Why I donated a public school building in honor of Mom
As a grade school child, I once uttered words that shocked my widowed mother. I jokingly declared, with the innocence of youth, that I would someday rob 100 banks just to give her all the money she deserved. Of course, she frowned at this and gently chided me that it wasn’t the right thing to think or say. I quickly told her it was just a joke.
Mom was a widow who had to raise two kids all by herself, me and my younger sister Marilou. She earned a limited income as a teacher and also from tutoring rich kids after class at our rented apartment.
Our late dad was a businessman from a long line of top entrepreneurs. He was a widower when he married my mom. His was a complicated family situation. First, he had seven adult kids from the deceased first wife who were mostly in businesses already. Second, before Dad died when I was only seven years old, he and my elder half-siblings were already embroiled in a big court battle versus other kin for control of the clan’s century-old sawmill business and properties, so Mom, me and my sister didn’t inherit any business or wealth.
Turning around that first unwelcomed joke, I, as a grade school kid, vowed to my mom that when I grew up, I would earn a lot of money and someday donate 100 schools in her name. She just laughed, probably thinking this child of hers was again telling another outlandish joke. But I was serious.
Since our late mother was a teacher and school principal who truly believed in the power of education to change lives and the world, last week on May 3, 2024 — a week before Mother’s Day — I took my first step towards fulfilling that childhood promise.
I donated a public school building as gift in Mom’s name for Dinalaoan Elementary School in Barangay Dinalaoan, Calasiao municipality, Pangasinan province. It’s a four-classroom public school building constructed under the “Operation Barrio Schools” civic project of the Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce & Industry, Inc. (FFCCCII), now led by president Dr. Cecilio K. Pedro, with cooperation from Willy Sy, also with supervision by Pangasinan Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce and East Pangasinan Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce.
This is just the beginning. I pledge to donate more public schools in other disadvantaged rural barrios of the Philippines, despite my not being a business tycoon, but just the owner of a modest realty business and the 85-year-old Kamuning Bakery Cafe. Apart from fulfilling my promise to our late mom, I fervently believe that education is key to progress, to alleviating poverty and addressing social injustices.
In honoring my late mother Mary Young Siu Tin, her life of humility and Christian faith, I wish to also honor all mothers of the world for your great love and sacrifices. Indeed, every day should be Mother’s Day!
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