Above and Beyond the Call of Duty: Meet ASA Philippines Heroic Employees
TAGUIG CITY, Philippines – ASA Philippines Foundation has always lived by its mission of helping those in need by empowering Nanays and uplifting their families. This mission was further brought to life by four of its field employees, who went beyond their duties and displayed utmost courage, dedication, and compassion for the communities that they serve and for their fellow ASA team members.
In the inaugural Tanglaw Awards last February 26 2026 which recognized outstanding performance in ASA’s field operations, ASA conferred the Lingkod Bayani honors to ABH Liza Bartolata, MFO Ivy Mae Aldaya, BM Joemar Mibato, and MFO Reovenne Dajuya. The fearless quartet embodied immense gallantry in the face of adversity as they personified what it meant to be an ASA employee.
In celebration of Araw ng Kagitingan, let’s relive the inspiring heroic deeds of ASA’s own servant-heroes.
A story of compassionate and unyielding courage
The idea of heroism often invokes the image of a strong character saving anyone in physical distress, but Liza G. Bartolata, the Assistant Branch Head in Barangay Poblacion, Libon, Albay showed a different aspect of what a heroine should be.
Liza faced a dilemma due to the violent threat that a local crime group posed in Libon, Albay. The unscrupulous individuals would sometimes intimidate or harass anyone on the street, a real danger that the Nanay clients feared whenever they had to travel to the branch. Despite this danger, Liza put on a brave yet compassionate face and visited her Nanay clients and assured them that ASA would always support them.
“Hindi naman lingid sa inyong kaalaman na nagkaroon ng threat mula sa sa isang local crime group kung kaya’t di na makalabas yung kliyente para makapaghulog kay ASA,” (It’s not really a secret that we experienced a visible threat in our area due to the presence of a local crime group. This prevented our clients from leaving their homes and heading to our branch to make their payments to ASA) said Bartolata in her interview with ASA.
After law enforcement neutralized the local crime group, the 28-year-old from Masbate took on the hard yet fulfilling process of talking to her Nanay clients to continue their partnership with ASA Philippines Foundation. Liza’s courage ultimately paid off, as her branch’s beneficiaries were able to thrive once more through the help of ASA.
“Isipin na lang natin na nakakatulong tayo sa mga nanay, nakakatulong tayo sa komunidad, nakakatulong tayo sa pamilya natin na umaasa sa atin. Sa ngayon po kami ay masaya na maikwento sa inyo ang Libon ay marami na pong napabalik na recovery loan and sila po ay mga renewal na at big loaner na po.” (Let’s just think about our role in the community, how we help the mothers and the families who rely on our help. Right now, I’m proud to say that there are multiple people here in Libon who’ve renewed their membership and some of them are already big loaners.)
Standing up fearlessly for what is right
MFO Ivy Mae Aldaya showed that you don’t need an imposing figure and presence to showcase your innate bravery.
Ivy is a former ASA Philippines scholar who fully embraced her responsibilities at the Barangay Guadalupe branch in Cebu and helped her clients with their financial needs one week into her tenure. There was however an incident when she didn’t just routinely help her Nanay clients, but stood by her principles when she discovered what her branch manager did.
After a conversation with the house owner and group leader of the Nanay clients, Aldaya discovered that she was transacting with personalities who weren’t official beneficiaries of the foundation. The Branch Head was ultimately found out to have falsified the accounts of the said individuals, leading to missed payments on Ivy’s and her fellow MFOs’ financial records.
Aldaya, who stands just a shade above five feet, knew that she did the right thing, but she never expected that her bravery would be feted at the Tanglaw Awards. Nevertheless, she reminded her fellow MFOs to always stand up for what is right no matter who you’re going up against.
