Two Filipinos named Asian Heroes in Canada

A Filipino entrepreneur and a Filipino-Canadian nurse were among the six awardees of the 2nd Asian Heroes award in Canada.
Felicisimo Gorospe, chairman emeritus of the VGent Group of Companies, was recognized as the Asian Hero from the Philippines.
Born to a poor family in Ilocos Sur, Gorospe has succeeded as an entrepreneur. A report from ABS-CBN North America News Bureau said.
He helps send hundreds of poor children to school through his company, VGent Foundation.
Since 2009, the foundation supports at least 100 scholars annually and vows to do so for the next 100 years
“I’m preparing the trust fund so that even if we will no longer be around, the earnings from the trust fund will be sufficient to continue the project,” he said.
Phoebe Carantes, meantime, is a Canadian with Filipino roots. A registered nurse with the Fraser Health Institute BC, Carantes let go of a lucrative career to volunteer for healthcare services to war-torn Afghanistan where is she being recognized as an Asian Hero.
“If I would have the opportunity to give back to this country and also to serve our men and women in uniform in Afghanistan, I will do it anytime,” she said.
Organizers behind the award say they hope to help the heroes not just through recognition, but more so through funding for their causes. Successful individuals from different fields make up the team behind Canada’s version of Asian Heroes.