Leading with excellence. Pag-asa President Arlyn Laroya, pictured on the far right, takes the oath after being re-elected as Board Trustee and Vice President for Luzon at the Association of Foundations General Assembly.
Institutional Strength: Pag-asa President Re-Elected to National Board
The leadership of the Pag-asa Social Center Foundation Inc. continues to anchor itself at the forefront of the Philippine development sector. In May, during the Association of Foundations (AF) General Assembly held at the Monet Ballroom of Novotel Manila Araneta City, Pag-asa President Mr. Arlyn Laroya was officially elected to a second term as Board Trustee – Vice President for Luzon.
Centered around the theme “Scaling Impact Through Shared Leadership,” the national assembly gathered premier non-governmental organizations from across the country to align on governance, transparency, and collaborative social impact. Securing a consecutive term on this national board underscores the deep trust and structural respect Pag-asa’s leadership commands within the wider NGO network.
At the core of this leadership is a “people-first” management philosophy that directly strengthens our internal operations-valuing innovative ideas from the ground and building long-term organizational resilience. Furthermore, this national governance role seamlessly complements Mr. Laroya’s existing civic commitments as the Vice President of ABSNET for Region 4A and the Chairman for the Cavite Cluster through 2028.
What this means for our sponsors: These strategic leadership roles ensure that Pag-asa remains deeply integrated into the highest tiers of statutory compliance, regional NGO networks, and social welfare standards in the Philippines.
Partnering for a healthier future. Pag-asa officially receives national funding from the PCSO to launch Bite Into Health, a six-month medical and nutritional framework for our beneficiaries.
Empowering youth and nourishing families. Our partnership with The Noche Buena Project has beautifully grown into a weekly collaboration with Project Kimchi by GEN to support our community.Partnering for a healthier future. Pag-asa officially receives national funding from the PCSO to launch Bite Into Health, a six-month medical and nutritional framework for our beneficiaries.
A Convergence of Care: UP Dental Health Brigade & The Rotary Club of Papenburg
True community transformation happens when local expertise meets global solidarity. We recently experienced a vibrant day of health and partnership at our center when the prestigious University of the Philippines Dental Health Brigade (UP DHB) arrived alongside our longtime international partner, Dr. Thomas Mrosk of the Rotary Club of Papenburg (Germany).
Deploying a dedicated team of 20 volunteers and 2 faculty advisers, the UP brigade transformed our space into an active hub of care, delivering vital oral health education, distributing hygiene kits, and providing preventive treatments to approximately 50 of our children.
Coincidentally, Dr. Thomas Mrosk was visiting to coordinate the Papenburg chapter’s active participation in our grand 30th Anniversary celebration on January 9, 2027. True to his spirit of selfless service, Dr. Mrosk didn’t just attend administrative meetings; he rolled up his sleeves to provide high-quality dental care alongside the UP clinicians, while also observing our local Filipino student-dentists meticulously care for our beneficiaries.
The UP Dental Health Brigade was so moved by our children and our structured environment that they are already eagerly coordinating a second medical mission with us for later this year!
National Grant Secured: PCSO Partners for “Bite Into Health”
We are thrilled to announce a major institutional milestone! The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), a premier government agency, has officially approved a grant of ₱782,000 to co-fund our brand-new flagship medical initiative, “Bite Into Health.”
This vital national funding arrives at a critical juncture, helping us offset operational pressures caused by sponsor cancellations over the past years. This breakthrough allows us to launch a robust, 6-month healthcare and nutritional framework for 315 marginalized children and youth (aged 5 to 23) under our direct care:
- Nutritional Support: Delivering essential monthly rice allocations, healthy Saturday snacks, and vital vitamins to support long-term physical and cognitive growth.
- Clinical Dental Care: Partnering with licensed dental professionals at our clinic to provide complete check-ups, cleanings, protective fluoride treatments, fillings, and necessary extractions.
- Hygiene & Education: Conducting monthly health seminars for both children and their parents, backed by the distribution of comprehensive hygiene kits to ensure healthy habits take root at home.
Keeping the Promise: Funding the Inflation Gap with Love
For over 20 years, Pag-asa has maintained a sacred promise to our global sponsors: we have never once asked you to increase your regular contribution rates. However, as global inflation continues to tighten our fixed operational budget, balancing rising costs while maintaining our high standards of care is an ongoing challenge.
