Many overlapping inequalities exist today, and it is crucial to ensure that people of colour, background, race, and impairments all have equal access to opportunities in the gaming and esports landscape.
To that end, MOONTON Games has championed several causes in education, diversity, and equity throughout 2023 under its corporate social responsibility arm, MOONTON Cares. These include the integration of producing the M5 World Championship merchandise under Handcrafted by Harl’s, educational workshops with the MPL-PH Press Corps, and Creator Academy in collaboration with TikTok.
"We are thrilled to work with likeminded partners to create spaces where everyone can seize opportunities, regardless of gender or background. Diversity brings great opportunities, and we are looking forward to empowering the underrepresented," stated Theon Hsu, Head of CSR, MOONTON Games.
At the MSummit Manila, Theon reinforced MOONTON Games' commitment to societal responsibility, with more initiatives to launch in 2024.
Bringing the spotlight to true heroes
MOONTON Cares collaborated with Handcrafted by Harl’s, to develop exclusive M5 and MLBB-branded coin purse, bags, and wallets which were produced by Persons with Disabilities (PWD). Starting from PHP 150 and avaliable at the M5 World Championship venue, fans can purchase stylish, yet practical leather goods bearing the M5 motif and brand.
The corporate responsibility arm also highlighted the inspiring success stories of founder Harley Dave Beltran, Ronald Polo, an expert leather craftsman, and JKhriez Pastrana, an advocate for dwarfism awareness. The video will be out tomorrow via MLBB esports official channels.
"We would like to thank MOONTON Cares for providing us a platform to showcase what our PWDs can do. Programs like these help us debunk the stigma about PWDs and further promote inclusivity in the workspace. Lastly, thank you for empowering me to empower others," says Harley Dave Beltran, Founder, Handcrafted by Harl's.
At MOONTON Cares, fostering a diverse ecosystem is important to us. We are one with Harl in growing awareness for demographics that the industry has seemed not addressed yet by opening a platform to share their inspiring stories and provide livelihoods. This is just the beginning of our long-term commitment towards diversity, equity, and inclusivity," says Theon Hsu, MOONTON Cares Director, MOONTON Games.
"NCDA supports MOONTON Cares for the numerous programs that they have implemented to cater to the underrepresented sector of our community. We share the same vision of providing opportunities for everyone, regardless of their capabilities. They are part a vital part of our nation building," shared Exequiel Francisco, Deputy Executive Director, National Council on Disability Affairs.
Nurturing the Next Generation of Legends
Earlier this year, MOONTON Cares worked with various learning institutions and organizations in Indonesia, Cambodia, and the Philippines to push forward esports and gaming education among women and youth.
In partnership with the MPL Philippines Press Corps, MOONTON Cares mounted the M5 Esports Journalism Workshop, a series of lectures led by Filipino esports reporters to hone the skills of aspiring writers and campus paper journalists from top universities.
Around 100 participants were given lessons about basic journalism writing, features writing in esports, esports and gaming lingos, mobile journalism, side stories writing, and media ethics. The students were tasked to cover the tournaments and work with local media publications to have their pieces published.
Additionally, more than 100 students from five universities in Jakarta, Bandung, and Jogjakarta, Indonesia, received scholarships, mentorship, and internship opportunities. MOONTON Cares also established a Creator Academy with TikTok to provide hundreds of gaming content creators with social media knowledge and tools. This helped them learn more about creating social media content that resonates with their fans and will eventually help them grow their own community.
In Cambodia, MOONTON Cares worked with the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports to provide insights into how individuals can participate in the esports scene by giving them access to observe the tournament operations during MSC 2023.
This year also saw the continuation of the first female league in Indonesia that welcomed more than 200 female teams across various MLBB events. In partnership with Woman's Star League (WSL), more than 1,500 women participated, and the event helped establish a level playing field for men and women in the MLBB esports and gaming world.
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