Kingly Treasures to Benefit the Ultra-poor

Leon Gallery, the Philippines’ most trusted auction house, invites you to participate in an important segment of its The Kingly Treasures Auction on December 4, 2021, at 2 PM for a generous cause. Fifteen lots are up for bids to raise funds for the International Care Ministries’ humanitarian work for the “poorest of the poor” in the Visayas and Mindanao.

“December is always a special month, not least of all because it is a time for sharing,” says Leon Gallery Director Jaime L. Ponce de Leon. “We urge you to join in the bidding.”

To support the ICM’s charitable endeavors for the impoverished, Leon Gallery will be donating the entirety of the proceeds from the fifteen artworks lined up for auction. The selection includes works by Betsy Westendorp, Kenneth Montegrande, Augusto Albor, Carlo Magno, Jose Joya, Norberto Carating, Phyllis Zaballero, Manuel Baldemor, Remy Boquiren, Carmen Brias, Denise Weldon, and Juvenal Sansó.

Transforming the Futures of the Ultra-poor

International Care Ministries (ICM) is a non-profit organization operating in the provinces of Visayas and Mindanao, catering to twelve regional bases with nearly 20 million people. Of these, 2.2 million live in ultra-poverty, or those living on less than US$0.50 per day. These people are for whom the ICM dedicates its philanthropic efforts.

The average income of the ultra-poor families in the Philippines is just US$0.28, or a miserly 14 pesos per person per day. Of these families, 29% have no access to electricity, 43% are afflicted with poor health, and 15% of mothers have had one of their children die of hunger and sickness. The COVID-19 pandemic worsened their situation; 72% of Filipinos the ICM serves say that they are earning less now than before the pandemic struck.

“Even before the virus hit, their lives were unimaginable,” says David Sutherland, chairman of the ICM.

Beyond data and statistics, the ICM has always been concerned with transforming the lives of its beneficiaries. For the past three decades since its establishment, the ICM has already extended its welfare-oriented care to over a million people in the ultra-poor communities it administers.

Through its holistic four-month weekly program called “Transform,” the ICM aims to equip the ultra-poor with the training and skills to help them alleviate their lives from poverty. The program comprises four essential areas: Values, Livelihood and Savings, Health and Medical Interventions, and Education. According to the ICM, “Transform” has already increased its participants’ incomes by 107% after only four months of training. It has also reduced illnesses by 36% and has seen a 25% decrease in depression and other life improvements.

To learn more and see the works for auction, visit https://leon-gallery.com/auctions/The-Kingly-Treasures-Auction-2021. To learn more about the work of ICM, visit caremin.com

Painting No. 17: Orchids” by Betsy Westendorp