Erda Group Newsletter April_09_in Pages

ERDA NEWSLETTER O F F I C I A L

VOLUME 2 •

ISSUE # 1 •

P U B L I C A T I O N

APRIL 2009

O F

T H E

E R D A

ERDA | ERDA TECH | FAHAN | ASAP

G R O U P

www.erdafoundation.org

Prison is no place for Children by Anna Francesca P. TADEO

S

o declared Fr. Pierre Tritz, SJ, during one of his then frequent visits to the city jails in the early 1990’s. He saw for himself poor children, many barely in their teens, behind bars with no idea how and when they would be set free. CHILDREN of Tondo, Manila

Many
of
these
children
were
in
jail
for
having
 commi6ed
some
pe6y
crime,
mostly
the9.
 Some
also
found
themselves
in
the
company
of
 hardened
criminals
in
congested
jails. Moved
with
compassion,
Fr.
Tritz
gathered
some
 of
his
young
lawyer
friends
and
established
 Albert
Schweitzer
AssociaBon
Philippines
in
 1995.
ASAP’s
volunteer
lawyers
began
providing
 free
legal
assistance
to
indigent
children
to
get
 them
out
of
Metro
Manila
jails. 
 ASAP
also
put
up
in
mid‐1999
a
rehabilitaBon
 center,
Buhay
Kalikasan
(Life
in
Nature),
in
 Luisiana,
Laguna,
for
children
released
from
 detenBon
through
the
efforts
of
its
lawyers.
(Due
 to
mounBng
security
problems
in
the
province
 as
well
as
other
concerns,
however,
ASAP
 suspended
indefinitely
by
late
2007
its
rehab
 operaBons
in
Laguna
and
transferred
its
five
 remaining
wards
to
ERDA’s
Tuklasan
Center
for
 street
children
in
Manila.
All
five
have
since
been
 reintegrated
with
their
respecBve
families.) Then
came
the
Juvenile
JusBce
and
Welfare
Act
 of
2006
(RA
9344).
Fr.
Tritz
was
among
those
 invited
to
witness
its
being
signed
into
law
 at
Malacañang
Palace.
Hailed
as
a
landmark
 legislaBon
for
the
protecBon
of
the
rights
and
 welfare
of
child
offenders,
RA
9344
is
anchored
 on
the
principle
that
child
offenders
should
not
 be
punished
like
common
criminals
but
instead
 be
made
to
undergo
a
rehabilitaBon
process.
 (Child
offenders
are
referred
to
in
the
new
law
as
 ‘Children
In
Conflict
with
the
Law’,
or
CICL.) Under
its
provisions,
CICL
15
years
old
and
 below
will
be
criminally
exempt,
while
CICL


aged
15
to
18
can
be
criminally
charged
only
 if
they
are
found
to
have
acted
out
the
crime
 with
discernment.
CICL
are
also
to
undertake
a
 ‘diversion
program’
in
community
centers
(youth
 homes)
instead
of
being
detained. The
Juvenile
JusBce
Welfare
Council
(JJWC),
 a
nine‐member
body
which
oversees
the
 implementaBon
of
the
new
law,
worked
out
and
 issued
the
implemenBng
rules
and
regulaBons.
 ERDA
FoundaBon,
one
of
two
NGOs
chosen
to
 serve
in
the
JJWC,
is
represented
by
its
ExecuBve
 Director,
Ms
Dolora
Cardeño. ImplemenBng
this
new
law
met
with
unusual
 challenges.
For
one,
the
number
of
CICL
to
be
 serviced:
As
of
July
2007,
per
official
records,
 the
children
languishing
in
jails
and
detenBon
 centers
throughout
the
country
numbered
 4,039.
(The
actual
count
could
have
easily
run
 up
to
a
few
thousand
more.)
Then
there
was
this
 great
need
for
faciliBes
for
rehabilitaBon
of
CICL
 to
take
place. It
therefore
seemed
natural
for
ASAP
and
ERDA
 FoundaBon
to
put
their
experBse
together
at
 the
service
of
CICL
in
a
synergy
project
which
 they
named
Project
BK‐RESTORE.
BK
stands
for
 ‘Buhay
Kalikasan’,
and
RESTORE,
for
‘Revitalizing
 and
Expanding
Services
Towards
RehabilitaBon
 and
ReintegraBon’.
With
ERDA
FoundaBon
as
the
 lead
proponent,
this
project
is
iniBally
funded
 for
three
years
by
Vlaams
InternaBonal
Centrum
 (VIC)
of
Belgium. Designed
with
the
RA
9344
provisions
in
mind,
 Project
BK‐RESTORE
has
three
components.
 con$nued
on
p8

special feature JOB WELL DONE! by Miguel Alphonso ORETA

3

what’s inside

4 5 7 8 9 10

My Epiphany Story Josemaria CLARO

From the Boardroom Susan SULIT

ERDA Groups’s StratPlan Workshop Lorna GABAD

Jollibee in ERDA TECH Karol Mark YEE

Filinvest Fun Run 2009 Sherwin LAPAAN

“Every Student is a Mission”

Miguel Alphonso ORETA

Mpqqrspq

ERDA
N789:7;;7<

O==>?>@:
PAB:>?@;>CD
C=
;E7
 ERDA
G:
2009

From the President DEAR
FRIENDS
AND
 BENEFACTORS: I
celebrated
several
 anniversaries
last
year: ‐

my
young
age
of
94,
 ‐

my
75th
as
a
Jesuit,
 ‐

my
58th
in
the
 Philippines,
 ‐

my
34th
with
ERDA. Some
people
have
been
asking
me, why
are
you
sBll
alive?

I
like
the
people
in
the
Hospital
of
the
Infant
 Jesus
where
I
have
been
acBng
as
night
 chaplain
for
28
years
now.
I
always
get
full
 cooperaBon
from
the
hospital
staff
who
help
 me
to
reach
the
sick
people
especially
to
 bapBze
or
give
Holy
Communion. I
like
our
friends
and
benefactors
in
Austria,
 Belgium,
Canada,
France,
Germany,
Indonesia,
 Italy,
Japan,
Spain,
Luxembourg,
Philippines,
 Poland,
Switzerland,
United
Kingdom,
U.S.A.,
 etc.
who
have
been
helping
us
raise
millions
of
 pesos
each
year.


Well,
I
like
my
work!
 I
like
the
people
working
with
me. I
like
the
poor
children
we
are
trying
to
save.
 I
like
our
many
benefactors.
 I
like
our
Board
of
Trustees
and
Council
of
 Advisers.


As
Napoleon
said,
“Money
is
the
nerve
of
war.”

 For
us
it
is
the
war
against
poverty
in
which
 millions
of
our
Filipino
children
live.

I
like
the
journalists
who
help
me
so
much.

Maraming
salamat
po
sa
inyong
lahat!

I
hope
that
our
ERDA
Group
will
conBnue
its
 excellent
synergy
and
cooperaBon.

I
like
the
government
people
who
understand
 our
mission
and
gave
us
the
permission
to
deal
 with
government
and
public
authoriBes.


FR.
PIERRE
T.
TRITZ,
SJ President

This
year
the
ERDA
 Group
has
been
 working
hard
towards
 consolidaBon. Like
parts
of
a
 sailboat,
each
part
 has
its
own
purpose
 and
use:
The
hull
to
 keep
it
afloat,
the
mast
to
hold
up
the
sail,
 the
sail
to
push
it
forward,
the
rudder
to
give
 direcBon,
the
keel
to
keep
it
from
Bpping
over,
 and
the
crew
to
get
everything
to
work
as
one.

