On board the ‘‘Bicol Express’’
FUNFARE By Ricardo F. Lo
The Philippine Star 02/12/2007
1. About 70 reptile species, including snakes and lizards, can reproduce asexually. What is the technical term for this kind of self-fertilization?
2. What’’s the name of the Philippines’’ first solar-powered car?
3. In statistics, what is the value in an ordered set of values below or above which there is an equal number of values?
4. What is the science which deals with matter and energy and their interactions?
5. From what book is the famous line "love is patient, love is kind" taken?
Blush, blush, blush! I wouldn’’t have known what the answers (found at the end of this column) to these questions were if I didn’’t go with young Bicolano philanthropist Francis Padua Papica (who heads his own foundation) on a "mercy mission" to his native Camarines Sur and Albay which were badly hit by Typhoon Reming late last year.
I want to call Francis’’ project the "Bicol Express" because, instead of channeling the gift packs (of rice and canned goods, thousands of them) through government agencies and risking being snagged by "red tape," he flew in from L.A. (where he’’s a practising lawyer) and, along with his celebrity friends, personally delivered the goods to the typhoon victims.
I cried when I saw the film clips of the destruction wrought by Typhoon Reming in Bicol because the places shown on TV were familiar to me. Although I come from Northern Samar (Las Navas town), my two brothers and I studied at the Tabaco Pei Ching School in Tabaco (now a city), Albay, I wept over the sad fate of the Bicolanos whose houses were stripped of roofs by strong winds that toppled trees and electric posts, and caused a horrible mudflow from the Mayon Volcano that wiped out one barangay in Albay and the national park around the steeple of the Cagsawa Church in Camalig, also in Albay, which was buried by an eruption decades ago.
So I didn’’t hesitate when Francis invited me and my Balikbayan journalist-friend Raoul Tidalgo (on leave from the New York-based The Filipino Reporter) to help distribute the goods and some of the 100,000 books (which Francis personally solicited from various publishing houses in the US) among selected high schools in Camarines Sur (and, later, in Marikina, Paraññaque, Tondo and other places in Metro Manila and Rizal). The twin projects —— Read to Live, Libro Ko, Para Sa’’yo 2007; and Damay 2007 Typhoon Disaster Relief —— marked the 10th anniversary of the Francis Padua Papica Leadership Foundation. With us were sportscaster Paolo Trillo and Rissa Mananquil-Samson, president of the Professional Models Association of the Philippines (PMAP) which raised money for additional relief goods. Two days earlier, Vince Hizon and his pregnant wife, TV newscaster Patricia Bermudez, were also in Bicol for the same purpose.
To liven up the book distribution, Francis and company hosted a quiz game and awarded books of their choice to the winners. It was at the Camarines Sur National High School (CNHS, said to be the biggest in Bicol with more than 5,000 students) in Naga City where the quiz was extended and the five questions (from among several) at the start of this story were taken.
I must congratulate the bright students of CNHS and the four other schools we visited (Sulpicio Roco High School in Bombon; Union National High School in Sto. Domingo, Calabanga; San Juan National High School in Libmanan; and Juan F. Trivino Memorial High School in Pasacao).
The two-day foray to the schools gave our group a front-seat view of the region’’s sad state, very evident as soon as we landed at the Naga Airport with almost one half of the roof ripped off. Along the road to far-flung places, our hearts melted at the sight of houses without walls and/or roofs and, on the way to the Legaspi Airport for our flight back to Manila, thousands of dead coconut trees that looked like remains of wild fire.
In fact, the extent of that killer typhoon was visibly reflected in the eyes of the (especially the poor) Bicolanos who looked very sad even if they were smiling —— and in the dark clouds that covered Mayon Volcano which refused to show itself during our two-day stay in Bicol (much to the disappointment of first-time visitors like Raoul, Rissa and Paolo).
How I wish that stars from Bicol would follow Francis’’ example and pool their resources to alleviate the plight of their fellow Bicolanos.
So far, the only showbiz guy I’’ve heard of who has gone to Bicol is Gary Valenciano who, as UNICEF National Ambassador, visited and did shows in Camalig and Guinobatan towns in Albay as part of the UNICEF’’s relief and rehabilitation efforts in the typhoon-ravaged areas.
You wonder, is Francis motivated into doing this by any political ambition?
"No," said Francis who finished grade school and high school in Goa (Camarines Sur) and Law in a US school "with honors."
"I’’ve been through hardships myself," added Francis, "and now that I can, I want to help and inspire students not only in Bicol but all over the country to strive; I want to encourage them to read, read, read."
In May, the FPPFI caravan plans to distribute books and school backpacks in Mindanao in time for the school opening. In June, the foundation will launch the Second Mga Kuwentong Pambata ng Papica Foundation National Short Story Writing Contest. (For more information, visit www.papicafoun-dation.com or email fppfi@yahoo.com.)
