We trace our humble beginnings in the aftermath of MHPHS Batch 75’s Silver Graduation Anniversary in year 2000. Our story began at the river banks of Hangga River in Hagonoy, Bulacan. There under the fading light of day, an idea was hatched. From that first conceptualization meeting on December 15, 2001, attended by the IV-1 Class of MHPHS Batch 75, THE GIANT ROOF FOUNDATION emerged. The primary guiding principle is to put some sense and purpose to all future batch gatherings and reunions. The time for giving back and sharing the blessings has dawned upon us and we never wavered ever since.
There were reluctance in the hearts of many during the nascent months. Some even doubted that TGRF would amount to anything. In spite of the daunting difficulties that confronted the foundation during its birth months, seed funds from local and overseas sources started to trickle in and the financial barrel of the foundation started to fill up. In May 22, 2002, the first general election was held, and Leonides Ramos was elected as the first and founding president of TGRF.
It was a huge task. The most difficult of which is to convince batch mates and infect them with enthusiasm and to part ways with their money to contribute and donate to the foundation’s missions. Nonetheless, funds became abundant and we were able to register TGRF with Securities and Exchange Commission in September 11, 2002 with an initial funding of more than one hundred thousand pesos (Php 100,000.00) pooled from the twenty core members. The banking facilities and BIR registration were accomplished in October of same year.
In 2003, we created the Education Committee to take the helm of the Educational Grants-in-Aid Program; the flagship project of the foundation. Ms. Emelita Laganao Ed.D. ably chaired the committee. Scholars were selected from the sophomore ranks. Once chosen, the grantees are supported financially, subject to strict scholastic conditions, until they graduate from high school. The grant is ten thousand pesos per year per scholar. The first high school educational grant was awarded in 2004 to a sophomore student named; Monette Pineda.
In August of 2004, TGRF commenced sponsoring the Literary Excellence Award beginning with the Filipino Essay-Writing Competition during the Buwan ng Wika celebration. TGRF provided the cash prizes to the winning essayists and certificates of participation.
In March and April of 2005, we launched the Medic-Aid Project at the MHPNHS clinic and the Book-Aid Program, respectively. We installed an outsized first-aid kit at the clinic, which TGRF replenishes with first-aid medicines on a regular basis.
Under the presidency of Mr. Arnel Mediran, we made the first book donation of engineering books, quite unexpectedly, to Bulacan State University. Several major book donations we made at MHPNHS thereafter, as the used-books were accumulated. In July of 2006, TGRF launched a regular lecture series on Career Orientation and Career Path Mapping. The lecture is aimed at junior students of MHPNHS and based from the professional experiences of successful Batch 75 alumni. The aim of the lecture is to provide the students with insights into the various professional fields and give information and guidelines in selecting college courses and what professions would be in demand when they get out of high school.
In the same year, the Bereavement Committee was established to provide assistance to members of Batch 75 and next of kin who passed away into the great beyond. TGRF now takes care of its own. Regular collections were made during monthly get-together party and mini-reunions through the years to beef up the Bereavement Fund.
TGRF also made a number of non-recurring furniture donations to the office of The Republic and the Guidance Center. We made a computer donation to the Filipino Department and we are always available to support other fields of endeavour like sports and science competitions when others are unavailable.
In 2007 a major milestone has been reached. TGRF finally realized its first high school graduate. By this time there were five scholars in the roster of grantees. People now realized how serious and noble our objectives are. More funds started coming in, although the active membership remained low. More sources of funds were tapped and more than a few fund-raising activities were implemented.
In partnership with Red Cross, the Blood-Aid Program was initiated in 2008 to answer the shortage of blood in the city due to dengue fever at that time. We have continued on up to this day with this blood-aid program together with friends and relatives of our batch mates.
In July 2010, TGRF expanded its scholarship program and went ahead with its college educational grants-in-aid. The college scholarship program is worth twenty thousand pesos (PhP 20,000) per year per qualified student. The funds were provided by generous sponsors and TGRF provided fund custody and academic monitoring of the each grantee. Kevin Avendaño and Mary Joy Villamil were the first lucky ones to have benefited from the college grants.
Later the same year, coinciding with the month-long celebration of the United Nations month, TGRF sponsored the second of its Literary Excellence Award with its English Essay-Writing Competition in October 2010. Mrs. Ana Maria Arcega-Sotto, former TGRF president, provided the cash prizes.
The troubled times of 2012 did not spare TGRF. The financial crisis of 2012, practically sapped the scanty donations the foundation have been receiving. We were constrained to optimize the school projects and discontinue the sponsorship of the Filipino essay-writing competition, and dissolve the Bereavement Committee. The sponsorship of the English essay-writing contest also ceased in 2013.
In lieu of these projects, TGRF began setting up special projects starting with the general knowledge Quiz Bee called IQ21 in November 2013. The intention of the IQ21 challenge is to get a glimpse of the academic strengths and weaknesses of the students. So far TGRF has been quite successful in its two Quiz Bee engagements.
TGRF launched its first community outreach project, the Sack of Joy, at Pamarawan Elementary School in the last quarter of 2014. School supplies for the Grade One pupils were distributed during the last half of the school year. TGRF later made a gift-giving trip to Pamarawan island to distribute toys, candies and chocolates to the kinder pupils last 2014 Christmas season.
To cap the first 12 years since its foundation, another milestone was achieved by the foundation with their first college scholars graduating with flying colors in April 2015. Kevin Avendaño completed his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, while Mary Joy Villamil graduated with a degree of Bachelor of Science in Mathematics with Business Application. Both were Dean’s Listers in their final semester at the Bulaan State University.