 Only
when
all
the
parts
work
together
as
one
 can
they
bring
the
ship
to
great
distances. We
have
been
asked
to
take
part
in
bringing
 the
children
of
ERDA
to
great
distances
 because
we
are
capable
not
only
of “just
so
much”,
but
of
so
much
more.



EDITORIAL TEAM SHERWIN B. LAPAAN EDITOR

CATHERINE MAE D. REVELO KAROL MARK R. YEE ASSOCIATE EDITORS

JASMINE A. BAUTISTA JOSEMARIA E. CLARO MARIA ELIZA G. CRUZ EMELITA R. NUYDA MIGUEL ALPHONSO D. ORETA ANNA FRANCESCA P. TADEO CONTRIBUTORS

From the Chairman DEAR
FRIENDS
OF
 ERDA:

Fr. Johnny C. Go, SJ Chairman of the Board Fr. Pierre T. Tritz, SJ President Fr. Antonio F.B. de Castro, SJ Vice President – External Affairs Mrs. Susan Sulit Vice President – Internal Affairs Atty. Ma. Josefina S.J. Torres Secretary Mr. Nestor P. Bunoan Treasurer Mrs. Olivia L. Padilla Auditor

SIMKIN S.

DE GRAPHIC ARTIST

We
are
fortunate
to
have
dedicated
people
 and
commi6ed
benefactors
that
make
our
 children’s
journey
possible. We
thank
the
benefactors
for
their
generosity
 in
keeping
ERDA
afloat.

We
count
on
your
 further
support
of
ERDA’s
works
and
your
 devoBon
to
make
it
be6er
known
to
others.

 We
are
grateful
for
the
conBnuous
help
you
 are
providing
us.
You
are
truly
the
wind
that
 sets
us
on
sail. 
 Thank
you
very
much!

PIO

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF:

LORA C. ALFONSO MARIA ELIZA G. CRUZ ROWENA B. DELA CRUZ JULIETA M. FLORES SHERWIN B. LAPAAN PUBLISHER: The

ERDA Group c/o ERDA Foundation,Inc. P.O. Box 3600, 1076 Manila, Philippines OFFICE ADDRESS

FR.
JOHNNY
C.
GO,
SJ Chairman

of
the
Board

66 Linaw Street, Sta. Mesa Heights 1114 Quezon City, Philippines Tel: +632 732 4327 +632 732 3198 Email: [email protected] Website: www.erdafoundation.org

Swpxyrz
Fpr{|}p Job Well Done!

by
Miguel
Alphonso
ORETA

She
can’t
help
but
feel
proud
of
what
ERDA
 Tech
has
become
through
the
years.
And
 so,
while
leaving
is
usually
very
difficult,
 Mrs.
Marzan
feels
differently.
A9er
all,
 she
knows
that
under
the
steady
hands
 of
ERDA’s
generous
benefactors
and
 passionate
staff,
the
school
will
be
well
 taken
cared
of. As
an
ERDA
pioneer
however,
she
admits
 she
fears
that
the
upcoming
volunteers
 and
employees
might
not
be
as
open
 (in
the
beginning)
to
the
very
different
 and
someBmes
discouraging
ERDA
Tech
 environment.
To
this
she
advises
a
broad
 kind
of
understanding
and
paBence‐
an
 openness:
to
the
culture
of
the
community
 and
to
the
people
who
comprise
it.


M

Mrs.
Marzan
says
it
was
not
easy
being
 RS.
MARZAN
HAS
GONE
A the
principal
in
ERDA
Tech.
She
says
that
 long
way
since
the
concepBon
 onegets
very
close
to
the
community,
thus
 of
the
school;
she
previously
 it
becomes
very
personal
when
problems
 worked
with
St.
Theresa’s
College
(STC),
 with
the
students
arise.
The
principal,
 which
she
felt
was
just
as
challenging
as
 she
believes,
is
called,
not
just
to
talk
to
 any
other
school.
However,
that
is
where
 the
student,
but
to
the
parents
and
the
 the
similariBes
stop,
she
says.
In
ERDA
Tech,
 community
surrounding
the
child
as
well.
 she
needed
a
more
hands‐on
approach:
to
 personally
guide
and
encourage
each
student
 She
insists
that
one
must
be
involved
 one
must
not
stop
until
everything
 throughout
the
day.
 that
can
be
done
is
in
fact
done,
to
 with
every
single
problem
around
the
 
 form
him
or
her
the
right
way. school
and
must
really
find
Bme
to
 Asked
about
what
she
will
miss
most
 deeply
immerse
oneself.
She
even
adds,
 about
the
ERDA
Tech
students,
she
 In
her
departure,
she
le9
me
words
of
 for
the
new
administrators:
even
if
it
 relates
that
it
is
that
in
spite
of
the
 wisdom
for
future
administrators
to
live
 means
detaching
themselves
from
the
 students’
backgrounds,
not
a
single
 by,
I
quote
“When
we
came
in
to
serve
 Btle
of
principal
and
to
get
down
to
the
 one
ever
lied
to
her.
This,
aside
from
 ERDA
Tech,
we
knew
the
kinds
of
people
 level
of
the
people
concerned.
Although
 the
reassuring
thought
that
she
 we
would
be
dealing
with.
Keep
your
 one
must
always
go
by
the
book,
she
 does
something
beneficial
to
change
 heart
and
mind
open
to
the
situa$on
of
 says,
one
should
also
be
compassionate
 someone’s
life,
as
marked
by
plenBful
 the
students
and
once
we
take
them
in,
 in
levng
some
circumstances
pass.
 occurrences
when
she
actually
saw
with
 we
must
do
every
thing
in
our
power
to
 An
example
being,
having
to
let
a
 her
own
eyes,
the
favorable
changes
 make
sure
they
finish
their
educa$on,
 student
leave
the
school,
she
always
 in
each
and
every
student’s
life.

She
 and
that
we
do
our
best
to
help
form
 fears
that
they
may
turn
out
worse.
 recounts,
while
she
goes
home
feeling
 them
into
beKer
individuals.” She
feels
that
as
an
administrator,
 overly
Bred
and
spent,
it
was
a
different
 Mrs.
Marzan
with
some
ERDA
Board
Members
Council
of
Advisers
and
friends. kind
of
exhausBon
it
was,
quoBng
Mrs.
 Marzan,
a
“$resome
fulfillment”. From
past
teachers
who
come
back
 and
recount
stories
of
graBtude
for
the
 experiences
they
gained
through
ERDA
 Tech,
to
the
ERDA
Tech
parents
who,
with
 full
trust,
have
jointly
raised
with
Mrs.
 Marzan
a
new
generaBon
of
youth
in
the
 Pandacan
community.
 ERDA NEWSLETTER A P R I L 2 0 0 9

3

I€
{•p
Fypz‚ My Epiphany by
Mr.
Josemaria
E.
CLARO technology
for
educaBon
be
 applicable
to
a
school
with
 limited
and
almost
outdated
 equipment?
How
could
my
 desire
to
help
my
students
 dream
of
lo9y
things
be
 relevant
to
their
lives
of
 misery
and
deprivaBon?
I
 was
fully
confronted
with
 the
true
face
of
poverty.
 Far
from
being
just
a
lack
of
 money
or
opportuniBes,
it’s
 also
a
lack
of
being
loved,
 a
lack
of
being
encouraged
 to
reach
one’s
full
potenBal.
 The
essence
of
poverty
is
 the
disinheritance
of
basic
 human
dignity. I
waited
in
hope
for
God
to
give
 me
a
sign;
some
answers
to
 my
quesBons.
Sure
enough,
it
 wasn’t
too
long
before
He
did.