Incidentally, the Damay 2007 was made possible with the cooperation of the St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church, Chino Hills, California; The Vince Hizon Foundation; RMN DWNX Naga; Rotary Club Naga; Philippine Coast Guard Auxillary; Saga Events; Fashion & Design Council of the Philippines; Professional Models Association of the Philippines; Steak Productions; and The Young Designers Guild of the Philippines.
And now, the answers to the five questions:
1. Parthenogenesis
2. Sinag
3. Median
4. Physics
5. The Bible
* * *E-mail reactions at rickylo@philstar.net.ph
PHILIPPINE INQUIRIER, Sunday Magazine, September 3, 2006
Sunday Inquirer Magazine September 3, 2006
You are here: Home > Showbiz & Style > Sunday Inquirer Magazine FOR A CAUSE
This overachiever thinks making a difference …
… is still the best self-affirmation By Ruel S. De Vera
Inquirer
Last updated 00:00am (Mla time) 09/03/2006
Published on page Q5 of the September 3, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
WHAT is it that drives achievers? Is it something genetic or spiritual? More to the point, what is it that transforms prodigies into success stories later in life?
Francis Padua-Papica believes it is something more homebound. “It was a product of good upbringing,” the 38-year-old lawyer explains. “I give full credit to my parents for pushing me to succeed even at an early age. I somehow always had the foresight of knowing it was necessary to work hard, aim high, dream big and have fun in the process.”
If you’re cynical and consider what Papica just said to be platitudes or clichés, then take a deep breath. Ready?
By the time Papica graduated from high school at St. Paul Academy in Goa, Camarines Sur in 1985, he was the grade school, and later high school, valedictorian, the student council president, cadet corps commander, the Paulinian of the Year, the Jose Rizal Gold Eagles Awardee for best Boy Scout, and president of the Kabataang Barangay. He also played piano in school and led the drum and bugle corps.
Gotten your breath back? Good. Read on.
After relocating to the United States for college, Papica graduated from the University of California at Los Angeles in 1989 with a degree in Art History, cum laude. He was also the departmental awardee, a Ford Foundation and Mellon Foundation scholar, the Chancellor Marshall Awardee for service, a member of the Golden Key National Honor Society and the president of the Samahang Pilipino.
Wow. Wait, that’s not all. Seriously.
Poor but deserving
In 1991, Papica earned his Juris Doctor degree from Syracuse University in 1991, cum laude, as a Holcomb Scholar, a scholar of the Council on Legal Education Opportunity, Executive Editor of the Syracuse Journal of International Law and Commerce, and a member of the Syracuse Student Senate.
Which just about brings us to the present.
Papica is currently based in Los Angeles as a junior partner of the Nordstrom, Steele, Nicoletter, Blythe & Jefferson law offices, where he handles lawsuits. By the time you’re reading this article, he will be winding up a three-day visit to the Philippines.
Papica is often in the country leading the work of the Francis Padua-Papica Foundation, Inc. (FPPFI), a non-profit organization he founded in 1997 to help poor but deserving Filipino students. In fact, he was just here a month prior to this visit for the same reason. By the way, he also received the Gawad Geny Lopez Jr. in 2004 for his community work.
The eldest of three children born to the late dentist Dr. Juan Pinto Papica and retired pharmacist Maria Padua Papica, Francis John Melvin Padua-Papica grew up in Camarines Sur. “I thoroughly enjoyed the closeness of friendships often found in small towns, the simple business of rural life and the comforts of family,” he says.
Part of that experience was being an honor student early. “It was all a matter of priorities,” Papica says. “During school hours, academics reign supreme. After school hours, the real fun begins.” This balancing act took up a lot of his time but also trained him to be focused.
At 17, he moved to the US to rejoin his family. “Once I accepted the fact that it was a new life, a new world, adjustment came really easy,” he recalls. The major change occurred when Papica’s father passed away in 1987. “I give lots of credit to my mom for singlehandedly ensuring the future of us kids by working two jobs,” Papica says, adding that he also began working to help out. “I had to face up to the fact that I was the oldest in the family.”
More assertive
At UCLA, he continued to do well though he needed to become even more assertive in speaking up in the classroom. “Inasmuch as English was not my primary language, I had to make a conscious effort to fit in,” he notes.
When the time came to choose a vocation, he was a bit conflicted. He was torn between medicine and law. In fact, he had been admitted to the University of Santo Tomas for pre-med and the University of the Philippines for law back in the Philippines. After a meaningful chat with the guidance counselor and several career tests, he chose law. “Looking back now, I believe I made the right decision,” Papica says.
This high power lawyer may have been in the States for over 20 years now, but he steadfastly remains a Filipino citizen. Yes, seriously. “I am one hundred percent Filipino in mind and deed,” he says. “I am also a proud probinsyano.”
Lest you think it’s all just ego-tripping, Papica has put his work where his name is. In 1997, he founded the FPPFI in his hometown of Goa. All he wanted to do was make a difference, he says. “God has blessed me with so much, the least I could do was give a little in return.” He didn’t think the Foundation would grow so big, but he is happy it has happened.
