PRESIDENT'S REPORT

   
UPBSFI – The Past 21 Months (October 1, 2007 to June 30, 2009)

1. GLOBAL MEMBERSHIP FROM 125 in Oct 2007 to 270 as of last count – Brods from all over came to join our movement to restore our heritage in our campuses. Initial target for new membership was only fifty (50). New members include one of two living founders, Brod Rico Arranz. He is now one of our Council of Elders.
 
      1.1. Ike Araneta and Kiko Delmendo pump-primed this particular endeavor by offering attractive prizes for the winners. The first prize, which was won by Raffy Hidalgo, is a trip to Cancun, Mexico for a full week. The second prize, which was won by Lem Michelena, is a week-end timeshare at Lake Tahoe. Both prizes remains unclaimed.

      1.2. As of today, our membership compared to 20 months ago has more than doubled. This doubling of membership has increased our capability to finance some projects directed towards our vision: THE FRATERNITY OF CHOICE in all our UP campuses.

      1.3. Increase in membership came from all over – the highest increase coming from the Eastern part of the USA, Australia, the Philippines especially in Mindanao and Luzon, and Canada. This increase in membership has given UPBSFI the capability towards financial independence. It is worth noting that prior to 2008, UPBSFI had to depend on the two California Chapters for payment of dues to the government.
 
2. RESIDENT MEMBERSHIP – From an almost state of near extinction, we now have our resident membership in the following campuses – Diliman (32), UPLB (25), UP Baguio (9), UP Mindanao (8) and UP Visayas (8). These numbers are still dangerously low in spite of alumni support. It only means the need for more effort from the resident body in each campus, plus a more organized and effective alumni support.
 
      2.1. Bong Beredo is our UPBSFI Director who is assigned from our end to liaise with the resident members. So far, he has made two visits to the Philippines and included the residents in his itinerary. He will be seeing the residents again in a few days.
 
      2.2. Rick “Judz” Rey and Johnny Regadio likewise paid visits to the resident membership. Judz Rey focused on our Diliman residents and Johnny Regadio focused on our UPLB and UP Visayas residents.

3. WEBSITE –Updated AT LEAST TWICE A WEEK, we are getting more than a truly remarkable 1,500 hits per month that include non Betans.
 
      3.1. For the past 21 months, most of the updates were done by expert Webmaster Norman Bituin, after having received training from Webmaster Ollie Jumao-as, who was responsible for most updates during the years before that.

      3.2. Danny Galoso, who created the website with his daughter Aissa, is back in commission insofar as website updates are concerned.

      3.3. Biggest contributors of website in form of articles, memorabilia, photographs, etc. is Webmaster and former President Norman Bituin himself.

      3.4. Wally Rodriguez, who has been a collector of old fraternity photographs for many years, has shared almost everything in his possession.

      3.5. Contributions include historical as well as current photographs, biographical accounts, medical advisory, memorabilia, artworks, current events, in memoriam, sports involvements, etc. We are blessed with so many contributors and to name some of them: Pio Acampado, Ollie Jumao-as, Dan Lachica, Ike Araneta, Jopet Laraya, Noli Nolasco, Benild Pires, Freddy Fajardo, Anthony Subijano, Dutch Aragones, Bernie Bacosa, Rolly Reyes, Pogs Gaspay, Bong Beredo, Yay Topacio, Raffy Hidalgo, Ed Quisumbing, Vic Battad, Shan Buyco, Jayrome Rala, Jun Battad, Jojo Criador, Jojo Alejar, Ted Topacio, Vee de Vera, Anggie Angliongto, Philip Chua, Pet Grajo, Caloy Las Marias, Judz Rey, Bobby Manansala, Jayjay Jayme, Boygee Ganza, etc.

       3.6. Our artists have certainly given a lot of  prestige and sense of history to our website: Wally Rodriguez, Jess Abrera, Popoy Castaneda, Banz Banez (and his Malmon Treasures), Nelson Rivera, Ely Santiago (and his famous sketches), Adi Santos, Roman RaulLopez Frantela, Papu Leynes.
 
4. AWARD WINNING CENTENNIAL FOREST PROJECT – With our UP Visayas brothers at the forefront, our Centennial Forest Project in Miag-ao, Iloilo was given an award by the UP Centennial Commission.
 
       4.1. Project Manager is Johnny Regadio. He will report on his recent visit later today.

       4.2. Project Consultant is former Undersecretary Rene de Rueda, who has so far flown to the project site three times since.

       4.3. Our Liaison at the Project Site is Shan Benjamin Buyco of UP Visayas.

       4.4. All UP Visayas brods are involved.

       4.5. This project also involved the local community, including the City Mayor.
 
5. ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS – Now on its 15^th continuous monthly issue, our monthly publication at our website is an excellent source of environmental information and is visited by several readers/researches outside of our Fraternity.
 
       5.1. Our editor in Gerry Abenes. On account of pressure of work, he took a leave from this particular task, and we ought to congratulate him for all his contributions to this monthly publication not only as an editor but also as a writer of four (!) of the 15 issues. The vacancy of editor has to be filled during this prolonged leave.

       5.2. The biggest contributor of article is our marine life expert Porfirio “Popoy” Castaneda. His timeless works in this particular section of the website are now part of our treasure.

       5.3. We also have the Battad Brothers – Dionisio “Jun” in Melbourne, Australia and Vic in British Columbia. Both of them promised to write more articles for our future monthly issues.

       5.4. Other contributors include: Johnny Regadio, Pogs Gaspay (former DENR Director), former Secretary of DENR Vic Ramos, former DENR Undersecretary Rene de Rueda, Bernie Bacosa, and Rose Veridiano (a guest writer).
 
