Fundraising for our Alma Mater - by Jess Socrates

We, graduates of U.P. High School Class of 1966, have always been known for our love and loyalty to our alma mater. For us, the four years we spent in UP High are about the most important years of our lives. These are years that will never be forgotten, forever etched in our memories and even passed on to our next generation. And because we love our school so much, our class stands on record to have consistently been the most giving to our alma mater.

After graduation from UP High, many of us went on to college to pursue different interests and then build varied careers and our families. It is no surprise that for years, we went our own ways and forgot about our high school classmates. This was however by necessity and not by choice. Because, given the chance to rekindle the old fire, 25 years after graduation, in 1991, we once again got reunited in such a way that old ties reestablished can never ever be broken again. From then on, we have been together for major reunions, birthday celebrations, picnics and other social activities. We excitedly reschedule our work and home activities to host visiting classmates - both in North America and in the Philippines. The internet and computer age has likewise bonded us together on a daily basis, as we share our happiness and sorrows, jokes and memories, offer prayers for each other, first on our E-mail lists and now on the E-group. We are once again together daily as a group and as classmates in the virtual world.

During our first reunion in California, back in the summer of 1991, we agreed in principle to embark on a life long project dedicated to supporting UP High, its students and faculty. We wanted to set this up to allow any classmate, regardless of financial status, to participate. We wanted a project that will allow us to help out our school every year without depleting our funds. We wanted a project that will outlive us and continue its work in perpetuity.

To satisfy all these, we decided to build an Endowment for UP High. Because we did not want to go through the rigors of maintaining a not-for-profit legal entity, we initially hooked ourselves with the Permanent Endowment Fund of the UP Medical Alumni Society in America (UPMASA), on account of my affiliation with this organization. We asked classmates to make affordable annual contributions to our Endowment. Many made annual lifetime pledges of $100 per year for life. Other smaller and larger amounts were also contributed. No amount of contribution was refused. Every dollar or every penny added on to the Endowment remains in the Fund forever. The idea is to continually build the principal monies in the Fund to enable this sum to earn interest.  Then, only the annual interest earned is used to finance our projects for UP High.

Since we started this project in 1991, we have raised over $10,000. Most of this money was sent to the Philippines and deposited with the UP High, Prep, Elementary, Integrated School Foundation, Inc. (UPHPEISFI). Coincidentally, our
classmates in the Philippines are major players with  UPHPEISFI.

Every year, since 1992, Class 1966 is recognized  during the annual commencement exercises when at least one "Tony Tagamolila Scholar" comes up the stage for an award. Of the more than 10 scholars we have supported, one is now a physician in the Philippines. We have also helped out our former teachers with some token appreciation for making a difference in our lives. Some selected classmates had the opportunity to visit Professors Ligaya Fernandez and  Josefina Roque in their waning years.

While North America-based classmates shared their treasures, classmates from the Philippines, shared their time and talents working on movie premieres and golf benefits to complement our Class Endowment. As a result of all these, since the birth of  UPHPEISFI, UP High Class of 1966 has always consistently maintained the distinction of having the largest amount of money with the UPHPEISFI.

And we will not stop with this. On account of lifetime pledges, we continue to increase the principal in the Fund. We have since moved our operation from the UPMASA to the "Friends of UP" (FUP), another non-profit organization which is broader in its scope of activities. Whereas the UPMASA was limited by law to raise funds only for the UP College of Medicine, the FUP is allowed by law to raise funds for any UP purpose. Instead of sending the principal to UP, we have now decided to keep the principal with FUP and then send the interest annually to UP. Our current balance with FUP is $ 2388.09. Of this amount, $364.21 represents interest that our fund earned last year.

At this point, 28 classmates based in North America are supportive of this project. Majority send contributions every year. Many consider their annual contribution as their "Christmas present" to their high school. Any amount contributed to this project will make you a supporter. No one is excluded. There is always an opportunity to participate since this is perpetual project.

Join us!

For more information, E-mail Jess Socrates at jesssocrates@hotmail.com

PHILIPPINE FUNDS- Maline Apelo (Aug 31,2000)
 I got the latest figure from Foundation secretary today  (Aug 31,2000) regarding our fund balance with the UPHPEIS Foundation. We have the total of  P421,267.10 which is deposited with the Foundation and more or less "restricted" since this should be used for the benefit of UP Integrated School. Included in this total is a dollar fund of $2,705.58, now equivalent (@45 to 1) to Pesos 121,751.   All the funds from the US are deposited here. It used to be so easy to report to you guys about our fund situation when I was treasurer of the foundation. But of course I had actually "given up" the post since Dec 1998 so I am not too updated - at mukhang sila din!

We spend only the interest on these deposits - to give cash incentive to the Tony Tagamolila Academic Excellence Award every graduation. I shall furnish details on this later.

In addition to the above funds, we have "unrestricted" funds deposited with another bank now amounting to P131,859 -this is as of August 30,2000.  The seed fund came from the proceeds of the golf tournament. The class decided we should have some funds which we can use for projects outside UPIS that is why we did not deposit the total tournament proceeds to the UPHPEIS Foundation. Instead, we donated P50,000.00 to the foundation  and put the rest in a separate fund.   This gives us a grand total of  P553,126.10.