In a generation where 'self-love' is often regarded as something important to prove a woman's worth, Maria Teresa Abadilla's style was different. It all started with her genuine love for the community. Maria Teresa also known as 'Tess' to her friends loved God and loved people. She had a big heart for women. She delighted in helping her community and this was something she believed God has put in her heart.
Back in 1985, at the height of Philippine's Edsa revolution, Tess and her husband migrated to Australia in the hopes of providing better opportunities for their two sons. She was then the director of De La Salle University's Computer Services Centre and a faculty member of Computer Science department. She was definitely challenged as a new migrant as she had to start from scratch. 'It was very difficult. it was very challenging, no one knows you. Unlike sa Philippines, kilala ka na sa industry. May mga achievements and accomplishments ka na but dito walang nakakakilala sayo'. Tess shares.
Studying was a breeze for Tess. She was the cream of the crop. A scholar at Philippine Science High School, she finished Bachelor of Science major in Statistics at UP Diliman and earned a Master's degree in Industrial Engineering. However, when she immersed in Australia's corporate world, she was battered with doubts and reservations on how to compete and stand out, but the unrelenting thoughts did not stop her from shining. She jumped from industry to industry to see where she can excel. She started as a consultant in a firm, established her own consulting firm, worked with Telstra and finally found her niche in Australia Post. She was fortunate enough to land a position as manager for a strategy and architecture group in the IT department and after a few years, was offered an executive position in Commercial and HR division. She admits it was challenging for her to work with other cultures. 'It exposes who you are. Our culture as a Filipino we are a bit timid in a number of things.. Even in the way we express ourselves. But if you are given responsibility you have to personally change. Not just on skill level but in being able to communicate with other team members,' says Tess.
10 years later, Tess left the corporate world in 2011 and have focused on a different agenda; to help the community. She started working on building her own charity which she later named Frontline foundation. Her vision started when she went to the Philippines for a missions trip where they visited remote communities to feed and minister to poor people. On the said trip she witnessed the sad reality that poverty has controlled the lives of many Filipinos, a question popped in her head, 'is there anything I can do with what I know and where I am?' She believed it was time to take action and empower the community. With the help of her colleague, they started ironing the vision, mission and model. It took 3 years just to lay the foundation but whilst setting up, they already started building projects in the Philippines.
Abadilla family. (L-R) son Raymond and wife Pia, Tess with husband Buddy, son Ian with grandsons Eli and Zach at her 60th birthday. Source: Maria Teresa Abadilla
Maria Teresa Abadilla completing her Certificate IV in Training and Assessment at Victoria University in 2014. Source: Maria Teresa Abadilla
'Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.' -Chinese Proverb
Frontline foundation's goal is to empower less-privileged people to achieve sustainable livelihood. It does not merely rely on giving money to the needy but the main focus is to partner with communities and teach every member to work and think so they can make worthwhile decisions in life. It is better to teach someone to do something for themselves than to do it for them, this is the vision of Tess.
"There must be something more that we could do to get people out of poverty."
Tess and her team started their first major project by reaching out to the Badjaos of Batangas in 2014. They were the first recipient of the foundation. The sea gypsies who are said to be illiterate went through strategic planning workshops, business, finance and project management training and at the end of the equipping, they were given appropriate funds to set up their own cooperative. The success of the project created a chain reaction and led them to help Daet, another rural poor community in the Philippines. The projects assisted 250 families altogether and they are gearing up for more projects in the future.
In addition to helping the less-privileged, Tess loves to train up women. She is actively equipping women to reach their full potential by spearheading an annual women's dinner she calls 'radiant'. Her main focus is getting women to go out and have a good time at the same time redefining the standard of beauty on a Godly perspective. 'It's really combining outer beauty and inner beauty.Outer beauty you adorn yourself with jewelries and fine clothes and you go out and have fun. But we combine that with also developing your inner beauty,' says Tess.
Since the kick off in 2002, about 200 women testified their lives have changed. They now have a deeper understanding of their worth, value and purpose. Her ultimate vision still stand strong up to this day; that women will shine with love, confidence and joy.
Frontline Foundation's community projects in Pampanga and Badjao community. Source: Frontline Foundation
Radiant annual dinner held every 21st of September. Source: Radiant FB
'I am a product of someone investing in my life way back 1986. So I was in DLSU, there's a woman in my life who would come to my office and minister to me. I know that has made an impact in my life. I have changed. I have transformed. I know we can empower women,' Tess states with enthusiasm. At the moment she is mentoring and encouraging hundreds of women in the Filo-Australian community and is happy to serve for as long as she lives.
Tess believes that Filipinas are gifted with extraordinary talents. Combined with the right skills, an honourable character and a respectable culture, women can truly shine. 'There's so much to learn and contribute for the community. There's so much that you can do to leave a legacy to the next generation,' Tess says with confidence.
Frontline Foundation's Zumba activity. Source: Frontline Foundation
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