BIGAY PUSO is a registered nonprofit organization that empowers children in underserved communities in the Philippines through education. Founded in 2011 by educator Shirley A. Edio, Bigay Puso began as a simple Christmas gift-giving project for 100 students at Lupang Pangako Elementary School in Payatas (a predominantly urban poor barangay built on a former landfill in the northeastern district of Quezon City, Metro Manila) after Shirley noticed that, for many of her students, their school Christmas celebrations lacked the joy and excitement so often associated with the holiday season in the Philippines. With little to share at their classroom parties, some children had no gifts to open and only a simple meal of sardines to eat. With the generosity of her first sponsors, Shirley brought her vision to life. At the inaugural Bigay Puso sa Pasko (meaning Give Your Heart on Christmas) celebration, 100 students received Jollibee meals, groceries to bring home to their families, and Christmas gifts — along with a surprise visit from Jollibee that filled the celebration with excitement and joy.
Two years later, in 2013, Shirley met Kym Bisnar when Kym visited Lupang Pangako Elementary School through another nonprofit organization. At the time, Shirley was struggling to secure sponsors for that year’s Christmas program, as much of the available aid in the Philippines had understandably shifted toward communities devastated by Super Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda). Moved by Shirley’s commitment to her students, Kym offered to help. She started a fundraiser among her friends and family back home, initially hoping to raise enough to cover Christmas gifts for the children. The response exceeded expectations, raising enough to support the entire program that year and marking the beginning of a lasting partnership between Shirley and Kym.
What began as a Christmas celebration for 100 students soon grew into an annual tradition reaching thousands of children and families in various communities throughout the Philippines. Over the years, Bigay Puso expanded beyond its Christmas program to support other community needs, including disaster relief efforts and initiatives centered on education and literacy advocacies for children. As the community of supporters grew, so did the vision for Bigay Puso. Encouraged by those who had followed and supported their work over the years, Shirley and Kym took the next step in making Bigay Puso an official organization, laying the foundation for its continued mission to create meaningful opportunities for children and underserved communities. Bigay Puso Philippines was formally incorporated as a nonstock, nonprofit organization in the Philippines in 2021. Bigay Puso USA was recognized as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in the United States in 2026.
Who We Are
SHIRLEY A. EDIO
Founder & Executive Director
Shirley A. Edio is a dedicated educator with over 20 years of teaching experience under the Department of Education Philippines, where she currently holds the rank of Principal I (Selection Division of Quezon City). Originally from the Isabela province, she received her BA in Elementary Education from University of the Cordilleras in Baguio City and her MA in Educational Management from Polytechnic University of the Philippines in Manila. Shirley was previously a Grade 1 teacher at Lupang Pangako Elementary School in Payatas, Quezon City (where Bigay Puso began) for 12 years, and remains an active advocate for students in the Payatas community. She is currently principal at Teodora Alonzo Elementary School in Quezon City and devotes her free time towards teaching kids in outside communities who lack access to formal education. Shirley's passion for education has been recognized through numerous awards which include: 2nd Place Winner for the ASIA-Pacific Centre of Education for International Understanding (APCEIU) Challenge for 2020 Online SSAEM Conference, Recipient of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organisation Regional Centre for Education in Science and Mathematics (SEAMEO RECSAM) Scholarship Program (2015-2016), Recipient of the 2016 UNESCO-APCEIU Korea-Philippines Teacher Exchange Programme for Global Education, Recipient of the Quezon City Scholarship Program for Public School Teachers, 2014 Department of Education Exemplary Mathematics Teacher Awardee (Regional Level), Most Outstanding Teacher 2013 for Payatas, Second District, Quezon City, and Most Outstanding Teacher for Araw ng mga Guro (National Teachers' Day) 2022.
KYM BISNAR
Co-Founder & President
Kym Bisnar is a second-generation Filipino-American from Los Angeles, California. She received her BA in Sociology from University of California, Irvine and her JD from San Beda University College of Law in Manila, Philippines. Kym is currently a practicing attorney and member of both the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) and the State Bar of California. She has also served as a supervising lawyer for the San Beda Legal Aid Bureau, one of the Philippines' few clinical legal education programs accredited by the Supreme Court, and has assisted the IBP in providing free legal services to the community through her pro bono work under the IBP Makati Chapter. Kym has over 15 years of experience in the non-profit sector. She was previously a co-director for BKP-California, Inc., a 501(c)(3) registered non-profit which built dozens of mini-libraries throughout the Philippines. Her notable projects include on-ground relief operations for Typhoon Yolanda in Eastern Samar in 2013 and the follow-up Camp Rebuild project in 2014, which was an initiative to restore livelihood to the residents of Camparang Village in Guiuan, Eastern Samar. The Camp Rebuild project included an art show held in Los Angeles which fundraised money to donate 30 new boats to fishermen in Camparang Village whose fishing boats were destroyed during Typhoon Yolanda, as well as the Green Garden co-op, a sustainable farming and garden project for the community. Her work has been recognized by various organizations including Department of Education Philippines, City Government of Zamboanga, and Task Force Davao.
