SSAFI History & Mission

 

It could be surmised that the St. Scholastica's Alumnae Association (SSAA) started sometime in the 1920s or 1930s.  Its first President was Carmen Albert Luz.  Though the years it embarked on various activities like continuing education for alumnae, retreats and recollections, among others, as it remained in close contact with its Alma Mater (as evidence by a sister acting as moderator of the association and its president sitting in the school's Board of Trustees).

The thrust of the alumnae association when it first began, and which it still continues to uphold, is to foster unity among its members with emphasis on the role it played in supporting the school's policies.  The SSAA, in the previous years, had fund calamities. It also contributed funds to the older and retired nuns.  At that time it had a fund called "The Sister Willibalda Fund" which served this need as well as to support a scholar.  When the St. Scholastica's Research and Development Foundation (SSRDF) was established, the SSAA, under Tessie Romulo, Carina Mañalac, and Viging Gonzalez, worked hard to raise funds for it.  All funds generated by fundraising campaigns were handed over to SSRDF.

In the late seventies, the National Confederation of Alumnae Association of Catholic Education (NCAACEP) invited the SSAA to join the National Chapter of the worldwide "Organisacion Mondialedes Ancennes Eleves et Anciens Eleves de Educacion Catholique (OMAEAEEC)".  Carina Mañalac and Rose Rodriguez were sent as SSAA representatives. Spearheaded by Fr. Miguel Varela, S.J., NCAACEP Moderator, he motivated members to make all alumnae aware of their social responsibility.  He inspired the Board to make the thrust of SSAA not merely a social one but an apostolate for the poor.  Sr. Josefina Nepomuceno, OSB and Sr. Mary Bellarmine Bernas, OSB suggested then that the association start work with the poor around SSC.

In 1983, ignited by the spirit of having an apostolate of service for the poor, a board resolution was passed establishing the St. Scholastica's Alumnae Lifeline Team (SSALT).  Its first project areas were Barangays 745 and 746 where 50% of residents lived below the poverty line.  The SSALT's initial projects consisted of livelihood, medical-dental and scholarship programs remain intact as a response to the needs of those the association serves.

To be able to sustain itself and get involved in more fundraising activities, a need to reactivate the association as a foundation was done by its board then.  Thus, in 1991, the St. Scholastica's Alumnae Foundation, Inc. (SSAFI) was officially born.

The move to the formation of the foundation allowed for a more formal structuring of the association (systems for elections, meeting, etc.). The constitution formed by the late Justice Cecilia Muñoz-Palma and the board at that time was identified to guarantee a continuous flow of operations.