THE DELFINA M. SOLIJON ASSISTANCE AND SUBSIDY PROGRAM

By: Linda Vilma A. Ole

MSU-SDA Church, Marawi City, Philippines

The Delfina M. Solijon Assistance and Subsidy Program (DMSASP) is a program existing with in the MSU-SDA church that I am coordinating. The idea to help the less fortunate was planted when I had the experience of visiting USA and Canada in 2007.

My visit to the USA and Canada were made possible by the help extended by the MEDLIFE Foundation of the USA and the MOVE Foundation in the Philippines. It was an official visit and I was granted a four-months leave from Mindanao State University (MSU), Marawi City, Philippines.

In the US, I met the President of the MEDLIFE Foundation and I was able to attend the board meeting where the board members agreed on the plans to support scholars for Dansalan College of Marawi City and another set of scholars for Mindanao State University. It was this result that pushed some of the board members and encouraged me to get to Canada to find support for scholars at MSU to be supported by the Canadian MOVE members residing and working in Canada. If support can be generated from the SDA-MSUans from Canada then the number of students at MSU that can be supported by the foundation will increase.

The SDA-MSUans at Canada found it hard to register the MOVE Foundation in Canada. Canadian rules and policies regarding registration of foundations are strict. Although pledges were given, no actual support was generated because if the MOVE foundation will not be registered in Canada, then donations from the Canadian supporters will not enjoy tax deduction.

Yet, Filipino Canadians showed me their kind heart and helpful hands. When autumn came, I was a recipient of donations for me to be able to stand the cold. When I decided to stay for several months more so that I would experience winter and spring, I became a recipient of thicker and warmer clothes for winter and lighter clothes for spring! I did not spend a cent with the winter clothing, nor with the spring clothing that the Filipino Canadians (MSUans or not) shared with me.

Living in Canada for about ten months made me see the Filipinos in action. They worked hard, prayed hard, helped a lot and enjoyed a lot!  Just as I landed in Canada, in August 2007, the Migrinios in Toronto, Philip Dapar of Scarborough, the Maghiloms and the Catingans in Guelph Ontario pooled four hundred dollars to help me out.  I was wondering about the action….”How can they be so helpful? Aren’t they using the amount they are sharing with me?” I kept the money wondering what to do with it. Basically my needs were few and my wants in life were already tamed.

Winter in Canada pierced my soul. My Saturdays were spent with the Filipino Faith Fellowship (FFF) in downtown Toronto. They provided me the warmth of a Filipino Church. Although I was wishing to be home, their fellowship made me to bear the cold bite of winter and somehow their friendship made me feel I was not alone. It was associating with this fellowship that made me see the helping hands of the Filipinos in Canada more.

My birthday in Canada was made more joyful by the surprise that the FFF shared with me. They passed the hat and a birthday-gift-money was pooled. Again I was wondering what to do with that gift. And when FFF knew that I was leaving for home, again they passed the hat and about four hundred dollars were given me….I was wondering why I was given such amount…

Leaving for the Philippines in June 1, 2008,  Joy Gamponia, my landlady for ten months , handed me a hundred dollars with the suggestion for me to give that money to someone who is “very in need” as soon as I get home to the Philippines. 

Reaching the Philippines, I got so busy with my teaching, especially that I was slated to be back to the states for a month-leave for me to attend the MSU-SDA and Associates Convention in Missouri (July 2008). The request of Joy was put aside.  Yet, while I was about to leave for Missouri, news that the house of my friend, Sarah Sarona-Remorosa, (MSU-SDA Alumni) got burned reached me. Sharing the news with fellow MSU-SDAs at Missouri made me to decide to give Joy’s hundred dollar to her. When Esther Rosal of Toronto shared me a fifty dollar before we parted at Missouri, I decided then that the amount will be for Sarah.

Reaching home, I seek for Sarah and I handed her the 200 hundred dollars which I told her from Joy Gamponia, Esther Rosal and the Solijons of Canada. I included the Solijons because it was their generosity that made me reached the USA and Canada. Somehow, sharing what I have in the name of the Solijons is no longer foreign with me because I am indebted to them.