I

T
TOOK
ME
SEVEN
MONTHS
BEFORE
 I
finally
began
to
understand
this
 mystery
to
which
I
have
been
called.




Like
any
proud
person
coming
from
a
 privileged
family,
I
was
confident
that
I
 could
do
so
much
for
my
new
students
 at
ERDA
Technical
and
VocaBonal
High
 School.
My
confidence
was
rooted
 in
my
Jesuit
educaBon
at
Ateneo
de
 Manila,
and
my
five‐year
teaching
 experience
at
Xavier
School,
one
of
 the
leading
educaBonal
insBtuBons
in
 Metro
Manila. Alas,
all
my
theories
in
educaBon
and
 modern
approaches
were
pracBcally
 rendered
useless
by
the
despondent
 situaBon
of
my
students.
I
had
been
 trained
to
ask
my
pupils
deep
and
 reflecBve
quesBons,
but
how
can
 this
be
appropriate
to
students
who
 had
not
even
mastered
the
basic
 competencies
of
reading
and
wriBng?
 How
could
my
experience
in
using
 4

ERDA NEWSLETTER A P R I L 2 0 0 9

It
was
approaching
Christmas
 of
last
year
when
my
epiphany
 came.
I
was
sivng
at
my
 desk,
waiBng
for
my
students
 to
submit
their
work
when
I
looked
up
 and
saw
several
green,
plasBc
so9
drink
 bo6les.
Irritated
by
the
mess,
I
assumed
 that
the
bo6les
had
simply
been
used
for
 a
project,
and
nobody
had
since
disposed
 of
them.
 As
it
turned
out,
the
bo6les
were
an
 integral
part
of
the
class’
Christmas
 celebraBon.
What
was
once
an
eyesore
 would
now
be
bound
together
by
 masking
tape
and
transformed
into
 a
cylindrical
cone.
Decorated
with
 colored
recycled
paper,
and
red
and
 green
magazine
cut‐outs,
small
gi9s
and
 greeBng
cards
were
beneath
it.
It
was
the
 most
beauBful
Christmas
tree
I
had
seen
 in
my
life. This
unique
spirit
of
Christmas
was
also
 evident
at
the
Christmas
party.
It
was
 undoubtedly
the
simplest
party
I
had
 ever
been
to.
Everyone
had
to
make
 do
with
a
small
piece
of
fried
chicken,
 spaghev,
and
instant
iced
tea.
Unlike


the
countless
Christmas
parBes
I’ve
 a6ended,
however,
I
was
touched
by
 the
scene
that
unfolded
before
me.
 My
students
did
not
mind
the
simple
 meal;
they
were
all
happily
exchanging
 stories
with
one
another.
They
also
 prepared
parlor
games,
which
they
 thoroughly
lost
themselves
in
with
 plenty
of
laughter.
I
was
surrounded
by
 hear•elt
happiness.
I
think
it
was
the
 only
Christmas
party
where
I
was
sure
 Jesus
was
present. It
was
then
that
I
realized
God
was
giving
 me
a
glimpse
of
His
infinite
wisdom.
 I
witnessed
how
God
could
create
 something
beauBful
out
of
nothing.
It
 was
a
surrender
to
the
truth
that
no
 one
individual
can
solve
the
problem
of
 poverty
alone.
The
community
known
 as
ERDA
Tech
is
a
collaboraBve
effort
of
 different
talents
‐
from
the
sponsors
to
 the
administrators
and
teachers
‐
working
 towards
the
same
goal,
that
of
making
a
 brighter
future
possible
for
our
students.
 However,
faced
daily
with
the
reality
of
 suffering
and
injusBce,
we
confidently
 root
our
faith
and
hope
not
just
on
 our
own
hard
work,
but
on
a
power
 that
produces
results
far
beyond
our
 capabiliBes.
As
Archbishop
Oscar
Romero
 said
in
his
prayer,
“Our
efforts
may
be
 incomplete,
sBll
it
is
a
beginning,
a
step
 along
the
way,
an
opportunity
for
the
 Lord’s
grace
to
enter
and
do
the
rest.” The
Christmas
party
ended
with
the
usual
 exchange
of
gi9s.
As
a
token
of
graBtude,
 my
class
gave
me
a
simple
but
creaBve
 Christmas
card
full
of
thankful
messages.
 I
looked
at
the
beauBful
card
made
of
 an
unknown
hard
material
covered
with
 construcBon
paper.
Curiously,
I
peeled
off
 the
decoraBve
paper
and
discovered
that
 the
card
was
made
out
of
a
flap
of
plain,
 ordinary,
used
carton. And
that
was
how
I
discovered
the
true
 meaning
of
Christmas,
of
love
and
of
the
 truth
‐
that
out
of
old
cardboard
boxes
and
 used
bo6les,
there
is
a
God
that
makes
all
 things
beauBful.

Npƒq
„}…†
{•p
B…r}‚}……† ERDA
TECH
Principal
ReVres It
had
been
announced
at
the
November
 2008
meeBng
of
the
ERDA
Board
that
Mrs.
 Estelita
S.
Marzan,
ERDA
TECH
Principal,
 was
reBring
at
the
end
of
the
school
year.
 Soon
a9er,
a
search
process
was
started
 for
a
new
principal
for
ERDA
TECH.
A
four‐ member
search
commi6ee,
which
included
 Mrs.
Marzan,
deliberated
on
a
short
list
 of
candidates,
interviewed
each
of
them,
 and
submi6ed
its
recommendaBons
to
the
 Chairman
of
the
Board
in
January
this
year.

The
ERDA
Board
passed
a
resolution
at
 its
March
2009
meeting
confirming
these
 two
administrative
appointments
and
 expressing
its
thanks
to
the
XS
Board
for
 the
latter’s
support
of
ERDA
TECH. Strategic
DirecVons
for

the
ERDA
Group

The
Board
was
updated
on
the
results
 of
the
ERDA
Group’s
Strategic
Planning
 Workshop
held
on
January
11‐12,
2009,
 and
of
the
consultative
meeting
on
 March
2,
2009,
which
was
attended
by
 members
of
the
Executive
Council
and
 The
Board
at
its
March
2009
meeBng
passed
 some
Board
members. a
resoluBon
formally
expressing
its
grateful
 appreciaBon
to
the
outgoing
Principal
 A
review
of
donations
received
over
 for
her
15
years
of
selfless,
devoted
and
 the
past
ten
years
indicated
that
overall
 cheerful
service.
An
inBmate
appreciaBon
 funding
for
the
regular
programs
has
 dinner
was
later
held
in
her
honor. clearly
been
on
the
downtrend,
and
 with
the
forecast
for
the
global
economy
 New
AdministraVve
Appointments remaining
very
dim
for
the
next
couple
of
 at
ERDA
TECH years,
the
Board
noted
that
it
is
no
longer
 a
business‐as‐usual
situation
and
that The
ERDA
Board
was
informed
that
the
 the
ERDA
Group
needs
to
respond
 Xavier
School
Board,
at
its
March
2009
 accordingly
if
it
is
to
continue
to
be
 meeBng,
had
approved
Xavier
School’s
 relevant
in
the
long
run. “adopBon”
of
ERDA
TECH
and
that
it
had
 also
approved
the
assignment
of
two
of
its
 The
Board
also
noted
that
the
ERDA
 choice
administrators
to
ERDA
TECH:
Mrs.
 management
had
worked
out
what
the
 Jane
N.
NaBvidad
(outgoing
XS
Grade
School
 worst‐case
scenario
might
look
like,

 Principal)
as
incoming
ERDA
TECH
Principal,
 given
the
revised
mission
statement,
 and
Mr.
Peter
Marc
D.
Magsalin
(XS
Dept
 the
preferred
development
strategy,
 Chair
for
Science)
as
Assistant
Principal.
 and
the
funding
trend.

