|
|
||
|
Home | Officers | DWCUAA History | Alumni Members | Alumni Around the World Philippine Alumni | DWCU History | Activities | Message Board | Announcements | Contact Us
|
||
|
Fr. Augustine Herbers, SVD Scholarship Fund
Fr. Herbers is the founder of the school which was originally called Divine Word Academy of Urdaneta. As a lasting show of gratitude for his dedication to the school and to its alumni, we are planning to establish the scholarship fund that would carry his name. Some of us, the alumni, have been brainstorming about this regard. Please feel free to express your thoughts about this project. Please email Johnny Soriano at johnny0825sori@yahoo.com. If you are interested to join or participate in this noble endeavor, please do so.
The following are excerpts of ideas being tossed around. Please read on:
"I suggest we start with a low budget (on the first year) until we are able to generate more funds as we go along. Set financial goals. Perhaps Pidiong Angeles, the Banker, can help us out with regards to the banking requirements. Say, if we put in a Million Pesos in the bank, how many scholars will the interest alone be able to fund the Scholarship Budget? Keep me posted. Thanks.".......................CONRAD DEL CASTILLO, FORMER STAFF MEMBER "Johnny, the last time I visited our school I felt so embarrassed about its overall look and surroundings. It's all old and rusty specially the hand rail. For me, this would be a good project to bring out the best look of our school. It needs an overall re-painting! Just pitching in something for our thought.".............................BONIFACIO ESTRADA, '78 "Johnny, the Scholarship Fund is such a very good and noble idea. In fact, I am also toying with this kind of Project at my wife's barangay (quite a lot of kids in the barangay stop going to school after they graduate from elementary because of financial problems. They end up going to the farm to help their parents till the soil which they don't really own. I pity these kids especially those who are smart and have good prospects in the future). Just to get your project going, I am willing to give an ante of $50.00. C'mon set up the Fund because it is much easier to think of a Project with an initial funding on hand."................CONRAD DEL CASTILLO, FORMER STAFF MEMBER "With regards to Father Herbers Scholarship Fund, that's okay with me." ............RUDYARDO LECITONA, '72 "Ciao, Manong! We're back in Milan almost a month ago and I'm glad to hear from you again. I will print Fr. Herbers' picture and show it to my relatives and friends who were Divinians. I will mention to them about the project and ask for their voluntary monetary contributions. If the alumni association approves this project, let me know okay. I think, it is more convenient for us to send the money to the Philippines. Please provide me the name and address of the contact person to whom we'll be sending the fund. I will provide you the names of the contributors and the amount of their contribution. Please update us here in Milan!"................LOURDES ELIZAGA-DALIT, '80 "Johnny, thanks for all the update. You may not hear from me often but I'm always following up on every issues you're posting. Whatever you'll come up with please count me in.".................ARNULFO DOCTOR, '72 I'd like to make some comments on your very splendid project, which is to put up a library in honor of Fr. Herbers. The library is a good proposal but I want to know what to do with the present library which is located at the old chapel(3rd floor). It's a big space I think, bigger than the old library in 2nd floor. The old library is now the computer room. At present they have more or less 40 computers, some aren't working (this goes to Citas' supposedly project?). I wonder what happened to it. Anyway, what I was thinking about the project is the location - with students passing by in the ground floor every now & then, don't you think it will be rather noisy? Unless it's an air conditioned library, but think of the electric bills! May I suggest that we donate new books. The library consists of old & quite obsolete books. They use catalogues in looking for titles of books & authors instead of using the high tech way - by using the computer. Maybe, we can also provide computers for their school research so the students can be motivated to use the library. Or, maybe renovations of the library, new chairs & tables, perhaps? I like the suggestion about the scholarship program. I'll try to get a copy from the school of their payment scheme so you can make a study on the project. ............................SHARI MAMALIO-NERZA, '73 The scholarship fund for me is a good idea. You can have my support. ..........BERNARDITA MANZANO-SACLOLO, '73 "Yes, that's Ms. Gilda Doot and her husband with Fr. Herbers. It was taken last year when they visited him at Christ the King Seminary in Quezon City. From what Ms. Doot said, he's frail and has become weak and sickly.......and might not live much longer (knock on woods). I agree, since you're having your reunion this coming December, your class should vote to give him a "special award" as a token for his dedicated service to the school and it's entire alumni. Though I don't think he could attend your reunion as a guest, I guess this one "simple thing" might mean a lot to him now that he's still alive. What I have in mind is a construction of a library (in the school grounds, of course) in honor of Fr. Herbers but am not sure if some, if not all, of the alumni are willing to donate or contribute for its construction. In fact, Charito (San Juan) and myself previously talked about something like this but I mentioned to her the same problem......the donations and/or contributions." ..........JOHNNY S. SORIANO, '72 "I am open to Evelyn's idea but you're right, Fr Herbers may not be able to attend. I talked to him when I went to mass at the school chapel last year. He just smiled at me when I told him who I was, but I think he does not remember me. Salamat Aro for copying me in your correspondences regarding the noble idea of a library structure to be built in honor of Fr. Herbers. You can count on my support for this project. Raffy's suggestion on fund raising and tax incentive is very sound. I hope this will get going. Let's do what we can." .............ELPIDIO ANGELES, '73 "Manong Johnny, I think this is a great idea but this can take at least 2-5 years to accomplish it. Maybe we can start by forming a group of us to make our plan in writing. We can elect a committee to be involved with the planning, fund raising, etc. This could be a good platform for our