GRADUATES OF 2007

CONGRATULATIONS!!

Pia Kristine B. de Gracia
BS. Nursing
Holy Angel University
Angeles City








Mark Angelo Bacani
BS. Nursing
Family Clinic Colleges
Manila









Myrna Daplas
BS. Education
Aura Mondragon College
Subic Bay, Zambales

Shamae Carmelle Aliperio
Elementary Grade - 4th Honor
Banicain Elementary School
Olongapo City

Pia Kristine de Gracia

Pia or PK as fondly called by her family & friends was born in Olongapo city on February 25,1986. She was the youngest among the 3 siblings of Ben & Lina de Gracia. If, I would be asked to describe her, she is charming, and talented lady.
Her father serves as an Extra-Ordinary Minister of the Holy Eucharist at the parish of St.Joseph, Olongapo City and also an active member of the “Family & Life Apostolate.

She spent her primary days at Holy Infant College, Olongapo city and was a consistent honor student from Kinder to Grade six. At her young age, she was a school representative for newsletter writing in the National School Press conference (NSPC) held at Ilagan, Isabela and news editor of the school organ “The Young Scribes”.

She graduated high school at Regional Science High School, Kalayaan, Subic Bay Freeport Zone on April 2003. I will always cherish the time when I performed in one of the stage play organized by the school for a cause held at Subic Bay Arts Center (subac),
She said. For her, high school days were very memorable, especially during graduation. It was a day of joy, achievement and fulfillment, yet it is extremely sad for it means bitter parting with such wonderful friends and classmates. She was thankful for passing the first step in the ladder of learning, for having endured the pains of challenges, but for sure, these are positive changes for betterment through determination. .

After the long ten (10) years of assignments, quizzes and recitations, it’s a journey to another stage of education (college). Certainly, these face more life’s challenges and challenges are here to make her better persons. She is proud to say that she was lucky enough, because of her guiding stars – The Almighty Lord, her parents, and the significant people around her,”Barkada ng Sagrada Pamilya Foundation,Inc. headed by Rev. Fr. Albert H. Avenido,founder and president and the generous benefactors and friends, who continuously support the mission and vision of the foundation for the benefit of less fortunate ‘I may not combat ignorance and poverty,’ if not for the golden heart of these wonderful people. Thru education, society will never experience total depression and confusion in everything.

‘I almost reached the finish line’. I received my diploma with the degree of ‘‘Bachelor of Science in Nursing’’ at Holy Angel University, Angeles City on April 21,2007. My hospital duties (from 11pm to 7 am), thesis, exams and projects have been over, but I need one more step before saying, it’s a VICTORY! I was having my review class at the same school from April to May 2007) in preparation for the Scheduled Nursing Board Exam on June.2007.Please pray for me . . .
Again, “SALAMAT PO SA INYONG LAHAT.”

Mark Angelo Bacani

H aving to graduate after several years of studying or “Graduation” as they say, is a great accomplishment for everyone. Much of the assignments, examination, research, thesis and other paper works, including duties to different hospitals, not mentioning reporting, which I did’nt like most, were all part of this challenge but for me these tribulations were only half of the trials that I had to surpassed. Having been a victim of financial constraint has doubled the difficulty that I’ve felt before I finally got my diploma.

