Sinag Update Issue 1 March 2014

+SINAG UPDATE Issue 1| March 2014

Sinag is a non-profit organization that gives students in the Philippines the opportunity to complete their education and have a better chance in life. We provide an online crowdfunding platform, which allows concerned citizens from all over the world to contribute to a Student Loan Fund that helps financially struggling students graduate from school and realize their dreams.

Mission

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“It was a world which granted privilege to some, and imposed prohibitions on others..but endowed with strength and eager to learn, he believed himself entitled to enjoy the beauty of his dream.”

- Jose P. Rizal

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Table of ContentsMessage from the Executive Director by Sheena Jamora

2-4

Message from the Program Director by Mary Anne Tuazon

5-6

Another Shot at My Dream by BJ Ato

7

I’ll Pay It Forward by Gaela Pearl Mateo

8

Financials11-12

page 3

9-10 A Donor’s Plea by Greg Mariano Jr., M.D.

2Funding dreams

Sinag Update Issue 1 | March 2014

“Sinag” (“ray of light” in Filipino), ironically, started from a very dark place. We have all heard the story any times, but it is important to never forget: a university student could not pay off her tuition debt, so she dropped out off school. Out of frustration and depression, largely in part from having to give up her dreams of graduating and lifting her family from poverty, she took her own life. Sinag started from a place of anger, from a sense of wrong that I wanted to right.It was not as impulsive as it sounds. I had a comfortable, full life in Tokyo as an English teacher and mental health volunteer (before that I was a

Social Psychology researcher at a Japanese University). I had to make sure this would work. I spent half a year researching on microfinance, studying successful online crowdfunding platforms, consulting friends with MBAs and background in social enterprises, drafting a business plan, and saving seed money. Finally, I came back to the Philippines in September 2012. With the help of six friends from UP Diliman, Sinag was born. Our number one mission is to support financially struggling students through tuition loans. Our second mission is to get people involved in our cause. We have been diligently working on these goals for the last six months.

Message from the Executive Director

“A core value for Sinag is learning from those we wish to serve.”

3Funding dreams


December 2012 – We launched our website and online crowdfunding platform, www.sinag.org.January 2014 – The Philippine Daily Inquirer ran an article about our cause and this is how most of you, our donors and supporters, have heard about Sinag.February 2014 – We raised enough funds to meet our initial target of providing tuition loans to ten university students in the next enrollment. We have raised the bar to fifteen students.We are a young organization, yet this is where our strength lies. We are idealistic, energetic, and very eager to learn. A core value for Sinag is learning from those we wish to serve; namely the students, but also the donors whom we want to involve in our mission. We have received a lot of good advice from donors and supporters whom we have met personally over lunch or a cup of coffee. We have exchanged emails from supporters abroad who have given us valuable feedback on our website, and who have generously shared our story with their communities. We have also met with Sinag Students to get their feedback on our website, and who have generously shared our story with their communities. We have also met with Sinag Students to get their feedback on our screening and lending system.

carry out our main mission of supporting students through college. This early, we have already identified some things that didn’t work, or needed improvement:1. Lending option for donorsWe removed this option because it caused a lot of confusion. Different things were being written on the “purpose” field of the donation form (instead of just “donate” and “lend”) making it difficult to categorize contributions. The “How it Works” description was too complicated and gave rise to a lot of questions from website users. More importantly, 90% of contributors decided to donate, and very few chose to “lend”. We realized that Sinag supporters did not really care if they get their donations back; they cared that it reached the students in need. And it is our job to make sure it does. In the end, we decided that keeping things simple is best. From now on, Sinag only accepts donations to grow our student loan fund. As the students pay back, and as more donors contribute, the fund is continually replenished and more students benefit from it.2. Application ProcessWe received a lot of good feedback from the Sinag Students during our “Learning Lunch” with them. We will incorporate their suggestions, such as opening the applications closer to the enrollment period, into our next application process. You can read more about this in our Program

