PAGEONE Group reaffirmed its commitment to advancing education and empowerment for Filipino girls by partnering with World Vision Philippines in the 2025 #GirlsCan Campaign, held on August 19. The event gathered corporate partners, beauty queens, influencers, and advocates to celebrate milestones in girls’ empowerment and to strengthen ongoing efforts to break barriers faced by young women in vulnerable communities.
This year marks the seventh run of World Vision’s 1000 Girls sponsorship drive, continuing under the #GirlsCan banner. Rooted in the organization’s Child Sponsorship initiative, the campaign seeks to address the pressing need for equal access to quality education for girls: a key driver of personal development, leadership skills, and economic opportunities. In the Philippines, many girls still face challenges such as early marriage, limited educational resources, and gender-based discrimination.
Opening the program, Sharon D. Mesias, Public Affairs and Brand Engagement Manager of World Vision Philippines, underscored the scope and impact of the campaign.
“#GirlsCan is more than a campaign. It’s a movement to ensure every girl has the opportunity to learn, grow, and succeed,” Mesias said. “Through the support of partners like PAGEONE, we can give thousands of girls the tools to change their own future.”
The program featured presentations on the impact of previous #GirlsCan initiatives, highlighting stories of sponsored girls who have excelled in academics and become role models in their communities. Attendees also witnessed a video presentation by PAGEONE and Wildfyre bloggers, showcasing creative content that amplified the campaign’s reach across social media platforms.
For Vonj Tingson, President and COO of PAGEONE Group, the partnership with World Vision is a natural extension of the company’s corporate social responsibility.
“Supporting #GirlsCan is part of PAGEONE’s purpose-driven mission,” Tingson shared. “We believe in using our platforms and networks to advocate for equal opportunities in education because when girls are empowered, entire communities thrive.”
One of the afternoon’s highlights was the participation of Binibining Pilipinas 2025 titleholders, who shared personal advocacies for empowering young women. Katrina Anne Johnson, Binibining Pilipinas International 2025, delivered a powerful statement:
“#GirlsCan is not just a campaign; it is a movement. Because when we uplift our girls, we’re strengthening the foundation of our families, our communities, and of our nation. I grew up being told ‘I can’t’ rather than ‘I can,’ and that really impacted my mindset. I constantly doubted myself, and that’s also the future that I don’t want other girls to have for themselves. I want them to grow up welcoming their potential and opportunity that will come.”
Dalia Varde Khattab spoke about the importance of visibility and representation:
“I truly hope that with more collaboration, we could bring this conversation face-to-face to little girls who deserve to hear. Because it’s one thing to talk about women, about empowering women, but it’s another thing to look at a little girl and tell her that you can be a leader.”
World Vision ambassador Joyce Pring-Triviño, a TV personality and mother of two, gave a heartfelt message emphasizing the importance of community involvement.
“The reason why I’m so passionate, even more as a World Vision Ambassador, is because I have my own children. And I see just how vulnerable and how much potential, joy, and hope they hold, especially if we harness and they’re taken care of.” Joyce said.
Pring also shared her own personal child sponsors, and the ambassador got emotional. “I have these girls plastered on our refrigerator door, and my children and I see it every day in the morning. I’m getting emotional just talking about it because when you have your own children, and you see how comfortable and blessed they are, and then you see the contrast that the lives of other children in the Philippines are living, my heart aches.”
Closing the event, Jun Godornes, Resource Development Director of World Vision Philippines, acknowledged the collective effort that drives the campaign forward.
“The success of #GirlsCan is a testament to the power of collaboration. Together, we can ensure that every girl, no matter her circumstance, has the chance to write her own story of success. To know more about how you can take part, you may visit www.worldvision.org.ph. With your support, we hope to sponsor 1,000 girls by October 11, the International Day of the Girl.”
By blending data, personal testimonies, and strong advocacy voices, this year’s #GirlsCan event demonstrated the growing momentum behind the movement to champion girls’ education and empowerment in the Philippines.