I’m Mark Angelo Bacani, a fresh graduate from Family clinic Colleges. I was raised by Engr. Angelo and Mrs Rosario Bacani in Floridablanca, Pamp. My parents are both professionals. I could say that they have raised us with the best of their abilities. My eldest brother Rozano was only four years old when my dad had to leave for overseas work. He had to leave to seek for a better paying job while my mom worked as a government employee. My brother was already seven years old when I was born and after two years my mom gave birth to my youngest brother named Archie. We grew up in a setting wherein both our parents had to work to provide for our financial needs. I believe it was even harder for my mom since she had to work and at the same time had to take care of me and my brothers. I took my elementary education at Floridabalanca East Central Elementary School and it was during this time that my dad went back home from abroad, owing to the fact that he suffered from a mild stroke. It was also this time that my mom had a serious problem at work so she was forced to resign and had to find another job. I was so thankful to my “mommy Aida”, my dad’s sister for she never left us during that time. She was the one who helped me pursue my secondary years in St Augustine Academy Pamp. I could not forget the experiences that I had during my highschool days. We were really deprived financially and it was also a struggle for me having to grew up during my adolescence years without my mom beside me because at that time she was working in manila. My dad stayed with us at home yet I longed for the care of my mom. Unfortunately, I have learn to do my own laundry, cook my food and do household chores. All these responsibilities I’ve learned at a very young age. I also experienced going to school with limited allowance, sometimes insufficient for buying my basic needs. I felt bad every time I count my money for I did’nt know how to budget the ample amount of allowance just to get by my everyday needs at school. I’ve learned how to be patient also, I will never forget how it feels to be hungry yet you have no food to eat or worse have no money to buy for food. All these trials has helped me realize to study hard in order for me to help relieve my parents as well as my brothers from this situation. My parents supported and gave me the chance to study in college despite of our financial condition. It was even difficult this time, for pursuing a college degree costs so much. All my experiences during my high school years were nothing compared to the situation that I had during this time. I thought I wasn’t going to finish my degree. I was on my fourth year when I was about to stop my studies because we really could not provide for my tuition fee. Nevertheless, God really never leaves us. He gave me the chance to continue studying by introducing us the “ Barkada ng Sagrada Pamilya Foundation”, it is a foundation that is willing to help those who really wanted to study yet who are financially constraint. It was through my Tita Gloria who is a volunteer member of the said foundation who acquainted me and helped me become a scholar of this foundation.

At this point in my life, I feel so much gratitude and appreciation in my heart for what I have achieved. I thank my family especially my parents who supported me financially and morally to help me go through this life’s ordeal. I thank them for the inspiration and encouragement and the love they generously blessed me with. Iam also very much grateful for my tita Gloria, And to Father Albert Avenido who is the founder of Barkada ng Sagrada Pamilya for financially helping me with my studies. Their help did not end here, not only for my being able to graduate now, but most important because thay have been a part of my life, in God’s design for my future. I will be successful someday, and they helped paved the way for it.

Breaking the Cycle of Poverty: An article written by Lino Gilbert K. Parone

Myrna must have stared at every conceivable face of poverty countless times before. A fish vendor/laundrywoman, widow, with nine mouths to feed, it would be easy to imagine her blinking, giving up on life.
But instead of cowering in fear, Myrna rose to break the cycle of poverty. On March 26, Myrna Modesto Daplas, 41 years old, of Barangay Nagbaculao, Olongapo City, will cap her lifetime struggle with a rare personal moment of victory – she will receive her Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education at Olongapo City Convention Center.
“Difficult” is an understatement when describing the road that Myrna took on the way to graduation. “Her story can very well be a tearjerker for a television show, either for 'Maalaala Mo Kaya?' or 'Ripley’s Believe It or Not.' And why not? Although finishing a high school program and pursuing a college degree were just an ordinary thing for others, they were no ordinary feats for someone in Myrna’s shoes,” said Fr. Albert Avenido, the founder and president of the Barkada ng Sagrada Pamilya Foundation, Inc (BSPFI), a non-profit organization, committed to break the cycle of poverty through integral human empowerment.
Without education, the Daplas couple went with the flow taken by most poor couples who engaged in early marriages – uncontrolled reproduction. From 1986 to 2004, the union produced nine children. Sad to say, in 2005, her husband Romeo died.
When he was still alive, Romeo used to fish offshore with a rented boat. Myrna would sell his husband’s catch on foot to the entire barrio, including the rectory of Holy Family where Fr. Albert was a parish priest. Aside from selling fish, Myrna would approach Fr. Albert every time any of her nine kids would get sick or her husband did not have a good catch.
Feeling for her plight, Fr. Albert went beyond extending financial assistance. He bought Romeo a boat so he could go out fishing on a regular basis without the burden of the rental for the boat. Soon enough, Ronalyn, their eldest daughter, was able to graduate from primary schooling in year 2000.
Seeing her daughter finish elementary, Myrna felt she had a chance to realize her own dream of finishing her studies, too. “It was an almost abandoned, yet not totally forgotten, desire for her,” Fr. Albert said in BSPFI newsletter, Pangarap at Pamana. Myrna was forced to abandon schooling in1982 and leave her hometown in Leyte to find a job in Manila. She became a housemaid in the city, and by 1985, she got into early marriage.
Despite the bleak situation, Myrna made it a point to send each one of her children to school. Under a scholarship provided by BSPFI, Myrna did not allow herself to be distracted from her goal by the sheer bitterness of her being poor. Education, for her, was the only thing she could leave as legacy to her children. She believed that attaining a good education herself would make attaining her goal for her family possible.
Myrna was too determined in returning to school that she was not bothered that her own daughter would be her schoolmate at the Olongapo City National High School. Her dogged determination led her to seek for ways to manage her time. She enrolled in a module-based education program for adults. Myrna had to come to class every Tuesday and Thursday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
At home, she would tack her modules on the wall facing her and study while doing the laundry. In between gaps of washing the clothes, she would cook, clean the house, and take care of her children.
It also helped that she was employed by Fr. Albert at the social action office from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays to handle housekeeping. In gratitude for all these blessings, Myrna volunteered to be a catechist for the Basic Ecclessial Community on Wednesday afternoons.

