Written By Florencio Guinhawa
To “Pay It Forward” was a dream hatched in 2005 like the title of a movie. Today, 19 years later, it is still a reality. I hope that my children and my alumni scholars will continue the program. I hope the scholarship program will serve as motivation and encouragement for other Pinoys to start their own programs better, bigger, and more compassionate.
My roots started in 1952 when as a 7-year-old, I was adopted by my mother’s younger sister. I moved from Batangas to Pasay City where I finished my elementary and secondary education. It was at Jose Abad Santos High School where I met Carlos Chan who gave me a job at age 16. Carlos later became one of my benefactors in my scholarship program.
I enrolled in 1961 and graduated in 1970 with a BSChE from MIT. It was 9 years of work, studies, and family since I got married in 1966. The marriage produced three lovely children of 2 boys and a girl.
My family and I immigrated to the United States in November 1973. In the USA, life presented a challenge in my personal and health life. In 1977, I was divorced and granted custody of my 3 children. In 1979, my boys and I moved to Houston, Texas while my daughter stayed with her mother. After a few job changes, in 1981, I settled at Bechtel Corporation where I was a Control Systems Engineering Design Supervisor. I worked globally for Bechtel for over 39 years until 2020 when I was retrenched due to Covid-19.
In 1977, I underwent a 91-day hospital stay in Los Angeles for colon problems. In 1999, I was discovered with HepC caused by blood transfusion during my 1977 hospital stay. In 2002-2003, I underwent a yearlong experimental drug chemotherapy and was declared cured after a year. In July 2007, I survived a major vehicular accident with my car declared a total wreck. In October 2009, I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. A programmed radiation treatment declared me as cured in August 2010. I was diagnosed with afib and on May 2021,I underwent a TAVR.
The idea of the Guinhawa Family Scholarship Program started to materialize at MIT and in January 2005, I signed a MoA with President, Dr. Reynaldo Vea. In June 2008, encouraged by Severino Santos, Regional Director, NEDA Region IV-A and Richard Osmond, VP, ICCP, I started the Gregorio and Esperdiona Guinhawa Scholarship, in honor of my parents in CALABARZON areas.
The scholarship began an exponential growth to currently around 348 students. Currently, there are 11 students in school, but I had graduated the following 337 students; Mapua Institute of Technology – 75; Batangas State University – 59; University of Rizal System – Morong - 93; Laguna State Polytechnic University, Los Banos - 45; Southern Luzon State University, Lucban – 20; University of the Philippines – 5; Manuel S. Enverga University Foundation, Lucena – 22 and various universities – 7. Many of the alumni are engineers and educators. Out of these graduates there are those who pursued higher education. The program now has 4 PhDs and 7 masters.
At the start of the scholarship program, the criteria were based on academic achievements, family-income, and extra-curricular activities. An essay that illustrates how to “Pay It Forward” is a requirement. If the scholar fails to meet the GPA, I still honor their scholarship knowing that everybody has encountered family, financial and professor issues. Removing a student from the scholarship program will hinder their achievement to progress.
How is the program funded? It is very simple – my paycheck when I was working and in my retirement years, my savings.
In January 2007, a Guinhawa Scholars Club was established by students to start “Pay It Forward”. The club conducts the activities of community outreach programs. They include donations to the Home for the Elderly, Tanay, Rizal, Bahay Aruga, transient home for pediatric cancer patients, and others. Going strong are “Back to School” supplies and “Brigada Eskwela”. These programs are funded through alumni donations, personal funds and assistance from Carlos Chan.
I started to sponsor seminars to improve the scholar’s personality, character, confidence, and financial planning. The scholars also met personally since they are from 7 state and private colleges and universities. ROLEPLAYERS, under the leadership of Voltaire Gonzales volunteered to start the seminars in December 2013. Foremost speakers were Ricardo Abad (deceased), Ron Capinding, Jovi Miroy, Joseph Dela Cruz, and others who were all volunteers from Ateneo de Mania University. It was first held at VMH auditorium and Bantayog ng mga Bayani. During the pandemic, virtual seminars were conducted. The last face to face seminar was on January 12, 2020.
Some students have fulfilled their dreams for their families. Quality of life for the 337 graduates changed. Homes were built and refurbished. Condos, cars, and major appliances had been purchased. Siblings are being sent to school. A majority have married and enjoy parenthood made possible by having been a recipient of the Guinhawa Scholarship.
Most of the alumni have stayed in the Philippines and some have migrated. Currently there are alumni in USA and Canada 7, Japan 3, Middle East 8, Australia 3 and Europe 3. Those who stayed in the Philippines continue to prosper in since everybody have a successful and well-paying job. All told, the effort to educate and nurture the children of the Philippines is well paid back as the legacy continues.
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