Fitting goal
The FPPFI pursues projects that promote leadership, a fitting goal for someone like Papica who had been class president from Grade One to Fourth Year. “We need to develop strong, intelligent and morally upright leaders,” Papica clarifies. “Good leaders are agents of change.” One large part of the FPPFI’s push is its scholarship program, which provides full or partial help to outstanding student leaders engaged in service. This is with the four-year FPPFI College-Bound Program. Then, there is the FPPFI Leadership Achievement Award for graduating high school students. Aside from that, the Foundation pursues literacy and leadership programs, medical missions and the like. Every year, the Foundation sponsors the Youth Leadership Conference, which gathers student leaders from all over the country. Grouped by respective districts, the students draw up projects (livelihood, for one), with each chosen project receiving a startup fund.
Seems too good to be true, but Papica is endlessly optimistic about what he’s setting out to do. He is sanguine about choosing to name the Foundation after himself. “I needed to come up with a name people could identify with, and I figured, I grew up in Goa and they know me there,” Papica explains. “I figured people would support and identify more with a foundation they know was started by one of them, a true Goano, a true Bicolano.”
No ego trip
He stresses it isn’t an ego trip on any level. “People ask me if I’m running for office, and it has crossed my mind but I don’t see it on the horizon,” he admits. “I started the Foundation with the genuine desire to make a difference.” That means commuting between the US and the Philippines regularly, about four to six times a year on the average. “I always come here on Foundation business so I never really get to go on a real vacation,” he says. But his favorite destination is never in question. “I would love to go back and settle here.”
Traveling is something he does enjoy in the little free time he has. “I just came back from Europe for the World Cup,” he says, adding that he’s brushing up on his Spanish for a South American sojourn next year. “After that, I intend to learn French,” he says. Papica has also been a scuba diver for the past eight years and avidly plays golf and tennis. See, he even multi-tasks when he’s having fun.
Long-term, he does have plans of marrying and settling down. “Perhaps in the next two years,” he hints. But mostly Papica is focused on the Foundation. His current big project is the “Mga Kuwentong Pambata ng Papica Foundation,” a national short story writing tilt for children aged 6-12. The winner gets published in a book, gets a boxful of books and P10,000.
Gratitude
In November, the Foundation will hold a fundraising concert. “Every single cent generated from those two events will be earmarked solely for the purchase of books and school supplies for the next school year,” he says. “Nothing will be retained by the Foundation.” In February, the FPPFI conference rolls out yet again. And so on.
Papica says what really keeps him going is “the gratitude from the countless kids who write and e-mail me thanking me for what the Foundation has done for them. Knowing that I have made a difference in the life of a young person is the best self-affirmation and recognition I could think of.”
Papica’s struggle is also one against cynicism, pessimism and lip service. He has a list of goals that is longer and more impressive than his resume and understands what it asks of him. “It is my life’s destiny,” he says simply.
After just three days here, he will be returning to the US. But not to worry, Francis Padua-Papica will be back soon, he promises: “The Philippines is still my home.”
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For more information about the Foundation and the contest, please log on to www.papicafoundation.com.
Taken from Phillipine Star, August 23, 2006
The hero within
DIRECTLINE By Boy Abunda
The Philippine Star 08/23/2006
"Give a man fish and you feed him for a day; teach him how to fish and you feed him for life." It is an age- old adage lawyer Francis Padua Papica has been practicing in his life. A Bicolano based in the US with a lucrative law practice, he founded and has been bankrolling the Francis Papica Foundation, one that does not only see deserving kids through school via scholarships, but furthers the twin advocacy of literacy and leadership.
"Filipino kids are innately intelligent and hard- working," Francis said in an interview. "And the only reason they sometimes do not succeed in life is because they lack direction and opportunity. To give opportunity and direction to as many kids as possible is our sole aim." It’s not lip service for the 38 year-old Bayaning Pilipino awardee. When the Francis Papica Foundation started, they only had about 100 students participating in their seminars and leadership conventions. This year, they will be having close to a thousand young students in attendance.
"The seminars have successful people from different fields talk about their stories. These inspire kids and give them ideas on what path they can take to make something of themselves,"he says. "As they say, all fire comes from a flicker." Personalities who shared their stories and precious time in the past included, Martin Nievera, Dick Gordon, Leandro Muñoz, Korina Sanchez, Nene Pimentel.
In line with this, the Francis Papica Foundation has a Read to Live program that encourages kids to read books. Annually, about 100,000 titles are shipped directly from the US that Francis solicits personally from US publication houses. "Reading is important. It’s for everyone and not just for nerds," says he. "Reading broadens the vocabulary and more importantly contributes to how people think about themselves and the world. Let’s face it, not everyone can afford to travel to learn about life first-hand. Most of the time, it’s only through pages of books that people can reach all corners and cultures of the world."