Myrna passed the Philippine Educational Placement Test (PEPT) and in 2003 graduated from high school even as she was bearing her ninth child. For others in her shoes, having a high school diploma would be “it,” the end of the road. For Myrna, it was not enough. She convinced Fr. Albert that she can pursue higher education at the Mondrian Aura College in Subic Bay Freeport Zone and will take up a Bachelor of Science in Education course, major in English.
Fr. Albert, who now serves the Mary, Star of the Sea Parish in Los Angeles, California, has constantly monitored Myrna's progress. In her failings, he drops in with her to prop her up. In her successes, he raises his hands in thanking and glorifying God.
Myrna was a constant dean’s lister in her class, with a general average of 1.54 (equivalent to 90 percent). She belonged to the top five in her class during the 2nd semester of school year 2004-2005. She was awarded Outstanding/Model Student at the Modrian Aura College in March 2005.
Her parish apostolate also served her well: She won second runner-up in a competition in Basic Ecclessial Communities at the Marian Hills in Olongapo City in January 2005.
In extra-curricular events, Myrna placed among the top four winners in the women's division of an inter-barangay bowling tournament in March 2005, and won as champion in the April 2005 departmental bowling competition in college.
Always eager to recognize the people who have have helped her succeed, Myrna said in a letter she recently wrote for the Foundation, “As a scholar of Barkada ng Sagrada Familia from first year college up to the present in Mondrian Aura College, I thank all those people who shared their blessings to allow me to continue my dream of becoming a teacher someday. Special thanks to the founder and president of the foundation, for without him, I know I cannot pursue this dream. Thank you for the assistance and support you have been extending to me and even to my family. I hope someday I can reach my ambition to become a degree holder and become a professional teacher.”
When she receives her diploma this March 26, Myrna edges closer to her dream of cutting her seemingly perpetual bondage to economic deprivation. She will be a living witness of Christ’s mission: “I came so that they may have life and have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).

Mr. Lino Gilbert K. Parone is a columnist of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

Myrna On Her Final Stage ...

Myrna Daplas, our laundrywoman turned colegiala, is about to receive her degree in BS. Education this coming May 2007. She will be an observer at Little Angel Study Center this first semester and will do her practicum in teaching by the second 2nd semester. We’re so proud of you, Myrna!

BSPFI Challenges Physically Challenged Youth and Children to Break the Cycle of Poverty

