Philippine alumni come home in a different way

Its not uncommon for Filipinos to migrate to other lands soon after getting a university degree. Desiring greener pastures, many leave the country equipped with good education and a strong determination to succeed. The result is often rewarding with not a few Filipinos making remarkable achievements in their chosen fields.

Philippine alumni come home in a different way

Its not uncommon for Filipinos to migrate to other lands soon after getting a university degree. Desiring greener pastures, many leave the country equipped with good education and a strong determination to succeed. The result is often rewarding with not a few Filipinos making remarkable achievements in their chosen fields.

Back in their hometowns, entrepreneurs based here in the United States such as Dado Banatao and Loida Nicolas-Lewis, and other Filipino migrants across the globe, have become local heroes, inspiring others to follow their paths to success.

Amidst their new and adopted culture, migrant Filipinos remain true to their heritage. They may have changed citizenship and speak English better than their Filipino dialects, but in spirit, they are true Pinoys. They are Filipinos who seek ways to give back to the country and to the very institutions that helped them get to where they are.

Alliance for a cause
In the United States, alumni associations have become a venue for Filipinos to get together and pursue common goals, including the desire to help fellow Filipinos back home who long for a better life. In the same manner, colleges and universities in the Philippines are able to reach an enormous but largely untapped source of potential support-their alumni who are now based in the United States and in other parts of the world.

Some of these alumni associations have focused their resources to address the lack of access to quality education in the Philippines. Many Filipinos succumb to poverty and ignorance despite their innate talents and skills because they simply cannot afford the tuition, books, and living allowances.

Filipino teachers also need help. Compensation is low especially in public schools and there is also a need for capability enhancement and professional development. Local schools, with their very limited resources, can only offer so much.

On top of these, there is a mounting need to upgrade the curricula and improve facilities to meet the demands of increasingly technology-dependent society.

Homecoming of sorts
Alumni based in the United States and other countries have time and again answered the appeal for support from the San Beda College in Manila. With their help, the 102-year-old university established by Benedictine missionaries is able to offer scholarships to poor but bright students, including children of its employees.

At the College of the Holy Spirit, funds from its migrant Filipino alumni have spurred plans for much-needed renovations of its auditorium and other facilities, enabling the school to create an environment more conducive to learning. The College of Holy Spirit Alumnae Foundation supports the schools efforts to carry out its objectives and enhance the quality of education that it provides. Programs include the annual homecoming, retreats, seminars, counseling, and scholarships to faculty members and to college students. The school also extends scholarship assistance to its faculty members to update their knowledge and teaching skills.
Alumnae of yet another school, Miriam College, are helping build an endowment fund to benefit both student and teacher scholars in celebration of its 75th anniversary. The non-profit, non-stock educational institution supports specialized centers engaged in curriculum development, research, community outreach and advocacy in the fields of peace education, environmental studies and women's empowerment.

These are a few examples of how Filipino alumni abroad have been able to support their Alma Mater back in the Philippines. More opportunities to help remain. Through alumni associations, Filipinos are reaching out and building bridges of hope across distance and generations. In many ways, its the best homecoming" for the alumni and the schools they left behind.

To donate to your Alma Mater, send a check to Ayala Foundation USA at 255 Shoreline Drive, Suite 128, Redwood City, CA 94065, USA. Donations may also be remitted online via www.lingkodpinoy.org.
For more information about noteworthy projects in the Philippines, please call Myrna Araneta at (650) 598-3126 or e-mail us at afusa@ayalafoundation.org or visit our website at www.ayalafdnusa.org.

Sidebar:

Fast facts on the status of Philippine college education

From 1960-1990s the number of tertiary schools in the Philippines more than tripled.

Only 28 percent of Philippine colleges and universities are publicly owned.

Some of the current issues of Philippine tertiary education:
1. quality of education
2. affordability
3. low government budget to support its development
4. education mismatch

Close to one-third, or 29%, of all graduates of the tertiary level completed commerce and business courses.
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