MANILA, PHILIPPINES — Laus Group of Companies Chairman and CEO and Ford Philippines dealer principal Lisset Laus-Velasco has been named as 2021 Ford Salute to Dealers Honoree.
Salute To Dealers is a Ford Motor Company initiative that recognizes dealer partners who work toward improving the lives of individuals and their communities. Started by Edsel B. Ford II and now under the leadership of Henry Ford III, the program has honored over 130 Ford dealers over the last 20 years.
A total of eighty (80) dealers from around the world were nominated for the Award. An independent team of judges then selected the final six (6) honorees based on the scope of activities, length of participation, and personal involvement in their causes.
Laus-Velasco joins five (5) Ford dealer partners all over the globe who are awarded for their impactful social contributions, philanthropic work, and community service. She is the lone honoree from Ford’s International Markets Group and the second Ford dealer principal from the Philippines to win the award.
Laus-Velasco was recognized for her advocacy on education. “Education is very close to my heart. I truly believe that every human being should have the right, the privilege, and the opportunity to finish his or her studies. As an entrepreneur and mother, I am passionate about work associated with education, children, and communities because I truly believe that by having access to education, proper nutrition, and preparing the youth, we are able to build a better community, a better society through children who are properly educated and prepared to take on the future,” she shares.
In September 1992, her late father, Mr. Levy P. Laus, founded the Levy P. Laus Scholarship Foundation to aid educational and financial support to deserving students to secure a college diploma. In 2018, it was renamed to Levy P. Laus Foundation to expand its reach to other charitable causes.
The Laus Group also partnered with Rise Against Hunger which aims to end hunger by providing food and life-saving aid to vulnerable communities. In October 2019, employees helped prepare 7,500 food packs for the poor families and barangays in Pampanga.
At the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic last year, the Levy P. Laus Foundation, through the Department of Education, extended assistance by adopting three (3) public schools in Pampanga and sponsoring their online learning modules dubbed as “Alpabasa” – a game-based reading program that aims to make children fluent readers by incorporating music, games, and other fun activities in their daily learning.