http://www.sinag.org/

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3. FundraisingWe realized that depending on our online crowdfunding platform is not enough. We need to take advantage of that 6-month interim between enrollment periods when we can conduct fundraising activities to actively grow our student loan fund. This coming May 24th to June 24th, at UP Bulwagan ng Dangal, we will have an Art Exhibit featuring emerging artists from the University of the Philippines. These incredible artists have agreed to donate a portion of their artwork sales to Sinag. We are very excited about this project!What else can you expect from us this year? We are brewing another fundraising activity for November. We are going to re-launch a new and improved website in June. We are helping the Sinag Students get part-time jobs. We are having a meeting with UP Tacloban students Sheena Jamora

Thank you for joining us in our fight.now on. will be our guide from

articles on pages 7 and 8, and hope

enrollment.We still have a long way to go, and we are very thankful to you, our donors, advisers, and supporters who are joining us in this journey. Sinag started from a very dark place but we are slowly but surely heading towards a place of light. There are so many stories of hope out there, as you can read from our students’

We will support 3x more students with tuition loans in the *August

survivors who have transferred to UP Diliman.

5Funding dreams


Message fromThe Program Director

(continued)

“What don’t loan application forms tell us?” According to Gaela, one of our Sinag Students, she was once denied a scholarship because on paper, her family’s financial standing seemed adequate to support her studies. Her mother is a government employee, and her father, an ikot driver. Looking just at their income, it seemed enough to support Gaela. In reality, it is not enough to support her and two other siblings who are all going to college.This was just one of the issues that we discussed with the students during our very first Sinag Lunch onFebruary 07, 2014. The first batch of Sinag Students and the Sinag Team shared insights over lunch at the

was the week after “hell-week”, when students had to battle midterm exams. It was the perfect time to kick back and we made sure that this was a relaxing experience for them.

Four students came that afternoon. Nivard, our student who currently majors in mechanical engineering, confirmed that he’s pushing through his plans to shift to civil engineering. April was running for the student council (she won and is now a representative of the College of Science). Gaela was busy with her org’s February 28 offering “IkoToki”, a musical. BJ is pushing through with

6Funding dreams


subjects but also with his part-time job as a tutor. The Sinag Team were all UP students once, so we couldn’t help but feel nostalgic as they spoke of their activities in and out of class. We know that there is more to learning within the four walls of the classroom. What we remember most are such experiences that lifted us, or stretched us to our limits.Among the challenges that some Sinag Students have yet to overcome is their appeal for re-bracketing in UP’s Socialized Tuition System. They were placed in brackets where they have to pay more than what they can afford (which is why they approached Sinag for financial assistance). We asked them, “How can Sinag be of better help to you as you go through such difficulties?” They all agreed that aside from tuition, they have other needs, such as funding for projects and theses, that could be met by short-term loans. This is something that Sinag is definitely considering in the future. For some of them, finding a guarantor

was an obstacle, but they understand that it is needed to cover risks. We also asked them, “How can we better reach out to your fellow students who are most in need?”. They suggested that we reach out to student organizations who know their member very well. Another insight we got from them is how we should open applications close to or during enrollment week. This way, when students finally exhaust all their options and realize they need tution loans, they have Sinag to run to. Overall, it was an insightful and laid back afternoon filled with sharing of ideas. It was refreshing to talk to the students not from the opposite sides of the table as it was during their application interview, but as our partners in growing an organization for them, and with them. In a sense, as we help them one semester at a time towards that dream to receive their diploma, the students are also helping Sinag grow. We move forward together. - Mary Anne Tuazon

“It was refreshing to talk to the

students, not from the opposite sides of the table as it was during their

application interview, but as our partners in

growing an organization for them, and with

them.”

Another Shot at My DreamBy BJ Ato

There were times when I wished that I have just given up my spot in UP. Usually, those were the times when I suffered the horrors of my demanding Computer Engineering course. Sometimes, I survived those academic challenges. Sometimes, I failed them. When I lost my DOST Scholarship because of such a failure, I felt that I lost one of the few reasons why I’m studying here in UP. Ironically, it was then that I realized that there were more reasons to study in UP other than its prestige.

