Filipino actor and TV host Dingdong Dantes has joined the Board of Trustees of Mowelfund, or the Movie Workers Welfare Foundation Inc.
In an Instagram post dated 30 October, Dantes shared a video of his contract-signing with the organization along with a heartfelt message of gratitude, beginning with how he discovered Mowelfund institution when he was younger.
“In our quaint neighborhood of Cubao, right next to my sisters’ school, stands the Mowelfund institution. I was always intrigued by it as I used to walk my sisters to their classes from the late ‘80s to the early ‘90s,” Dantes said.
“My curiosity about this place grew, and little did I know, it would become a significant chapter in my life’s story,” he added.
The Family Feud host said he had always prayed for a chance where his “passion could make a difference” and his “deepest enthusiasm could intersect with meaningful purpose.”
“As fate would have it, I found myself embracing that dream through Mowelfund — an institution with the primary goal of uplifting, empowering and advancing the welfare of the men and women in front of and behind the movie and TV industry,” he said.
Thus, saying yes to an invitation to be a part of the organization’s Board of Trustees was one of the easiest decisions he had to make, declared GMA’s primetime leading man.
Veteran TV personalities Boots Anson-Roa, Gina Alajar and Rez Cortez attended Dantes’ oath-taking ceremony.
Philanthropic endeavors
The 43-year-old actor said he was grateful for the chance to be of service to the showbiz industry and vowed commitment to the organization’s mission to “uplift and advance the welfare of the remarkable workers who breathe life” into the country’s movie and entertainment industry.
“I am grateful that I now have the privilege to give back to the industry that has been a significant part of my life… I lend my expertise to support the dedicated individuals who bring magic to our screens,” he said.
Dantes has been active in philanthropic endeavors outside his career. In 2014, he was appointed youth commissioner of the National Youth Commission and also became an ambassador for Youth of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts.
His own charity initiative, “Yes Pinoy Foundation,” founded in 2009, tries to bridge resource gaps and assist out-of-school youth by providing job opportunities for young people and raising funds during challenging times such as the pandemic and typhoon disasters.
Mowelfund is a non-profit foundation organized and established by actor and former President Joseph “Erap” Ejercito Estrada in 1974. Per its charter, the foundation aims to “serve marginalized workers in the Philippine motion picture industry.”