Settling back to teaching and associating with the MSU-SDA church made me see the needs of the church and its members. Even while I was in Canada, I was looking forward to help the members of the Church. I was thinking that the recipients of the MOVE-MEDLIFE Foundation Scholarships would somehow be from the MSU-SDA Church. Thus in December of 2007, the money that the Migrinios, Maghiloms, Catingans and Dapar gave me (C$ 400) was channeled to MOVE USA. I added a hundred to the amount hoping that C$500 would help a student for two years or two students for a year at MSU.

Sad reality struck me when I found that the MOVE Foundation in the Philippines have some problem with the SEC. They registered with a new name and the registration took sometimes. Aside from that the requirements that MSU stipulated for the MEDLIFE-MOVE Foundation to come up with were not met…. Thus, the dream I wove that was hinged on some big organization evaporated to thin air.

Yet reality told me that I must do something….

When the problem of the MSU-SDA graduating students (March 2009) regarding finances to support the Church’s Baccalaureate Service came into the open, I decided to part ways with some of  the dollars that  FFF in Toronto  gave me during Christmas of 2007  and during my departure in June of 2008. The amount made the graduating students very happy! And I know too that that made Jeddu Migrinio (and family), and the rest of the FFF happy! Then I shared the remaining amount of the FFF gifts with the Advent Professional Ministry (APM), to buy some tooth brushes, sachets of toothpaste and bath soaps for the children who attended the Vacation Bible School that was done during the period where an evangelistic effort was conducted by Pastor Goli at Wao, Lanao del Sur in April-May 2008. Looking at the expression of one of the children as he opened his gifts excitedly made me conclude that I made the right move! Seeing a bar of bath soap, the child said, “yes!” and closed the package quickly when their teacher said that they have to open their gifts after  the program.

It was also in Wao that I decided to part ways with the birthday gift that a friend gave me “When he suggested for me to buy JOY!”  Reaching home, I emailed him asking him if it would be okay for him to be the DONOR #1 of the DELFINA M. SOLIJON ASSISTANCE AND SUBSIDY PROGRAM that I am planning to have with in the MSU-SDA Church. Receiving his “yes” I know I am in the right track.

I choose the name of “Delfina M. Solijon” because Mommie Solijon was instrumental of the growth of the MSU-SDA church. It was her who gave bible studies to the friends of Georgia M. Solijon, when  “Ate Gie” (as we fondly call her) comes home to Lagonglong tagging her friends along. The conversion to the SDA faith of Rocaya Macmod, Sonia Cubero, Adriano Salvador, Romeo Milan, and Calixto Inao were made possible by the efforts shared by Mommie Solijon. The pioneering members of the MSU-SDA Church were the fruits of Mommie’s effort. Somehow, the choice of the name of the program was due to the idea “to help”. The church was helped by Mommie before and that “help” could generate more help from the MSU-SDA alumni that could be given to the younger members of the MSU-SDA Church now. The idea that pioneers of MSU-SDA Church reaching out to touch the younger ones with in the church simply thrilled me. A touch of LOVE, so they say.

Personally, my experience in Manila from June 1975-November 1976 made me to decide more on the name. Although Mommie Solijon did not give me money during those times, her presence in my life during those periods (that I was all alone in Manila) is priceless!  And I came to Canada due to Mommie’s desire for me to come (so, they say) and I saw how the Filipino SDAs helped each other, and help the ones that has just landed. I was a recipient of their love, warmth and generosity. Now I know why I have to experience those events in Canada. The experience made me to understand that the meaning of being ALONE and being HELPED in Canada and in MSU are  basically the same .

As of now, the recipients of the DMSASP include the MSU-SDA Church pastor Dindo Paglinawan, Renato Gonzaga (a student of CPC of MSU), Jonathan Linaza (a BS Physics graduating student of MSU), Reymor Pornea-Aaron (son of Felicitas Pornea or Manang Timnah, who is a first year high school student at Wao, Lanao del Sur), and Betty Nery Gohel who lost her husband last June 4, 2009.

The program was originally planned to be supported by my yearly thirteenth month pay from the University (that could only support two students for a year) but with help from friends and MSU-SDA Alumni, the number of recipients for this academic year is greater than one.

I am thanking the donors and supporters of the “Delfina M. Solijon Assistance and Subsidy Program (DMSASP)” for helping me to help others in my surroundings.  I am praying you would be blessed by wealth but more HEALTH.  May your tribe increase!