after a loooong toxic night at work, after a stat case i scrubbed in (and yes, i’m back to the sterile area…this time, it’s really bigtime… in Asian Hospital & Medical Center), when i was about to go home after receiving a phone call minding my business, an out patient accompanied by an admitting officer came to the holding area where i was the only one left as everybody was so busy with their own cases, knowing the fact that we’re understaffed, i can’t help but blame myself to have stayed in that place at that time… i met this great man, whom i never thought of as great as this…
Fil-Am retiree gives back to Cavite by sponsoring 23 college scholars
June 28, 2008 6:11 amLOS ANGELES — Many Filipinos leave the Philippines to pursue their dreams, and many of them find the success they so desired in their youth. But sadly, very few of these successful Filipinos look back to their roots and do something to improve the lives of those they left behind. Abelardo Estacion of Newport Beach is one of those few.
Estacion, now 74 and well into his third retirement, had worked hard all his life to attain the success and security that he now enjoys, and now he wants to help other people from his homeland, particularly in his home province Cavite, get the opportunity to attain their dreams, too. Estacion has put up a foundation from his personal money to sponsor scholars through their college education in the Philippines.
At present, the Estacion Foundation has 23 college scholars, most of them graduates of his alma mater, the Cavite National High School in Cavite City, where as a teenager, Estacion worked to help his poor parents raise a family of seven (5 sons and 2 daughters).
His father worked in the US Navy at the old Sangley Point Naval Base in Cavite City as a mechanic, while his mother kept busy as a housewife, housekeeper and mother. Estacion attended public schools in Cavite. Like most other families, there was no money for his college education and so he worked as a truck driver in Cavite, servicing Sangley Point.
When he was 20, Estacion joined the US Navy and spent two years as a kitchen steward, until he was honorably discharged. He made sure to send all of his monthly income to his mother, except for $5 for his personal needs.
Upon leaving the service, instead of going home to the Philippines, he took advantage of the GI Bill, which financed the college education of American servicemen, and went to Pepperdine University for four years and received a B.S. degree in Accounting in 1960.
In 1980, after working for 20 years as accountant and later plant controller at Rheem Manufacturing Company in Culver City, CA, Estacion opted for early retirement than relocate to New York, where the headquarters of the new owners of the company was located. He collected a total of $237,000 representing his share in the profit sharing plan and termination bonus for 20 years of service. He didn’t know what to do with the money. He talked to his cousin in the Philippines, Manolo Estacion, then a vice-president at Hongkong Shanghai Bank, about putting $200,000 in an investment. Manolo invested the money, and Estacion went on with his life.
In 1982, Abby went back to work as an in-house consultant for David A. Boyle Engineering. After 12 years, he retired again from Boyle Engineering, but on the same year, he joined another company, Pacific Lighting Sales, also as a consultant. In 2001, he finally decided to retire, this time for good.
He made plans to retire in Cavite, and went back home to explore his options in 2002, almost 22 years after putting his money in the investment managed by his cousin Manolo. Manolo told him that he had become a multi-millionnaire in Philippine standards, and that his investment had grown at a minimum of 10% a year and the cumulative result was enormous.
Estacion, again, didn’t know what to do with the money. He told Manolo he didn’t need that much money. He is receiving more than sufficient pension from his more than 40 years of working in the United States. He wanted to spend a big chunk of the money to give back to his country, particularly to his home province of Cavite.
Accompanied by Manolo, Estacion visited Cavite National High, and asked the school administrators what he could do to help, since some of the classrooms were inadequate and in state of disrepair. He was shown three rooms without windows or ventilation, and could, therefore, not be used. Estacion hired a contractor to install windows, fans, and combo desk-chairs so the classrooms could be used. The rooms are now being used as science rooms.
The principal also told him that several outstanding graduates could not go to college, for lack of money to pay tuition and other expenses. He immediately decided to set up the Estacion Foundation and asked the school counselor to send him information regarding those deserving students. He then established the first scholarships of P40,000 (about $1,000) per semester for two worthy, but needy students. In addition, he gave four more scholars partial scholarships to college (P10,000 each for two, and P7,500 each for the other two). Over the years, he has continued to send scholarship money and now has 23 scholars in college.
He sponsors at least six new scholars every year from Cavite (three males and three females), most of who are first-born children.
In addition to the scholarship money, Estacion gave incentives to the scholars to encourage them to study harder. He gave P1,000 for every a grade that they obtained. In time, Estacion was putting more and more money because most of the scholars got many A’s. When the price of rice soared, Estacion decided he would give a portion of the cash incentives in cavans of rice so that the family would also benefit from the high grades.
Most of Estacion’s scholars came from Cavite National High School except for a few who were also granted scholarships because they were deserving and were also in need, including one who is taking up nursing at the Orange Coast College in California. Another one is from Bicol, whose mother requested Estacion to help her bright daughter study in college.
Estacion recently returned from his 57th year high school reunion at Cavite National High where he was honored by the school’s staff, students, and all of the 23 scholars that he sponsors.
A 17-year member of the Santa Ana Elks Lodge, Estacion was also recently honored as “Elk of the Year” and presented with a plaque by outgoing Exalted Ruler, Cliff Thompson.
Estacion spends most of his time playing golf with friends from the Elks Club and taking care of his special friend of 19 years, Dortha Lamb, who is suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease. He occasionally visits his six grandchildren from his three equally successful children — Mark Estacion, a PhD holder in biophysics, who is now conducting cancer research at Yale University in Connecticut; Richard Estacion, a chemist for National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in Maryland; and Scott Estacion, personnel manager of Home Depot and based in Vista, California. Mark has two children, Richard has three, and Scott has one.
“My children are all doing well, and they have given me their blessing to undertake my mission of helping underprivileged, but brilliant children back home,” Estacion proudly says. He said that his sons have promised to pursue his mission long after he is gone.
“I wish many more Filipinos who have found their dreams in America or any other place in the world would also look back to their homeland, and help our poor people make something of their lives in whatever way they can,” Estacion said. “We owe it to our country and to our kababayans.”
Reference: Ang Peryodiko http://angperyodiko.net/?p=223&preview=true
though at first i didn’t have any idea that this man is SOMEBODY, i tried to build rapport, first as it is a part of my work and to lessen up the burden of having the thought that both my night teammates had already gone home, and secondly to decrease my patient’s anxiety which is really typical for someone undergoing a surgical procedure. i was so lucky and blessed to have a personal encounter with such a great man. he even invited me to his party for his scholars, his so-called “children” in a mall soon. i didn’t know but i got a feeling thathe’s not just someone, but he is somebody! now that i had just gone home, i immediately browsed his name through the net…and i my hunches had never got me wrong! 🙂
this toxic night shift and overtime duty has really had me blessed. i paid off! 😀
You deserve better than someone who is afraid to commit to you. It may seem like enough for now. You’re just taking things slow. Oh, how I know those little phrases of “one day” and “we just need time.”
c o l l e J A n n : o g e - r e t l a y m 