“Let’s make it “vanity-less” (if there is such a word).”
“You got it. Less on you.”
“Not at all about me!”

No one can do it alone. As much as we believe that talent and diligence are the bedrock of success, sometimes, what is needed is the opportunity to realize the potential brewing within. Attorney Jose “Joey” Ramos recognizes this and attributes most of what he has become to his opportunity through Tulong Dunong.

“Ateneo High School led me to Ateneo College, led me to Ateneo Law School. Because of Ateneo Law School, I was able to get my first job in a reputable firm, and then GSE. Those opportunities came from TD. It’s the same sentiment from most TD scholars: gratitude.”

According to its foundation document, Tulong Dunong, or TD as it is widely referred to, was founded in 1975 by Fr. James O’Brien SJ (fondly called Fr. OB), on the vision of sharing (Tulong) knowledge (Dunong).  It was established to provide opportunities to raise productive members of society who will contribute to the country’s development by offering quality education to less fortunate but deserving students.

Through this Program, Senior Ateneo High School students would conduct weekly tutorials for Grade 5 and Grade 6 students from public elementary schools in Marikina City. At the end of the school year, selected and qualified students are granted high school scholarships in Ateneo de Manila High School and other private high schools in Marikina and Quezon City. When Joey was in Grade 5 at Malanday Elementary School in Marikina, he was selected as one of the higher-achieving students to participate in the Program.

When asked if being chosen carried an added burden or extra pressure, Joey shook his head. “It was not a burden. Everyone knew of the Program and were all aspiring to get in. We were all excited. The level or quality of education was far compared to what we had. It was more advanced learning.”

The emotion he expressed, more than anything, was a relief. Not only had Joey been selected to participate in the TD Program for Grades 5 and 6, but after graduating, he received a scholarship to attend Ateneo High School. “Relief! I was really aiming to get that scholarship. Free tuition and fees in Ateneo? What more can you ask for? At that time, my father and mother were not graduates. They got married at 19 and 18 right after high school. They had simple jobs at that time. It was a relief, really, that I got that scholarship.”

Joey’s introduction into Ateneo’s high school life, initially, was a culture shock. There were the branded clothes students wore, the noticeable size differences between some students and the scholars, and, of course, the occasional bully. Since the Program gave the scholars like Joey a head start by teaching the lessons during summer, his method of combating the differences was to help students with the lessons he pre-learned in a sort of full circle moment: he went from being the tutee to the tutor. “By the time I reached the High School, I knew the lessons in advance. That was my ticket against bullying by assisting them in their math exercises.”

As the creator of the Program, Father OB always concerned himself with his scholars. And, as much as one would expect there to be pressure to excel given the chances one was offered, Father OB’s emphasis was not to push students to excel only in academics.

“Of course, he would be happier if we got good grades, but there was not really an imposition for us to get honors. Of course, it was an added happiness when we achieved honors, but there was no pressure. The principle is that, as much as possible, they wanted us to live a normal high school life.” As an aside, Joey was an honor student.

As Joey entered his senior year, it would be his turn to become a TD Kuya in the Program. His most common assignment was to be partnered with Father OB and that is where their bond grew. “I would teach math and he would teach English.” After a while, though, Father OB became sickly and Joey had to substitute for him. Father OB had skin cancer in his later years and passed away in 1994.

“None of us lives for himself only.”
“None of us dies for himself only.”

Joey would graduate from Ateneo High School in 1992, go on to Ateneo University and graduate in 1996, and then to Ateneo Law School to graduate in 2000. His life’s journey is intertwined with Ateneo, Father OB, and the Tulong Dunong Program. He, like the Program, came into existence in 1975. The Program nudged him in the direction of Ateneo and continued to nourish his potential throughout his academic and professional career.  And when asked if he feels gratitude towards the Program, predictably he answers resoundingly. “Immensely, immensely, immensely! You start with your family. Your gratitude is beyond words or description because, were it not for that scholarship from Ateneo, I would not be here.”

The Program has helped thousands of students, their families, and their communities in an exponentially unfathomable manner. The fingerprints of the Program can be seen throughout several of Joey’s batchmates who are doctors, engineers, accountants, lawyers, and even a judge. 

Joey’s personal philosophy mirrors that of the mission of Tulong Dunong which states that to overcome poverty, you need a good education. “You affect your small sphere of influence, and that sphere affects others and so on. Imagine how many families this has affected. Must be thousands and thousands.”

Joey insists that the idea of paying it forward was not a tenet pushed by the Program. His only obligation was to be a good citizen. “Father OB’s principle is you have no obligation to repay any favors you received from TD. Your obligation is to finish your studies and help your families.” Still, how could one not feel a sense of indebtedness to a Program that changed the trajectory of your and your family’s life? So, in 2005, the 30th anniversary of the Program, guided by Ateneo High School batch of ‘79, Ateneo High School, and other selfless benefactors, Joey assisted in the establishment of the Tulong Dunong Foundation, Inc. in the hopes that it would take over the Program institutionally. Its mission, as stated in the foundation document, is to continue “to carry out Fr. OB’s vision of bringing ‘the light of the Lord to the world.’” 

The Program has lost a little of its shine recently. The pandemic took its toll on the Program since students were unable to meet. Also, since many schools have developed their own programs, many of the schools originally associated with the TD network have dropped out. Fortunately, with the advent of the coed Ateneo Senior High School, girls now have an option within the Program. Their hope is that in their 50th year in 2025, they will be able to raise funds to be able to increase the number of scholars.

“Bringing the light of the Lord to the world.” 

To capture the essence of his relationship with TD and Father OB, Joey tells a story of one of his first meetings with Father OB. Part of the scholarship process was to have a home visit and Father OB came to his family home. Father OB was a big Irishman, roughly 6’3”, who coached basketball. He wore a big safari-style hat and could speak, mostly, fluent Tagalog. When Father OB came to Joey’s home, as he climbed the steps going to the second floor, Joey noticed that his feet were so big, that he could only use half of his foot on the step. And when he arrived at the top of the stairs, he had to hunch going in the door. 

“You can imagine a big person hunching to enter the door, almost tiptoeing on the steps. He spent the time to get the chance to get to know the families. He spoke fluent Tagalog. He struggled to speak to my mom. I can never forget the image of that person who went to that extent.” 

Father OB was a man of big stature whose big vision had a simple premise: help society by developing productive citizens through education. Joey is the product of that vision and the Program that was put in place. He is a man who works towards maximizing his God-given gifts. He is a man who strives to be a productive member of society. He is a man who helps Tulong Dunong offer quality education to less fortunate but deserving students. And though Father OB insisted that paying it forward was not its intention, Joey, with those in the Tulong Dunong Foundation, now strives to take up the mission laid out by Father OB. He follows the example set by a man whose steps are big enough to forge his own way but tiptoes along a more delicate path. He follows a man whose size is large enough to dictate his own venue but hunches to be where you are. Joey doesn’t share the large stature of his mentor, but his hopes are just as big. (Interview and write-up by: Zeus “Earl” Roy D. Custodio Jr.)