FOR the last 18 years, the members of BARP (Blessed Association of Retired Persons Foundation, Inc.) have been serving an average of twenty-two bereaved beneficiary families monthly by distributing to them the average of One Hundred Nine Thousand Pesos per family. The family beneficiaries good standing were computed to have contributed the average of only 13,000 each. In other words, no recipient received less than three times his “alos” contribution. On the other hand no one received more than four and two-tenth of his contribution.
The highest benefit given or recorded, was Php217,000 to a beneficiary of a deceased member who had contributed to BARP the total of Php23,000 during her membership of around thirteen years. Ordinarily the least given has been Php35,000 the length of membership although a regulated contestability period was faithfully applied and observed. Recently, though, because of the construction of the BARP Center, a relatively gargantuan project of being a 7-storey building; with the repaying of bank loan made, a tight cash situation is experienced but is taken in stride by the BARP members. The same situation was net by a multi-purpose cooperative that I know where it was constructing its own building. Now that that same building is finished and wisely utilized, the income is more than enough to defray administrative and financing expenses resulting to the assurance of expected benefits for the members every year end. It seems that it will be the same situation that BARP and its members are now experiencing: the pain but ray of hope of every on-going development. Anyway, the BARP-BFI and BARP-MPC boards are doing their utmost under the indefatigable leaderships of BFI President Federico Balanag and BMPC General Manager Ben Andam to meet financial obligations successfully.
A second point, the eighteenth anniversary of BARP would like to refresh the minds of BARP members in that then flagship SMAP (Special Mutual Aid Program) program of the association is strongly based on the indigenous “alos” system and not to be looked upon as insurance which it surely not. “Tulong daytoy nga insapatatayo did intayagtay ti imatayo nga agmember iti BARP,” (“This is an aid that we swore to altruistically impart when we raised our hands to become members of BARP”) say the pre-membership education seminarists Mdme. Julieta Palasi and Dr. Juliet Bagano. Caring and sharing is the paramount rationale that moved the first seventeen members of BARP. The core values that they had for the organization are succinctly encapsulated in the BARP Song of Life composed by yours truly to help even failing memories to remember oath and pledge of membership.
The lyrics are as follows:
For BARP, there are no boundaries
For BARP, no colors dominate
All mankind forms one sound family
Where each member is held great
For BARP, there is no young or old
For BARP, there is no high or low
Man is free and full of dignity
Him we’ll serve before we go
This life is full of challenges
But time is short and few the days
Hasten then our arms to accept and serve
Every men whate’er his base,
Abide by our great principles
Our motto bright we’ll e’er uphold
Serve our brothers still as we had served
Without care for fame or gold.
And that’s our life, our dream, our joy
We sons and daughters true of BARP
That’s the tune our hearty trumpets blare
‘Till we hear God’s lyre and harp.
Maipalagip kadatayo
Ti iggen ti BARP apannuro
Kitaem kad’ no aniat’ maitulngmo
Saan nga dayta magun-odmo.