Private firms push education ministry

Dr. Bibiano Ranes, a forester from UPLB, generously shares his knowledge and expertise with students

It takes a village to raise a child—and ensure they receive the education they need to achieve their dreams.

For over a decade, this has been the guiding principle of the Arnold Janssen Catholic Mission Foundation, Inc., a nonprofit, nongovernment organization which helps out-of-school youth, as well as adults who haven’t completed their high school studies, to finish their education through the Alternative Learning System (ALS) of the Department of Education (DepEd).

The most important elements of their mission, says AJMFI head Rev. Fr. Jerome Marquez SVD, are their partners—be it DepEd, the teachers, other NGOs, individual and corporate donors, the religious, or the local governments where the foundation has learning centers.

“That concept that it takes a village to raise a child connects [all our partners, who help us with] everything: from the teachers’ salaries, to classrooms, to school supplies,” says Marquez. “Going from one to 117 [centers], from 30 students to 4,000—it’s a miracle from God.”

Going on its 16th year this June, Marquez says the foundation is looking anew for partners who will join them as they embark on a new direction: Helping out-of-school youth and illiterate adults in conflict areas. Since AJMFI opened its first centers’ doors in Dasmariñas, Cavite, they’ve focused on resettlement areas; now, they’re setting their sights on places like war-torn Marawi City.

The target, Marquez says, is to open 200 centers and have 10,000 scholars by 2020. To raise more funds, AJMFI has established a program called “My Arnold Janssen ALS Scholar”: for P1,000 a month for 12 months, a donor can fund the education of over 4,000 out-of-school and illiterate adults currently enrolled under the foundation’s ALS program.

“[Our mission] has been continuous for the past 16 years, because it has a purpose: To free people from ignorance, poverty, and sinfulness. It’s the bottomline that keeps us going—but we need partners,” Marquez adds.

Some of their existing corporate partners include the Rio Tuba Nickel Mining Corp, which has been funding the operation of the foundation’s ALS center in Palawan since 2006; and Emerging Power, Inc., which sponsors four centers in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro.

Rebisco vice president for Marketing Rey de los Reyes, one of the foundation’s individual benefactors, is also a member of its board.

De Los Reyes has been supporting AJMFI for the past 10 years.

“It touched me how these people have helped so many poor Filipinos in their mission,” says De Los Reyes. “Giving to others increases your capacity for love. It makes me realize that even if you don’t have much, you have enough to share with others, and you are making them happy. It will make you feel rich.”

Aside from their students, the foundation heavily invests in their teachers through consistent training, says Marquez—and have greatly been rewarded for it, despite having only 80 personnel manning their 117 centers.

“When we were starting, our students’ passing rate in the Accreditation and Equivalency exam were at 8, 10 percent; now, modesty aside, after 16 years, our Palawan center’s passing rate is 94 percent. The one in Naujan, which has been operating for just over a year, already has a 92 percent passing rate,” Marquez says. AJMFI has around 500 ALS graduates every year.

And while Catholic in its direction and values, Marquez says they don’t require their teachers, learners, or partners to be members of the faith; they even have one all-Muslim learning center.

“We focus on values—love God, people, country, the environment. These aren’t restricted to the Catholic faith. [We] take care of the those who have the least in life, so no one gets left behind,” he says.

Interested donors may contact Rev. Fr. Jerome Marquez SVD, at the Arnold Janssen Catholic Foundation Office, 28 Sct. Ybardolaza St., Brgy. Sacred Heart, Quezon City, or at [email protected]. Donations can also be made through the foundation’s BDO savings accounts: 001540163499 (Peso)/ 101540135231 (Dollar).