I joined an organization, UP Circuit, an engineering org, and my experiences expanded. I’ve found a lot of friends inside and outside UP. I’ve discovered a lot of possibilities for the engineering industry and the academe. I’ve explored the world outside the four corners of our buildings. I’ve realized that I can make a big impact even as a student. Some will disagree and say, “You’re here to study.” It’s true that that is the number one task of students. But I’m not just here to study. I’m here to learn. And I’m not finished learning yet.Well, I almost finished learning prematurely. As I was nearing my fourth year, our family had financial problems. Then, I failed an engineering subject and lost my

I felt that what I’m doing all along was a waste of time, of effort, of youth.

I talked to my parents, and thank God they continued to support me. They helped me find a tutoring job. They have given me as much as they can, but it was not enough to pay my expenses immediately. That’s where Sinag came in. Their student loan enabled me to pay my full tuition immediately, and their monthly installment helped ease the impact of paying those fees head on.

I’m sure there are a lot of students in the same situation as I am. Or maybe there are students in worse situations. Or maybe there are students who have more potential. But we’ll never know if they are never given a chance. Sinag gave me another shot to fulfill my dreams. –BJ, Computer

7Funding dreams


I’ll Pay It ForwardBy Gaela Pearl Mateo

With the unexpected re-shuffling of government offices in Commission on Audit (COA), my mom was suddenly transferred to a non-UP unit. It was during the summer of 2013 when my 2 brothers and I were suddenly tagged in regular bracketing in the UP Computerized Registration System (CRS). We were no longer UP-dependents so our tuition fees were back to the regular. In the enrolment for the first semester of AY 2013-2014, I tried applying for a lower bracket in Socialized Tuition and Financial Assistance Program (STFAP), but in the end, it was not granted to me. We were required to pay P1000/unit and I saw how hard it was for my mother to provide for us. Since it was hard for all three of us to pay our tuition at the same time, I had no choice but to apply for a loan from UP. But then, I realized that loaning from UP puts my graduation at risk, so I seeked other alternatives. Towards the end of the first semester of my second year, one of my previous professors posted an announcement in our

Sinag team, I was able to somehow lift my mother’s

submitted the necessary requirements, and fortunately, I passed the screening. Sinag granted me with a Php10,000 loan, as part of their initial stage. Thanks to this group of young alumni, I was able to pay my tuition fee early for this semester. Paying was easy because we can do installments, as long as we can pay the whole amount borrowed within this semester. Even the members of this group are really friendly and approachable. It was really nice meeting them, and thanks to that, I have decided to pay it forward as soon as I graduate. In the future, I want to help my fellow students through this organization. Thanks to the

B. But I still tried and

old group. It stated there that a group of UP alumni were looking for students worthy of interest-free student loans. It suddenly hit me, and I immediately sent a message to my professor that I was interested in applying. The requirements were simple but I was actually nervous that they might not accept me since I was already tagged as Bracket

“In the future, I want to help my fellow students through this

was an obstacle, but they understand that it is needed to cover risks. We also asked them, “How can we better reach out to your fellow students who are most in need?”. They suggested that we reach out to student organizations who know their member very well. Another insight we got from them is how we should open applications close to or during enrollment week. This way, when students finally exhaust all their options and realize they need tution loans, they have Sinag to run to. Overall, it was an insightful and laid back afternoon filled with sharing of ideas. It was refreshing to talk to the students not from the opposite sides of the table as it was during their application interview, but as our partners in growing an organization for them, and with them. In a sense, as we help them one semester at a time towards that dream to receive their diploma, the students are also helping Sinag grow. We move forward together. - Mary Anne Tuazon

8Funding dreams


A Donor’s PleaBy Greg Mariano, Jr., M.D.