“Prison is no place for Children”

‘Balik‐Sigla
at
Pag‐asa
Program’
(BSPP)
has
 a
set
of
intervenBon
programs
that
include
 educaBonal
assistance,
AlternaBve
Learning
 System
(ALS)
review
sessions
and
vocaBonal
 training
as
needed.


The
BK‐RESTORE
Youth
Home,
located
in
 Tondo,
Manila,
was
formally
inaugurated
 on
February
23,
2009,
with
Fr.
Pierre
Tritz,
 SJ,
and
Fr.
Johnny
Go,
SJ,
as
guests
of
honor.
 Also
in
a6endance
were
representaBves
 from
UNICEF,
VIC,
Dept.
of
Social
Welfare
and
 Development,
Dept.
of
JusBce,
Manila
City
 Hall,
partner
NGOs,
the
Tondo
community,
 and
benefactors
and
friends
of
ERDA.


Serving
as
a
halfway‐house,
the
Youth
Home
 can
accommodate
as
much
as
25
CICL
at
 any
given
Bme.
(These
center‐based
CICL
 live
there
for
at
most
45
days.)
It
also
serves
 community‐based
CICL,
that
is,
those
who
go
 through
the
rehab
program
provided
at
the
 Youth
Home
but
live
with
their
families.

Designed
with
flexibility
to
suit
the
 ndividual
needs
of
CICL,
BK‐RESTORE’s


Of
the
geographical
regions
where
 ERDA
currently
operates,
those
with
 the
highest
poverty
incidence
and
 dropout
rates
had
been
identified
as
 priority
areas.
Sectors
to
be
served
had
 also
been
prioritized.
Such
a
scenario,
 however,
called
for
a
gradual
reduction,
 over
a
three‐year
period,
in
the
total
 number
of
beneficiaries,
tie‐ups, as
well
as
staff. The
Board,
therefore,
passed
a
 resolution
directing
the
ERDA
Group,
 the
ERDA
Foundation
and
FAHAN
in
 particular,
to
engage
in
downsizing
 operations
and
corresponding
staffing
 within
a
three‐year
period
beginning
 FY
2009‐10,
from
its
present
level
to
as
 close
as
possible
to
that
indicated
in
the
 worst‐case
scenario. Early
ReVrement
Package The
Board
approved
a
special
voluntary
 early
retirement
package
–
at
150%
of
 monthly
pay
–
for
ERDA
Foundation
 employees
who
qualify
for
early
 retirement
(those
with
25
years
service,
 regardless
of
age)
between
01
May
2009
 and
30
April
2010.
This
one‐time
offer
 is
available
only
to
qualified
employees
 who
file
their
applications
within the
three‐month
period,
from 01
May
to
31
July
2009.



con$nued
from
p1

The
first
is
concerned
with
gevng
CICL
out
 of
jails
and
detenBon
centers.
The
second,
 concerning
their
rehabilitaBon,
requires
the
 operaBon
of
a
youth
home.
The
third
is
the
 advocacy
component.


At
the
Youth
Home,
CICL
released
from
detention
 but
must
undergo
intervention
programs
in
an
 institutional
setting
are
provided
residential
care
 with
an
integrated
rehabilitation
program.

by
Susan
SULIT

The
Youth
Home,
which
had
a
so9
opening
in
 October
2008
with
eight
center‐based
CICL,
 currently
serves
12
center‐based
and
five
 community‐based
CICL. Project
BK‐RESTORE
has
served
35
center‐ based
and
19
community‐based
CICL,
or
a
 total
of
54
(including
the
current
17),
since
it
 started
in
January
2008
at
the
ERDA
Tuklasan


Center.
With
a
45‐day
turnover
period
at
the
 newly
blessed
Youth
Home
in
Tondo,
it
plans
 to
serve
at
least
300
CICL
during
the
three‐ year
project
term. For
the
Project’s
advocacy
component,
 ERDA‐ASAP
teams
have
been
orienBng
 barangay
communiBes
and
NGOs
on
the
 principles
of
restoraBve
jusBce,
diversion
and
 other
provisions
of
RA
9344.
They
also
assist
 in
organizing
and
strengthening
Barangay
 Councils
for
the
ProtecBon
of
Children. Fr.
Tritz
sBll
couldn’t
get
over
his
experience
 just
a
few
years
ago
of
finding
a
five‐year‐old
 girl
in
jail
for
stealing
some
bread
because
she
 was
hungry.
It
is
for
children
like
her
and
for
 those
sBll
in
jails
and
detenBon
centers
that
 Fr.
Tritz
and
the
ERDA
Group
look
to
Project
 BK‐RESTORE’s
doing
its
best
in
helping
keep
 children
away
from
prison.


ERDA NEWSLETTER A P R I L 2 0 0 9

5

ERDA
Npƒq Celebrating Christmas with the ERDA Group

by
Maria
Eliza
G.
CRUZ,
Sherwin
B.

 LAPAAN,
and
Jasmine
A.
BAUTISTA

compound.
Gi9
packages
of
groceries
and
 clothes,
donated
by
STC
students,
were
 distributed
to
around
60
of
FAHAN’s
adult
 beneficiaries
who
had
earlier
parBcipated
 in
Bukal
Center’s
livelihood
programs.
 In
all,
around
500
FAHAN
beneficiaries
in
 Metro
Manila
and
Ilocos
Sur
received
gi9
 packages
of
foodstuff,
school
supplies
and
 used
clothes
this
Christmas. FAHAN
wishes
to
thank
the
following
who
 helped
make
Christmas
a
season
of
joy
for
its
 beneficiaries:
the
Xavier
School
community,
 Republic
Flour
Mills
Corp.,
Alaska
Milk
 Corp.,
Unilab,
Oxyblue,
Chateau
MarkeBng,
 Philippine
AssociaBon–Sovereign
Military
 Order
of
Malta,
Bukal
Center
for
Women,
and
 several
generous
individuals
to
whom
FAHAN
 will
always
be
grateful.

T

CHILDREN
of
TuKLASan,
BK‐Restore,
and
SABANA
with

members
of
Mighty
Sports
Group

UKLASAN,
ERDA’S
CENTER
FOR
STREET
 children
in
San
Juan
was
where
new
 friends
of
ERDA
conducted
outreach
 programs
and
brought
Christmas
cheer
to
 ERDA’s
children. A
group
of
six
from
the
Mighty
Sports
 AssociaBon
(MSA)
headed
by
Dr.
John
 Edwin
Sy
came
a‐visiBng
on
December
12,
 2008,
and
were
warmly
received
by
around
 50
ERDA
children
(including
eight
from
the
 BK‐RESTORE
Youth
Home
and
ten
from
 Sabana
Center). The
children
presented
a
program,
then
 played
parlor
games,
demonstraBng
their
 compeBBveness
and
sportsmanship
to
 the
delight
of
the
visitors.
A9er
a
lunch
 of
chicken‐and‐rice
with
the
children,
 the
MSA
group
gave
them
gi9
packs
of
 school
supplies
and
toiletries.
To
promote
 sports
among
the
children,
MSA
also
 donated
assorted
board
games
and
sports
 equipment
to
Tuklasan. The
next
day,
December
13,
2008,
 a
group
of
around
30
from
the
 InterContinental
Hotel
Group
(IHG)
led
by
 Mr.
Anthony
Tucay,
HR
manager,
came
to
 6

