Singer Imelda Papin has officially joined the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) as an acting member of the Board of Directors.
Papin shared her excitement and commitment to the new role during a press conference held on Saturday.
Papin expressed her gratitude for the appointment, describing it as a blessing. “Kapag may dumarating na blessing, huwag mong tanggihan para ipakita mo ang puso mo,” she stated. “Siguro inisip ni Presidente na kaya kong gampanan ang position. I’ve been doing this. Kahit noon pa, talagang gusto kong tumulong sa ating mga kababayan. Since naging bise gobernador ako, ‘yun na talaga ang aking ginagawa.”
She recalled her emotional reaction upon receiving the call about her new position. “Natuwa ako. Napaiyak ako. Sabi ko, ‘Thank you, Lord. What a blessing.’ Maipagpapatuloy ko ‘yung pagtulong sa mga nangangailangan ng tulong. This is my payback time,” Papin said.
Outlining her new responsibilities, Papin explained, “Lima kaming directors diyan including the chairman and general manager. Lahat ng programs na ilalabas namin, dumadaan lahat sa approval ng board. I will know almost everything when I start working on Monday. Mag-oopisina ako pero not necessarily everyday nandun.”
She added that she would be officially introduced to PCSO employees on Monday. “Sa Monday, I was told by the GM and chairman, na i-introduce na nila ako sa employees para official na. Sama-sama na kami,” she said.
Papin also unveiled her initiative, ‘Isang Linggong Serbisyo,’ a program she proposed to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. “Ang priority ko talaga ay medical assistance kasi ito naman talaga ang mandato ng PCSO. Kaya nga I have this program na ‘Isang Linggong Serbisyo’ na na-mention ko sa President and okay siya and masaya siya.”
She highlighted the importance of providing immediate assistance, suggesting the establishment of a call center to expedite aid requests. “Kahit Sabado at Linggo, we will probably put up a call center or line para matugunan agad ‘yung mga tao basta complete ‘yung requirements nila. Kailangan mailabas agad ‘yung tulong kasi nakakaawa ‘yung mga taong nakapila, naghihintay. I bring this up to the board,” she explained.
Reflecting on her dedication to public service, Papin recounted her upbringing and her father’s 20-year political career. “Ako ay nasanay na sa pagtulong dahil ang papa ko noon ay nasa politics for 20 years. Nakita ng dalawang mata ko ‘yun. Marami na akong natulungan. When I became na vice governor for 9 years, ako ay lumalabas talaga para tumulong. I had my feeding program which I fed more than 500,000 children, mga housing projects, scholarship programs. Masaya ako kapag may napapangiti akong tao.”
Addressing her critics, Papin asserted, “Okay lang ‘yun. Unang-una, ‘yung binigay sa akin ng tiwala ng Pangulo, hindi naman siguro ibibigay sa akin ‘yan kung hindi ko deserve ‘yan.” She added, “Malakas ang loob ko. I face anyone. Sanay na sanay ako sa intriga sa showbiz. I always give my smile sa criticisms.”
Papin also responded to skepticism about celebrities taking on government roles, urging the public to take them seriously. “They better take it seriously this time. Kasi ako naman, wala naman kayong narinig na involved ako sa corruption or mga away. Wala naman. Inalagaan ko po ang aking pangalan. Nilagay ako ng Diyos sa tugatog ng tagumpay. I came from a very poor place and then tinulungan ako ng pamilya ko. And sa fans ko na sumuporta sa akin,” she said.
Additionally, Papin announced that Hero Bautista would succeed her in the Actors Guild of the Philippines, where she will continue to support the organization.
