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.
