March 19 Update

19 March 2004
Update by the Chairman of the Board
Engr. Rufino Bomasang

Dear Everybody,

The following are the significant developments since St. Mary's School was incorporated:

1. As a result of the visit to Sagada last Dec. 14, 2003 of Dr. Josette Biyo (the world famous science teacher who won the International Intel Award for Science Teaching in 2003 and who was honored by Massachusetts Institute of Technology by naming a newly-discovered planet after her), she has agreed to conduct a workshop on teaching strategies for 30 teachers and 30 students at SMS on April 12 to 14. She will be bringing with her 10 other trainors whom she has trained over the years. Incidentally, one of them and one of Dr. Biyo's high school students have just been chosen to represent the Philippines next month in science competitions in Portland, Oregon. Preparations for the workshop are well underway.

2. Brent Schools, Inc. has agreed to a sisterhood relationship with SMS during the annual retreat of the Boards of Trustees of various Brent schools last January 8-9,2004 in Baguio. Just yesterday (March 18), the board of Brent International School Manila passed its own resolution formally ratifying the sisterhood relationship. This relationship will mean donations from Brent of used but still useful computers, books, and laboratory equipment. Brent School itself will not make cash donations to SMS, but the board members themselves have expressed willingness to shell out their own personal funds to improve the facilities of SMS and they have already asked me to come out with the budget for badly needed building maintenance.. This was the result of their visit to SMS last Feb. 21. During the visit, Mr. Robert Kuan, Brent trustee and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of St. Luke's Hospital, also made a commitment to have St. Luke's extend further and more extensive assistance to St. Theodore's, provided it is incorporated and managed professionally. The upgrading of St. Theodore's is of importance to SMS, considering that one of the future plans is to go into tertiary education, starting with a school of nursing and health sciences.

3. Mr. Dennis Faustino, the Assistant Principal of International School in Manila and a long-time supporter of SMS, St. Theodore's Hospital, and St. James School has agreed to be the principal of SMS starting the school-year 2005-2006. He will bring to SMS not only his prestige, but his network of contacts in the Philippines and abroad, who could help in one way or the other. Because Dr. Faustino loves Sagada and has a home in Sagada, he has agreed to accept a "Sagada salary" and has even agreed to pay the salary of a newly-hired secretary, even if he has not yet started.

4. Two major energy companies, Philippine Geothermal and Petron, have agreed to sponsor the cost of bringing Dr. Biyo and her team from the Philippine Science High School in Iloilo to Sagada and back (about 105, 000 pesos), while Mayor Killip of Sagada has made a commitment for the Sagada municipal government ot take care of their board and lodging in Sagada. Dr. Biyo and her team will not charge professional fees

5. A Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the Diocese and St. Mary's School of Sagada, Inc. (SMSSI) effectively transferring the ownership and management of SMS to SMSSI has been finally signed. As a result, all the existing teachers with tenure will be retired by the Diocese and only those who re-apply and are qualified will be re-hired as teachers. Only three have re-applied and the rest will be selected from over 100 new applicants.

6. A new librarian has been finally hired.

In summary, I believe SMS has started moving towards the fulfillment of our common vision of making it the best in Mt. Province by 2008, best in the Cordilleras by 2013, and the school of choice for parents who desire and are willing to pay for quality education. As you will note from the above-mentioned developments, there are institutions, corporations, and individuals who are willing to help us.

During the transition period, particularly the first two years, however, SMS badly needs the support of all its alumni for its operating budget. One of the reasons why we have been able to get outside support is my oft-repeated statement that the SMS alumni in the Philippines and abroad all desire and support moves to revive the school's once glorious reputation as a quality institution. Outsiders have already responded positively. It is now high time that we, SMS alumni, back up our words with action. The most urgent need of SMS is to cover its projected deficit of about one million pesos a year. There are currently 3500 SMS alumni and assuming only 1000 of them are in a position to support SMS regularly during the transition period, all they need to pledge is an average of just 1000 pesos per person per year, or just 85 pesos (less than 2 dollars) a month. Ed Abeya has already committed a substantial amount to pay the new librarian's salary.We hope others will follow his lead. Any amount will be welcome.

Have a good day.