next DWCUAA reunion here in US. We have to know first the size of the library, so we can set a goal for the funding. I will certainly be interested.... The library will be a great monument to show our appreciation for our school and it will greatly benefit the whole community for centuries... Do you know any alumni who can do the design/architecture? I think we have the resources to get this done. Anong say mo?" .........EVELYN BASCOS-GONZALEZ, '73 "You all have great ideas. Pool all these great ideas together and just like what Manong Johnny said, calendar it for Agenda at the next Alumni meeting on the 30th. Let's involve the officers on this project. Let it be a true embodiment of an Alumni Project. If I may put my two cents worth. A library in honor of Rev. Herbers is one of the best, if not the best, recognition we can bestow upon him. Let me caution you though, that this is a gargantuan project of logistical proportion. Are you just talking financing construction of the structure itself or does it also include the books that goes in it? If I sense it right the whole rationale behind these great ideas is to immortalize him - to perpetrate his memory. Another good idea is to create/establish a Fr. Herbers Scholarship chair where poor but deserving bright student(s) are awarded an "X" amount of year(s) scholarship in DWCU. The parameters for selection, continuous endowment, etc. would be set by a committee chosen by the officers of the Alumni. A local oversight committee composed of select Faculty members and/or local (as in PI) Alumni representatives would have direct control of the program. We probably could have a lot more of great ideas out there. Bottom line is: put this in the Agenda for discussion and debate the merits or demerits of each one and then chose the best one. Don't be dragged into the pitfall of a few deciding a final Project and then ram it through the throats of every official who were not involved in the process. A plaque of Recognition or a semblance of it would just adorn the four corners of the honoree's abode. If you all can lay the foundation for the establishment of a lasting project in honor of his memory and then have an austere memorable ceremony where presentation of the Project in writing approved by all the officers, would be a fitting climax to his fading career. If he is still around with the project's completion/full implementation, he could be invited again as the principal guest at the inaugural ceremony. More power to what you are all doing. Involve the officers and whatever the end result is, involve everybody. You're all great alumni driven by noble goals!!" ..............YOGI DIAZ, '74 "Can I share what I have in mind? The HERBERS LIBRARY is a very good idea. As a matter of fact, it is long overdue. It would be really great if this would come into fruition while Fr. Herbers is still with us. Do we have CPA's in our group or anyone who knows one who practices here in the States or in the Philippines for that matter? Willy Palad comes into my mind. The reason is because: 1. If we can form a nonprofit foundation we can solicit donations from various people and corporations for fundraising. Now, the question is will the IRS recognize the project as legit? 2. If found legit, donations are tax deductible. For people like me who itemize, this will be a great help. As Johnny said, a former classmate of ours, Romeo Ortiz can draw us a plan and give us an estimate and then we can go from there. As for giving Fr. Herbers a Special Award, give it to him regardless he is attending or not. Make sure you have it in your program and let him know what is going on. At least he knows that we still care about him after all these years. If he fails to attend, give it to him at a later date. That will lift up his spirits." ..............RUFO BRUAN III, '72 "Lakay, I agree completely with the Scholarship Fund, less headache but more productive. May be we can build a Fr. Herbers "bust" in front of the school. Is it appropriate to build it if he is still alive?" ....................ARSENIO V. CONSOLACION, '70 "Dear Everyone, I read all the notes with much enthusiasm to try and see where everyone's thoughts are. I believe most of us want to do something noble for DWCU but realize that it would be a gigantic task to complete. I agree, it takes much more than asking everybody to pay the $10.00 membership fee. It can be done though, and this is probably the most important thing to realize if only for now - it can be done. I'm sure, like myself, people are cringing at the thought of shelling out MONEY but let's face it - we do need to do something. The scholarship fund, for now, sounds like something we could start with. Hell, it might push everyone in the school to do well. I love libraries - I dream of winning the lotto and putting up a library that could be the envy of everyone - this is of course only a dream but why can't we dream alike? I must warn the California alumni - you may be doing much of the work (like always). But if you are willing, let the work begin. I know nothing about IRS except that they have most of the fruits of my labor. It would help to get a tax rebate - this, however, should not deter us from doing what we want to do for the school." .............CHARITO CABANILLA-LOVE, '74 "Johhny, I will go for what ever project our alumni association will go for. In fact things like these were discussed in passing by me, Rhodetto, and Manolo Castro the last time we had a reunion at San Diego. I understand some are suggesting a library to be built. That is a great idea but we have to consider how much lead time we have from planning, financing and completion of the project. I will not oppose such a project, I like it. However, think of who will be the lead people to start and finish such a huge undertaking. I can pledge some moderate amount of money for this but there are some more ways to get some funds like sponsoring golf and bowling tournament. Selling 50/50 tickets if you have some alumni activities there locally. This entails a medium or long term plan. The other suggestion is the scholarship fund. That is, I think is more attainable in a short term. In fact, it can be done immediately. Just determine who the recipients are and how many they are . Please get back to me after your meeting at the end of this month. I would love to participate in whatever capacity I am capable of." .................REYNALDO CALIVO, '71 "Whatever the organization decided to venture on, I will be supportive as long as it is attainable. For an advise, let us start with a smaller project." ............JOSE BALTAZAR SIBAL, '72
|
||
