PBA Legends Foundation gives scholarship grants to poor Pinoy students
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 23 Aug 2010
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - The PBA Legends USA Foundation is giving out educational and scholarship grants to three educational institutions as its initial attempt to help less-endowed students in the Philippines.
Ruffy Ignacio, secretary general of the Foundation, said Abe King, former stalwart of the framed Toyota Comets in the country's only professional league, will be flying to Manila by the end of September to deliver the checks amounting to a modest $21,500 (roughly P1 million) intended to poor students of Martinez Memorial School of Nursing in Caloocan City, Mindanao State University in Marawi City in Mindanao and the Panamitan Elementary School in Kawit, Cavite.
Of the amount, $20,000 (P900,000) will go to 20 deserving students of Martinez Memorial Scienhool of Nursing with good academicd standing and belonging to poor families. Each student will receive amount equivalent to P5,000.
"With this grants, we (in the PBA Legends Foundation) hope that the recipient students will be motivated to staay and work in the Philippines to help the poor in their helath problems," King, known as the 'Chairman of the Board' during his playing days because of rebounding prowess, said in his letter sent to Bradford Martinez of the Martinez Memorial Scchool of Nursing.
"One does not have to leave the Philippines to find life's meaning as he or she serves the citizens in the barrios and urban areas," King said.
One thousand dollars (P46,000), according to Ignacio, goes to Mindanao State University as the Foundation's support for its students' thesis in engineering, sciences, agriculture, fisheries and related subjects.
Like in the grant to Martinez Memorial School, King told Prof. Romeo Asibal of MSU in a separate letter, that the target of the grant are students of poor Muslim, Christian and Lumad tribe in Mindanao, particularly in Sulu, Tawi-Tawi and Palawan so they would not go far in utilizing their learned skills.
The $500 (P23,000) will go to the indigent Pinamitan Elementary School pupils for their matriculation and supply requirements.
"This is to send a message to the pupils that the former players of the PBA their welfare and to drive them to try their best in their studies," King told sachool principal Arnold Burnawan in his message.
Besides supervising the implementation of the project, the PBA Legends Foundation chair is also scheduled to conduct basketball clinics in the three schools along with country-based peers like former Toyota teammate and Sen. Robert "Sonny" Jaworski, Fortunatoi "Atoy" Co, William "Bogs" Adornado and Philip Cezar of Crispa, to mention a few.
Ignacio also said that if successful, the project serves as seeds for future endeavours in the Foundation's desire to help the poor in Motherland.
He also assured that the medical and dental mission that was started two years ago will continue to cover wider areas within the archipelago.
The funding of the Foundation projects came from the proceeds of a series of PBA Legends games played in the different parts of the United States.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
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