Since 1997, Pag-asa Social Center has been dedicated to serving our neighbors through health, education, livelihood support, and values formation for children and families. Based in the hills of Tagaytay, the centerânow with thirteen staff membersâsupports 312 children and youth as well as 222 low-income families, following its integration with Bukas Palad Tagaytay. The support received from sponsors is managed through a transparent system of sponsorship coordination, where each child and family is regularly monitored by the Pag-asa team to ensure that assistance is used effectively for education, health, and daily needs. Periodic reports and communication with sponsors help maintain accountability and strengthen the personal connection between sponsors and beneficiaries.Â
This expansion has allowed us to reach nearby communities: in Bilibinwang, Agoncillo, where families live by fishing and farming along Taal Lake; in Laurel, where fertile lands and lakeside views nurture a resilient community; and in San Rafael IV, Noveleta, Cavite, where traditions and small businesses thrive in a vibrant urban setting. Across these diverse areas, our mission remains the same: to open doors of opportunity through educational support, medical care, and nutrition, while Tagaytayâour home city of 87,811 people across 65 square kilometersâcontinues to inspire us to build brighter futures.
Even 16 kilometers from Tagaytay, hope reached one of our beneficiaries through a relief pack delivered by the Pag-asa team.
Dear Sponsors and Friends,
Last July, the Pag-asa Social Center Foundation, Inc. and the BP-Tagaytay Foundation, Inc. officially became one family under the name Pag-asa Social Center Foundation, Inc.
For you, our dear sponsors, nothing changesâyou will continue to receive updates about the children you support, with Heero Cayasa as your contact person.
What has changed is our strength. Together, we now carry decades of shared experience, united values, and a renewed mission. Thank you for being part of this journey. With you beside us, we remain:
ONE ORGANIZATION. ONE MISSION. ONE HEART.
If this is your first time receiving a newsletter from usâor if you were once part of Project Bukas Palad Tagaytayâwelcome to the bigger and stronger Pag-asa Social Center Foundation, your new family!
To both our new and longtime sponsors, we are delighted to share the latest updates from Pag-asa. Your support continues to make a profound difference in the lives of children and families in our community. Beyond meeting immediate needs, your generosity strengthens the values of solidarity, dignity, and resilienceâhelping to build a more hopeful future for everyone.
One Orange Telecommunications Trading Inc. shared hope through school supplies and shirts for our beneficiariesâlovingly repacked and distributed with the help of our student beneficiaries and parents.
IMPACT STORY: EDUCATION THAT OPENS DOORS
This year, 312 children and youth benefited from our educational support program. With access to school supplies, tutoring, and mentorship, students who once struggled to stay in school are now advancing with confidence.
One such story is that of Lorenz Jade Gabrieles, a recent college graduate who once thought finishing school was impossible because of poverty:
âAs a child, my only dream was to finish school, but with seven mouths to feed, even food was a struggle. I worked in construction at a young age, yet college still loomed beyond reach. Through Pag-asaâs Support at a Distance Programâand through your generosityâI was able to pursue my studies. Today, I have graduated, and I am two steps closer to becoming a professional in the field of law enforcement. This milestone is not mine aloneâit is ours. Thank you for believing in me when life seemed hopeless.â
Stories like Lorenzâs remind us that education is more than books and classroomsâit is about nurturing resilience, encouraging responsibility, and opening doors to a brighter future.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE PAST SIX MONTHS
Our Facebook page (Pag-asa Social Center Foundation, Inc.) has featured many activities, including:
- Whose Childhood Is The Happiest? â a fun interaction with 40 small kids in Noveleta
- CSR Activity by Korean Group â benefitting 21 members of Teatro Pag-asa
- CSR by Co Ban Kiat Hardware â repairing our Material Recovery Facility
- Mini Youth Camps for 312 beneficiaries
- CSR by NICE Academy â for 20 daycare students
- Benchmarking with ABSNet Batangas Cluster
- Birthday Outreach for 50 students aged 6â10
- Medical Mission with UST â serving 183 patients
Here, weâd like to highlight two special activities:
ONE ORANGE SHARES HOPE WITH PAG-ASA CHILDREN
In July, One Orange Telecommunications Trading Inc. brought joy to 225 children by donating school supplies worth â±168,750 (about âŹ2,556) and participant T-shirts worth â±63,530 (about âŹ962).
The day was filled with smiles, songs, and gratitude. Parents expressed relief at the help for the coming school year, while children felt celebrated, supported, and remembered. This partnership showed what is possible when companies and communities come together with a shared purpose: giving children the tools and encouragement to pursue education with dignity and hope.
Our university student beneficiaries busied their handsâand opened their heartsâpacking relief goods for families affected by the three consecutive typhoons.
PAGTULONG RELIEF: RESPONDING TO THREE TYPHOONS
In July, three typhoons hit our communities. Pag-asa reactivated PAGtulong Relief Operations, reaching families in Tagaytay, Noveleta, Batangas, and a partner Focolare community in Manila. This mission was made possible through the extraordinary kindness of Dr. Dr. Johannes-Georg and Mrs. Christine Margit Hoppe and their 25 friends, who turned their 80th birthday celebration into a gift of hope for families in need.
HIGHLIGHTS:
- 224 relief packs distributed (rice, canned goods, milk, biscuits, water, paracetamol)
- 24 volunteers (students, seminarians, a priest) + 8 staff joined the effort
- Extra donations enabled delivery of 20 sacks of rice to Sulyap ng Pag-asa Community
- 6 families assessed for housing and medical support
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT:
- Former beneficiary Donel Luna donated â±10,000 (about âŹ151) and helped pack goods
- Parents, youth, and local partners assisted in distribution
- Additional donors shared funds and rice, showing solidarity in action
FEEDBACK:
âIt was eye-opening to see how people welcomed us even in the middle of floods.â â Joy Mercado, Student volunteer
âWe didnât know how we would feed our children. This brought us hope.â â Cristina Tambis, Mother in Tagaytay
These efforts not only met urgent needs but also strengthened resilience in disaster-hit communitiesâfulfilling Pag-asaâs mission of giving families dignity, support, and hope.
Our university student beneficiaries busied their handsâand opened their heartsâpacking relief goods for families affected by the three consecutive typhoons.
Our university student beneficiaries busied their handsâand opened their heartsâpacking relief goods for families affected by the three consecutive typhoons.
Rain could not stop hope. Our RSW Vince Totanes went door to door, ensuring families affected by the three consecutive typhoons received the support they needed.
Every achievement we share is possible because of your commitment. By walking with us, you give children the opportunity to grow in health, education, and confidence, and you help families overcome challenges with renewed strength.
This Christmas, we thank you for being a light in the lives of so many. On behalf of the entire community, may you and your loved ones be blessed with peace, joy, and hope.
With deep gratitude,
Your Pag-asa family