The Upsilon Sigma Phi Medical Assistance Program (UMAP) raised close to $61,000 in donations and pledges during the recently concluded USPNA Bente Singko 25th Anniversary Global Reunion held in Las Vegas, Nevada from May 30 to June 1, 2024. This was reported by USPNA Treasurer Raul "Bobby" Hocson '77.

At the Plenary Session held at the Orleans Hotel & Casino on June 1st, a total of $53,000 was raised from twenty-one donors with $8,000 already collected. Another $730 was raised during the reunion registration on May 30. Furthermore, the Bente Singko Reunion Committe also announced in its final post-reunion meeting last Sunday, June 9, that all profit generated by the reunion will likewise be donated to various Upsilon causes, with $7,000 earmarked directly for the USPNA's UMAP permanent endowment fund.

USPNA Treasurer Raul "Bobby" Hocson '77 hands over a check for $10,000 to USPAA Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Roel Z. Castro '84, also in the photo from L to R, Jon Abad '86, Mon Allado '73, Dr. Alan Austriaco '86, Dr. Bill Romero '76 and USPNA President Jory Catibog '71.

In addition to this, the USPNA was able to hand over a check for $10,000 to the USPAA which represents partial earnings from the UMAP permanent endowment fund that the USPNA is managing and administering on behalf of its North America based donors.

Mon Allado '73 stresses a point during the UMAP segment of the Plenary

The UMAP team led by former Upsilon Sigma Phi Alumni Association (USPAA) Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Ramon "Mon" Allado '73, and current USPAA Trustees Dr. William "Bill" Romero '76 of New York, and Dr. Alan Austriaco '86 of Manila all made their impassioned and successful appeals to the brods to help sustain the UMAP fund raising initiative. Dr. Austriaco is the head of the UMAP Medical Triage Team, and he presented the UMAP monthly report during the Plenary.

"The UMAP has emerged as one of the Fraternity's most important projects. Since starting in 2021, Upsilonian M.D.'s have assisted more than 693 Fellows, their family members and friends with their medical needs. We have also disbursed more than P1.8 million in financial assistance to brods burdened by the prohibitive cost of their medical requirements," said Dr. Austriaco.

Meanwhile, the Bente Singko Reunion Committee announced that of the $13,500 in net profit generated by the Las Vegas reunion, $2,500 was donated to the UMAP Medical Triage Team's discretionary fund, $2,000 will be donated to the University of the Philippines Alumni Association (UPAA) Abot Kayang Hapunan at Tanghalian feeding program, and $2,000 will be allocated as a loan or seed-money for the planned 2026 reunion in Singapore, with the $7,000 as donation to the UMAP as earlier stated.

by Ricky Rionda '83, Upsilon Sun executive editor