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On the first day of her new job in Hong Kong, Rhodora Alcaraz-Tuñacao faced a choice most people will never have to make.
As fire consumed the building around her, she had a clear path to safety.
She stayed.
For more than eight hours, Tuñacao remained inside a burning apartment in Tai Po District, shielding her employer’s three-month-old infant with her own body through thick smoke and heat until rescuers reached them on the 13th floor.
Casino Plus, together with the Alden Richards Foundation, has named her the first recipient of the Hero for All award—recognizing her as a living example of the everyday Filipino heroism the campaign was created to find.
An Ordinary Life, an Extraordinary Moment
Tuñacao, 28, is an overseas Filipino worker from San Pablo City, Laguna.
Like many OFWs, she left home to support her family—carrying the heavy responsibility and distance that come with it.
On November 26, 2025, she had just arrived at her employer’s residence after multiple train transfers from the airport. By midday, smoke had begun to fill the corridors. By nightfall, the building was engulfed in one of Hong Kong’s most severe fires in recent years.
Her employer urged her to escape through exterior scaffolding.
She decided to stay.
Wrapping the infant in a bedsheet to slow the smoke, she held on through the hours—losing consciousness more than once, but regaining it each time.
When rescuers finally guided them down, she collapsed from exhaustion, stood up, and continued until they reached safety.
She sustained no visible burns, but spent weeks recovering in a Hong Kong ICU and continues treatment in the Philippines for smoke inhalation.
She is not a trained rescuer.
She is not a firefighter.
She is someone who, when it mattered, acted.
“Hindi ko inaakala na may kakayanan pala akong tumulong pagdating sa ganung tragedy,” she said during the launch on April 9.
“Nasa puso ko po talaga na, ikaw ’to. Matapang ka, kaya mong tumulong.”
[I never thought I had it in me to help in a tragedy like that. But it was in my heart—you are brave, you can help.]
The Recognition
Hero for All: Honoring Stories of the Everyday Filipino was launched on April 9, 2026, in celebration of Araw ng Kagitingan by Casino Plus, in partnership with the Alden Richards Foundation.
The nationwide initiative aims to identify and support 20 Filipinos whose acts of courage, compassion, and service have quietly changed lives.
As the first honoree, Tuñacao will receive PHP 1 million, to be allocated between her personal needs and a community organization of her choosing—ensuring that recognition translates into sustained impact.
Her story opens the first door.
Nineteen remain.
Call for Nominations
Nominations are open from April 10 to May 1, 2026, via Casino Plus official social media platforms and offline nomination postcards distributed nationwide.
Each submission must include:
- Nominee’s name and location
- A 150-word account of their act of service
- At least one supporting material (photo, document, or endorsement letter)
Video nominations may also be submitted by tagging the official Casino Plus account using #CasinoPlusHeroForAll.
All entries undergo independent verification before evaluation by a multi-sectoral jury.