The Read to Live program, Francis proudly says, has been a sustainable project for several years now. Francis also realizes follow through is what really makes the difference. An example of this is the launching of a story writing contest by kids and for kids dubbed Mga Kwentong Pambata ng Papica Foundation. Winning stories on any theme submitted by kids between six to 12 years old will be compiled into a single book to be published later this year.
All proceeds will be used to buy school supplies such as backpacks, erasers, pencils, etc. Winning authors get P10,000 each. "It’ a small amount by adult standards but that’s not the point," he says. "What’s important is for kids to realize they can make a difference."
Entries may be submitted to Backroom at Rm. 206 CRM Bldg., Kamias cor. Kasing kasing St., Quezon City up to Sept, 15. In November, Papica Foundation will launch the compilation of winning short stories via a concert featuring top artists including Pops Fernandez and Piolo Pascual.
Francis has also been sending students through college by paying for their tuition fees and some as foundation scholars. Francis Papica Foundation also offers livelihood programs providing financial assistance to those who want to go into small-time businesses. "God really provides when you are doing what He wants," says Francis. "Whenever we have a project and finances are dire, He provides." Sometimes it’s I suddenly negotiate for a settlement. Other times, strangers who have heard of what we are doing call from out of the blue offer to help. Money comes via miracles."
The vision of the Foundation could only come from someone like Francis. A success story himself, he migrated to the US when he was 16 to take up a course on Asian History in UCLA. On the side, he took up a job as janitor. "It was really hard in the beginning because I came from a middle income family," he says. "Back here, I never would have cleaned a toilet bow. We had househelp do household chores for us."
But the experience taught Francis invaluable lessons including how to value money and appreciate hard work. Later, Francis would graduate cum laude and then go on to finish Law also a cum laude. He now works in a company where he is the lone Filipino in a group of Americans who all marvel at his endeavors here. "Some ask me, ‘Why are you doing this?’ and I tell them ‘Because it feels right.’ They point out that with my hard-earned money I spend on the Foundation, I could have bought a third house or perhaps another car or use it for travels around the world. But doing my share for my country is more fulfilling than all of the above," he says.
There’s nothing Francis would like more than to live in the Philippines. Despite its problems, Francis says, he is proud of his country. To this day, he still has not given up his Filipino citizenship. But settling here is something that’s far from happening.
"I’d love to be here but what would happen to the foundation if I choose to do that?" he asks. "What I earn abroad allows me to be of help to others." It’s the classic mindset of the Overseas Filipino Worker. Of heroes. So everyday, Francis Papica looks at his Filipino passport. And he smiles.
Taken from Manila Bulletin, March 7, 2006
DOING WELL & DOING GOOD
A young Filipino lawyer chooses to come back and reach out to his roots
There are those who leave and never look back.
But then again, there are those who come back and wholeheartedly give back.
Lawyer Francis Papica is one good news to counter the disheartening Philippine diaspora. At 37, Papica has chosen to do well and do good in the here and now, not waiting until he has grown grey hair or has built immeasurable, disposable wealth to start reaching out to his countrymen.
Two decades of stay in the United States erased nothing of Papica’’s Filipino-ness.
A true-blooded Bicolano from Goa, Camarines Sur, Papica has made it his personal mission to empower the youth in Bicol through his foundation that is guided by its commitment to leadership, scholarship and community service.
‘‘’’I come here at least seven times a year to work on the different projects of the foundation. Coming home and buckling down to work is always something I look forward to,’’’’ says Papica, a junior partner at the Los Angeles, California - based law offices of Nordstrom, Steele, Nicolette, Blythe and Jefferson.
Papica’’s spirit to help had been honed way back as a young boy in Camarines Sur. He graduated at the top of his class at St. Paul Academy in Goa, Camarines Sur where he was an all-around student leader. He went to the University of California, LA (UCLA) for college and graduated cum laude, and then on to the Syracuse University in New York where he also finished on top of the class.
In 1997, Papica, with a lot of help from his family and friends, decided to put up a foundation that will primarily give scholarships to deserving students in this province, acknowledge and inspire future leaders, go on medical missions, and of late, promote literacy through active reading. The Francis Padua Papica Foundation to date has graduated six students from Bicol region.
READ TO LIVE‘‘’’I personally believe that one cannot get thru life without reading. It is even in the Bible, where you must read to live. Reading is something that the Filipino children need to improve their lives,’’’’ explains Papica during the launch of the Read to Live program.
The program aims to distribute books, mostly brand new, to various public schools in the country. Thousands had already been farmed out to schools in Sampaloc and Pasig, Batangas, the Bicol Region, Iloilo and Cagayan de Oro. Exhausting his resourcefulness and using his connections, Papica intends to gather more to benefit more Filipino children in the remote provinces.
‘‘’’I just do not tire of writing people to ask for donations,’’’’ Papica smilingly reveals. ‘‘’’Laway lang ang kapital sabi nga.’’’’
