BAI Foundation’s first celebrity golf tournament aims to give hope for the lonely and powerless individuals in Cebu

(L-R, foreground) Lito Gruet, BAI Executive Director, Mr. Lito Barino, Chairman of  Duros Group of Copanies and Ronnie Delos Santos, President of Battle Against Ignorance (BAI) Foundation.

“We do what we do to promote awareness on the ill effects of drug use and abuse, poor parenting styles, and family dynamics on individuals.”

This was the belief that inspired Ronnie Delos Santos, President of Battle Against Ignorance (BAI) Foundation and Lito Gruet, BAI Executive Director, to hold the first-ever BAI Golf: Celebrity Invitational Golf Tournament of the South, set to happen from April 4 to 5, 2025 at Liloan Golf and Leisure Estates.

BAI Golf: Celebrity Invitational Golf Tournament of the South, set to happen from April 4 to 5, 2025 at Liloan Golf and Leisure Estates.

A safe space for the broken, wounded, hurting, and lonely individuals

BAI Foundation is established in 2011. A non-profit organization based in Cebu that aims to help every broken, wounded, hurting and lonely person, most especially people who are suffering from addiction and depression. Together with Safehaven Recovery Village, individuals living in vulnerable circumstances are given a new chance in life, providing them personalized treatment plans that meet their individual needs and goals.

BAI Foundation led by Ronnie Delos Santos, President of Battle Against Ignorance (BAI) Foundation and Lito Gruet, BAI Executive Director.

While the foundation has already achieved great strides, managing to help countless individuals, it has many more goals to accomplish. Lito admits, “It was frustrating in the beginning because we knew we had a very noble cause but nobody was minding us. Everyone knew about the taong grasa, the unstable individuals. Pinagtatawanan lang sila, minsan binubugbog pa because most people don’t understand why these powerless individuals are there in the first place.”

A former addict himself, Lito understands the struggles and challenges of these powerless individuals. Which is why he has built a heart and empathy to relate to the people they rescue. “I experienced life living in the streets. But by God’s grace I was able to recover, and eventually become a rehab director for 11 years, and a drug abuse resource speaker for the 25 years. This is my way of giving back.”

Golf for a meaningful cause

To this day, Ronnie and Lito remain passionate in their mission to rescue individuals, especially those living in the streets. But they understand that they cannot do it alone – they need many more to get involved to sustain the programs of BAI Foundation.

The official contract signing led by Lito Gruet, BAI Executive Director, Mr. Lito Barino, Chairman of  Duros Group of Copanies and Ronnie Delos Santos, President of Battle Against Ignorance (BAI) Foundation

“One of the best ways is to tap the celebrities because if we win their hearts, they have a tremendous following and this would translate to people just being aware of what we do. They can be a big help to the foundation,” explains Lito.

So with the power of influence, BAI Golf has invited A-list celebrities and Golf enthusiasts to participate in the meaningful event including Tonton Gutierrez with wife Glydel Mercado, Cesar Montano, Gary Estrada, Vince Hizon, and Pat Sugui, to name a few.

Apart from the celebrity participants, local government units, key stakeholders and corporations are also showing their support.

BAI Foundation Collaborators

A beautiful Cebu for everyone

This is just the beginning for BAI Foundation. The BAI Golf Tournament is just one of many projects of the foundation to ensure that Cebu City is a safe city for everyone, from the homeless to the locals and tourists.

“By organizing the BAI Golf Tournament of the South, we are creating an opportunity for the people to be curious and interested in what we do,” says Lito.

Sharing the same vision, Lito also concludes, “Our focus right now is to clean Cebu of its street dwellers, mendicants, the psychotics. We would like to help restore these individuals’ dignities. In doing so, we are also highlighting Cebu and the whole island province as a clean and beautiful destination where everyone is welcome.”

BAI Foundation Fundraising Initiatives.

Contact BAI Foundation

To know more about BAI Foundation and how you can help, visit https://www.battleagainstignorance.com/ and follow their social media accounts Facebook https://www.facebook.com/baifoundation and Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bai_foundation/.