Bradelinas Story

Posted on November 19, 2022 | by admin

BRIEF HISTORY OF BRADELINAS

Bradelinas Foundation was officially registered on February 4, 2022, as a 501(c)3 Non-Profit, Public Charity Organization in the State of California, and an IRS Letter of exemption Dated April 9, 2022, for 501(c)3 IRS Tax Exemption.

Bradelinas is the name coined when our High School Batch 82 of Ateneo De Naga (Bradens) University and Santa Isabel University (Isabelina) informally associated themselves to help our insolvent and penniless classmates and eventually evolved in doing various community services for the underprivileged community. It progressed to Medical and Dental Missions as early as the first term of Leni as Congressman of Cam Sur (2012). The pandemic allowed us to meet frequently online, and our classmates abroad became more involved in understanding the flight of our batchmates and childhood friends.

When Leni became VP, some Isabelinas went overdrive in helping VP in her various causes, such as Angat Buhay – Community Learning Hub. The Bradens strengthen its ranks by identifying/helping insolvent Classmates and the different barangay community projects/causes. While others being the husband to Isabelina of batch 82, becomes the support.

When Leni declared his bid for President, the Bradens and Isabelina, especially those based in the US, closed ranks to help secure funding for community organizers that would do the house-to-house campaign for Leni. At the same time, we organized Awareness Caravan/Meeting in various places in the US.

When I was tasked to lead the Bradens Batch 82 In the US, which is expected to deliver the funds. The very first thing the Bradens core group did, was to call on our counterpart Isabelina to what we could do and how. Several proposals were put forward, and one of the proposals was to develop a platform where funds could be collected electronically and legally. However, based on existing laws, restrictions, and limitations, we did it informally and directly executed it thru Solid Leni Bicol and Solid Leni Pilipinas, led by our Isabelina counterpart. However, we realized that the money coming in is goodwill and very limited. The only way we can legally collect money is to form a legal entity of a nonprofit in nature. A more direct way is to organize a political organization. But we are too late for this as the election is already starting. So, the only alternative is for a Nonprofit Charity organization aligned with the core value of Leni in helping the masses in the “Laylayan”. This laid out the goal of helping beyond the election.

So we registered the Bradelinas Foundation as a Nonprofit Public Charity organization with a focused objective of eradicating poverty in the Philippines, which is indicated in our registration papers. Donations are coming in and gaining traction. Nonprofit Organization has a lot of limitations and documentation. But it also has benefits, and the major one is the 100% Tax deductible for those who are paying taxes in the US but earning less than 156K annually, with cascading percentage for US Citizen earning more and corporate donors in the range of millions. We also have the lowest Bank Charges and Merchant Processing Fees for Credit Card donations. Local(US) Debit Cards and Checks donations are free of bank charges.

We are currently supporting various causes such as the Community Learning Hub, Supply of reading materials and books from Kindergarten to Library Materials for multiple Universities in Bicol, and we are also setting the foundation for helping diabetic people thru our partner Renal Solutions Plus Foundation to continue their medications and live everyday working life. We are also gathering data on the ground to identify the solution to fighting poverty more effectively.

This is where we see Angat Buhay Inc. can shorten the process by identifying the real solution on the ground in eradicating poverty in our community. Plus, the fact that existing programs and causes of the foundation are previously working under VP’s Angat Buhay Programs.

Nabua, Camarines Sur

Posted on October 5, 2022 | by admin

Community Learning Hub at Nabua, Camarines Sur.

Community Learning Hubs

They have already refined the process of standing up physical sites and a great training program for the volunteer tutors. This process includes ensuring that the operations are above board. Transparency as well as accountability are also enforced that would be a good way for donors to monitor their generosity is being put to good use.

The reading level of the kids are also measured to ensure that their progress is being monitored and improved going forward. The Bradelinas Foundation has been partnering with existing CLHs in the province of Camarines Sur. One of these is in Nabua. We support the physical sites thru book donations. We give financial support to the tutors who visits those locations.

A good number of volunteers do not live in the town where the CLH are located and thus have to travel either via public transportation or use their own personal vehicles. Our foundation is reimbursing their fares or fuel to lessen the their financial burdenas they travel to and from these hubs.

Reading Improvement

We have to keep supporting them until the schools in the Philippines would be self sufficient, with enough teachers and materials that students no longer need outside help to keep up with their studies.

Transparency

The CLH are set up for transparency, Budgets are posted online to allow the public, especially donors to peruse how the CLH is using its funds. We hope that it gives donors the satisfaction of knowing where their money is going.

Tabuco Community Learning Center

Posted on October 5, 2022 | by admin

One of the earliest Community Learning Hubs, established under the Bayanihan e-Skwela program of former VP Leni Robredo, was for Barangay Tabuco in Naga City. It was spearheaded by the UP Alumni Association, Camarines Sur Chapter. Though continually hampered by the lockdowns due to the pandemic, the tutorial sessions started even before its formal launch in March of 2021.

As early as January, 70 students had already been availing of the services of the hub. They were identified from the survey data of DepEd Naga’s Division Office and confirmed through the house visits of the volunteer tutors.

