such as buildings and computers as well as financial assistance to help students pursue a career in science and technology.
A farmer’s son who rose from poverty through his technology-based inventions like the first single chip,16-bit microprocessor-based calculator, Banatao combined his technology expertise with his entrepreneurship skill to become one of the world’s richest entrepreneurs.
P.J. Lhuillier is the chairman of the P.J. Lhuillier Group and a Philippine diplomat. His group of companies has used the Cebuana Lhuillier Foundation to grant scholarships to poor students nationwide.
The foundation has established 19 Alternative Learning Centers that it’s started in public schools and aims to add 48 more by next year.
His foundation also launched the annual “Search for the Happiest Pinoy” campaign which aims to award $20,000 to Filipinos ‘who have risen above life’s challenges and whose positive outlook has improved the lives of others.’