ERDA NEWSLETTER A P R I L 2 0 0 9

join
the
Tuklasan
children
in
yet
another
 joyous
Christmas
activity. A9er
a
program
presentaBon
by
the
 children,
the
IHG
people
interacted
freely
 with
them
as
they
played
parlor
games
 together
with
so
much
laughter.
They
all
 had
a
burger‐steak‐and‐spaghev
meal,
 a9er
which
IHG
gave
the
children
gi9
packs
 of
personal
supplies.
 ERDA
is
grateful
to
MSA
and
IHG
for
their
 gi9s
and
donaBons
and,
most
especially,
for
 having
taken
Bme
out
to
share
with
the
ERDA
 children
the
precious
gi9
of
their
presence. FAHAN
(FoundaBon
for
the
Assistance
to
 Hansenites)
held
its
annual
Christmas
gi9‐ giving
acBvity,
Paskuhan,
on
December
19,
 2008.
Several
of
its
benefactors
and
friends
 once
again
shared
their
blessings
with
 Persons
Affected
by
Leprosy
(PAL)
and
their
 families
who
took
part
in
the
Christmas
 acBvity
held
at
the
convent
of
the
Sisters
 Oblates
of
the
Holy
Spirit
in
Quezon
City. On
December
20,
2008,
a
similar
gi9‐giving
 acBvity
was
held
at
the
Bukal
Center
for
 Women,
at
the
St.
Theresa’s
College
QC


Mother
beneficiaries
from
Tondo,
Manila

S

ABANA,
ERDA’S
CENTER
FOR










child
 scavengers,
 in
 Tondo,
 Manila,
 turned
 distribuBon
 center
 on
 December
 29,
 2008,
 for
 surprise
 Christmas
 gi9s
 to
 its
 parent‐beneficiaries.
 The
 Xavier
 School
 Parents’
 AssociaBon
 (XSPA),
through
Ms
Cynthia
Tan,
celebrated
 Christmas
 2008
 with
 some
 parent‐ beneficiaries
of
Sabana
by
donaBng
50
gi9
 boxes
of
assorted
foodstuff
in
Bme
for
their
 Media
Noche
(New
Year’s
Eve
dinner). One
 mother
 was
 heard
 to
 say
 that
 they
 didn’t
 deserve
 these
 unexpected
 gifts,
 and
that
for
them
this
will
be
a
Christmas
 to
remember.

 The
 XSPA
 had
 earlier
 helped
 the
 ERDA
 Group
 with
 its
 fundraising
 concert,
 “A
 Heart
for
Poor
Children,”
in
August
2008.

 The
ERDA
Group
deeply
appreciates
XSPA’s
 conBnued
 support
 of
 Fr.
 Tritz
 and
 ERDA
 Group’s
 work
 of
 helping
 poor
 children
 through
educaBon.

ERDA Group’s Strategic Planning Workshop By
Lorna
C.
GABAD

A

S
THE
ERDA
GROUP

 transforms
gradually
into
one
 consolidated
unit,
the
process
 to
determine
direcBons
and
prioriBes
 at
the
insBtuBonal
level
becomes
 essenBal.
Thus,
on
January
11‐12,
 2009,
the
group
organized
a
Strategic
 Planning
Workshop
at
the
DLSU‐ College
of
Saint
Benilde
Angelo
King
 InternaBonal
Conference
Hotel
which
 focused
on
reviewing
and
refining
the
 ERDA
Group’s
missions,
developmental
 strategies,
and
geographical
coverage. Fourteen
members
of
staff
from
 the
ERDA
FoundaBon,
three
from
 ERDA
Tech,
and
two
from
FAHAN
 parBcipated
in
the
two‐day
workshop.
 Chairman
of
the
Board
Fr.
Johnny
 Go,
Vice
President
Mrs.
Susan
Sulit,
 CommunicaBons
Officer
Mr.
Sherwin
 Lapaan,
and
ERDA
Group
Volunteer
 Mr.
Miguel
Oreta
also
took
part
in
the
 acBvity.
Mr.
Louie
Montalbo
and
Ms.
 Rachel
Consunji,
faculty
members
 of
the
Ateneo
Graduate
School
of
 Business,
and
seasoned
Consultants
on
 OrganizaBonal
Development
facilitated


the
sessions. Fr.
Go
prepared
 the
group
for
take
 off
by
recalling
 the
reasons
for
 these
efforts,
 and
explaining
 what
has
been
 done
so
far
to
 reach
this
point.
 He
encouraged
 the
parBcipants
 to
reflect
on
the
 teachings
of
St.
 IgnaBus
of
Loyola,
“Greater
fruit,
 greater
need
and
greater
fronBer”
as
 guiding
principles
in
the
deliberaBon
 and
planning
process
itself. The
parBcipaBon
of
staff
through
 representaBon
was
very
helpful
in
 the
planning
process.
They
had
a
 frui•ul
couple
of
sessions
with
the
 competencies,
work
experience,
and
 insights
gathered
greatly
contribuBng
 to
the
reformulaBon
of
the
ERDA
 Group’s
vision,
mission,
and
approach.
 Using
the
SWOT
(Internal
Strengths
and


Weaknesses,
External
OpportuniBes
 and
Threats)
Framework
of
Analysis,
 as
introduced
by
the
facilitators,
the
 parBcipants
were
guided
systemaBcally
 in
their
environmental
scanning
and
 assessing
of
future
probabiliBes. At
its
very
core,
a
redefined
thrust
 along
with
developmental
strategies
 uBlizing
social
work
technology,
 teamwork
Be‐up
partnership,
coaliBon
 building,
and
networking,
among
 others,
as
well
as
a
sector/geographical
 reach
for
the
ERDA
Group,
had
 evolved.

Leadership Training at Xavier School by
Emelita
R.
NUYDA

X

AVIER
SCHOOL
HOSTED
A
 Leadership
Training
program
 on
November
21,
2008
for
high


school
student
leaders.
Held
on
the
 XS
campus
in
San
Juan,
this
exercise
 brought
together
close
to
50
student
 leaders
from
Xavier
 ERDA
Tech
students
at
Xavier
School School,
San
Juan
NaBonal
 High
School
and
ERDA
 TECH. The
training
program
 began
with
an
overnight
 stay
on
campus,
followed
 by
an
all‐day
series
of
 acBviBes
the
next
day.
 
 With
its
senior
officers
as
 training
facilitators,
the


XS
Student
Council
annually
undertakes
 this
Leadership
Training
which
seeks
to
 demonstrate
in
an
experienBal
manner
 some
basic
leadership
skills
required
of
 today’s
young
student
leaders. 
 This
was
ERDA
TECH’s
first
Bme
to
 be
invited
to
have
its
student
leaders
 avail
of
this
training
program
at
XS.
 Needless
to
say,
all
15
parBcipants
 from
ERDA
TECH
found
it
a
novel
and
 frui•ul
experience,
and
had
them
 eagerly
applying,
at
every
chance
 they
could
get,
what
new
skills
they
 had
learned,
thanks
to
their
student
 counterparts
from
across
town.

ERDA NEWSLETTER A P R I L 2 0 0 9

7

T•r€•
Y…|!