6. REVIVAL OF TRADITIONS.
 
       6.1. Johnny Chiuten School of Martial Arts – Martial arts tradition was revived by no less than Grandmaster Johnny Chiuten himself. Training was financed by UPBSFI, with students going to a Cebu island where Johnny conducts his training session. Jopet Laraya (who has contributed handsome amounts to the cause of martial arts revival) and Ollie Jumao-as as Johnny’s able assistants. Many brods have come out to finance the martial arts revival that include Noli Nolasco, Ike Araneta, the UP Northern California Chapter, Raffy Hidalgo, Dan Galoso and Dan Lachica.

      6.2. Rodeo in Los Banos. Freddy Fajardo has been UPBSFI’s champion in this aspect.

      6.3. Dual meet between Diliman and UPLB. Freddy Fajardo and Jojo Alejar, as well as other UPLB Brods, in collaboration with OBBF has made this possible.

       6.4. Stage-related activities among residents (both in Diliman and UPLB)
 
 7. HISTORICAL RESTORATION
 
       7.1. Preservation of original Banz Malmon designs. See website for originals; more contributions of Banz originals encouraged.

      7.2. Near completion of our list of members since our founding year (Dutch Aragones and Ollie Jumao-as)

      7.3. An almost complete list of Brods who were former ROTC officers

      7.4  An almost complete list of Brods who were in the various UP Varsity teams.

      7.5. Restoration of the original design of our Fraternity Pin (need your help to seek out the “Santy” mold)
 
8. COMMUNITY SERVICE
 
      8.1. Documentor/historian during the Philippine Independence Day in Sacramento.

      8.2. Documentor - 2008 International Faire documentation support to the sponsoring organization (Forum for People of Color, or FPOC  (http://fpoc.net/). 

      8.3. Donation of artwork to Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. (http://www.deltasigmatheta.org/) a global non-profit organization that has a membership of 200,000 whose purpose is to provide services and programs to promote human welfare.
 
9. AN EFFECTIVE CONDUIT FOR EXTENDING SUPPORT. Through UPBSFI, the following brods needing assistance were benefited: Ding Navarro, Teddy Gutierrez, Sonny Quedding, Michael Cruz and Cesar Aparato.
 
10. A STATE-OF-THE-ART COMMUNICATIONS SYTEM

     10.1  An international googlegoups. Brods around the globe could communicate with each other using only one email address:  up-beta-sigma-fraternity-international-@googlegoups.com  This e-group is used for exchanging information and not for the promotion of political/religious views or personal interests. BUT, there is another group called TAMBAYAN where anything and everything under the sun could be discussed. Members who wish to join this e-group are appropriately warned about certain sensitivities that may be involved.

     10.2  A “Chat Room” at our website. UPBSFI members, and even their relatives could use the website Chat Room as a facility to communicate with each other on-line.
 
11. AN AMENDED CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS
 
     11.1. Fred Aquino, D.V.M. made the most significant amendments in our Constitution and By-Laws, passed it on several times to the general body and to the Board of Directors for comments
     11.2.  CBL was ratified during the PISMO Conference on January 28, 2008.
 
12. AN UPDATED MEMBER DIRECTORY AND GLOBAL DIRECTORY
 
     12.1. Edwin Acuna volunteered to update our UPBSFI Directory. We need all the brods to fill up the form sent by Brod Edwin over electronic mail.
     12.2. Ago Romero passed on a global directory that likewise need to be updated.
     12.3. The updated directory will be published by the end of July 2009 -- but we need everybody's help for this to be complete and accurate.
 
13. HEALTH
 
     13.1  Medical and Health Advisory by Brod Philip Chua, M.D.   Several articles are posted at our website      

     13.2  Tetada Kalimasada and Betan Nerve Treatment by Brod Ollie Jumao-as. Several training sessions were conducted both in the Philippines and in the USA.   
  
14. ELECTORAL REFORMS
 
      14.1  Brod Fred Aquino '57, DVM, et al revamped the system of electing Board Directors, in keeping with the new provision of the Constitution and ByLaws and in response to the many questions that were raised during the election in 2007.
 
      14.2 Fred Aquino is now Chair of the UPBSFI Commission on Election and has appointed his deputies namely: Bing Garcia (for Mindanao and Visayas), Raffy Hidalgo (for Luzon), as well as Carling Taguinod, Dominador “Boy” Ramos, and Dave Villegas.
 
      14.3 Among the salient provisions of the new Election Rules are the following: (a) redistribution on the number of Board seats based on the 'rule of eight'; (b) decentralized system of counting votes in order to speed up the determination of winners; (c) a screening system of nominees to make sure that these are in good standing, and that all elected nominees are willing to perform the duties required of a Board Director; (d) a system of voting that will ensure sanctity of the ballot. For further details, please visit the website under ANNOUNCEMENTS => for UPBSFI Members Only.
 
15. FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT – sound and transparent. We developed the system called F.R.A.T. which means Financial Responsibility, Accountability and Trustworthiness. In a nutshell, F.R.A.T. lays down guidelines for sound spending of our financial resources, using universally accepted principles of accounting, establishing accountability and promoting transparency. Financial statements are audited monthly. (Financial Statements in another section).
 
16. MEMBERSHIP PAYMENTS. Number of Members in Good Standing (PAID) increased significantly during the past two years, with almost 200 members paid for 2009, compared to 66 paid members in 2007. Translated, collection rate is currently at 74% and we are still at mid-year, compared to a collection rate of 53% in 2007. Kudos to our Treasurers Edsel Arceo (North America and rest of the world), Raffy Hidalgo (Luzon), Jayrome Rala (UP Mindanao), and the efforts of individual brods Mario Manzano (Australia), Noli Nolasco (Canada), Lem Michelena (MidWest), Nick Galvez (Eastern USA), and Ike Araneta (Northern California).