The wow factor behind HWAO is helping others
Sometimes, the most meaningful acts of kindness begin with a simple question: How can we make a difference? For a group of friends, some of whom had personally battled cancer, that question became the inspiration behind Helping Women and Others (HWAO) Foundation Inc., a nonprofit organization established in 2019 to improve healthcare facilities and services for women, children and men in the Philippines.
Seven years later, the foundation continues to make a difference, quietly transforming hospital facilities, providing much-needed medical equipment, and helping bring better healthcare within reach of patients who need it most.
Libet Virata, one of the foundation’s founding members, recalls how it all began. “A group of us saw the opportunity in 2019 to work with medical centers to improve their capabilities in addressing the health issues of their patients, so we set up HWAO Foundation Inc.
“Since four of us at that time were cancer survivors, we visited the Philippine General Hospital and saw that its IV Chemo Treatment Room could treat more than 100 patients, but its IV Chemo Prep Room had only two Bio-Safety Cabinets, which could produce the ‘chemo cocktails’ for only 60 patients per day. So we chose to establish an expanded IV Chemo Prep Room as our first initiative, with the help of Security Bank Corp., Jewelmer, and private donors. Estée Lauder Companies donated two new Bio-Safety Cabinets through HWAO Foundation and ICanServe Foundation.”
What began as an initiative to address a critical need at the PGH eventually became one of the foundation’s most significant accomplishments. “Having four BioHood Safety Cabinets makes PGH’s facility one of the biggest in the country. The room is considered a Biosafety Level 3 facility by the Department of Health. The DOH issued new guidelines for chemo rooms and used the plans submitted for our chemo room as its template,” Virata shares.
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The foundation’s founding members are Libet Virata, Tang Singson, Bettina Osmeña, Philip Cu Unjieng, Camille Samson, Gina Aboitiz, Elena Coyuito and Marga A. Zobel. Its current members include Virata, Singson, Osmeña, Cu Unjieng, Aboitiz, Dr. Liaa C. Bautista, and Marga A. Zobel. Together, they have continued to build on HWAO’s original mission, bringing together private donors, corporate partners, and medical institutions to support projects with a lasting impact.
“Our next project was with San Juan Medical Center. Together with Estée Lauder Companies, we donated a Bio-Safety Cabinet, allowing the center to provide chemotherapy treatment to its patients,” Virata says.
But HWAO’s advocacy extends beyond cancer care. “Aside from cancer-related projects, HWAO Foundation funded the renovation of PGH’s OB-Gyn Ultrasound Room, which had not been renovated since the 1970s. A private donor also funded the purchase of an ultrasound machine for the PGH OB-Gyn Perinatology Department. The team now conducts diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, including cordocentesis and intrauterine transfusions.”
These improvements may not always make headlines, but for patients and medical professionals, they can mean more efficient treatment, better diagnostic capabilities, and access to medical services that might otherwise be unavailable. For the people behind HWAO, it is precisely this kind of tangible, lasting impact that makes their work meaningful.
More recently, HWAO once again joined hands with The Estée Lauder Companies for “An Afternoon of Beauty & Purpose,” a fundraising event held last October at the Garden Pavilion of Grand Hyatt Manila in celebration of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The afternoon brought together beauty, friendship and philanthropy through a makeup workshop and afternoon tea featuring actress Kaye Abad-Castillo and makeup artist Effie Iñigo. Guests contributed a minimum of P5,000 each, with proceeds benefiting the Breast Cancer Program of San Juan Medical Center.
“An Afternoon of Beauty & Purpose” was conceptualized by Estée Lauder, which arranged for Kaye Abad to talk about her cancer journey and Effie Iñigo to give a makeup demonstration. “From the proceeds, we will provide San Juan Medical Center with the equipment it needs to work more efficiently,” Virata explains.
The collaboration reflects The Estée Lauder Companies’ longstanding commitment to breast cancer advocacy. Its Breast Cancer Campaign was established in 1992 by the late Evelyn H. Lauder, who co-created the now-iconic Pink Ribbon, a worldwide symbol of breast cancer awareness. Over the past three decades, the company and its charitable foundation have committed more than US$182 million to breast cancer initiatives worldwide, supporting research, education and medical services. This year’s campaign, Beautifully United to Help End Breast Cancer, carries the message “Breast Care is Self-Care,” encouraging women to become proactive about their breast health through early detection, regular screening and greater awareness.
Keri Zamora, herself a breast cancer survivor, also partnered in the “An Afternoon of Beauty & Purpose” event through her foundation, Caring Keri. Established in 2019, the foundation supports women, children and families in San Juan. Proceeds from the event will go to the San Juan Medical Center Breast Cancer Program. Furthermore, as president of the Metro Manila Mayors’ Spouses Foundation, Keri works with organizations on breast cancer awareness and screening programs.
For HWAO, partnerships such as this one with The Estée Lauder Companies demonstrate how the private sector and individuals can work together to improve public healthcare, turning donor generosity into tangible benefits for patients. With several successful projects already under its belt, the foundation is looking toward new opportunities to make an even greater difference.
“Our next project is the renovation of the Maternal Intensive Care Unit (MICU) at PGH. With continued donor and partner support, HWAO aims to expand access to quality healthcare for women, children and families,” Virata says.
For the women and men behind HWAO, philanthropy is not simply about raising funds. It is about identifying a need, finding a solution, and making sure that help reaches those who need it. Behind every renovated hospital room, every new piece of medical equipment, and every patient given access to better care is a group of people who believe that helping others is not just a worthy cause but a lasting commitment. And that, perhaps, is HWAO’s real wow factor.
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