THIS YEAR, the Ateneo Alumni Association (AAA) will not only be a community and network of the University’s alumni, but an official Non-Government Organization (NGO).
A certification of being an NGO was conferred to the AAA by the Philippine Council for NGO Certification (PCNC) early this year.
“With that certification, we now have a Donee Institution Status, meaning we are one of the NGOs [that is] recognized to have a legitimate cause for people [or] sponsors to send in their donations to,” said former Executive Director Jill Campo.
According to the website of PCNC, such a status ensures the promotion of professionalism, as well as promises supplementary assistance for the organization’s improvement.
One leap forward together
Campo said, “PCNC’s role is to make sure that these NGOs are what they say they are and not fly-by-night organizations who collect donations and keep to themselves.”
She stressed that the certification all the more assures donors that their donations will be in good hands and put to good use.
Donors themselves will actually benefit from donating to the AAA, according to the current Executive Director Jesica Santos.
She said, “With the PCNC accreditation, the AAA can now offer its donors tax incentives under the Comprehensive Tax Reform Program. Donations to Donee institutions are tax-deductible and are exempt from donor’s tax.”
However, donations from such donors are subject to limited deductibility, 10% and 5% for individual and corporate donors, respectively.
Gunning for distinction
Campo said that, with around 60,000 NGOs in the Philippines, the certification would make the AAA stand out from the rest. She added that “the certification adds another level of integrity to what the AAA represents.”
This can be seen in its projects, where a majority of the organization’s efforts are geared toward the benefit of the Gawad Kalinga Villages, such as the one in Molave, Payatas.
Alumnus Josemaria Claro (AB Psy ‘04) said that he knew a lot of people who benefited from the AAA. “Knowing a lot of classmates and schoolmates who were scholars helped by AAA, it will not hurt if the AAA is able to enjoy the status of a Donee institution.”
Men and women for others
For alumna Barbara Magallona (MA Edu ‘09), the status may mean greater awareness of the projects of AAA. She also thinks that more students will learn about these and hopes that they help out as well.
She said, “The school always encourages its students to be ‘men-for-others.’ I think this is a good opportunity for the student body to see one of the University’s offices spearhead projects designed for the common good.”
Campo further emphasized that the certification is an affirmation of the past accomplishments and ongoing projects of the AAA, saying that the organization has been true to what it was established for.
“It [AAA] proved to be true to its mission, which is to be of service to its alumni, the Ateneo community, and the Filipino community, both here and abroad. We have proven that in our small means, even with very limited funding, the AAA has been granting services that are of importance to its constituents,” she said.
Alumna Ellery Magbato (BS Mgt ’10) said “[The certification] stabilizes and confirms the identity of the AAA as not only an association within the Ateneo community, but also a group that reaches out to the outside,” she said.
