FAQ

The Tagalog word lingap has multiple meanings:

• Compassion

• Protective care

• Grace

• Shelter

• Patronage, or providing support

My grandfather was regularly sending books and shoes to BYSMPI, which is located in his home province of Bulacan. He told me about his donations, and I was also inspired by my volunteering at Household Goods, which gives donated furniture and household items to people in need.

Through Lingap Initiative, I thought I could turn my personal passion for giving back into a collective movement and mobilize my own community to help children in orphanages across the Philippines. By providing tools for their education, I hope to help the children get the education they deserve so they can build a better life.

Lingap Initiative supports orphaned and underprivileged children in the Philippines. We provide essential educational resources, including school supplies and science kits.

The orphanages send us a wish list of items they need, such as:

• Backpacks

• Crayons and colored pencils

• Notebooks

• Scissors

• Pencils

• Scientific calculators

We request these supplies from family, friends, and community members. Then we collect gently used and new school supplies and STEM kits, pack them in balikbayan boxes, and ship them to orphanages in the Philippines.

So far, we have partnered with orphanages I found through personal connections. My grandfather told me about BYSMPI and Bethany House, which are both located in his home province of Bulacan. My grandmother learned about Queen of Peace through a priest who works there and visited New Jersey. My mom’s acquaintance told her about New Faith Family Home after doing a mission there last summer.

Bahay at Yaman ni San Martin de Porres, Inc. (BYSMPI)

BYSMPI is an orphanage and school in Bulacan. It serves about 120 kids from kindergarten to high school.

Queen of Peace

Queen of Peace is both a school and a special needs orphanage. It serves about 61 kids, including children around kindergarten and first grade age.

New Faith Family Home

New Faith Family Home is another children’s home we learned about through a personal connection.

Bethany House Sto. Niño Orphanage

Bethany House is an orphanage in Guiguinto, Bulacan, also connected to us by a personal connection.

I email the orphanages, and they send me a list of supplies they need. Most of the requested items are the same from all the orphanages, including backpacks, notebooks, scientific calculators, pens, and pencils.

We send the donations in balikbayan boxes, which are special boxes that are used to send items home to the Philippines. There are small, local companies that pick up the boxes and then ship them to the orphanages.

I plan to continue expanding our community partners and team members to help as many children in need in the Philippines as possible. Within the next several months, we will also be assembling and shipping simple STEM projects with the school supplies.

You can help by donating new supplies such as:

• Notebooks

• Pencils

• Scientific calculators

• Crayons and colored pencils

You can also donate gently used supplies to us, such as:

• Backpacks and pencil cases

• Folders and binders

• Calculators and rulers

You can also buy supplies from our Amazon Wishlist, send a donation to help pay for shipping using our QR code, or let us know what you have in mind.