It takes balls to quit your job. But it takes more to make other people's lives better.
Miguel Bermundo proves he has both guts and heart to deliver change, when he quit his career in a reputable advertising firm just to coach football and help children.
Bermundo exemplifies heroism worth emulating when he dedicated his time in making sure Filipino kids undergo transformation that will someday help them improve their lives.
“In order for the country to work, we have to first to take responsibility for it not working today,” Miguel said, as he accepted the Yahoo! Philippines’ Pitong Pinoy 2.0 award on September 26 at 7th High, Taguig.
“Which is why we came up with programs that would be able to find ways to break that generation cycle of poverty in different communities,” he adds.
Miguel was a promising young professional when he realized the emptiness in the fulfillment of his professional career, which encouraged him to turn to favorite sport - football.
Now at the age of 29, he says he finally found meaning whenever he sees his young trainees get a better shot in life through the scholarships they give away in Dream Big Pilipinas Foundation.
The Pitong Pinoy 2.0 awardee founded Dream Big Pilipinas, a small group of volunteers that makes the sport accessible to children in low-income communities as a way to get them back into education.
He furthers they offer scholarship program to poor kids who may or may not have academic or athletic achievements.
A licensed FIFA (International Federation of Association Football) football coach, he explains teaching football also teaches young bodies about basic attitude and essential behaviors they need to perform better at school.
“It’s a hard life for them. A very common practice amongst low-income communities is they make the kids work as vendors, scrappers, even tell them to beg,” Miguel expounds.
“This brings in money but it doesn’t transform the child and that’s what we want to prevent. In order for proper education to take place, the environment has to be suitable for it,” he points out.
After three years, Miguel said their group is now teaching 300 young children in two cities, with plans to extend to Payatas and Navotas.
Their foundation, which supports six scholars and another three in an international school, is also discovering new sports talents, sending kids to major football tournaments and festivals.
“it’s important to follow a dream because without a dream, you cannot fully express yourself. You cannot plan for the future and you’re just driven by your environment,” he says.
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