The year 2022 was definitely a busy year for Metro Infanta Foundation with a brand-new chairman, Fr. Francis Lucas, replacing Apolinar Derilo who served the board for 25 years. Meanwhile, Noemie Garcia Cam, Ria de Dios, and Mike Franka replaced Salvacion Derilo, Kirsten Franka, Melecia Garcia, and Joanne Horne. Colleen Smith agreed to continue serving on the board for a while.
The new board immediately approved to recognize the previous board members as well as Dolly Banzon who served as secretary from 2007-2013. In addition, the board also approved a special recognition of Romy Coronacion, who has served as auditor since 1996 and will retire after completing the IRS report for the Fiscal Year 2022-2023. The board also approved a total of $5,700 in grants in their honor ranging from nutrition centers to grottos as well as church pews repairs and school building rehabilitation for the indigenous children.
The above was a small portion of the $55,797 in grants the board approved for distribution in the calendar year 2022 (see below)
| Board Recognition | 5,700.00 | Panukulan Grotto, Infanta pew repairs, Davao Nutrition Center, Casiguran and Polillo rehabilitation of schoolhouses for indigenous children |
| Education.1 | 5,000.00 | About 150 students from grade school through college in the Prelature of Infanta, Northern Quezon College, St. Paul University, and Miriam (formerly Maryknoll) College |
| Bishop Labayen Award | 2.500.00 | Socio Pastoral Institute, Prelature of Infanta’s Bahay Pari, and St. Joseph Formation House |
| Disaster Relief.2 | 5,756.50 | Burdeos, Dingalan, General Nakar, Jomalig, Patnanungan, Polillo |
| St. Joseph Formation House | 15,000.00 | Seminary Building Campaign |
| Apostolic Vicariate of Taytay | 3,000.00 | Disaster relief |
| Bishop Labayen book | 3,000.00 | “It is the Lord” by Sr. Dulce Inlayo, OCD (still in production) |
| Mission | 1,084.05 | Fr. Francis Htun, Alagad ni Maria, Sr. Irene Uguta |
| Socio Pastoral Institute Admin | 406.50 | Administration of Distribution of grants |
| El Jardin de la Nina | 14,350 | Orphanage in Bogota, Columbia |
| TOTAL | 55,797.05 |
1With the death of Marilyn Buñag Ibañez, formerly Metro Infanta News editor and who has been a major supporter of the Foundation especially in the education category, the Board unanimously approved a $1,500 grant to create the Marilyn Ibañez Scholarship Fund, to support four college students at the NQCI (Northern Quezon College, Inc.) in Infanta.
2In addition to the above disaster relief grant, the foundation solicited funds from several stewardship parishes in the Philippines addition more than $1,000 in funds from San Pedro Thelmo and San Isidro Labrador parishes in the Archdiocese of Tuguegarao, and the Ascension of the Lord Parish in the Archdiocese of Davao. Please note that the disaster relief for the Apostolic Vicariate of Taytay happened at an earlier date in the spring of 2022. That’s why it has a separate accounting of the grant.
The 2022 Bishop Julio X. Labayen Award went to Father Luciano (Nonong) Pili, who received a $2,500 grant which he donated to the Socio Pastoral Institute, Prelature of Infanta’s Bahay Pari (Clergy Home) and the St. Joseph Formation House. The award ceremony held at the St. Joseph Formation House August 26, 2022, included presentation to the first Bp JXL awardee, Father Joe-Fran Talaban, who received his $2,500 grant in 2021.
A short note on the El Jardin de la Niña grant. Metro Infanta Foundation has extended its support, since 2013, beyond the boarders of Infanta, at the request of Carmelite priests serving at St. Thomas More to help the orphanage in Bogota, Columbia. The Foundation also accorded the same Carmelite priests to support their mission in the Carmelite Province in Tanzania, from 2011-2015.
In addition, the Foundation, donated through the courtesy of Board Member Colleen Smith more than 57 volumes of books, and a year’s worth of back issues of “The Priest,” courtesy of the Our Sunday Visitor to the Archdiocese of Caceres.
President Mila Glodava continues the Foundation’s mission to promote stewardship as a way of life in the Church in the Philippines via Zoom presentations. To date, Mila has presented at least 10 Zoom presentations on stewardship fir the Ignatian Institute for Religious Education Foundation, the parishes hosted by the San Lorenzo Ruiz Parish in the Diocese of San Pablo and the parishes in Northern Mindanao hosted by the CFM (Christian Family Movement. Four more presentations are on schedule in 2023 including January 30 and 31 for the RIN-L Vicariate in the Prelature of Infanta.
In the meantime, Charity Navigator in collaboration with Guidestar or Candid has given Metro Infanta Foundation a 100/100 and silver rating as well as a “Safe to Give” tagline. Our deepest thanks to all our long-time and new donors for making all this possible and helping make a difference in the lives of many in the Philippines and beyond. Special thanks to Amelia Ashmann, MD, for her long-time service too as secretary/treasurer.
If interested in helping make a difference in the poorest of the poor, please click the DONATE button above send your checks to Metro Infanta Foundation, 7350 Braun Way, Arvada, CO 80005.