“Mahalin po natin trabaho natin kasi binigay na ng ASA lahat po, halos po libre na lahat, and alagaan po natin image and reputation natin na hindi tayo mapapahiya, hindi po tayo makakadamay sa mga kasama natin,” she said. “Huwag po tayong matakot na magsumbong kung alam niyong nasa tama kayo, at last po – magtrabaho po tayo nang tapat.” (We should love our job because ASA gave us almost everything. We don’t have to pay for anything. Let’s take care of our image and reputation, so that we won’t compromise ourselves in embarrassing situations, and we won’t involve our colleagues in any of our actions. We shouldn’t be afraid of reporting to authorities, especially when we know we’re right. Lastly, let’s work honestly.)
A display of unselfish heroism in the face of danger
Moments of courage often strike in an instant, and those who carry that gallant spirit would sometimes disregard their own safety if they could save others from danger. Branch Manager Joemar Mibato embodied that strength when calamity struck his home province
Already resting after a full day’s work, Joemar was immediately startled when a magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck Northern Cebu on September 1, 2025. The Branch Manager of Barangay Ilihan, Tabogon felt rather powerless against the vibrations and decided to secure himself in his bedroom.
Despite fearing for his life, Mabito heard Area Administrator Gabriel Mata’s pleas and abandoned the safety of his bunkbed to rescue his teammate on the floor above. The 28-year-old braved through the tremors, kicked down the door, and saved his trapped supervisor.
“Bumigay na yung pader sa gilid, at di na ma-open yung pinto kasi kasi bumigay na yung pader sa side ng pinto. Sabi ko ‘sir tumabi ka muna saglit’ at sinipa ko yung pinto para makapasok ako. Yun nasira yung pinto kaya nakalabas na. After nun, bumaba agad kami para I secure yung sarili po namin,” said Mabito. (The wall already collapsed, and this prevented me from opening the door because it fell against the doorway. I said to him ‘sir, you should step aside a bit’ then I kicked the door open to get to him. When I broke that door, we were able to finally leave the floor. After that, we went outside and got to safety.)
His heroism didn’t go unnoticed, and Mabito received a Tanglaw award under the Lingkod Bayani citation for his absolute bravery in the face of calamity. “Sobrang thankful ako kasi binigyan ako ng ganung opportunity at masarap sa feeling na once makatulong ka sa ibang tao.” (I’m super thankful because they gave me this opportunity, and it’s really a tremendous feeling if you can help other people.)
His quick thinking and presence of mind saved the day
MFOs often put the welfare of Nanay clients before their own, and MFO Reovenne Dajuya took that duty to heart when he was tasked to protect the hard-earned money of the foundation’s beneficiaries.
During a routine day of work at the Barangay Poblacion branch in Barobo, Surigao del Sur, two burglars broke into the branch and demanded money from the ASA employees. Reovenne, who was upstairs during the incident to prepare the branch’s cash-on-hand, heard the commotion and quickly acted on instinct to find the best possible help.
Finding his way to the house’s upstairs terrace, Dajuya jumped to their neighbor’s roof and requested assistance from the community they serve daily. Dajuya’s rush of adrenaline prevented any further harm and protected the P37,346 worth of cash that was on hand during the attempted robbery.
“Natakot ako para sa aking sarili, pero mas inuna ko yung kapakanan ng aking kasamahan na naiwan doon sa branch,” said Dajuya as he recounted how he overcame the fear he faced during the ordeal. (I was scared for my own safety, but I knew I had to also ensure that my colleagues and those left in the branch are safe as well.)
He also advised his fellow MFOs to always prioritize the needs of their Nanay clients and keep a calm mind even in the face of trouble.
“Ang masasabi ko lang sa lahat ng co-staff ni ASA na pag may ganitong pangyayari ay wag basta basta natataranta, bagkus mag isip ng magandang paraan para makahanap ng tulong,” (All I can say to my co-staff in ASA is that when something like this happens, we should remember to remain calm, and think about what the best strategy is to get some help.) Reovenne added as an advice to his fellow MFOs in prioritizing the needs of their Nanay clients.