Story by John Laurence L. Teologo, PSFI Communications Officer
Sometimes, purpose arrives quietly.
It does not always come with certainty or a carefully mapped-out career plan. Sometimes, it begins with an unexpected message from a friend, an opportunity that seems temporary, or a door that opens just as another one closes.
For Christian Given Magaling, fondly known as Given, purpose found him during one of the most uncertain chapters of his life.
Before joining Pilipinas Shell Foundation, Inc. (PSFI), Given had built a career in the corporate creative industry. As a freelance graphic designer and service provider for a multinational company, he created product designs and promotional materials. His world revolved around clients, campaigns, and creative briefs.
Then the pandemic changed everything.
Like many professionals, Given saw the stability he had known disappear almost overnight. In its place came uncertainty about what would happen next.
“Hindi ko alam kung anong klaseng trabaho ang makukuha ko,” he recalled.
Then came a message from a friend.
PSFI was looking for a project-based graphic designer for its PROTECTS Program. At the time, Given admitted that he knew very little about HIV advocacy or development work. It was an unfamiliar world, far removed from advertising and commercial design.
Still, he took the leap.
What he initially thought would be another design job became something far more meaningful.
Given began his journey with the PROTECTS Program in 2021. He became a Content Developer in 2024 and now serves as PSFI’s Visual Communications Officer. Nearly five years later, he continues to use his creativity to tell stories that matter.
He did not leave his profession behind. He discovered what it could become when placed in the service of others.
More Than Beautiful Designs
When Given first joined PSFI, he expected to spend most of his time behind a computer screen.
Instead, the work brought him into communities.
He met beneficiaries, volunteers, health workers, scholars, trainees, families, and local government partners. Through them, he encountered stories shaped by hardship, courage, and hope. With every field visit, his understanding of development grew deeper.
Akala ko sa apat na sulok lang ako ng opisina. Hindi ko alam na magkakaroon pala ako ng pagkakataong gamitin ang talento ko para sa isang layunin.
His camera no longer simply captured products. It documented resilience.
His designs no longer simply promoted brands. They amplified stories of transformation.
As his role evolved, so did the way he approached his craft. Beyond creating visual materials, Given began interviewing beneficiaries, documenting their journeys, directing productions, and helping shape stories from the ground up.
“Masaya mag-field work kahit nakakapagod kasi may nakakausap kang tao. May ka-share ka sa passion at success ng organization.”
For someone who once created primarily for clients, he now creates with and for communities.
“Masaya kasi mas malalim na reason ang trabaho mo.”
When Communities Change the Storyteller
People often speak of how PSFI changes lives. Given believes that the experience also transforms those who serve.
Every community visit became a lesson in gratitude. Every conversation opened his eyes to realities beyond his own. The people he met did not simply become subjects of his photographs or stories. They changed how he understood life.
Nagkaroon ako ng malawak na perspektibo ng buhay. Maikukumpara mo rin ang sarili mo sa iba. Maging grateful dahil may mga taong walang ilaw o tubig. Blessed pa pala ako.
Becoming a father deepened these realizations.
He began seeing PSFI’s work not as separate programs, but as interconnected responses to what every family needs and deserves: good health and nutrition, quality education, sustainable livelihoods, and opportunities to build a better future.
“Ano ba ang kailangan ng society natin na hindi natin napapansin? May mas maraming nangangailangan kaysa sa inaakala natin. Kung ikaw ay may kakayahang tumulong, gawin mo.”
That understanding transformed his creative work.
Each layout became more intentional. Each photograph carried greater responsibility. Each story became more personal because he now understood the lives and aspirations behind it.
The Story He Will Never Forget
Among the many people Given has met and documented, one woman’s story remains etched in his heart.
She was enrolled in a Shielded Metal Arc Welding I technical-vocational training supported by PSFI. As the only woman in her batch, she had already demonstrated the courage to enter a field traditionally dominated by men.