JOLLIBEE Scholars at ERDA Tech by
Karol
Mark
R.
YEE

Jollibee’s
30th
Anniversary
Gi9
Giving
Project
awarding
ceremony

E

RDA
TECH
FOUNDATION
WAS
 recently
chosen
as
one
of
eight
 grantees
of
Jollibee’s
30th
anniver‐ sary
gi9‐giving
project
for
children.
 The
formal
turnover
of
the
donaBons,
 held
on
24
March
2009
at
the
Manila
 Ocean
Park,
was
a6ended
by
heads
 and
representaBves
of
the
selected
 foundaBons,
along
with
some
of
their
 children
beneficiaries.
 Fr.
Johnny
Go,
SJ,
and
Fr.
Pierre
Tritz,
SJ,
 Chairman
and
President,
respecBvely,
 accepted
in
behalf
of
ERDA
TECH
 FoundaBon
a
CerBficate
of
DonaBon,
 and
corresponding
check,
for
P
3
 million.
According
to
the
terms
of
the
 Memorandum
of
Agreement,
which
had
 been
signed
days
earlier,
this
amount
is
 Jollibee’s
donaBon
to
the
Pierre
Tritz‐ ERDA
Group
Endowment
Fund,
the
 earnings
of
which
are
earmarked
for
the


sponsorship
of
Jollibee
Scholars
enrolling
 at
the
ERDA
Technical
High
School.
The
 first
two
Jollibee
Scholars
for
this
SY
 2009‐10
are
to
be
selected
from
incoming
 third‐year
students
specializing
in
food
 technology.

Children’s
Medical
Center
(Quezon
City),
 Families
and
Children
for
Empowerment
 and
Development
FoundaBon
(Manila),
 Co6olengo
Filipino
(Rizal),
House
With
 No
Steps
FoundaBon
(Quezon
City),


In
appreciaBon
of
the
 conBnued
patronage
of
millions
 of
Filipinos
and
especially
their
 children,
Jollibee,
the
country’s
 leading
fast
food
chain,
decided
 to
cap
its
30th
anniversary
 celebraBon
with
this
grand
 gi9‐giving
project,
giving
out
 donaBons
totaling
P
18
million
 to
support
selected
foundaBons
 working
for
the
welfare
of
 L‐R
Fr.
Tritz,
SJ,
Mrs.
Marzan,
Fr.
Go,
SJ,
Mr.
Ang,
with
ERDA
Tech
 Filipino
children,
parBcularly
 those
less
fortunate.
 Marcellin
Project
(General
Santos
City),
 Funds
for
these
donaBons
had
been
 Shontoug
FoundaBon
(Baguio
City)
and
 raised
last
year
mainly
through
the
 Jollibee
FoundaBon’s
Busog,
Lusog,
Talino
 sales
of
Hug
&
Share
dolls,
a
fundraising
 In‐School
Feeding
Program
(Leyte). project
spearheaded
by
Jollibee
Foods
 CorporaBon
and
Jollibee
Franchisees
 The
ERDA
Group
wishes
to
express
its
 AssociaBon,
with
the
support
of
Jollibee
 appreciaBon
to
Jollibee
for
including
 FoundaBon.
 the
ERDA
TECH
FoundaBon
in
this
select
 list
of
grantees,
and
for
this
conBnuing
 The
seven
other
grantees
at
the
March
 collaboraBon
in
promoBng
the
interests
 25
ceremonies
were
the
Philippine
 of
our
country’s
children.



FILINVEST’s Run For A Child by
Sherwin
B.
LAPAAN L‐R

Mr.
J.
GoVanun,
Fr.
J.
Go,
SJ,
Fr.
P.
Tritz,
SJ,
 Mrs.
M.
GoVanun,
Ms.
D.
Cardeño
,
and
Ms.
J.
Yap

F

I L I N V E S T
S TA G E D
 A
H U G E LY
 successful
early
morning
fun
run
 last
March
28,
2009,
in
Alabang,
 MunBnlupa
City.
ExecuBves,
officers
 and
other
employees
of
the
companies
 comprising
the
Filinvest
Group
were
 mobilized
for
this
event.
Also
cajoled
into
 joining
were
several
of
Filinvest’s
business
 partners,
clients
and
special
friends. Led
by
members
of
the
GoBanun
Family,
 over
a
thousand
parBcipants
completed
 the
two‐kilometer
route
within
Filinvest
 Corporate
City.
On
hand
to
cheer
them
 on
were
Fr.
Pierre
Tritz,
SJ,
and
Fr.
Johnny
 Go,
SJ,
President
and
Chairman
of
the
 Board,
respecBvely,
of
ERDA
FoundaBon,
 the
named
beneficiary
of
this
fundraising
 event.

As
explained
by
the
organizers,
for
every
 runner
who
crossed
the
finish
line,
 Filinvest
pledged
an
amount
needed
to
 send
a
child
to
school
for
one
school
year
 through
ERDA’s
educaBonal
assistance
 program
in
Alabang.

Together
with
its
ten
subsidiaries,
it
 operates
in
three
business
segments:
real
 estate
development,
financial
and
banking
 services,
and
sugar
operaBons.

Right
a9er
the
fun
run
it
was
quickly
 determined,
from
the
number
of
those
 who
completed
the
run,
that
the
amount
 to
be
pledged
by
Filinvest
would
be
a
 li6le
over
P
4
million.
And
just
as
quickly,
 Mr.
Andrew
L.
GoBanun
Sr.,
Filinvest
 Development
Corp.
Chairman
Emeritus,
 quietly
decided
to
round
off
the
amount
 to
a
cool
P
5
million. Filinvest
had
held
a
similar
fun
run
in
 2005,
on
the
occasion
of
FDC’s
50th
 anniversary,
which
raised
P
3.2
million
for
 ERDA’s
children
beneficiaries. Mr.
Jonathan
T.
GoBanun,
FDC
Chairman,
 pointed
out
that
the
GoBanun
Family
has
 long
been
supporBng
Fr.
Tritz’s
work
of
 helping
poor
Filipino
children
through
 educaBon.
This
benefit
fun
run
was
also
 a
way
of
giving
back
to
the
community
 which
has
helped
their
business
succeed. FDC,
a
Philippines‐based
company,
is
the
 holding
company
of
the
Filinvest
Group.


Fr.
Tritz
loves
to
recall
how
he
first
 met,
almost
by
chance,
Mrs.
Mercedes
 GoBanun,
wife
of
Andrew
Sr,
at
a
dinner
 at
Xavier
School
some
30
years
ago.
 That
started
a
long‐lasBng
personal
and
 mutually
saBsfying
relaBonship
between
 him
and
the
GoBanuns
which
conBnues
to
 this
day. The
ERDA
Group
is
grateful
to
Filinvest
and
 the
GoBanun
Family
for
their
conBnued
 support
of
Fr.
Tritz’s
mission
being
carried
 out
by
ERDA,
and
for
this
splendid
 example
of
being
in
solidarity
with
the
less
 fortunate
among
us.
 ERDA NEWSLETTER A P R I L 2 0 0 9

9

I€qy‚p
ERDA “Every Student is a Mission” by
Miguel
Alphonso
D.
ORETA

stead
for
what’s
to
come.
AddiBonally,
originally
 coming
from
Don
Bosco
Technical
School,
and
 having
been
exposed
to
technical
work,
he
 believes
that
he
might
even
be
able
to
lend
a
hand
 in
giving
fresh
perspecBves
on
the
structure
of
the
 curriculum,
and
in
offering
his
technical
experBse,
 and
in
generally
helping
to
improve
ERDA
Tech.


who
enter
the
school,
to
not
only
be
proficient
in
 their
respecBve
skills,
but
to
also
be
prepared
for
 life.
In
parBcular,
she
hopes
that
the
school
gives
 sufficient
preparaBon
to
provide
its
students
with
 the
right
skills
to
be
immediately
producBve
a9er
 graduaBng,
and
for
those
who
choose
to
pursue
 further
studies,
to
be
fully
equipped
for
higher
 learning.


