For 40 years, Hanabishi Appliances has been part of the everyday rhythm of Filipino homes—helping families cook meals, stay cool, and make life a little more comfortable.
But behind the appliances is a story that goes beyond convenience.
As the homegrown brand celebrates its 40th anniversary, Hanabishi is strengthening its commitment to giving back, renewing its partnership with the GMA Kapuso Foundation (GMAKF) and continuing a 14-year collaboration that has brought practical assistance to communities across the country.
The partnership was renewed through a memorandum of agreement signed at the Kapuso Center Building in Quezon City, led by Hanabishi Appliances President Jasper Ong and GMAKF Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Rikki Escudero-Catbog.
For Hanabishi, the occasion was more than a ceremonial signing. It was a reminder that a company’s impact can extend far beyond the products it places in people’s homes.
“We take great pride in working with GMA Kapuso Foundation, an organization that continues to drive meaningful change in the lives of many Filipinos,” Ong tells FrontpagePH.com. “As we celebrate our 40th year, we are reminded of the importance of building partnerships to make a real difference in the communities we serve,” he added.
When a Business Becomes a Neighbor
For more than a decade, Hanabishi has supported GMAKF programs focused on education, rehabilitation, community development and relief operations.
One of the partnership’s notable efforts was the Rebuild Marawi Project, which helped rehabilitate three elementary schools in Marawi City.
Hanabishi also provided appliances for schools, helping create learning environments where students could study with greater comfort and teachers could carry out their work with practical support. It is the kind of assistance that may appear simple—a fan, an appliance, a repaired classroom—but can take on a much larger meaning for a community.
GMAKF Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Rikki Escudero-Catbog said Hanabishi’s products have stood the test of time in schools supported by the foundation. She recalled seeing fans installed during school rehabilitation projects more than a decade ago that were still functioning.
For Catbog, that durability has made Hanabishi a dependable partner in the foundation’s efforts.
She also expressed gratitude for the company’s continued trust and said GMAKF would look for more meaningful ways to incorporate Hanabishi products into future infrastructure projects.
Giving Back, One Community at a Time
The partnership reflects an increasingly important idea in corporate citizenship: meaningful change does not always begin with grand gestures.
Sometimes, it starts with helping rebuild a classroom, or providing something as basic as a fan so children can learn in a more comfortable environment. And sometimes, it means a company choosing to stay involved long after the cameras have left.
For Hanabishi Vice President for Finance and Marketing Cherish Ong-Chua, the relationship with GMAKF allows the company to do more than provide household products.
“At Hanabishi, we have always aspired to be the ka-partner of Filipino families in making their lives easier, and through this partnership, we get to go beyond providing appliances but also bringing hope and comfort to many,” she said.
She also expressed gratitude to Filipino consumers whose trust has allowed the brand to become part of generations of households.
That sense of gratitude is central to Hanabishi’s 40th anniversary story.
A 40th Anniversary with a Purpose
Milestones often invite companies to look backward—to celebrate accomplishments, remember challenges overcome and recognize the people who helped them along the way.
Hanabishi is using its 40th anniversary to do that while also looking forward. Its renewed partnership with GMAKF signals a commitment to continue supporting communities where assistance can make a tangible difference.
The company’s journey from Filipino homes to schools and communities is a reminder that success can be measured in more than sales or longevity. It can also be measured by the lives touched, the classrooms improved and the moments of comfort made possible.
After four decades, Hanabishi is showing that being a household name carries a responsibility: to give back to the very families and communities that made the journey possible. And perhaps that is the most meaningful way to celebrate 40 years, not simply by counting how far a brand has come, but by asking how many more people it can help along the way.
(MAIN PHOTO – L–R: Hanabishi Appliances VP for Finance and Marketing Cherish Ong-Chua; VP for Purchasing and Merchandising Jevon Ong; GMA Kapuso Foundation EVP and COO Rikki Escudero-Catbog; Hanabishi Appliances President Jasper Ong; and VP for Operations Candice Ong-Ang).