NY based Banker promotes children’s literacy INQUIRER.net
April 20, 2009
By Mia Saavedra
When Nina Patawaran told her high school friends that legendary tycoon Washington Sycip himself had invited her to lunch in New York to hear more about her literacy project, they were incredulous. They couldn’t believe that the Mr. Washington Sycip, of SGV fame, would give her, their former pigtail-wearing classmate, the time of day. That is, until she showed them Sycip’s letter, signed by the man himself, as proof of her claim.
It was no ordinary letter, but a resounding endorsement of Nina’s initiative called the Philippines Dictionary Project, which lends, through Silliman University, brand-new, age appropriate dictionaries to public elementary schools in the province of Negros Oriental.
Innovative solution to an age-old problem
A couple of years ago, Nina, a banker who is based in New York, donated 160 books to a public elementary school some 3-hours away from Dumaguete, the capital of Negros Oriental. When Nina decided to check up on her donation, she discovered, to her dismay, that pilferage had occurred. The books were taken either while they were on their way to the public school or someone from the school had “borrowed” the books and never returned them.
Nina was told that such an occurrence was common in public schools which she obstinately refused to accept. “I just could not sit back and condone the pilferage.” Nina says firmly. “What more reward bad behavior by donating even more books to make up for the pilfered copies!”
Disappointed but undeterred, Nina resolved to come up with a way for donors like her to avoid such unfortunate circumstances. Nina summoned her almost 15 years of banking experience to come up with an innovative solution to an age-old problem. Indeed, conversations with Nina about her project are peppered with banking concepts such as “alignment of interests”, “robust checks and balances”, “proper documentation”, and “credit enhancements.” Nina believes that only with thoughtful mechanisms that equally protect all parties involved can a project achieve transparency, accountability and sustainability.
The Philippines Dictionary Project works through a community of stakeholders composed of donors, an appointed trustee/lender-of-record (who acts on behalf of the donors), borrowers, and a guarantor–all banking principles which Nina applied to guide her through her planning stage. The trustee/lender-of-record in this case is Silliman University, which has generously agreed to house 1,400 copies (for the first round) of brand-new, age-appropriate, illustrated hardbound English dictionaries (Scholastic First Dictionary Revised Edition) suitable for public elementary school students from grades 1-6. Borrowers are partner public elementary schools, randomly chosen by Nina herself. Each of these public elementary schools gets to borrow 50 dictionaries for 1 school year. To guarantee transparency and traceability, each book is labeled with the name of the donor and stamped with a catalogue number assigned by Silliman University. If donors wish to trace the whereabouts of their donations, they can easily do so by way of their donated books’ catalogue numbers.
Finally, Nina enlisted the help of Congresswoman Jocelyn Limkaichong from the 1st District of Negros Oriental. Should books get lost or incur any damages while in the care of the borrower school, Congresswoman Limkaichong, as guarantor, will shoulder the costs of replacing and/or repairing the books. This ingenious strategy strongly encourages schools that are dependent on government funds to exercise more caution when handling the borrowed books.
Nina is quick to say that the project is not the dole-out type. In this system of lending and borrowing, borrower schools need to pay a nominal rental fee of Php500 per school year for the 50 books that they borrow. This fee goes to Silliman University to partially reimburse them for the cost of protective plastic book covers, cataloguing and other operational expenses. The detailed memorandum of agreement, which is signed by the three parties composed of the borrower school, Silliman University and Congresswoman Limkaichong (as guarantor), stipulates that a dictionary loan will not be renewed for the following school year if the borrower school damages/loses 5 or more dictionaries while in their care–a stark reminder that these precious resources can be redeployed to other more deserving schools should the situation warrant such. Finally, the dictionary loan’s memorandum of agreement requires borrower schools to provide at least one hour per week of dictionary classroom activities for each class section, thereby ensuring that the dictionaries will actually be used by the students.
Nina also recounts stories of 1st time Filipino donors such as Rebecca Escaño, a New York-based Filipina nanny who donated 1 dictionary, and who also convinced her Greek boyfriend to donate another dictionary to the project as well. There is the California-based cousin of a friend who donated 1 dictionary after hearing that every dictionary would bear the donor’s name and will be traceable. This donor remarked, “For once, I will be able to touch with my own hands the item that is purchased with my small donation!”
“I really envision this project to be a grassroots movement wherein ordinary folks can be as much a part of meaningful change as affluent donors,” Nina says. “No donation is too small. One dictionary here and another dictionary there, before you know it, you’ve got 50 dictionaries which is enough to help out a school of around 500 students.”
Nina recounts how she would talk about the project to anyone and everyone who cared to listen. Now, plenty of people are sitting up and paying attention. Sycip himself donated 50 books while Scholastic (the dictionary publisher) pledged to donate 50 books for every 1,000 books purchased by this project.
Embodies positive Filipino traits
In the end, Nina believes, this project “embodies what is positive in the Filipino culture.” “There’s generosity, first and foremost. Creativity, in terms of finding solutions to problems. Add to that, discipline which should be fostered in each and every one of us. Then, there’s the willingness and ability to learn from other cultures and industries out there.” Nina pauses a bit. “Finally, I hope this project shows just what can happen when we do try to change our ways for the better.”
Indeed, those are some profound words coming from the experience of the Philippines Dictionary Project.
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Donations may be made by check to Ayala Foundation, Inc. (with mailing address BPI Head Office Building, 10th Floor Ayala cor Paseo de Roxas Avenues, Makati City 1200). US-based donors may write to Ayala Foundation USA (with mailing address 255 Shoreline Dr., Suite 428, Redwood City, CA 94065). Please specify “Philippines Dictionary Project” on the check and please provide your name, telephone number, postal address and email address for receipt and project status update purposes. Receipts for Philippine/US tax deduction purposes will be issued. Php350/US$8.50 will sponsor 1 dictionary. Ayala Foundation USA is a 501c3 public charity that bridges US-based Filipinos and donors and social development initiatives in the Philippines. For more information, please call (+632) 752-1064 or visit www.af-usa.org.
