BAGUIO CITY – The leadership of the Blessed Association of Retired Persons (BARP) Foundation, Inc. warned the public not to transact with the self-styled officers of the Cordillera Mutual Aid Program because the so-called breakaway group is not in any war connected with the group and that it is using patented programs of the former to entice prospective members to sign up with them.
Prof. Federico A. Balanag, BARP Foundation president, said the widespread recruitment of members by the Cordillera Mutual Aid Program composed of some 15 former Board of Trustees and coordinators of BARP using the latter’s existing programs is considered to be illegal and that appropriate charges are now being readied for filing against them aside from earlier charges of misuse of foundation funds filed against them.
“We will not allow officers and coordinators who are disrespectful, dishonest, unruly and who conduct themselves not in accordance with established rules and regulations,” Balanag stressed.
He explained the Special Mutual Assistance Program (SMAP) is the only recognized flagship project of the BARP Foundation which has efficiently delivered member benefits and services for over fifteen years now and will continue to do so in the coming years in order to cater to the needs of the elderly.
According to him, the public should not be misled by the people behind the new elderly group because they are illegally suing the patented programs of BARP in recruiting members to join the organization which is just two months old.
Balanag said the public should no longer transact with personalities, namely, Menchita R. Damoslog, Nida Guisdan, Linda Sagapi, Helen Bantiloc, Edna Poschor, Aida Patot, Viola Botangen, Mercita Onil, Fernando Edeco, Felisa Bayading, Conchita A. Adag, Ana D. Dupitso, Martin P. Sano-an, Teresita O. Ganasi, Catalina L. Daganos, Josephine S. Kebeng, Teodora L. Yad-an and Corazon P. Langato, who were earlier terminated from the BARP foundation for just cause.
The BARP foundation president appealed to its members and their prospective recruits not to be easily misled by anyone, especially the disgruntled members who want to ruin the image of the group in order to gain sympathy, saying that they should always verify and validate if what the ousted members is telling them is true or not otherwise, before they will know it, they will be in a controversial situation or have done damage to someone’s personality.
“There are some individuals who love creating trouble or destroying one’s reputation. Others are quick in judging somebody. Beware, less you will be judged too,” Balanag added.
He explained the foundation was established to do good things in life and it is an organization of disciplined individuals who have come together in unity to promote better quality of life, respect for dignity, caring and sharing, self-fulfilment and open opportunities needing to living a lasting legacy to the younger generation, if not our own children and grandchildren.
When expressing oneself, he cited that people should be constructive rather than destructive with their actuations to others, citing that if people find some fault on others, may be much better if people try to help as well as advise the one concerned to refraim from doing the same like making a gossip about it.
Balanag urged all BARP Foundation members to keep themselves busy doing good things like sowing seeds of goodness instead of wasting precious time doing which one does not like to happen themselves, thus, it is always nice to be reminded of the golden rule: “Do not do unto others what you do not like others do unto you.”
It was learned that the breakaway group was able to collect some P800,000 from innocent members and did not already remit the same collections to the BARP and that the funds are now being used for their alleged mass recruitment activities, especially in the remote villages of the region.
Balanag said the group understands the innocence of the members who were collected their monthly dues, especially by their coordinators, because they are not aware that their coordinators already broke away from their mother organization and formed another elderly group to directly compete with the established foundation, thus, the BARP is giving the members a chance to pay their monthly dues or else they stand to lose their substantial benefits, including their hard earned investments among others.
By Dexter A. See
