Our Scholars
Arnel Probodora
Arnel Probodora
Arnel is a Freshman at St. Jude College (Major in Hospitality Management) and has been residing at Bahay Tuluyan since 2015. His father is a pedicab (senior at 64 years) driver while his mother is a housewife. Being the 2nd among 7 siblings , Arnel had a very difficult life in having to occasionally stop schooling to help his father earn a living (through being a barker, rug salesman, side car boy and trash collector). Oftentimes, their family would have nothing to eat so he would scavenge for food in the streets. Given their violent environment at home, he decided to seek temporary shelter at Bahay Tuluyan, where he learned the value of life skills. Through his great interest and commitment in theater arts, Arnel was given the opportunity to travel to Australia to perform in the black theater, which has given him much needed confidence.
Jen Rey Aroma
Jen Rey Aroma
4TH year Business Administration Student at the Philippine Christian University Jen Rey's father is an airport taxi driver for ALAMO while her mother is a housewife who has a backyard business selling barbeque. Jenrey has 3 other siblings and currently functions as the eldest given her brother is already married with his own obligations. Her 2 other siblings are also in College and are being supported by their father who is currently out of commission due to gallbladder surgery complications (doctor has advised him to rest for 6 months)
Angelica Mailom
Angelica Mailom
Angge is a Fine Arts Student at EARIST Academy (State University). Having married quite late, her parents are seniors (father is 72 and a free lance photographer, mother is 59 and a part time helper) who can barely make ends meet for their children. Angge has 4 other siblings (2 are in Hongkong working as domestic helpers ) but both married . Her only brother based in the Philippines is also married and cannot help with their finances. Angge presently assists her father when he has photography assignments (which are quite seldom given his age and the current competition in the business). She also takes on her own assignments to help the family out financially and to put herself through school.
Joseph Edeso
Joseph Edeso
Joseph is an incoming Sophomore at the New Era University (Major in BS Accounting Information) who hails from Batasan (Don Primitivo area). His father is a part time driver at the St. Benedict Parish while his mother is a part time cook /helper. Joseph is second to the youngest among 4 siblings (his 2 older brothers are married ) , while the youngest is in senior high school at a public school. Both his parents are community leaders in their area and are active in volunteers at St. Benedict Parish in Batasan
Ernest Panelo
Ernest Panelo
Ernest is an incoming sophomore at ICCT Colleges (Major in Information Technology) given his love for computers. He resides with his mother (an alcoholic) and sometimes with his sister ( a part time helper) at Batasan (cluster of informal settlers). Despite his dysfunctional family, he has remained determined to pursue his degree, and highly believes that Education is his way out of poverty. Since he was in grade school, Ernest has managed to work odd jobs in order to save money for his allowances and school needs. Given his father has never supported him, he has managed to defy all odds as a child laborer in their parish at St. Benedict. Since then, he has developed into a leader at the Parish (Sacristans and Youth Alive missions for kids), and generously contributes his time in helping others.
Tiffany Ramas
Tiffany Ramas
Tiffany is a graduate of BS Hospitality Management from the University of San-Recoletos (2015). She started her scholarship with GASFI during her freshman year in 2010 , and worked as a Call Center agent upon completing her studies. Life for Tiffany was filled with many challenges. After having come from a broken family at age 2, her mother passed and her father had remarried, leaving Tiffany and her other half siblings to the care of her paternal grandparents. She and her half siblings were then left to fend for themselves upon the passing of her grandparents, with Tiffay's eldest sister supporting a brood of 6. Though she had completed her studies, Tiffany's salary as a Call Center agent did not suffice; hence her decision to seek a brighter future to support her other siblings in Dubai, where she currently works as a Barista.
Daisy Palomares
Daisy Palomares
Daisy, 22, is a 2nd year student at the Philippine Christian University, is pursuing her BS Elementary Education Major in Early Childhood Development . Her parents separated when she was only 6 years old, leaving her and 5 other siblings under the sole care of her mother, who supported them by working as a cook at their hometown in Laguna. Since childhood, Daisy always wanted to be a teacher and was always moved by the lack of teachers in the public schools in the Philippines. Though she had wanted to be a journalist, she felt that majoring in Education would help solve this crisis , and would also be a lucrative career in helping her family out of poverty. Given her mother could no longer support them, Daisy, along with 3 other sisters, was turned over to the Bahay Tuluyan drop off center for children, where she was given the opportunity to learn about issues concerning other unfortunate children like her. It was at the Center that she thrived and eventually ended up conducting life skills seminars on Children's Rights, and proactively contributed her time in helping out as a street educator for unfortunate children in Manila.
Mary Ann Ganuelas
Mary Ann Ganuelas
Mary Ann, 22, has been a GASFI scholar since 2018 and is sophomore at the Philippine Christian University taking up BS Human Resources Management. She describes her childhood as very traumatic and chaotic, given her biological father was murdered when she was only 2 years old. Mary Ann's mother then remarried an abusive man which caused further conflict and ended with her choosing her husband over her children. Mary Ann was then turned over and referred to the Bahay Tuluyan Center for children, where she worked as a cook and caregiver for the center's beneficiaries. Having been given a new lease in life, Mary Ann continues her studies and devotes her spare time in mentoring the children at the center. In spite of her past difficulties and resentment towards her mother, she still longs to reunite with her and her other siblings, and has vowed to support them when she eventually graduates from college
Cleo Magayam
Cleo Magayam
Cleo is a sophomore taking up Medical Technology at the Lyceum University of the Philippines, Dasmarinas, Cavite. Her father, Leo, is the sole breadwinner of the family who has been working as an all around clerk at the Seaman's Village , while her mother is a housewife. Cleo was inspired by one of her mentors who was a nurse, hence her decision to pursue a medical course. She intends to pursue a career in the medical field and plans on taking higher studies if given the opportunity.
John Lennon Jacinto
John Lennon Jacinto
John Lennon Jacinto is a graduating student at the Unibersidad de Manila, who is pursuing a Business Administration Course Major in Human Resource and Development. He has been a GASFI scholar since 2016 and initially supported himself through his first year of studies by serving as a cook at the Bahay Tuluyan drop off center for Kids in Manila. He dreams of pursuing additional courses in Agriculture, and would like to set up his own Foundation to help marginalized farmers. Life for John Lennon was quite difficult given his parents separated while he was still in high school. He and his siblings were turned over to their maternal grandparents who eventually could not support them given their only means of survival was through selling rice cakes to neighbors. It was then that he, along with his brother, were turned over to the BAHAY TULUYAN Center for street kids ,where he now serves as an inspiration to other beneficiaries at the center by teaching life skills seminars, Children's Rights and reading programs for children. At GASFI, he has been actively volunteering his time by sorting donated books.