In light of the call for support to Filipino doctors and nurses who are bravely battling COVID-19 with very limited resources such as appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), UPAA-MB is raising funds to help buy the much needed protection for our health professionals back home. We will be accepting donations of any amount through Interac transfer to [email protected]. Proceeds will be sent to UP-PGH as our primary beneficiary.
If you wish to designate the donation to another beneficiary of your choice, please email [email protected] with the organization’s legal name and contact details. Remittance transaction fees will be taken from the donations collected.
Please feel free to contact the UPAA-MB Board ([email protected]) if you have any questions.
Let us extend our help now where it is mostly needed.
The University of the Philippines Alumni and Associates in Manitoba (UPAA-MB), Inc., invites you to its Flapjack Fundraiser Breakfast on Saturday, June 23, 2018 from 8am to 10am at Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill and Bar, 1150 Grant Avenue, Winnipeg. Our fundraising efforts will be driven by ticket sales for the breakfast, a 50/50 draw, and individual/corporate sponsorship. Proceeds will go towards UPAA-MB, Inc. Bursary Fund.
From 2011-2013, UPAA-MB, Inc. have awarded Manitoba bursaries to first year university students of Filipino descent who have demonstrated strong inclination to pursue post-secondary education. The bursary reflects the importance that UPAA-MB places on higher learning and shows its support for the Filipino-Manitoba community.
In 2014 and 2016, UPAA-MB, Inc. awarded bursaries to ten (10) deserving students from the University of the Philippines – Visayas Tacloban College (UPVTC) and Baguio campuses, respectively.
The organization also has undertaken projects that uplift the Filipino community in Manitoba. These include Immigration Info Session, volunteer work at the Winnipeg Harvest and Siloam Mission, and Christmas Cheerboard Sponsor-a-Family Program, among others. We hope to continue similar projects in the future.
Teams U and P competed at the 6th PalarOlympics on September 10 at Assiniboine Park. Members demonstrated strategic skills, sportsmanship and teamwork in playing Filipino games such as Sungka, Patintero, Sipa, and Tumbang Preso.
Members of each team were determined through the traditional “kampihan” method. Both teams finished the Chinese Garter game with equal points. Team P had the most number of points in Sipa but Team U dominated the competition by winning in Patintero and Tumbang Preso.
The PalarOlympics would have not been possible without the officers and members who came on that beautiful weekend. The delicious potluck, conversations, and laughter completed the event.
UPAA-MB hosted a breakfast fundraiser at Applebee’s Grant Park on July 30. The association raised $770 from ticket sales and cash donations. Proceeds will go to the bursary fund which will be awarded to deserving Filipino students. Earnings from the 50/50 raffle draw, for $112.50, will go to the UPAA’s operations funds.
It would not be a successful event without the support of the members, friends, attendees, donors, and media sponsors. The association would like to express gratitude to Applebee’s Grant Park, CKJS, Filipino Journal, Pilipino Express, Darrell Friesen, Edwin Yazon Financial Services, Atty. Heidi Cruz, Ley Navarro of Artista Magazine, Ting Mallari of True Life House Financial, and Ramon Sales, Jr.
Danjae, one of the volunteer servers and Norman, UPAA ChairpersonThe host, Lourdes, and the 50/50 raffle draw winner, Paulo.
Scholars with UP Baguio administrators Crispina Facunla (Scholarship Officer), Dr. Corazaon Abansi (Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs), Dr. Raymundo Rovillos (Chancellor) and Erlinda Castro-Palaganas (Director, Student Affairs)
UPAA-MB Inc. recently awarded a total of $1,771.00 or Php 62.064.00 to undergraduate students of UP Baguio to support their theses preparation and writing.
Recipients (some in teams) were chosen based on their academic achievement, financial needs, and the social impacts of their theses.
The top team received $885 or Php 31,014, while the 2nd placer and 3rd team each received $443 or Php 15,525.00. The recipients are mostly children of taxi drivers, sari-sari store owners, construction workers, and housewives.
The top team is composed of BS Biology seniors Roselyn Solomon, Kimberly Paglingayen and Patrisha Kate Moises. Their thesis is a comparative analysis of copper contamination in Agno River and its ecological impact on the native fish species – Terapon jarbua locally known as “Bogaong” and its parasite Anasakis. Bogaong is one of the most consumed fish species in the Philippines.
Solomon, who represented the team, thanked UPAA-MB saying, “It is not only the financial support which we are thankful for. The interest that you have shown gives us a boost of confidence and motivation to pursue other studies that give importance to our environment… we are thankful to you for believing in our capabilities and we promise to do our best and live up to your expectations.”
