Featured image above shows Cezarah ‘Ate Sarah’ Discaya, declaring, ‘We own St. Gerrard Construction.’ At her left is lawyer Christian ‘Ian’ Sia, former councilor of Pasig City, Metro Manila. (Photo: SDN/EKU)
Short link: https://wp.me/paaccn-Gko
- EDD K. USMAN | Twitter: @edd1819 | Instagram: @bluestar0910 | Facebook: SDN — SciTech and Digital News
PASIG CITY (SDN) — “We truly own St. Gerrard Construction Corporation,” declares Cezarah “Ate Sarah” Discaya.
She emphasized the firm was named after her eldest son, established in 2003.
Ate Sarah is married to Curlee Discaya They own and run the St. Gerrard Construction firm out of Pasig City since its establishment 21 years ago, one of only 41 companies branded the prestigious Quadruple “A” recognition. It is a distinction St. Gerrard Construction shares with DMCI and other big-ticket developers.
Sarah Discaya issued the statement following continued allegations their construction firm was fronting for the family of former Pasig City mayor Vicente Eusebio.
“It is a recurring issue that St. Gerrard belongs to the Eusebios,” Discaya, fondly called “Ate Sarah”, told journalists and bloggers in a recent media forum in the city.
“I highly doubt the Eusebios will allow (naming their company after my son). We went through the needle’s hole. Let me clear it, (St. Gerrard Construction) is not owned by the Eusebios,” she emphasizes.
Why would people allow their company to be named after somebody’s son, she said, adding the Eusebio family has their own construction firm.
At the media forum on July 31, Ate Sarah was inaugural guests with lawyer Christian “Ian” Sia, a former council of Pasig.
Sia gave context on how the false claims originated about the ownership of St. Gerrard Construction Corporation.
He recalled that in the 2019 election the Eusebios “borrowed” a piece of lot owned by the Discaya couple to hold their political campaign. “That is where it all started,” Sia, referring to the allegations over ownership of St. Gerrard Construction, says.
The former councilor said that at one time then mayor “Enteng” Eusebio blacklisted St. Gerrard Construction. “If he owns it, why did he blacklist it.”
“We do our projects right. There is no concrete evidence (our company) is owned by the Eusebios,” she points out.
The Discaya couple also established the St. Gerrard Charity Foundation, Inc. eight years ago, which serves as their platform to give back to the people of Pasig. Their charity work through medical missions is not limited to the residents of the city, they are also extending their humanitarian assistance to non-residents.
She said that she and her husband started very poor that they were not even able to help one of Curlee Discaya’s male siblings with money or medicines, that’s why he died.
In fact, the foundation, Ate Sarah said, had already conducted medical missions in Quezon City and as far south of the Philippines in Zamboanga City, Western Mindanao.
In Pasig, she said the foundation had already conducted medical missions in nine of its 30 barangays (villages). “We are hoping that we can do the whole 30 barangays (before the years ends).”
Ate Sarah said she was surprised that many requests coming to them for assistance. “Every day requests are coming in. We are helping in our own way. We don’t want to announce (the medical missions), but since it is a medical mission, perhaps, no one will come if not announced.”
She said that at the heart of their foundation is “our willingness to help the poor because we know how to be lacking financial resources and without anyone to turn to for assistance.”
The “Kapihan sa Metro East Media Forum” is organized and hosted weekly by the PaMaMariSan Rizal Press Corps in collaboration with Pinoy Ako Advocacy Group at the 3rd Floor of SGC Commercial Building located in Pasig City. — EDD K. USMAN (♡)