Before she had even completed the program, she told Given something that left him speechless.
“Sir, basta pag nakatapos ako, babalik ako sa PSFI. Magse-serve ako.”
She was not thinking only about the opportunity she had received. She was already thinking about how she could give back.
For Given, that moment revealed what true empowerment looks like. It allows people to imagine a better future for themselves, then inspires them to help create the same possibility for others.
“Ang byproduct ng success ay hard work o pagsisikap. Kahit may failure, babangon lang ulit. Hindi lang basta mabuhay, gawin mo nang mahusay. At kapag kaya mo na, maging mentor ka rin. Ipagpatuloy mo sa iba.”
It is a lesson he continues to carry: the most meaningful opportunities do not end with one person. They create ripples that can reach families, communities, and future generations.
Helping Stories Travel Farther
As PSFI’s Visual Communications Officer, Given may not always be the person delivering training, providing healthcare services, or awarding scholarships. His contribution often happens behind the camera or computer screen.
But he knows that stories have the power to move people.
Whenever beneficiaries express gratitude after seeing their stories shared, Given is reminded that he, too, has become part of their journey.
Hindi man ako ang direktang tumulong, pero proud akong bahagi ng organisasyon. Isa ako sa nag-amplify ng mensahe.
Even the comments and reactions that appear on social media affirm why communication matters. A photograph can help someone feel seen. An article can deepen understanding. A video can inspire another person to care, participate, or believe that change is possible.
Impact is not carried only by the hands that serve. It is also carried by the voices that help meaningful stories travel farther.
Servant Leadership in Action
What inspires Given most about PSFI is not a title or position. It is the culture of service he has witnessed across the organization.
“Mas nangingibabaw dito ang servanthood. Hindi titulo ang hinaharap sa mga tao. Open arms tayong maglingkod. Pantay-pantay ang lahat.”
Over the years, that culture has shaped his own understanding of leadership. For Given, leadership is rooted not in recognition, but in compassion; not in authority, but in humility; and not in being seen, but in helping others be seen.
He also believes that empowerment must first come from within.
“Ang pagiging empowered, nagsisimula sa sarili. Pagmulat mo pa lang, nagsisimula na ang purpose mo.”
For Given, that purpose is deeply personal and grounded in faith.
I am driven by purpose, and I choose this work because I believe I have a God-given purpose, to live for Him and serve others.
He believes that when people choose compassion and service, communities grow stronger and hope spreads from one person to another.
“Kung may pagmamahal at malasakit tayo sa kapwa, mas lalo nating napapalawak ang pagmamahal at nagiging mas nagkakaisa tayo bilang komunidad.”
A Legacy That Lives Through People
For 44 years, Pilipinas Shell Foundation, Inc. has worked alongside communities in responding to pressing social needs, not simply by providing assistance, but by creating opportunities for people to build better lives and help others do the same.
Its legacy can be found in programs sustained over decades and communities strengthened through partnerships. But it also lives in people like Given, whose calling became clearer through service.
It lives in beneficiaries who return as mentors, in communities that pay kindness forward, and in people who use their talents to help others feel seen, heard, and valued.
As PSFI celebrates its 44th anniversary with the theme “Driven by Purpose. Powered by People.,” Given offers a message to the people who have entrusted him and the Foundation with their stories:
Maraming salamat sa ating mga beneficiaries sa pagbabahagi ng inyong mga kuwento. Nakaka-touch ng puso at nakakapagbago ng pananaw sa buhay. Kayo ang inspirasyon namin upang magpatuloy.
His hope for PSFI is simple, but profound:
“Magpatuloy ang advocacy ng PSFI sa pag-empower ng tao. Tuloy-tuloy lang. Padayon.”
Because when people discover a deeper purpose for their gifts, their work becomes more than a profession. It becomes an act of service.
And when those acts of service are shared, every story can become someone else’s reason to hope.
