PLMSFI Scholarship helps needy but deserving students
Toronto-Canada
May 10, 2021
When I recently joined the monthly PLMSF's Talk Series , I saw firsthand the untiring dedication of our alumni friends who continue their commendable advocacy in helping the poor but well-deserving students at PLM.
I was so excited when Becca Cabrera invited me to join this affair held online with one of our successful alumnae, Gloria Gil, giving a pep talk to encourage students to fly high and dream big to reach their life goals. I learned a lot from Gil's speech, and I knew well that our scholars who were there would greatly benefit from her wisdom.
Honestly, I had some mixed feelings while watching and listening to Gil's talk.
I felt happy and sad, too, because I saw the apparent dedication of our alumni friends in giving their hearts and soul to ensure the continuity of the scholarship program.
Still, the hard truth fazed me: most of them are like me, old and greying.
These alumni running the scholarship foundation deserve our commendation for their untiring efforts, always mindful of their vision that” no student deprived of a good education because of poverty."
While my heart went out in support of the officers and other alumni managing this scholarship, the reality sunk into me that most of them are either retired or retiring from their secular jobs.
Their graying, thin hair, slow speech, and all the signs of old age are there. I thought to myself that maybe it’s time that younger alumni started readying themselves to take the responsibility from their elderly co-alumni.
Our old-timers should begin thinking of passing the baton to the young ones. The indefatigable Terry Galvante has been at the helm of this group for many years. Wilma Zetazate showed Terry’s dedication to the scholarship program when she introduced him before the meeting.
I overheard some people saying, “Our forever President," which means that Terry has been leading the group for some time now. A big “thank you” goes to the rest of Terry's alumni friends who were in that online/virtual program: Mars Casipit, Edith and Bob Del Rosario, Becca Cabrera, Rolly Cuico, Wilma Cuico, Conrad Cuico, Joven Jader, Tita Sanchez, Constancio Vingno, Simplicio Hermogenes, Johnny Reyes and Wilma Galvante.
My friends, you have to realize that you're not getting any younger, you've done your part, you've given your best—no doubt your advocacy has benefitted hundreds of PLM students.
Through the years, you've gained enough knowledge, and your idealism will indeed serve in good stead as you become either advisers or consultants to the new breed of alumni who are capable of continuing your legacy of supporting these needy students.
While it’s OK to get grants from the private sector to help finance the scholarship programs, the bulk of the monetary support should come from the alumni themselves. Seeing that most of the first four batches of the school are either retired or retiring, it would be an uphill battle to get some money to sustain the project.
Many years ago, I wrote an article about the possible setting up of the PLM's Café, Bar and Grill, a private Corp. whose stocks were supposed to be put up by the alumni themselves. The profits of this restaurant should all go to the scholarship program,
Well, I'm not sure now if this restaurant project is still possible. Still, one thing I'm sure of—if they had pushed through this restaurant, it would have enough customers to ensure its continued operation because the PLM has already produced thousands of graduates. Having this restaurant is a good place for these alumni to meet; virtually, they could have a frequent reunion.
Another way to raise funds now is to tap the help of these former students who the various overseas alumni associations had helped before.
Now is the right time to contact these alumni to inquire if they can extend their help to other students presently enrolled at PLM who need their support.
I'm sharing this thought because I've experienced contacting a former PLM nursing student, Annemelissa Icban, whom my sister Annie in New York had supported under the auspices of the Canada Alumni Association. She graduated cum laude and a 13th placer in the 2003 board exams; she’s now working in a hospital in New York.
On learning about this PLMSFI’s program, she readily agreed to support a scholar under her care.
Icban said, " It's a good idea to tap graduates who had been supported by these alumni groups to sustain this commendable scholarship programs."
Well, let's take the cue from Icban and begin reaching out to other Iskos , and I skas now spread all over the world.
No doubt, they are busily making a career for themselves, and indeed they are also waiting for the right time to give something back to their Pamantasan Mahal.