In response to this headline news on March 16, 2013 - UP student kills self over tuition - UP alumni and others offered to organize and raise money for various types of funds to prevent another tragedy. It was reported that when a UP Manila student's loan application for P10,000 for tuition was denied, the 16-year-old behavioral science freshman was forced to file a leave of absence. She wanted to finish her degree without delay to be able to help her poor family's needs so she probably was devastated, and this led her to commit suicide. At her wake, the letter she wrote in Tagalog appealing for financial assistance was prominently displayed. In part, she said that education is her family’s sole treasure and that poverty should not be a hindrance to acquiring an education. Catalyst for ChangeThis tragedy was a catalyst in Sheena Jamora’s decision to give up her teaching job in Japan and move back to Manila where she founded SINAG MICROFUNDS, INC. together with six other young UP Diliman alumni. This non-profit organization is dedicated to giving financially struggling students

Opportunity for a better future for themselves and their families. They pooled among themselves P100,000 to jump start the organization and were able to officially register their organization with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), create an online crowdfunding platform (www.sinag.org), and give 5 students an interest-free loan without charging any fees. They later set asideP10,000 for emergencies to prevent another tragedy. They Need Our SupportAs they themselves admitted, the reality is that they can not do this on their own, otherwise they will empty their pockets and burn out so they are asking for help and donations.

“Poverty should not be a hindrance to acquiring

an education.”

I was so impressed with their benevolence and passion as well as their commitment for transparency and accountability. They will regularly post their fundraising activities and operational costs on their website and newsletter to prove that they will pursue their mission with integrity. This is why I decided to support them.

http://www.sinag.org/

Lorem IpsumI donated and disseminated their appeal to all my yahoogroups, especially the UP Alumni yahoogroups, and my individual email contacts and asked people to do the same. Furthermore, I placed an ad in their behalf in the souvenir program of the July 2014 UPMASA AGC in San Diego, California.In response to my email, UP President Dr. Alfredo E. Pascual wrote on April 13, 2013: "UP has a large number of financially vulnerable students. Around a fourth of our 41,000 undergraduate students are from families earning less than P135,000 a year (just about the minimum wage level set by law) and another fifth are from families earning between P135,000 and P250,000. Some eligible students are already enjoying the needed financial support but many others are left to fend for themselves at the sacrifice of their

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10Funding dreams

It is my hope and prayer that SINAG can help this latter group and others. I will try my best to support SINAG and plead for others to do the same.Greg Mariano, Jr., M.D.UPCM ‘62

From the left, clockwise: Mary Anne Tuazon, Rica Evangelista, Sheena Jamora, Meiling Lee, Margarte Yarcia, Juan Carlos Soriano and Carla Baful (The Sinag Team)

FINANCIALS Sinag Fund as of March

2014: PhP 341,704.32

Program Budget (85%):

290,448.674

Non-Program Budget (15%):

51, 255.648

Number of Student We Will Fund in the 1st Sem. SY ‘14-2015: 15 (Target:10)

Number of Students We Can Fund in the 2nd Sem. SY 2014-2015: 14


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Non-Program Expenditures as of March 2014

Administration PhP 285 (Meetings: co-work space rent*, coffee, food, commute)

Online Operations 150 (PayPal to Bank Transfer Fee)

250 (Website Development Meeting)

Marketing 816 (Leaflet and Booth Materials for

UP UPLIFT Event) 360 (Printing of Calling Cards)

Fundraising 545 (Envelopes, Donor Certificates)

200 (Commute)

TOTAL PhP 5177

“When we started Sinag, we were squeezing our brains, trying to come up with ideas on how to convince people that our humble dream is worth supporting. After just 5 months of trying to put our message across, Sinag has received support from people all over the world. For this, we would like to send out our sincerest thank you to you, our donors, advisers and supporters. You have made us realize that we do not have to ask people to be dreamers. There are already many of us, just waiting for the chance to merge together and spark some change.” – Carla Baful, Director for Media

www.sinag.org

Documents

Sinag Update Issue 1 March 2014