His relentlessness is paying off. Giant publishing firms like Random House and Simon & Schuster had donated crates and crates of books. About 8,000 copies of the Little Golden Books have also been solicited for distribution to elementary schoolchildren.
Papica also sees to it that he networks with the right people so that the books get to the right hands. In Naga City, for instance, he linked up with the city’’s first lady Leny Robredo who personally saw to it that the books went straight to schools and public libraries. In Cagayan de Oro, he coursed the program through Senator Nene Pimentel.
This young legal eagle know the power of reading too well. Away from his legal tomes, Papica likes to be taken to places that he has never been to before, to the elaborate kingdoms of kings and queens, and the mystic lairs of extraordinary creatures like dragons. All these through reading of course.
‘‘’’I am into fantasy books, the type which can take me anywhere just with the use of my imagination,’’’’ Papica shares.
He digs the fantasy works penned by young author Christopher Paolini such as ‘‘’’Eragon’’’’ and ‘‘’’Eldest’’’’, two in the ongoing Inheritance Trilogy. Of course, he admits he can’t run away from the legal thrillers of John Grisham.
Why is he doing all these when he could just be sitting comfortably at his posh office room in California, and living a stress-free life away from the troubles of his birth country? Many cynics are even very well imagining a political agenda in the offing.
Papica just smiles. ‘‘’’We have been doing this for years now. I just know in my heart that I want to give back and help. Before anything else, before a person becomes a scholar or a leader, he first has to be an intellectual. I am a believer of that. Reading will make him one and that is the reason why we are going into this now.’’’’
In 1999, for going beyond what was expected of him, for not hesitating to lend a hand to better the lives of Filipinos here and abroad, and for being one of the ordinary individuals who took it upon themselves to help the society by being of service to their fellowmen, Papica was honored a Gawad Geny Lopez Jr. Bayaning Pilipino Award.
Indeed for the selfless work that he continues to do in and out of the Philippines, Papica couldn’’t be more deserving to be called a modern-day Filipino hero.
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Taken from The Manila Times February 06, 2006 issue:
Knowledge Is Life
By Ayn Veronica L. de Jesus
If you had a chance to choose a mission, a chance to give back to the community that nurtured you, what would you choose to do?
The US-based Filipino lawyer Francis Padua Papica chose to give out books. By launching the Read to Live, Libro Ko Para Sa ‘Yo program, he aims to give to the youth of Bicol, where he spent his elementary and high school years, the same opportunities he had as a student.
Papika also hopes that by distributing reading materials and raising awareness to the written word, children will discover the joys of reading. “We want children to know that reading is good, reading is fun and reading can take you places,” Papica said.
The program was initiated by The Francis Padua Papica Foundation Inc. in 2004 to benefit various schools in Bicol, “and it’s high time we do it nationwide.”
In tangible results, the foundation aims to distribute 100,000 reading materials by the end of 2006.
Man with a mission
A consistent outstanding student, Papica was a 1985 graduate of the Saint Paul Academy in Goa, Camarines Sur, where he left behind an act that would be hard to follow. He was student body president, corps commander and high-school valedictorian.
On obtaining a Ford and Mellon Foundation scholarship, he found the opportunity to do even better at the University of Los Angeles in California where he graduated cum laude in 1989 with a degree in history. Meanwhile, a Holcomb scholarship allowed him to enter law school in Syracuse Univeristy, New York, where he again graduated cum laude in 1992.
Today, Papica works as a senior partner in the law firm Nordstrom, Steele, Nicolette, Blythe and Jefferson, but is able to shuttle between the United States and the Philippines about eight times a year to fulfill his mission.
“I’m already a partner in the law firm, I have four months worth of leaves. I spend every minute of that in the Philippines.
“My partners are very supportive of me. When I go on leave, I can ask someone to cover for me.”
Celebrity spokespersons
To help spread the word about the noble project, the foundation tapped celebrities such as equestrienne Tony Leviste, model Jerome Hughes, basketball star Vince Hizon and sportscaster-wife Sharon Hizon.
Papica reveals that other celebrity spokespersons have expressed willingness to lend their talents to raise funds for the projects. Among them are Martin Nievera who had previously shared his talents to raise funds, Pops Fernandez, Willie Revillame—“who is my inaanak sa kasal [my godson in marriage]” says Papica. Politicians who have also expressed support include fellow Bicolano Rep. Chiz Escudero, Rep. Miguel Zubiri and Sen. Aquilino Pimentel.
To involve the government, the foundation formally agreed to coordinate youth-oriented projects with the National Youth Commission.
Accepting donations
Big name or not, Papica says anyone can make a difference with book or cash donations. Except for textbooks, any kind of reading material is accepted—children’s storybooks, romance, science fiction and magazines—for all ages and interests.
At the start of the program, Papica wrote to the major publishing houses such as Random House, etc.—and simply asked for book donations, not expecting to get any response. To his shock, the publishers sent thousands and thousands of books, including some 8,000 new copies from the Disney Publishing Co.