Indeed, what the OVP back then saw as need to supplement the teaching instructions for kids due to the COViD health crisis was existent.

Aside from the lack of gadgets or wifi connections at home, the parents themselves were not available to assist their children with their modules. They were away at work for sometimes more than 8 hours daily fending for their families.

Measuring Progress

Like all Community Learning Hubs, measuring the progress of the students is an indispensable part of the program. This provides the necessary

feedback for every stakeholder. The initially OVP-trained volunteer tutors from the youth groups, Millennials.ph and Tabuco Sangguniang Kabataan, immediately saw from their sessions that many were struggling readers.

Therefore, their focus then became reading and writing so the children from pre-school to Grade 4 may be able to tackle their modules as expected. Closer coordination with the Tabuco Elementary School Principal facilitated the identification of those children who were most challenged.

Recently, the active tutees from the various grade levels numbered 40. The first fruits of the Tabuco CLH shared their talent in reciting the poems they have read and memorized during the culminating and recognition activity last July 8. These 28 pupils who attended were assessed as ready to move up to Grades 1 and 2.

It is also noteworthy that the Operations Head and the volunteer-tutors, mostly education students and fresh graduates, are the most deserving to be recognized in what the Tabuco CLH has achieved so far. Spending their free time and resources by helping those in need is most humbling.

Community Effort

Despite the difficulties on the first year of implementation, the UPAA Board vows to continue this project and aims for its accreditation as part of the “Angat Pinas” in no time soon.

Gratitude is, however, unending for the major partners, the Universidad de Sta. Isabel (USI) HS ’82 for the 10 units of desktop computers and some health protocol equipment, USI HS ’80, USI HS ’86, and USI Alumna Raquel V. Ragragio on finances.

The Integrated Institute of Electrical Engineers (IIEE), United Architects of the Philippines (UAP), Camarines Sur, and the Geodetic Engineers of the Philippines, Inc. (GEPI) have also made the construction and physical transformation of the hub possible.

The Kindness Mentality for the books, Zonta Club of Naga and CamSur and CamSur for the wall fans, and the Pilgrims Hotel, JSMP Enterprises, Bicol Petroleum who have all contributed to the completion of the project as well, together with Filipino Homes CamSur and Naga City Guide

Book and Learning Materials

Posted on October 5, 2022 | by admin

Kindness Mentality

Books

Many of us here in USA take for granted the ability to read books. We can access books at home, public libraries, schools or even in the internet and e-readers. We forget that in some parts the world like in the Philippines, access to them is still limited. Public libraries as well as school libraries are virtually non-existent. Local government unit budgets do not have sufficient funds for them.

Most people do not have enough extra income to buy books for themselves. That is where Kindness Mentality comes in. Founded by the Alarkon-Desquitado Family primarily thru Badette, this organization started with feeding programs at low-income neighborhoods back in 2018 and 2019.

Clothing and School Supplies

That effort soon morphed into donating books, clothing and school supplies to various schools that soon numbered 80 schools in the Bicol Region in the Philippines. On special occasions, the organization also distribute food and other products. For those of you unfamiliar with the regions in the Philippines, that is the region where the world famous Mayon Volcano is located.

BF Partnership

Bradelinas Foundation (BF) is partnering with Kindness Mentality. Our foundation will serve as one of the ways you could help them. As BF goal is to alleviate poverty n the Philippines, our objective dovetails with the goal of their organization. Kindness Mentality is helping Filipino children enjoy and learn from various books that would prepare and equip them for the future.

Donate

Select Kindness Mentality as the recipient of your donation and you can be sure that it will reach these deserving children and make a difference in their lives.

Community Learning Hub

Posted on July 27, 2022 | by admin

Community Learning Hubs

Do you ever wish you could help kids learn to read,? Do you want to expand their world thru books? One of the best ways to do that in the Philippines is thru community learning centers. These are barangay-based sites with volunteer tutors helping children especially in disadvantaged areas supplement their learning thru these centers. Angat Pinas (formerly Angat Buhay) have help set up among the best run community learning hubs. They have already refined the process of standing up physical sites and a great training program for the volunteer tutors. This process includes ensuring that the operations are above board. Transparency as well as accountability are also enforced that would be a good way for donors to monitor their generosity is being put to good use. The reading level of the kids are also measured to ensure that their progress is being monitored and improved going forward.

The Bradelinas Foundation has been partnering with existing CLHs in the province of Camarines Sur. One of these is in Nabua. We support the physical sites thru book donations. We give financial support to the tutors who visits those locations. A good number of volunteers do not live in the town where the CLH are located and thus have to travel either via public transportation or use their own personal vehicles. Our foundation is reimbursing their fares or fuel to lessen the their financial burdenas they travel to and from these hubs.

Reading Improvement

The CLH program in Nabua has been very successful. The kids in Nabua has shown mark improvement with their reading skills. The CLH administrators regularly evaluates these kids to provide the stakeholders feedback on everyone’s efforts. It is our hope that our foundation thru the public’s donation would be able to sustain these hubs. We know that these programs are not sprints but marathons. We have to keep supporting them until the schools in the Philippines would be self sufficient, with enough teachers and materials that students no longer need outside help to keep up with their studies.