Mr.
Magsalin
laughed
when
asked
about
any
 possible
fears
he
might
have
going
into
the
new
 job,
and
said
that
he
does
not
fear
adjustment,
 and
is
ready
for
anything
put
before
him
as
he
is
 actually
looking
forward
to
a
new
challenge.
As
he
 himself
puts
it,
“You
have
to
be
ready
for
anything.
 Set
your
goals.
Condi$on
the
mind.
Anything
is
 possible
and
anything
can
happen.”


Mrs.
NaBvidad
believes
that
every
student
is
a
 mission,
and
as
a
mission,
she
must
help
them
 succeed.
She
believes
that
everyone
should
be
 given
a
chance,
and
feels
that
this
change
is
a
 calling
for
her
to
reach
out
and
give
back.


He
does
worry,
though,
about
not
being
sensiBve
 enough,
or
not
as
immersed
in
the
work
as
he
 wants
to
be.
It’s
an
anxiety
of
being
isolated
from
 the
problems
and
issues
that
will
likely
come
 about.
However,
he
believes
that
in
spite
these
 anxieBes
he
is
bound
to
be
a
be6er
person
at
the
 end
of
it.

A

Mrs.
Jane
NaBvidad
(incoming
Principal)

S
THE
2008k2009
ACADEMIC
YEAR
 comes
to
an
end,
and
the
2009‐2010
one
 approaches,
ERDA
Tech
is
in
for
some
 changes
as
the
current
principal,
Mrs.
Marzan,
is
 reBring
a9er
fi9een
years
of
service.
This
signals
 the
entry
of
new
and
promising
mentors. 
 Mrs.
Jane
NaBvidad
and
Mr.
Marc
Magsalin
are
 two
such
faces
that
will
be
unfamiliar
to
many
at
 ERDA
Tech.
However,
they
are
not
to
be
feared,
 but
warmly
welcomed
into
the
ERDA
family.
Both
 previously
administrators
at
Xavier
School,
they
 also
have
a
shared
long‐term
experience
of
being
a
 guide
and
mentor
in
the
formaBon
of
students. 
 Mrs.
Jane
NaBvidad
has
been
the
Grade
School
 principal
of
Xavier
School,
having
been
at
Xavier
 for
over
thirty
years
to
date.
Her
decision
to
move
 to
ERDA
Tech
was
a
difficult
one
as
she
has
served
 Xavier
School
for
so
long.
She
made
the
choice
 because
she
feels
she
can
really
give
something
to
 the
educaBon
apostolate
of
ERDA.
 Mrs.
NaBvidad
truly
has
a
lot
to
contribute
 from
the
experience
she
has
as
a
teacher
and
 administrator.
With
a
total
of
thirty‐four
years
 working
within
schools,
thirty‐one
of
which
were
 at
Xavier
School,
with
twenty
years
of
serving
as
an
 administrator.
Thus,
from
her
many
years
at
Xavier
 School,
she
feels
it
is
Bme
to
share
her
knowledge
 with
a
school
that
needs
it
more. 
 She
is
looking
forward
to
serving
ERDA
for
many
 years,
and
says
that
she
would
like
to
see
ERDA
 Tech
become
one
of
the
best
technical
schools
in
 the
Philippines.
She
also
wishes
for
all
the
students
 10

ERDA NEWSLETTER A P R I L 2 0 0 9

Her
feelings
of
excitement
are
overwhelming
as
 she
knows
that
ERDA
Tech
is
bound
to
be
very
 different
from
Xavier,
and
might
even
be
a
medium
 or
canvas
for
higher
self‐discovery.
This
is
what
 helps
fuel
her
enthusiasm;
this
“something
new”,
 she
believes,
is
what
she
needs
to
keep
herself
 from
stagnaBng.

“You
have
to
be
ready
for
anything.
 Set
your
goals.
Condi$on
the
mind.
 Anything
is
possible
and
anything
 can
happen.”
 When
asked
why
she
feels
no
fear,
she
replied,
 “Well,
because
I
am
not
alien
to
the
kind
of
lives
 the
students
who
study
in
ERDA
are
living.”
She
in
 fact
sees
it
as
an
opportunity
to
give
strength
to
 young
people
from
her
own
experiences,
as
she
 also
came
from
a
similar
background.
She
wants
to
 be
a
role
model,
and
to
somehow
get
the
children
 to
realize
that
there
is
indeed
hope
in
rising
from
 one’s
status
in
life;
to
pray,
to
study
and
work
hard,
 and
most
importantly,
to
aspire
to
rise
above. 
 In
turn,
the
other
figurehead
who
will
be
new
to
 ERDA
Tech
is
Mr.
Marc
Magsalin,
who
has
worked
 for
Xavier
School
for
fourteen
years.
Having
 worked
that
long
at
Xavier,
his
move
to
ERDA
Tech
 is
something
that
he
is
called
to
do
at
this
stage
of
 his
career.
For
him,
working
for
ERDA
Tech
would
 be
his
fulfillment
of
the
mission
to
give
back
to
 society,
and
he
sees
the
opportunity
as
a
blessing
 and
one
where
he
could
truly
make
a
difference.
 Spending
fourteen
years
at
Xavier,
four
years
as
a
 teacher
and
ten
as
an
administrator,
Mr.
Magsalin
 feels
that
his
experience
will
stand
him
in
good


Together,
Marc
Magsalin
and
Jane
NaBvidad
will
 work
as
new
administrators
and
the
new
principals
 of
ERDA
Tech.
Their
partnership
will
bring
 something
new
to
ERDA
–
experience
and
fresh
 ideas
that
will
harmonize
with
ERDA
Tech
to
make
 it
an
even
be6er
school
than
it
already
is.
 They
both
believe
that
ERDA
Tech
has
good
 pracBces
already
in
existence,
but
hand
in
hand,
 armed
with
fresh
ideas
and
their
experience,
 they
should
be
able
to
enhance
these,
and
in
 the
process,
also
improve
on
the
weaker
areas.
 Through
this,
they
plan
to
build
on
the
strengths
of
 ERDA
Tech
and
work
along
lines
with
people
who
 make
ERDA
what
it
is.

Mr.
Marc
Magsalin
(incoming
Asst.
Principal) In
the
future,
there
are
hopes
that
more
Xavier
 School
faculty
members
will
follow
Ms.
NaBvidad’s
 and
Mr.
Magsalin’s
example,
and
will
also
extend
 their
hands,
and
share
their
knowledge
to
ERDA,
 the
students,
and
their
parents.

Bp€p„rx{…}q’
Prsp “Thank You for Changing My Life!” — Kimberly

W

E
W I S H
TO
T H A N K
 O U R
F R I E N D S
W H O
C A M E to
visit
us
early
this
year:

•

Mr.
&
Mrs.
Ramon
Sierra
Nava,
Intramuros
Pro
Infancia
Filipina,
 SPAIN
(January
14,
2009) •

Mme
Bénédicte
Brocard
&
Mme
Laurence
Trémoureux,
Les
Amis
 des
Enfants
du
Monde,
FRANCE
(January
30
–
February
05,
2009) •

Mme
Masako
Sumiya
&
Kitai
Pag‐asa
Ladies,
Pag‐asa
Group,
 JAPAN
(March
02
–
04,
2009) •

M.
François
&
Mme
Dominique
Rolin
van
Swieten,
ERDA
Belgique
 Philippines,
BELGIUM,
(April
29
–
May
01,
2009)

T

HE
PIONEERING
 HUMANITARIAN
WORK
 AMONG
POOR
Filipino
children
 that
Fr.
Pierre
Tritz,
SJ,
had
realized
35
 years
ago
he
was
being
called
upon
to
 do
did
not
daunt
him.
A
man
of
vision,
 he
knew
what
was
to
be
done
and
 dared
to
dream
big.
TrusBng
in
Divine
 Providence,
he
single‐mindedly
tapped
 into
the
reserves
of
generosity
among
 people
of
goodwill
in
the
Philippines,
 Europe
and
elsewhere,
inviBng
them
to
 join
him
in
his
mission
of
sending
poor
 children
to
school.
As
he
o9en
said,
“To
 allow
a
child
to
go
to
school
is
to
give
 him
hope.”

for
children
of
the
urban
poor,
started
 in
SY
1994‐95. •

EducaVonal
Assistance
Programs
 


‐
EAP
Elem
–
ERDA’s
flagship
program,
 started
in
SY
1975‐76,
which
helps
 poor
children
finish
a
six‐year
public
 elementary
educaBon. 