The foundation has also partnered with the University of Arizona to yearly ship to Bicol 100 balikbayan boxes of books, all of which will be divvied up to the province’s participating schools.
Papica also hopped from church to church, entreating devotees to donate books. From one congregation alone, he says collected six balikbayan boxes.
While the program is showing signs of growing to enormous proportions, Papica himself is not beyond picking up the book donations, packing them in boxes and shipping them to the Philippines. This year, the foundation will begin distributing books to public schools in Metro Manila (Sampaloc and Pasig), Batangas, Iloilo and Cagayan de Oro. The network will expand as the program grows.
“For eight years, I’ve been using personal funds to ship the books to the Philippines. But the effort is growing, and the foundation can use all the help it can get.”
“Nagpapakapal na nga ako ng mukha sa friends ko [I’m no longer embarrassed to ask for my friends’ help]. I drag them to my house and ask them to help me pack the books.”
Other programs
Established in 1997 with the vision of educating and empowering the Filipino youth to strengthen the nation, the foundation is the principles of leadership, scholarship and community service.
Among its ongoing programs are four-year scholarships to college students, which at the moment total 26. High school and college students are also eligible for the FPPFI Leadership Achievement Award if they show outstanding and consistent leadership and dedicated service to the school and community.
The group also organizes youth leadership conferences, with this year’s event carrying the theme “Smart Career Choices,” and having 1,500 registrants from 100 schools. The conference will be carried to various towns of Camarines Sur.
Speakers at the conventions include Senators Richard Gordon, Loren Legarda and Pimentel, Brig. Gen. Illuminado Aragon of the Philippine Army, Gov. Antonio Leviste, broadcast journalist Korina Sanchez, Escudero, and Hizon, among others.
A story-writing contest will be launched sometime this year to expand children’s interest not only in reading, but also writing. The contest will be open to children aged 6 to 12 years, with stories in Filipino and with a word count of between 800 and 1,500 words.
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Taken from Filipinas Magazine September 2005 issue:
Man with a Mission
By Romina Saha
Establishing his own foundation to help needy children get an education, Francis Papica keeps true to the saying, “it’s better to give than to receive.”
In 1997, Francis Padua Papica was 29, a bachelor, and had been a successful lawyer in Los Angeles for five years. Many men like him would have felt quite accomplished and ready to settle down. Instead, he felt something was still missing. He lay awake one night and realized that what was missing was not a wife, a new car, or more money. He felt that he needed a mission—to help other people.
Papica decided he would go back to his roots and share his skills and money with the children of his native Bicol. He sent his mother on a fact-finding mission to Naga City. She talked with the principals of the local public and private schools to see if there was any interest in sending their students to a leadership seminar. There was.
With P5,000 from his own pocket, Papica launched in 1997 the first Francis Padua Papica Foundation leadership conference. It was attended by 100 students. With that, Papica knew he had found his path to fulfillment.
The leadership seminars have been held every February since then. This year, 1,500 high school and college students participated.
Every year, Papica recognizes individual students with leadership awards—420 so far—and funds livelihood projects such as quail egg hatcheries and basket weaving in small communities. Recently, he granted P10, 000 each to five projects.
Papica has also started a “Read to Achieve” book donation program which he hopes to launch on a national scale. He has partnered with the University of Arizona to send home to Bicol 100 balikbayan boxes filled with used books every year, for distribution to the province’s libraries. Last year, the Disney Publishing Company donated 8,000 new books to his project.
Now 37 and still a bachelor, Papica has 26 full-time college scholars, eight years since he embarked on his mission. Just as in the beginning, he dips into his personal funds to pay for their education. He recently cancelled a trip to Europe in order to accommodate three more scholars “who were very needy.”
Surely, he must enjoy some tax benefits by donating to charity. Well, no. The foundation is not recognized as a non-profit organization in the U.S. Papica feels it is not worth the trouble of having to file an enormous amount of paperwork to register his foundation as a non-profit. He tried it in 2002 and was overburdened by the requirements. Instead, if his wards need more money for tuition, he just gives up some of his personal luxuries.
“I believe that the more you give, the more you receive,” Papica says.
So far, he has given an average of $20,000 of his income a year to pay for the various livelihood projects and scholarships granted by his foundation. In pesos, that’s equivalent to about P1.1 million, an amount that goes a long way in the Philippines.
Papica has so far resisted soliciting donations from private companies or individuals. He prefers to “avoid commercial or political affiliations” that may dilute his visions for his projects.
However, he is open to accepting help from personal friends such as singer Martin Nievera, who once volunteered to help raise funds. Nievera held a concert for free in 2001 and raised P100,000. Papica says Nievera recently offered to do another fundraising concert and that details are being worked out for this.
Other celebrity friends such as Pops Fernandez, Piolo Pascual and Willy Revillame have also pitched in occasionally.
