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 15th 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).
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