Thankfully, Providence consistently arrives through longtime friends like Ms. Hoi Wan Hua, a teacher from Singapore, and her husband, Mr. Kelvan Siew. Recognizing our tight budgetary constraints this year, Ms. Hoi stepped in to organize a targeted fundraising drive, ensuring every single beneficiary child would receive a durable, brand-new school bag inside their upcoming Christmas gift packages.
To make this contribution even more moving, the spirit of giving has become a true family tradition. Her children, Gwyneth and Gareth, lovingly gathered their pre-loved storybooks and toys to send to our center, while her young son eagerly emptied his own piggy bank to contribute to the fund, mirroring a beautiful gesture he first made back in 2019.
Years ago, during her pandemic relief drives, Ms. Hoi shared a philosophy that beautifully defines her work today:
“Whenever I make a donation drive, I don’t tell people how much I am raising because I don’t want to stress them with numbers. I want them to give what they can. It is not the amount anyway that counts but their sincerity and thoughts in giving that really matter.”
This effort beautifully intersects with our broader youth network. Since 2021, Pag-asa has been a proud beneficiary of The Noche Buena Project (TNBP), an initiative of the Focolare youth (Gen) that ensures underprivileged families receive a dignified Christmas Eve celebration. Today, that relationship has successfully evolved into a year-round collaboration with Project Kimchi by GEN, empowering youth to fund their own education while providing 10 large tubs of fresh, healthy kimchi to Pag-asa families every single week.
Building Hope That Lasts: Introducing the Pag-asa Endowment Fund
For decades, Pag-asa has relied primarily on the immense goodness of our global network to sustain our daily operations. However, constant global economic fluctuations present continuous challenges to our long-term stability, even as the essential needs of our families remain entirely constant.
To protect our beneficiaries from future uncertainty and secure the longevity of our mission, we have officially established The Pag-asa Endowment Fund. This permanent, protected fund is specifically engineered to generate a reliable, self-sustaining stream of income to serve both present and future generations with absolute continuity.
How the Endowment Program Works
The structure of the fund is designed around strict financial prudence, safety, and longevity:
- Preservation of Capital: Every donation made to this fund is placed directly into the endowment principal and invested conservatively in ethical, low-risk financial instruments. The core principal remains permanently intact and untouched.
- The 4% Rule: Only the annual earnings generated by these investments are utilized. Up to 4% of these earnings will be distributed annually to fund our core programs, while the remaining returns are reinvested to outpace inflation.
- Strength-Building Period: The fund operates with a 5-year maturity timeline, allowing the initial capital pool to build secure financial strength before any program distributions officially begin.
All future annual dividend earnings will directly fuel our vital grassroots operations, including education, health and nutrition, youth development, emergency family relief, and facility maintenance.
Governance & Absolute Transparency
We hold ourselves to the highest standards of financial stewardship. The Endowment Fund is managed under a strict, uncompromised framework:
- Governed by a dedicated Endowment Fund Committee under a policy fully approved by our Board of Trustees.
- Subjected to regular monitoring and audited annually by an independent Certified Public Accountant (CPA).
- Managed in absolute compliance with the DSWD, SEC, BIR, and Philippine Financial Reporting Standards.
How You Can Create a Legacy of Care
Whether you wish to support general operations, honor a loved one, or secure a program close to your heart, you can choose from four distinct giving pathways:
- General Endowment Gifts: Supporting the overall long-term health and operational readiness of the center.
- Named Endowments: Created as a permanent legacy in honor or memory of a loved one.
- Program-Specific Endowments: Safeguarding a specific sector, such as medical care, dental clinics, or education.
- Legacy or Planned Giving: Seamlessly integrating Pag-asa into your long-term estate planning.
All endowment benefactors receive formal institutional recognition, detailed financial reports, certificates, tax documentation, and the complete option of remaining entirely anonymous if desired.
Your gift today creates the opportunities of tomorrow, ensuring our children are protected by a love that outlives a single generation. Hope is here, will you help it grow?
Direct Bank Contributions
Donors can securely send contributions directly through the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI). Please ensure you use the correct account corresponding to your currency:
- Account Name: Pag-asa Social Center Foundation Inc.
- Bank: Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI)
Euro (EUR) Account
- Account Number: 8474-0046-79
- Best for our European sponsors and partners.
US Dollar (USD) Account
- Account Number: [Insert USD Account Number Here]
- Best for international contributions outside of Europe.
Philippine Peso (PHP) Account
- Account Number: [Insert PHP Account Number Here]
- Best for local corporate sponsorships, institutional grants, and domestic donations.