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Saturday, April 28, 2007

Kaban ng Tuwa

I'm preparing for tomorrow's trip with Dona and Ning to Cabanatuan City. Tito Doc says that Cabanatuan comes from the phrase, "Kaban ng Tuwa"; this is also the name of the newsletter of its Diocese, the maiden issue of which Big Dipper helped produce in time for Easter earlier this month.

Tito Doc, the eldest among my uncles and aunts, is a cardiologist who is based in the city. He's a great storyteller: the story of how he built the best hotel there is here. Incidentally, there was a storytelling workshop in CIC last week- it was part of the National Book Development Board's Booklatan ng Bayan, of which Voltaire Veneracion & Associates was a co-sponsor.

During the summer before 4th grade, I became fascinated by a microscope in the laboratory of the hospital where Tito Doc served as medical director. Tatay told me that if I made it to the top 5 students of my class, he would buy me a microscope. I must have studied hard because, despite some learning challenges, my grade point average leaped from outside the top 10 into the magic 5: Tatay, probably surprised, ended up buying a new TV instead of the microscope, but by then I had already learned to enjoy being an honor student.

Tito Doc has a huge heart that overflows with love- I must have caught a lot of it because I never seem to run out of supply to give! Two secrets to happiness I verified from his Kaban are, first, that the best antidote to fear is appreciation and, second, that in any unbalanced relationship- that is, in most or all relationships- the person who loves more is the luckier one.

Thanks to CIC Chorale for the song "Heal the World" in the podcast.

Sunday, April 22, 2007

spirituality and business


Migs Amper, the brother of the editor of OK! magazine, sent me an email message after my article, How to Live Forever, came out in this month's issue of High Life. He asked for a copy of the sidebar on how to set-up a foundation.

This was a difficult assignment because I believe that evanescence is a part of life- that it is, in fact, part of what makes life beautiful. A line from a poem that struck me in high school English class is sic transit gloria mundi. "This too shall pass" is a motto from Vicky Herrera which has often helped me. In any case, the result of my research was an article on the different ways through which private individuals and organizations can do good.

Migs, here is the draft of the sidebar, Remember Me; you may get the April 2007 issue of the magazine from BusinessWorld.

A foundation is an NGO established to address a deep social need and may be any of the following types: 1. corporate; 2. family; 3. memorial; 4. independent; 5. fundraising; or 6. social development.

The Association of Foundations, the country’s first heterogeneous federation of foundations in the Philippines, produced a manual for starting foundations, Building Foundations (2003).

Founders convene themselves or selected individuals into a Board of Trustees, who will set the policies of the organization. The trustees elect among themselves the officers: the president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer and auditor.

An executive director (ED) or his/ her equivalent, appointed by the Board, oversees day-to-day activities. The ED is assisted by an administrative staff, which is usually comprised of an administrative officer, cashier, bookkeeper and messenger, and project-based staff.

To give it focus, a foundation formulates a vision, a mission, and goals. A vision expresses how the world will be different because of the foundation’s work. A mission provides direction and communicates the foundation’s identity and purpose. Goals or objectives are measurable targets which plans and activities seek to achieve.

The Gerry Roxas Foundation, for example, envisions “Leaders of Change.” Its mission statement is: “GRF, in partnership with community leaders, initiates and sustains positive change in communities through strategies that build capacities in leadership and support innovative approaches to development.”

A foundation may raise funds through grants, gifts and earned income. To learn more about successful methods of fund raising, get Mayan G. Quebral’s The Fund Raiser’s Guide to Fund Raising (Venture for Fund Raising, 2002).

Oman Q. Jiao, ED of AF, enumerates the steps for securing permits and certifications. He says, “First, look for the appropriate name- you can do this through the Securities and Exchange Commission website. Set-up a capital fund in the bank account of the organization: P1 million if you want to use the word “Foundation” in your name and, if not, P100,000 is enough. Then, go to SEC to file the articles of incorporation and by-laws.”

Every year, the SEC requires registered foundations to submit a General Information Sheet, an Audited Financial Statement, and a Statement of Funds Application.

A foundation also needs to secure a business permit from the local government and register with the Bureau of Internal Revenue.

Donations to special NGOs called donee institutions are tax-deductable and exempt from the donor’s tax, as provided by the National Internal Revenue Code. To see if your foundation can qualify as a donee institution, visit the website of the Philippine Council for NGO Certification (PCNC) at www.pcnc.com.ph.

Saturday, April 14, 2007

guimaras


I had the chance to test my Nike ACG shoes this summer when I paddled an indigenous banca around this secret cove. It's interesting to see how the use of different parts of one's body induces different kinds of thoughts. Moving my legs while running brings me thoughts of work or adrenaline-pumping competition. In contrast, using my arms to slowly maneuver the boat towards mangroves and limestone formations made me meditative: I became attentive to the slicing paddle, the chorusing waves, the wilding wind, and the mango-yellowing sky.

Two Ilonggo expressions I drank during my Visayan sojourn were: "Adlaw natin 'ini" and "Nagahigugma ako sa imo." The first tastes like a melony mouthful of "This day is ours," while the second has the syrupy rum warmth of "I've fallen in love with you."

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

20/20


This is ophthalmologist Marcos Fojas, Tito Doc's classmate and probably the only Filipino practicing medicine in Greece and the entire Balkan region. Two weeks ago, after almost a year of corresponding by email during the production of Ginintuang Alaala (2006), we finally met. Last night, project coordinator Au and I had dinner with him and his classmates in Uva, Greenbelt 2 (a good review of the old Uva in Timog is here).

Thursday, April 5, 2007

benediction


Here's Mommy with the newest member of the family, my nephew Lance Matthew. Lance is the firstborn of Ojee and Rachel.

A restful Holy Week and Joyful Easter to all!

Thanks to Lei Garcia for "Paskong Walang Digmaan" in the podcast.

Sunday, April 1, 2007

call from a taxi cab


"Guess what: Msgr. Mike took me around the new CIC Chapel."

"Talaga? Buti tinapos ni Msgr. Mike 'yong chapel. Matagal nang ginagawa 'yon. Batch nga namin ang nag-sponsor ng groundbreaking."

Thanks to the CIC Chorale for "Aba Ginoong Maria" by Msgr. Michael Veneracion in the podcast.