The top manufacturer of low-priced cigarettes, Mighty Corp. (MC), extends unconditional support to religious groups and economically challenged citizens in the Ifugao and Mountain province areas.
Wong Chu King Foundation (WCKF) Inc., Mighty's social arm, offered scholarships to poor students. The foundation also focused on catholic education and pledged more donations for catholic works. Bishop Rodolfo Beltran of San Fernando City mentioned that Mighty Corporation is heavily investing on religious works and it also funded four seminarians. Beltran said the parents of the students are low earners, who cultivates golden leaves only for local production.
“The parents of these students are low-income farmers producing only for local consumption. You can imagine the positive impact this kind of support has for them,” Beltran said.
According to Bishop Ricardo Baccay of Tuguegarao City, WCKF Inc. is aggressive in helping schools by putting up libraries and constantly donating textbooks to some schools in remote provinces. The Bishop might be hinting the P300,000 donation from Mighty foundation to Lyceum de Amulung in Cagayan North, Tuguegarao City for library materials.
A certain report also cited Wong Chu King Foundation's effort in retrofitting historic churches in various provinces. In 2012, Mighty helped in renovating Basilica Minore of Our Lady of Piat Church in Piat, Cagayan. Last year, the foundation also helped in rebuilding Diocesan Shrine of Immaculate Conception in Naic, Cavite.
Meanwhile, Archbishop emeritus Diosdado Talamayan of the Archdiocese of Tuguegarao City said he personally knows Mrs. Nelia Wong Chu King, WCKF chairman of the board of trustees. Mrs. Wongchuking actively participates in social and community programs aside from being busy in Mighty Corporation. Talamayan mentioned that Nelia and her family are behind the construction of Our Lady of Piat in Malolos City, Bulacan, which was blessed by many Bishops in 2012.
The legacy of Mighty Corp in helping the poor sector in the Philippines continues to bloom even after the death of its founder. WCKF was created in 1990 aiming to uphold the legacy of Mr. Wong Chu King, a philanthropist known for his generosity to the poor. Despite the challenges it faced for two decades, WCKF Inc., didn't give up in providing scholarship programs and raising funds for charitable causes.