Help Comes All the Way from Spain!

I'm so happy I was able to gather money for the Tapulanga Foundation ...YES ... 350 EUR !!!

Let me tell you the story... since it is Christmas, I was thinking of asking donations from my office mates to send to Tapulanga but Santi gave me the idea of selling some goodies instead and have the proceeds from the sale go entirely to Tapulanga. His mom Raquel makes really good chocolate truffles so she started making like 250+pieces and my mom packed them in small bags with ribbons and all that ... really cute! On the first day, everything was sold out! We had to make some more and they were sold out again the next day! Of course, everyone bought because it was for a really good cause! - from Karmele Sagastasoloa (a schoolmate of mine who went back to her birth country, Spain, after college)

Happy New Year!

As we look back on 2008, we saw a year full of promise and change, yet the year ended with a sour note as the world crumbled in the financial mess we sowed. We look at 2009 with renewed hope that our world will weather this storm and the promise of hope and change will overcome the challenges we have ahead of us.

At Tapulanga we're constantly reminded of the world of "haves" and "have nots" because we work in this gap everyday of the year. We are witnesses to the power of innovation and technology as it helps us spread our message and grow our mission. Yet for all the innovation and creativity of technology it has not succeeded in securing the essentials of life for all human beings. Thus our mission continues as we watch, hear and read every day about the breathtaking manifestations of affluence alongside poverty, malnutrition and deaths from preventable or curable diseases. Shouldn't we ask ourselves whether something is wrong with our choice of goals or our motivation, or both? We hope our message inspires compassion to be our ultimate goal and motivation for all of our economic activity. Compassion to not only focus on our own wants and needs but to be inspired to do our share of helping to give those who are born with less a chance for a better life.

May peace and the blessings of hope be with you in 2009.

First Negros Fundraiser a success

Thank you to all our volunteers, board members and staff who worked hard to make the first Negros fundraiser a success. We had over 200 guests who came and enjoyed the delicious food buffet dinner at 21 Restaurant. And the silent auction, a first for most Negrenses was a success raising P18,000 to benefit a graduating student at St. Francis of Assisi School with a college scholarship next year.

Thank you to all the sponsors who made our event possible.

Premiere Sponsors: Migahay Co., RA Financial Services, Inc., Tinihaban Agricultural Corporation, Lonoy Agricultural Corporation, Asociacion de Hacenderos de Silay-Saravia, Inc., AHSSI Planters Multi-Purpose Coop., SMART Communications, Inc. and SWIP Travel Inc.

Table Sponsors: Misyel’s Catering, Hilo & Stitch, Twin Shell Service Station, AVIDA Land Corporation, Datalink Technologies, Inc., and Prudential Guarantee and Assurance Inc.

Silent Auction donors: The Sylvia Manor Hotel, Lopue’s East Center, Negros Saturn Marketing, Association of Negros Producers, Royal Wellness Spa, Negros Navigation, Trattoria Uma, Mrs. Joy Magalona-Barreiro, Mrs. Margie Ledesma-Abello, Julie’s Flower Shoppe, Roli’s Diner, Play Studio, Style Bacolod Inc., Bascon Café, Chicken House, PAPEL Handicrafts, Tumandok Crafts and Industries, Dir. Jay Abello, and Mr. Edgardo “Jack” Ledesma. Other donors: Silay-Saravia Railways Cooperative, Bacolod Fertichem Inc., and Trims and Treasures.

SFAS Coop Net Center - A First in Negros!

The St. Francis of Assisi School of Silay City recently received ten (10) more personal desktop computers from the Tapulanga Foundation. Last October 16, 2008, the computers were installed and activated, increasing the school’s total number of computers to twenty (20).

Resulting from various fund-raising projects by the school’s administrator's Ma. Carmela "Micmic" Abello-Golez’s friends and family in the USA and a partnership with Intel Technology Philippines and Asianic Computers, the school received 10 brand new Intel-equipped desktop computers. Under its Coop Net Center program, Intel Technology Philippines assisted the Tapulanga Foundation in providing the school with affordable computers in addition to refurbishing and dressing-up the school’s computer room.

Intel supports the Tapulanga Foundation’s vision of sharing God’s gifts through educational projects that provide students with more opportunities. With this project, Intel hopes to provide the students and the community with access to a wide range global learnings and technology transfers via the Internet. Equipped with Intel Core Duo processors, the new computers also give the students increased productivity in performing various computer tasks and enhance their computer skills.

Answered Prayer!

Parents of 20 students studying in St. Francis of Assisi School of Silay City have been "praying" for the school to provide a nebulizer machine in the clinic for their children who have asthma. Their prayers were answered today as the Babes of Bacolod, thru the Tapulanga Foundation, donated a nebulizer!

Donation of Supplies to C.L. Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital

The Babes of Bacolod, a Los Angeles-based fundraising group, recently donated over P170,000 worth of medical supplies and equipment to the Department of Internal Medicine of the C.L. Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital. Last year they donated 50 mattresses and two suction machines. This year, they were able to donate much more - six suction machines, nine nebulizers, over 200 ET and tracheostomy tubes, sterile gloves, valve masks, a diagnostic set and a laryngoscope blade - due to the overwhelming success of their fundraiser. Mrs. Micmic Golez, Executive Director of the Tapulanga Foundation, represented the Babes as she delivered the supplies to the following: IM's (Internal Medicine) Training Officer Dr. Rafaelito Salvador, Chief Resident Dra. Mari Cris Bacinillo and doctors Juliuis dela Cruz, Carina Frayco, Kristin Atonson, Celestelyn Barredo, Gerard Espilita, Mary Anne Jocson and Mark Agana. (Please visit our website photo gallery for more pictures.)

Facebook Fan Page

We now have a Tapulanga Foundation Facebook fan page. Pictures, videos, events and announcements we share will appear in your Facebook news feed

Please do us a favor and start sharing the fan page with all your friends!