Katipunan-USA reaches out

Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself... – Leo Tolstoy

If to do were as easy as to know what were good to do – chapels have been churches, poor men's cottages, princes' palaces! – Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice

What is happening in the Philippines right now is the Reign of Greed (reminiscent of Rizal's time when he wrote his El Filibusterismo) that is obviously prevalent among the political leaders and influential people, especially in Makati – a society amid the squalor of poverty and restlessness among the masa.

From my global perspective, there seems to be the absence of genuine love and concern of the wealthy towards the poor. There seems to be no social justice despite the fact that the Philippines is a Catholic nation. The cardinals of the Philippines and the self–annointed kings of El Shaddai or the Iglesia ni Cristo live in palaces and the squatters live in Payatas or under the bridges of Metro Manila. What a tragedy for a nation that brags as being the only Christian nation in Asia!

Newspapers and TV shows are replete with showbiz news, Senate investigations, the Erap trial and the Abu Sayyaf drama. Metro Manila, according to a friend, Atty. Ceasar Oracion, now Dean of the College of Law of St. Louis University, has become a jungle where survival of the fittest is the unwritten rule. The poor man's solution to his parasitic existence is to leave the country, even to work as a domestic helper – the politically correct term for alila, atsoy, yaya, tagabo, chimoy or chimay.

Leaving his birthplace to chase the almighty dollar ephemerally solves his socio-economic needs, but it also creates dangers like potential exploitation, including rape and torture by inhuman masters. Social problems arise with so many unsupervised kids whose mothers work abroad for pecuniary reasons.

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What then can be done amid the rants, raves and complaints which engulf the country? You can help the country bit by bit and one person at a time. First, improve yourself, then your family, then your extended family, then those around you and so on. Tolstoy said it best: "Everyone thinks of changing the world, but nobody thinks of changing himself!"

For our part, we followed the examples of fellow STAR columnist Art Borjal and his Good Samaritan Foundation, as well as elder statesman-friend Sen. Jovito Salonga and his Kilosbayan. With the help and support of a dozen friends, my daughter Donna Karen and my family, we organized a social and humanitarian organization called Katipunan-USA. The primary objective is to extend a helping hand through some well-chosen projects which would promote social justice and teach people "how to fish rather than just giving them fish to eat."

This month is our first year anniversary and reviewing what we have done in the last 12 months gives us a feeling of fulfillment. We thank God and all our benefactors. We hope we can do more as years go by.

With the indulgence of my editors, I earnestly hope that this column inspires and attracts more people worldwide to get involved with our 21st-century Katipunan. Let me highlight some of our small projects:

Last December, Katipunan-USA was able to help a poor but talented teacher from Hagonoy Bulacan, Mrs. Rosario "Nene" Lansangan, to undergo heart surgery in Los Angeles free of charge, including transportation, surgeons' fees, hospital stay and medicines. She stayed with a Filipino couple who offered their house in Carson, California. Now, she is back in Bulacan and has gone back to teaching.

This year, we also piloted and funded a full-year college scholarship for a poor but talented high school senior from San Fabian, Pangasinan, Cecilia Javier, to pursue a four-year computer course degree at STI College-Baguio City.

Next year, we are hopeful we can help dozens more as we have more benefactors and organizations that believe in our teach-a-person-how-to-fish-philosophy.

With our alliance with the Polytechnic University of the Philippines which offers courses at reasonable prices, we plan to help many more scholars. We also raised funds through a Hip Hop Show of young people last summer and donated the proceeds to the Sta. Omura Orphanage Home in Cabanatuan City, run and managed by the Dominican Sisters, headed by my sister-nun, Leticia Delfin, O.P.

Also this month, through our Rotary Club of Cerritos, California, I am spearheading a drive to raise funds with our Rotary sister clubs in Japan in conjunction and with the support of the Cabanatuan (Phil.) Rotary Club, for the specific purpose of purchasing a medium-sized school bus that the orphanage desperately needs.

Calling Rotarians and all like-minded people: If you would like to donate dollars, pounds or dinars, Katipunan-USA's mailing address is P.O. Box 8701, Fountain Valley, CA 92708.

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Another super-exciting project that's still in the diaper stage is the Entrepreneur Success magazine in the Philippines whose income will be plowed to help people in the community that it serves. It is a joint project that our California-based Premier Marketing Alliance and PUP-ICT are spearheading. It will be an excellent medium, with its Internet edition, to disseminate our vision and mission of teaching and encouraging young people to go into entrepreneurship and business.

In 2002, we plan to hold a series of seminars which include "How to Become an Entrepreneur with Almost Zero Capital and Become Your Own Boss." The new magazine will be out during the last quarter of this year. The membership/subscription fee will be very reasonable. Support us and be counted as our pioneer members.

Interested readers can also join our free Entrepreneurs Forum by sending an e-mail to [email protected]. This online discussion group is moderated by a team of successful entrepreneurs and businessmen in the US, Canada, Hong Kong and the Philippines.

There are so many things to do and opportunities but we need more like-minded people to reach the critical mass to effect the changes.

Many people are donating their time, talents and dollars to jump-start some viable projects, but it is not yet enough. If you want to pitch in, e-mail us at [email protected].

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E-mail this columnist at [email protected]. Join our Entrepreneurs E-Forum: [email protected].