' CIA WITH BA ' HONORS NANETTE MEDVED-PO FOR HOPE

‘CIA with BA’ honors Nanette Medved-Po for HOPE

Public service program ‘CIA with BA’ expressed its appreciation to former actress and now-philanthropist Nanette Medved-Po for her contributions to society through the organization HOPE.

In the ‘Salamat’ segment of the episode on Sunday, January 7, Medved-Po had one of her first television appearances after several years as she got reunited with colleagues Boy Abunda and sibling senators Alan Peter and Pia Cayetano.

“We’d really like to thank you, not just on a personal level—for what you’ve done for the family, but really what you’re doing for the country, for how you’re giving hope. And hopefully we can partner a little bit by sometimes giving a little bit [too] to all that you’re doing,” Alan Peter told the former ‘Darna’ star.

In 2012, Medved-Po founded HOPE, which, according to its website, is a B Corp-certified organization that invests in education, agriculture, and environment programs. Upon its establishment, its mission began with their flagship product HOPE in a Bottle which committed 100% of profits to build public school classrooms across the Philippines.

“You know, I very much appreciate that you are recognizing the works that we do but can I just say, honestly, it’s not me,” Medved-Po said. “You hear the principles saying ‘thank you’ to me and that’s why I don’t attend classroom openings ‘cause ayaw ko [na] sa akin sila magpasalamat dahil hindi naman ako [ang] nagbigay sa kanila ng classroom.”

“Kayo ang nagbigay, every time you buy [HOPE in a Bottle]. Whatever o kung saan man, kayo ang nagbigay, hindi ako, so dapat hindi ako ‘yung pasalamatan,” she stressed. “Ako lang ‘yung nagka-idea. But I still feel that at the end of the day, HOPE is a public trust. When you guys decide to buy a bottle of water, we owe it to you to make sure that the money goes to the right place…it is you, millions of Filipinos who deliver the classroom in Mindanao, in Visayas…”

Meanwhile, Medved-Po expressed her gratitude to the people who patronize HOPE in a Bottle.

“I wanna thank you so much. I know I’m here alone but I can speak for everybody at HOPE, including our HOPE Heroes (including Abunda). Thank you so much for supporting [HOPE]. Our product is actually not water, our product is the idea of hope. We all have the power to do something kahit konti lang,” she stated.

‘CIA with BA’ carries on the legacy of Senator Rene Cayetano, the late father of the sibling senators. The senior Cayetano was a renowned lawyer who gained fame through his radio and TV program 'Compañero y Compañera,' which aired from 1997 to 2001.

‘CIA with BA’ hosted by Alan, Pia, and Boy airs every Sunday, 11:00 p.m. on GMA7.