Meanwhile, solo second placer Jared Jeric Dela Cruz, a BS Management Economics major, sought to determine the regional economic variables that attract foreign investors to make Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) in a particular country and region. Dela Cruz wanted to help local governments and organizations in their focus for improvement.
Dela Cruz said, “This means so much to me. It has inspired me further to pursue my research. My thesis topic is one that does not receive much attention from researchers, but its significance is undeniable. I hope not only to contribute to the growing body of knowledge, but also to make such knowledge applicable to benefit Filipino society.”
The third placer is another team of BS Biology seniors composed of Renren B. Barroga, Jericho Allain Kyle B. Vidad, and Leonard Q. Guerrero. Their thesis is about Quorum Quenching (QQ) potentials of various microalgae as a new and better way of treating bacterial infections. The study aims to identify which among the Philippines’ rich microbial resources can be developed into antibiotics in order to lessen the country’s dependence on expensive imported drugs.
Barroga said, “Having been selected as one of the recipients of this grant means so much to us. It immediately gave us a sudden surge of confidence and motivation to work even harder. The field that we have chosen as a topic for our research is one that is literally unexplored and gains little interest but shows great promise. We hope that the result of our research will not only contribute to the advancement of the field of microbiology, but will also improve the current status of health care for the Filipinos and the whole global community.”
21 applications were received from four UP campuses, namely UP Baguio, UP Cebu, UP Diliman, and UP Tacloban.
The bursary monies were raised by UPAA-MB members and friends through a Breakfast fundraiser held at Canton Buffet Restaurant last May 2015. The Fundraising effort was spearheaded by Mei Villafania. The applications were reviewed and evaluated by UPAA-MB members Arwin Chua, Christy Domingo, Norman Garcia, Noel Generoso, Sarah Gonzales, PJ Failano, and Aiza Sola. The introductions and correspondences between the Bursary Committee and with the participating UP campuses were facilitated by Upsilon Sigma Phi.
This is the second time that UPAA-MB extended its bursary project to the University of Philippines System students.
This year’s summer outing was held at the Birds Hill Provincial Park on July 18. There was a good turnout from members and families who drove to the park and gathered at
the central beach area despite of a rain forecast.
The day kick-started with the UPAA-MB Amazing Race Challenge. Members were divided into two teams which were given a set of clues leading to different race destinations.
The first destination was a Pitstop – The Playground. Everyone took a trip to their childhood memory lane diving down the kiddie slides and playing follow the leader around the playground before finishing off with a group selfie. The next destination was a Road Block – The Beachfront. One member of each team stepped up and carry the load for the rest by paddling around the lake on an inflatable mattress. The third destination was another Pitstop – The Lifeguard House. The team’s challenge was to get the name of the lifeguard and wish him good luck. Next destination was a Detour – The Canteen. Each team was given 5 dollars to buy any food item and eat it as a team. The last destination of the race was a Pitstop – The Comfort Room. The teams cleaned up the area by picking up litter and placing it in the garbage bins. Both teams successfully finished the race displaying mental and physical toughness figuring out the clues and running from one destination to another. This race once again revealed the fun, competitive, and adventurous spirit of the members.
The next game was called the Survivor Challenge. Two teams gathered at the beach volleyball area to simulate a night battle siege between two army troops. One team took the side of the aggressor while the other one defended. Armed with water guns and water bombs, the defenders tried to protect their fortress by firing at the aggressors who were trying to reach their base. The main catch of the game was that both aggressors and defenders crawled all throughout the challenge and used night vision goggles (aka swim goggles covered with electric tape) to literally “nighten” their vision. The game turned out to be challenging but fun as only a few people finished the drill unscathed. At the end of the game, it was wet and wild as people threw the leftover water bombs at each other.
Freshly grilled Pinoy pork bbq and a host of other appetizing potluck contributions were feasted on by the tired and hungry members by noontime. Visiting alumni Nazer and Kay Balajadia-Liggayu from UP College of Music graced the event.
True to the forecast, the downpour of rain began after lunch which left all the members literally bonding and enjoying what’s left for the day under one tent.
In light of the call for support to Filipino doctors and nurses who are bravely battling COVID-19 with very limited resources such as appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), UPAA-MB is raising funds to help buy the much needed protection for our health professionals back home. We will be accepting donations of any amount through Interac transfer to [email protected]. Proceeds will be sent to UP-PGH as our primary beneficiary.
