News & Trends for Donor-Advised Giving to Asia

Typhoon Disaster Response in the Philippines

On Sunday, September 27 2009, Typhoon Ketsana struck the main island of Luzon in the Philippines. The storm has caused extreme flooding in Manila, and the current death toll after the first day has reached 100 people, with thousands of others stranded by the waters.

Give2Asia, working with its on-the-ground network in the Philippines, is identifying opportunities for donors to provide immediate relief assistance as well as long-term recovery by helping local charitable organizations. 

Please make a donation of any amount to the Give2Asia Philippines Typhoon Ketsana Fund to help local efforts for emergency relief and recovery.

Food Insecurity in Asia

By Dien Yuen, Director of Philanthropy

Through 2007 and 2008, as the financial crisis was unfolding in the U.S., a food crisis was raging through most of the developing world - especially in Asia. Rapid increases and decreases in food prices across the developing world exacerbates the plight of communities that are already suffering from poverty and hunger. Hunger persists in Asia - even in China, India and Vietnam - countries that have already been experiencing unprecedented rapid economic growth over the past decade. 

As part of our philanthropic education initiative, Give2Asia presented a private gathering that brought together leaders from the Filipino community along with advisors from the local areas to discuss these issues. Dr. Bruce Tolentino, Director of Economic Reform and Development of The Asia Foundation, shared his perception of the food price crisis and how donors could help. The topic, "Food Insecurity in Asia" was hosted by Mr. Robbie Fabian, Resource Development Consultant and Mr. Joe Lumarda, Trustee of Give2Asia and SVP of Capital Group Companies. Held in the boardroom of the California Community Foundation (CCF), Ms. Carol Bradford, VP of External and Donor Relations of CCF opened the event with a brief introduction of the Foundation's work. 

Edwin Go to speak at "Leveraging Engagement and Philanthropy" Conference

Edwin Go, a Give2Asia Trustee, will be a guest speaker at the First Annual Singapore Global Philanthropy Forum titled "Leveraging Engagement and Philanthropy" on September 22, 2009.

The forum, in collaboration with ammado, was designed with the entrepreneur, high-net-worth individual and CEO in mind. It will be a platform to explore ways to build sustainable philanthropic programs that leverage finances as well as engage employees, customers, communities and nonprofit charities.

For nearly a decade, Go built an accomplished banking career in the capacity of director and senior vice president at the Bank of the Orient. In addition to supporting Give2Asia as a trustee, he also serves as president of the board of directors of the Association of American Banks and chairman of the board of directors of the Chinatown Youth Center in San Francisco.

The Story of Huot Ravuth: A Mother’s Smile, A Son’s Dream

A young man lives at the Center for Children’s Happiness in Phnom Penh, Cambodia and leads his fellow students in many activities throughout the day. He is only 17 years old and unlike most teenagers, he has overcome incredible obstacles and willed himself to gain an education, impact his community, and live a happy, productive life. When Give2Asia Program Officer Gillian Yeoh visited CCH in June 2009, Ravuth showed her around the center and told her his life story in fluent English. 

This impressive young man, Huot Ravuth, was born on March 8, 1992 in the Kandal province of Cambodia. As a small child, Ravuth lived in the rural countryside with his family, caring for the home, cows and chickens with his siblings. Though the youngest and smallest, he also worked in the rice field, side by side with family members and other workers, carrying heavy bunches of rice.

Expert Spotlight: Dr. Bruce Tolentino, The Asia Foundation Director of Economic Reform and Development Programs

On September 16, 2009 in Los Angeles, Give2Asia will host a private luncheon featuring Dr. Bruce Tolentino of The Asia Foundation who will be discussing "Food Insecurity in Asia." Due to the financial crisis in the last few years, a food dilemma has unfolded in most of the developing world, especially Asia. For example in 2003, Vietnamese rice was priced at US$167 per ton and jumped to US$500 per ton by the middle of 2008. By the end of the first quarter in 2009, however, prices went back to "normal."

Tolentino will discuss the recent volatility in food prices in Asia and its correlation with the ongoing global financial crisis. He will also cover The Asia Foundation's programming in response to the food crisis, which will help prevent or mitigate the negative impacts of the food prices.