My Leadership in UPAAGC

By: Ryan Tejero

 

2016 is the year that I am looking forward to serve as President of the University of the Philippines Alumni Association of Greater Chicago (UPAAGC). This organization is close to my heart. I remembered joining the then UP Club of America in 2001, the same year that I was introduced to the veteran leaders of UP alumni group here in Chicago. Since then, I became an active member, with attendance to its annual summer picnic and golf outing event, and Christmas party.

The one thing I really like in joining this group is sharing the same experiences that are unique only to UP students. It’s amazing how UP alumni connect instantly, without regard to the gaps in their student numbers. UP student number is a lifetime ID number assigned to anybody who steps in the portals of the university. Mine was 86-41902.

I am super-excited about the year to come. I look forward to working with some of the most dedicated and over-achiever UP Alumni in Chicago. It makes me feel so proud to lead an organization that has a long standing track record of helping, not only the UP community but also the Filipino nation as a whole.

In the recent past three years, UPAAGC in 2013 has established two full scholarships of a 4-year degree program at the University of the Philippines in Los Banos, Laguna. This was under the leadership of Edwin Marquez. In 2014, at the height of the nation’s efforts to re-build the lives of the victims of the catastrophic Typhoon Haiyan, UPAAGC under the leadership of Michael Frauendorff has donated more than $7,500 through the UP Foundation. It was a historic turn-over of UPAAGC’s contribution when no less than UP President Alfredo Pascual received the donations from UPAAGC’s Board of Directors and Officers. Mike’s leadership also brought in the purchase of the badly-needed equipment of on-going special programs at the UP Manila’s College of Allied Medical Professions (UP-CAMP). It was also the year that UPAAGC raised funds to help the rehabilitation efforts of typhoonstricken UP Tacloban Campus.

This year, 2015, UPAAGC chose to put in monetary donations to the UP Socialized Tuition Program. We all know that a large number of UP student population comes from the low-income families of the country. Through its Socialized Tuition Program, UP students from low-income families are provided with subsidies. I remembered my own experience of getting tuition fee subsidy, book allowance and monthly stipend under the UP Socialized Tuition Fee Assessment Program (STFAP) Income Bracket 3.

Moving forward in 2016, I am proposing at helping student academic organizations in the UP System. My proposed project is to select 10 academic student organizations from the campuses of UP Bagiuo, UP Los Banos, UP Manila, UP Diliman, UP Visayas, UP Cebu, UP Tacloban and UP Mindanao . They will be tasked to organize a forum that would focus on their major field. I strongly believe that UP students need to explore outside of the classroom activity to further enhance their academic learning. I want to see UPAAGC as an active partner of UP students in making this alternative classroom activity. So far, one proposal from the UP Philosophical Society has been received. The project is a student forum for Philosophy majors in UP Diliman campus. The event is expected to attract about 200 students, and organizing the event would cost about $500.

In view of this, I would like to invite UP alumni to join me in raising funds to make this project a reality in 2016. Initially, we have received positive responses from donors. We are also launching a fundraising event on December 4th, through a dinner dance and induction ceremony at the Crowne Plaza O’Hare.

Highlighting this year’s event is our keynote speaker, Ms. Loida Nicolas-Lewis. Program starts at 6:00pm. This year’s theme is “UPAAGC: Kasangga ng Sambayanang Pilipino.” Ms. Lewis is expected to speak about Philippine politics and economy and her insights on the 2016 Philippine national elections.

Ms. Loida Nicolas-Lewis is an alumna of the University of the Philippines College of Law. She is the first Asian to have passed the New York Bar Examination without having to study in the US. She took over, as the CEO and Chairperson of one of America’s largest companies, the TLC Beatrice International, following the death of her husband from 1994 through 2000. Loida is the pride of the Filipino race, and remains to be the champion in advancing the welfare of the Philippines, and the Filipinos all over the world.

She has received numerous local and international recognition and awards in community service. These include the 2015 People of the Year Award from People Asia Magazine, 2014 Carlos P. Romulo Award for International Achievement, and the 2011 Trailblazer of Democracy Award by The Eleanor Roosevelt’s Legacy Organization.

UPAAGC is a 501c (3) notfor- profit organization based in Illinois. Among its mission, it seeks to promote, support and further elevate the quality of education at the University of the Philippines, and to generate appreciation of concerns that are directly affecting the University and the Filipino people.

Please contact the following UPAAGC officers for placing an ad in the souvenir program, becoming a sponsor, becoming a member or putting a direct donation to UPAAGC. Olive Rocha Aliga – oliverocha98@ comcast.net; Ryan Tejero – ryantejero@yahoo.com; Johanna Segala – jrsegala21@yahoo.com; Edwin Marquez – dewinmarq@ gmail.com, and Stella Marie Santos – sbsantos@ adelfiacpas.com. Other events of UPAAGC are posted in www.upaagc.com, or you can like us on facebook: University of the Philippines Alumni Association of Greater Chicago, UPAAGC.###