‐
EAP
HS
–
started
in
SY
1989‐90,
 helps
selected
EAP
Elem
graduates,
 sponsored
by
certain
benefactors,
finish
 a
four‐year
public
secondary
educaBon. 


‐
EAP
Coll
–
started
in
SY
1993‐94,
 assists
selected
EAP
HS
and
ERDA
 Tech
graduates,
sponsored
by
certain
 benefactors,
finish
a
four‐
or
five‐year
 degree
program.


Today
the
ERDA
Group
carries
on
 Fr.
Tritz’s
mission,
in
partnership
with
 benefactors
and
other
funders,
through
 its
child‐focused
programs
and
projects.
 Among
these
are:

Looking
back
at
what
these
 remarkable
partnerships
have
 wrought
during
the
past
35
years,
 perhaps
it’s
best
to
let
the
figures
 speak
for
themselves.


•

Preschool
Program
–
a
community‐ based
one‐year
program
for
poor
 preschoolers,
started
in
SY
1977‐78. •

AlternaVve
Learning
System
 –
currently
mainly
consisBng
of
the
 PALIHAN
Program,
a
one‐year
program
 for
out‐of‐school
youth,
started
in
 October
1997. •

Technical
High
School
Program
–
a
 five‐year
secondary
educaBon
program


On
behalf
of
the
ERDA
Group,
we
 thank
you,
our
benefactors
and
 friends,
for
believing
in
Fr.
Tritz’s
 dream
and
supporting
our
mission
to
 educate
our
children
all
these
years.
 Be
assured
that
your
generosity
 and
sacrifices
are
making
a
world
of
 difference
in
the
lives
of
our
children.
 MARAMING
SALAMAT
PO!

CUMULATIVE TOTAL CASELOADS,EDUCATION AND EDUCATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS, SY 75-76 TO 08-09 (TOTAL, 593,552, 100%) Preschool - 126,003

Tech HS (ET) 1%

EAP Elem - 431,316 Preschool 21%

EAP HS - 25,815 EAP Coll - 367

EAP Coll 0%

Tech HS (ET) 8,284

ALS(PALIHAN) 0%

EAP HS 4%

ALS (PALIHAN) 1,767 EAP Elem 73%

CUMULATIVE TOTAL NUMBER OF CHILDREN WHO GRADUATED OR COMPLETED THE PROGRAMS, SY 75-76 TO 08-09 (TOTAL, 191,568, 100%) Preschool - 116,980 Tech HS (ET) 1%

EAP Elem - 68,727 EAP HS - 3,564 EAP Coll - 63

EAP Elem 36%

ALS (PALIHAN) 1%

Tech HS (ET) 967 ALS (PALIHAN) 1,267

EAP Coll 0% EAP HS 2%

Preschool 61%

B}y€s
Hp}
Brx•
{…
Sx•……z
 This
is
Rhea.
She
should
have
been
 in
school.
Unfortunately,
she
had
 to
stop
going
to
school
in
order
to
 be
here
at
this
smelly
dumpsite
to
 help
her
parents
at
work. 
 



Rhea’s
parents
earn
their
 living
as
garbage
scavengers.
Each
 morning,
she
goes
with
them
as
 they
push
their
unwieldy
wooden
 pushcart
to
the
dumpsite.
She
 helps
them
gather
plasBc
bo6les
and
other
recyclables
 to
be
sold
by
the
sackful
for
a
few
pesos.
This
is
 scarcely
enough
to
make
ends
meet,
but
they
don’t
 have
much
choice. 
 Amidst
the
grime
and
the
stench,
Rhea
 manages
a
smile
as
she
shyly
admits
she
misses
 school.
She
sBll
entertains
the
idea
of
becoming
a
 teacher
someday. 
 Give
Rhea
and
other
poor
Filipino
children
like
 her
some
hope
in
their
young
lives.
Help
send
them
 back
to
school.
Donate
to
the
Pierre
Tritz,
SJ‐ERDA
 Group
Endowment
Fund.


YES,
I
want
to
Help
Bring
Children
Back
to
School!
 Bank
Deposit
 

Bank
of
the
Philippine
Islands
 

Del
Monte
Branch,
Quezon
City
 

Savings
Account
Number:
4323‐0664‐13
 
 Cheque
DonaVon




Please
make
all
cheques
in
favor
of
“ERDA
Founda$on,
Inc.” 

To
arrange
for
pick‐up
of
donaBons
or
for
deposiBng
donaBons
directly












 

to
ERDA’s
bank
account,
and
for
further
informaBon,
please
call






 

+63.2.732.3198
or
+63.2.732.4327;
call
or
text
us
at










 


 

+63.918.944.5332;
.or
email
us
at
[email protected]


To
our
Donors
residing
in
the
U.S.,
you
may
now
send
your
donaVons
through
 the
Philippine
Jesuit
FoundaVon:
 Mailing
Address: 236
West
27th
Street,
Ninth
Floor,
New
York,
NY
10001
USA
 Tel

212
627
27
88

|

Email

[email protected] Website


www.philjesuit.net PJF
will
issue
IRS‐authorized
official
receipts
for
all
dona$ons,
for
tax
 deduc$on
purposes. All
dona$ons
will
be
issued
official
receipts.
BIR‐authorized
Cer$ficates
of
Dona$on,
for
 tax
deduc$on
purposes,
will
also
be
issued
upon
request
for
local
company
dona$ons.
 Where
will
my
dona$ons
go?
 DonaBons
will
go
to
the
Fr.
Pierre
Tritz‐
ERDA
GROUP
Endowment
Fund
to
sustain
the
 programs/
projects
of
the
ERDA
GROUP
for
the
poor
children
in
the
Philippines.

To all SMARTsubscribers: You
may
now
help
Fr.
Tritz
in
his
work
by
donaBng
 regularly
and
conveniently.

You
can
support
ERDA
by
 donaBng
P5,
P10,
P25,
P50
or
P100
every
20
days.

To
Donate,
text

to
357

Amount of Donation

Keyword

P
5

ERDA
5
ON

P
10

ERDA
10
ON

to help Fr. Tritz send

P
25

ERDA
25
ON

P
50

ERDA
50
ON

school.

P
100

ERDA
100
ON

Use your mobile phone poor children back to

To
know
more
about
the
ERDA
Group, visit
us
at
our
new
website:

www.erdafoundaBon.org

For
example:


ERDA
100
ON
send
to
357 BUSINESS MAIL E N T E R E D A S T H I R D C L A S S ( PM )

Postage Paid at Manila Central Post O ffice Under Permit No. PM-09-04-64-NCR Valid Until: December 31, 2009 Subjec t for Postal I nspec tion