Chooks-to-Go continues to honor the sports heroes of the past by giving back to them.
Leopoldo Serantes, who won bronze in the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, will receive P100,000 per month for life for his service to the country.
It’s a much-needed help for the 59-year-old native of Bicol as he is currently suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and has been confined in Veterans Memorial Medical Center.
“Just like with Onyok Velasco, we cannot just forget the sports heroes that gave honor to our country in the past. We should continue to honor their legacy,” said Chooks-to-Go president Ronald Mascariñas.
“In the case of Leopoldo Serantes, we decided to give him a monthly allowance of P100,000 for the rest of his life so that he can live with dignity befitting a living hero.”
Serantes, the sixth Filipino overall to win an Olympic medal and a gold medalist in the Southeast Asian Games, is one of the childhood heroes of Velasco. Velasco was the one who helped Mascariñas track the whereabouts of Serantes after a netizen in Jhay San Antonio raised it on his Facebook page.
“Si Leopoldo Serantes, isa yang alamat sa boxing. Nung naguumpisa pa lang kami, nandiyan na siya. Siya na yung tinitingala na namin,” shared Velasco, a silver medalist in the 1996 Atlanta Games. “Nung nag-Olympics siya, dun na nagumpisa yung pagkaidolo namin sa kanya. Naka-medal siya tapos hindi rin siya ganun kalaking tao, maliit lang pero naka-medal at talagang malakas.
“Naisipan ko na ilapit siya sa Chooks-to-Go kasi natulungan din ako. Si Serantes, nangangailangan din ng tulong. Nangangailangan talaga siya ng tulong.”
According to Leopoldo’s daughter Leodelia, her dad has been suffering from COPD for months. She further bared that their family had been struggling to cope with the expenses.
“Kailangan po niya ng suporta parang kailangan pa niya lumapit para tulungan siya ng iba,” said Leodelia. “Kaya ako, naawa po ako sa papa ko dahil pag nagkwekwento siya sa akin tungkol sa mga nabigay niyang karangalan noon pero ngayon parang binalewala po siya. Parang nilagay na lang siya sa isang tabi na hindi na siya kilala ng karamihan.”
Grateful are Velasco and Leodelia for the gift Chooks-to-Go has given to them as it will all go to the medical bills of Leopoldo.
“Sobrang laking tulong po nito para sa tatay ko. Hindi na siya mamomroblema sa araw-araw niya na gastusin para sa oxygen, sa gastusan niya sa gamutan na pang buhay,” she said.
“Maraming salamat Sir Ronald sa tulong niyo po sa papa ko. Malaking tulong po ito sa kanya. Maraming salamat po.”
“Sir Ronald, taos-puso po akong nagpapasalamat sa inyo. Natulungan niyo po ang isang kapwa boksingero ko na nagmedal din sa Olympics. Nung nilapit ko sa inyo, hindi na kayong nagdalawang isip. Talagang approve kagad,” added Velasco.
“Kung nandito po si Leopoldo, baka sabihin niya, hulog rin kayo ng langit sa kanya.”
To help out Leopoldo Serantes, one can deposit funds to his personal bank account as well.
Leopoldo Serantes
Landbank savings account
2376111326