Papica just had his first three graduates among his scholars, he proudly announces. One is now an engineer, one a nurse and another an accountant.
Jose C. Apuyan Jr., 20, one of Papica’s current scholars, will get his degree in mass communication soon. Apuyan’s story is quite typical of those who have benefited from Papica’s support.
“I live in a far-flung area,” Apuyan says. “My parents were not able to earn a degree in college. That’s why they were not able to get decent jobs. They could hardly support us. I am the second child in the family. I have one brother and two sisters. We live in a place that is not yet industrialized due to lack of resources.”
Apuyan would not have been able to go to college without the scholarship grant of P100, 000 from Papica. The amount is spread out over the semesters. Apuyan must maintain an average of 88 and have no failing marks.
Apuyan, who is president of the student body at the Universidad de Santa Isabel in Naga City as well as a councilor of the local youth council, Sangguniang Kabataan, considers Papica his role model. He hopes that someday, he too would have his turn in public service. “I believe in Filipino youth,” he says. “If we would just work together, we could pass a better Philippines to the next generation.”
It seems that was the same idea that gave birth to the Papica Foundation.
Papica’s path to public service took roots in his youth after a tragic loss. Papica’s father, a dentist, had immigrated to the U.S. to pave the way for his family. Only a year and a half after Papica and his three siblings joined their parents in California, Papica’s father died of a heart attack. He was only 51.
Papica’s mother, Maria, a pharmacist, stepped up to the plate. She worked three jobs to support her three children. Papica, the oldest of the three, quickly became a man at 17.
Papica, who had graduated high school valedictorian from St. Paul Academy in his hometown of Goa, Camarines Sur, had taken responsible leadership roles in school as ROTC corps commander and Kabataang Barangay (youth council) chairman. But this time, his own family needed him.
So at 17, Papica took his first job—as janitor at a company called Micropage—where he cleaned bathrooms and floors and emptied trashcans.
“It was a very humbling but worthwhile experience,” he recalls.
“We had no money and we had to survive,” Papica says. “So I had to work harder both in the workplace and at school to be able to qualify for scholarships. Otherwise, I would never have finished school.”
Papica was a Ford and Mellon Foundation Scholar and earned his law degree, graduating cum laude, from Syracuse University in 1992. He had earned his bachelor’s degree also as cum laude from the University of California in Los Angeles in 1989.
His impressive credentials landed him a job at the Nordstrom, Steele, Nicolette and Blythe Law Offices, where he is now an associate handling personal injury cases.
Busy as he is, Papica manages to travel to the Philippines an average of four times a year to attend to his foundation meetings, leadership conferences and scholarship needs. Last year he flew there eight times.
While it is hard to imagine a California company that would allow an employee so much time off, Papica says his firm is very supportive of his personal projects.
Despite his incredibly packed schedule, Papica finds time to go out occasionally with friends, play tennis, golf, or go scuba diving. He also indulges once a week in his favorite pastime—watching movies. He gets by with five hours of sleep a day so he can do all these.
“My lifestyle requires excellent time management,” he says. Papica believes that when one works toward a goal and puts his heart and soul into it, “you can do it all.”
Such lifestyle also requires him to be very visible, prompting questions as to whether he has any political ambitions. Papica seems open to a political career: “I’ve always known that my destiny is in the Philippines. God has a very special plan for me and that is to make a difference in the lives of people. If there is a calling for politics, then perhaps time would tell if that path is indeed for me.”
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MARTIN NIEVERA on agreeing to sing for the Francis Papica and the Vince Hizon Foundation Charity Event - Philippine Inquirer
one of the reasons why I was so interested in this project is because I am given the chance to give back. I wasn't the best of students, but putting all things in it's proper place, I was the student who tried the hardest. well, at least I thought so.
when I was a kid growing up going to different schools here and there I took a lot of things for granted. like the efforts and moneys behind textbooks, pencils, musical instruments, even my favorite crayons. many times I found myself sitting on my desk day dreaming rather than studying. yup, that was me. now I have a chance to rewind the tape a bit and look closer into the efforts put into the educational programs of schools just like mine. only difference was, I was blessed with a family that could afford the things some take for granted. although some people may not be as blessed as others doesn't mean he or she is not as deserving. some just don't have the luxury of choice.
education is something you should take seriously. usually the ,"can affords," don't really know the true essence of what a serious education can offer. oh sure, there are some exceptions, but that's because they could afford to have exceptions. here in our own backyard, we have so many children who don't have the luxury to be an exception. the luxury to daydream on a desk, write in a textbook or pick up an instrument. like they say, you don't know the worth of what you have unless you never had it. we take things for granted.
well now is my chance to be an instrument for the children who deserve the same educational benefits any child of God deserves. through the Vince Hizon foundation, thanks to people like Francis Papica, I am now able to help open the window of opportunity for my less fortunate, but most deserving brothers and sisters. if my song can provide pride, passion and funds to better educate our future leaders of the world then my song becomes an instrument. if my song can move a people to generosity and compassion, then my song becomes magic. if my song opens doors and makes dreams come true, then I want to sing that song again and again! and I will do just that. on Nov. 10th. at the Captain's bar at the Mandarin hotel with Louie Ocampo and some friends. won't be the same without you.
