Education Undersecretary Yolanda S. Quijano (2nd from left) presents a mock workbook to be developed for the values formation advocacy program. From left are Ambassador Antonio L. Cabangon Chua, Fortune Life Chairman Emeritus and Founder; D. Arnold A. Cabangon, President; Evelyn T. Carada, Executive Vice President and General Manager; and Linda Legaspi, Marylindbert International President and DepEd coordinator.

Fortune Life Insurance Company, Inc., a fully Filipino-owned major life insurer, has launched a values formation advocacy project for public school students in partnership with the Department of Education.

The program was officially kicked off last August 23 in ceremonies held at the Citystate Tower Hotel in Ermita, Manila. Highlight of the launch was the unveiling of a workbook titled "Value of Hard Work and Discipline" to be used in third grade classes in all elementary schools.

The program, developed by curriculum experts of the DepEd with Fortune Life, focuses on the development of key values and skills among public school third graders, said Evelyn T. Carada, executive vice president and general manager of Fortune Life.

In her brief remarks, Carada explained that in particular, the values advocacy program seeks to develop in the young an appreciation of the "|discipline of saving up for the future."

Fortune Life, she said, practices in the workplace its advocacy by convincing employees to "save up part of their earnings because saving is among the disciplines essential to daily living."

Education Undersecretary Yolanda S. Quijano, in her keynote speech, praised Fortune Life's advocacy for hard work and discipline, saying these are values that "We do not see in our children today."

The teaching of the values of hard work and discipline, Quijano said, supports the education department's current moves to strengthen basic education through its K+12 program, or its plan to extend the basic education curriculum from 10 to 12 years.

Fortune Life's values advocacy drive, she added, complements the K+12 program's goal of developing values in the young that enhance their personhood and positive human qualities.

D. Arnold A. Cabangon, Fortune Life president, hailed Fortune Life's partnership with the education department in developing the "Hard Work and Discipline" workbook, saying its lessons drawn from a series of workshops are "keyed toward success."

Ambassador Antonio L. Cabangon Chua, recalling his impoverished youth, agreed that the values of hard work, perseverance and discipline are 'the only spring from which to drink true power."

He called on the young to have faith in prayers and in God, look back to their parents who helped them, have a "burning desire to succeed in life," and "make things happen, do not wait for things to happen."

Fortune Life is a member of the Fortune Insurance Group founded by Ambassador Cabangon Chua. The two other companies in the group are Fortune Medicare, Inc., a managed care organization, and Fortune General Insurance Corporation, a non-life insurer.

Ambassador Antonio L. Cabangon Chua, Fortune Life Chairman Emeritus and Founder, giving a very moving and inspiring story during the Fortune Life Advocacy Launch

Fortune Life officers with the EVP-GM, resplendent in their Barong Filipino