Last school year 2005-2006, 53 physically challenged children benefited from the financial assistance of BSPFI to Ninos Pag Asa Center, a center for physically challenged children.
The center introduced new approaches in educating these children. Among them is the academic classes given to the children besides their traditional sign language class. Among the hearing impaired children, there were six who graduated from BSPFI supports a special community aids from other partner agencies, and there were 20 lucky children who had
matched with the hearing aids. With hearing aids, receiving instructions were easier for the children and greater possibility for these children to talk normally. This next school year, Ninos Pag Asa Center and Barkada ng Sagrada Pamilya Foundation aim to expand their mission to some identified communities. Among them were San Felipe and Sta. Cruz, Zambales. Aside from the speech therapy and the academic classes, livelihood programs will also be introduced, like macaroons and mango jam production and candle making. We are really envisioning integral empowerment of these special communities.
These livelihood trainings which have been the Center’s core program for the Out of school youth is now being introduced even to the younger clients of the center. The Center has 18 visually impaired out of school youth at present. Six of them just graduated from massage and reflexology courses. Some of them have their own families already and most of them were mainstreamed already in their own local communities.
BSPFI and Ninos Pag Asa also aim to intensify the involvement of parents and other sectors of community including government agencies and Non-Goverment Organizations in empowering those physically challenged members of our communities. It is integral to our objective to extend partnerships and provide trainings and every resource available to the parents and anyone who has regular access to these special people with special needs. Barkada ng Sagrada Pamilya Foundation, Inc. and Ninos Pag Asa Center extend their sincerest gratitude to all our benefactors and friends. Without your help these efforts may not be possible. God bless you!

Our New Scholars for School Year 2006-2007

Bro. Eduardo M. Pangilinan
Ed is a native of Gapan City, Nueva Ecija and was
born on July 28, 1968. He earned his degree in Bachelor
of Arts Major in Philosophy at the Rogationist Seminary
College in Manila (an affiliate of Adamson University),
where he had his seminary formation. He obtained his
theological studies at the Don Bosco Center of Studies, in
Parañaque City.
Ed is currently taking a refresher Theological Studies
at the Faculty of Sacred Theology, University of Santo
Thomas, Manila, under the Prelature of Batanes. He resides
for his formation with other seminarians of this
Prelature, at the Eucharistic Center, Congregation of the
Blessed Sacrament, New Manila, Quezon City.

Mark Angelo Bacani
Mark is 20 years old, from San Isidro, Floridablanca,
Pampanga. He is a 4th year BS Nursing student studying
at Family Clinic, Inc., Sta Cruz, Manila. He is the son of
Angelo and Rosario Bacani. His father is no longer able to
support the family because of his sickness that needs rest
and continuous medication and the mother, who is the
bread winner of the family, has to give up for a while her
job as a contractual worker at Security Innovators, Inc.,
due to operation of her left eye. Rosario, the mother, has
to find ways and means to support the family but the
monthly income cannot suffice to meet the basic needs.
For this reason the family has financial difficulty in supporting
the educational needs of Mark to finish his studies.

Paul David Deveraturda
A six year old boy whose mother is a laundrywoman
and whose father is physically disabled. Paul has two sisters
and a brother. BSPFI will enroll him in First Grade at
James L. Gordon Integrated School in Olongapo City.

Noel Primavera
Noel’s mom is a single parent - laundrywoman. He
has 2 brothers and 3 sisters. He will be enrolled in First
Grade at James L. Gordon Integrated School, Olongapo
City.

Jizhelle Espiritu
Jizhelle is 6 yrs. Old. She will be enrolled in First
grade at Asinan Elementary School, Olongapo City. Her
mother, Elizabeth, is a single parent and has no permanent
job.

Thalia Milen Raganit
Thalia is 6 yrs. old, she will be enrolled in First Grade
at James L. Gordon Integrated School. She has 3 sisters
and 1 brother. Her mother is a single parent.

Princess Joy Doria
Pricess is 6 yrs. old. She will be enrolled in 1st Grade
at Banicain Elementary School. She has a 2 year oldbrother.
Both his parents are jobless.

Shamae Carmelle Aliperio
Shamae is 12 yrs. old, she will be a Sixth Grader at
Banicain Elementary School. Her mother is Salvacion Aliperio,
a single parent and she works as a store-helper.

Danica Gomez
Danica is 13 yrs. old, she will be a Freshman in High
School at Sergia Soriano Esteban Memorial School. Her
father is ‘tomb caretaker’ and her mother is a laundrywoman.

Ronjay Eclarinal
Ronjay is 14 yrs. old, he will be enrolled in sixth
grade Sergia Soriano Esteban Memorial School. He
comes from a broken family and his mother has no regular
job.

Marie Fe & Mark Anthony Wong
Marie Fe (10 yrs. old – Grade IV) and Mark Anthony
(9 yrs. old – Grade II), will be both enrolled at
Sergia Soriano Esteban Memorial School. Their father
is a tricycle driver. Parents are separated.