thank you Vince Hizon! thank you Francis Papica! just 2 names on the top of a list of many that share the same vision. that have the same mission. that sing the same tune. now I know what my day dreaming was all about then. I knew one day I would make a difference in someone's life. now I have that chance. and so do you. let's make someone's dream come true together!
martin nievera
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Balikbayan with a heart of gold
By Toni S. Leviste of the Philippine Star’’s YS 02/18/2003
There are two kinds of people in this world: the talkers and the doers.
Unfortunately, most of our elected officials are talkers. This is why so
little gets done in our country. There are some people, on the other hand,
who make public officials look bad, unintentionally of course, simply by
doing what the former should be doing in the first place —— caring for the
citizens of this country. Francis Papica is one such person.
A lawyer based in Los Angeles, California, Francis has never forgotten his
Bicolano roots. He has made it a point to give back to the youth of his
native land, the same opportunities given him when his was a young dreamer
in the small town of Goa, Bicol. Armed with a law degree from Syracuse
University, Syracuse, New York, Francis proved to himself and to his
kababayans that "good guys don’’t have to finish last."
I first wrote about the Francis Padua Papica Leadership Foundation several
columns ago. I asked him why he comes every year to do all this. His
answer? "The glimmer of hope in the eyes of the kids." During his foundation’’s
fourth annual leadership convention, held in Pili, Bicol last week, I saw for
myself what Francis and his foundation are trying to achieve.
The convention was an all-day affair, beginning at 8 a.m., with speakers,
Sen. Loren Legarda, Sen. Aquilino Pimentel, Korina Sanchez who spoke on
various topics in the morning, while Francis, Vince Hizon and myself spoke
about coping with life’’s many challenges in the afternoon. This was
followed by an open forum which lasted until sundown.
Speaker after speaker, the thousand or more kids remained eager to listen
and asked intelligent, even insightful questions. I was touched by the hunger
for knowledge and inspiration of these Bicolano kids. I, too, saw the glimmer
of hope in their eyes. I understood why Francis flies several thousands of
miles across the ocean, donating a substantial amount of his hard-earned income
(not even tax deductible, since he works and earns in America) to organize,
not only an annual leadership convention with various key speakers each
year, but to promote other worthy endeavors to uplift the lives of his young
kababayans.
Aside from the convention, the foundation is granting college scholarships
to graduating high school students from schools all over Bicolandia. Each
accredited high school is given a free hand in selecting deserving students
who exemplify outstanding academic and leadership qualities. During last
week’’s convention, Francis awarded full college scholarships to 20 more high
school seniors, who may enroll at a college or university of his/her choiceanywhere in the Philippines, adding to over a hundred scholars of the
foundation to date.
The Francis Papica Foundation also sponsors livelihood projects in the same
accredited schools. These schools are granted P10,000, where the students
are given an opportunity to create their chosen "livelihood project" such as a
quail egg farm. The students are directly responsible for the project and
its income, with only an adult moderator monitoring the project.
The idea is to give young people a chance to take responsibility for and
learn the value of money. Each month, a certain amount from the project’’s
income is deposited in an account, until the entire capital is paid. This
amount is then used to fund another livelihood project, for either the same
or a different school. Such an activity not only teaches responsibility,
but also encourages creativity, ingenuity, and teamwork among young people.
Francis does not stop there. This year he has launched the foundation’’s
newest project: Read to Achieve. At the end of the year, he will sponsor a
concert, featuring some of the country’’s popular singers and bands (as he
did in 2001, when his foundation, in partnership with the Vince Hizon
Foundation, held back-to-back concerts in Manila). The entrance tickets to this
year-end concert cannot be paid in cash —— but by reading books. Through Francis’’
ceaseless efforts, he sends balikbayan boxes filled with donated books from
the United States, and distributes them to various schools around Bicolandia.
With cooperation from the teachers, each student is encouraged to read at
least five books until the end of the year. Each book that is read is
equivalent to one stamp on a ticket. Five stamps on said ticket will give a
student access to the year-end concert. What a great deal —— the student
is rewarded for reading and learning! Certainly, the long-term reward is the
enrichment of the mind.
Most, if not all of the projects of the Francis Padua-Papica Foundation,
can be a model for a nationwide campaign for promoting education and youth
achievement. Francis is not only an extraordinary balikbayan, he is an
extraordinary Filipino. Perhaps, he does not only make politicians in this
country look bad for not doing a better job, but makes many of us seem
inadequate. Certainly, this is not his intention, but through his example,
I have seen that "It is in giving of the self that one truly gives."
October - BicolMail - http://www.bicolmail.com/issue/october21/papica.html
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