SiGMA Foundation inaugurates multi-sensory hall in Bataan, Philippines

Shirley Pulis Xerxen June 6, 2024

Yesterday marked a momentous day for the Bataan community in the Philippines. The SiGMA Foundation inaugurated a multi-sensory hall for local children and young persons and donated a bus to the same community. The inauguration included a guided tour of the centre, an unveiling to children from the area, and an official ribbon cutting ceremony.

The multi-sensory hall, a bloodline for the community

*Eman Pulis with one of the MSSP missionaries at the Centre, Fr Mark Demanuele.*

The hall aims to serve as a creative space, promoting cultural expression and fostering artistic growth. It is a dedicated space for young people to engage in music lessons, stage concerts, and host various community events. The Community Centre where the newly inaugurated hall is located houses the Jose Depiro Youth Orchestra, who delivered a stellar performance during the inauguration, in the presence of Eman Pulis, founder of SiGMA, who was present for the occasion with his family, Keith Marshall, Chief Philanthropy Officer and Jessie Busuttil, SiGMA Foundation’s operations manager.

*from left Keith Marshall, Jessie Busuttil and artist James Micallef Grimaud.*

Youth orchestra Bataan — *The Bataan Youth Orchestra performing during the inauguration.*

*Jessie Busuttil unveiling the inauguration plaque of the hall, dedicated to Ben Laferla, a Maltese aspiring music producer who tragically lost his life in a car accident in 2023 aged 21.*

The multi-sensory hall means that the Youth Orchestra now has its own dedicated space to rehearse and perform and does not need to travel long distances to Manila and other parts of the Philippines to perform.

A plain white bus would not do

The donation of the bus means that when the children need to travel, often accompanied by their orchestra instruments, they can now not only do it in style, but also save on travelling costs. The bus, a white coach, seemed too ‘plain’, so the SiGMA Foundation onboarded James Micallef Grimaud, a well-known Maltese graffiti artist who is considered to be the pioneer of street art on the Maltese islands. James, also present for the inauguration, has been working day and night for the past ten days to transform the bus into what it is today. Speaking during the SiGMA Asia summit, Keith Marshall elaborated on the mission of the SiGMA Foundation “I really do believe that everyone can do something for someone. The SiGMA Foundation is the embodiment of this mantra that anyone can do something and that collectively, big things can be achieved. Keith added that “over the last five years, we went from helping one country, Ethiopia, to seven countries, spanning four continents”.

Thanks to these initiatives we’re able to give back to the community where we hold our summits in ways that leave a long-lasting impact.Eman Pulis, SiGMA founder

*The donated bus embellished with James Micallef Grimaud’s art.*

Speaking at the inauguration, Eman Pulis, founder of SiGMA, added: “For the SiGMA Foundation to be able to tap into the vast network of the SiGMA Group, through donations at the charity auction, is truly rewarding. Thanks to these initiatives we’re able to give back to the community where we hold our summits in ways that leave a long-lasting impact. My appeal to gaming companies is to remain generous at our charity auctions during the Awards nights”. Earlier this week, the auction held during the SiGMA Asia Awards night raised shy of €48,000 for the SiGMA Foundation.” This is not the first occasion that the SiGMA Foundation is supporting the community of Bataan, having co-funded the implementation of a solar panelling system for the same Centre and the reconstruction of the Parish Church a few years back.