From books to a cause

There is wealth in scarcity. 

 

The kind of wealth that has a face, a name, and a heart for humanity.  

 

Ramil Sumangil founded Books for a Cause (BFAC) to spread what he calls “precious knowledge” and strengthen literacy in the remote and depressed areas of the country. 

 

The story of his advocacy started in the humble barangay of Bayog in Cuyapo, Nueva Ecija, where, like the other students of Baloy Elementary School, he felt the pain of having to continue his education in spite of limited resources in the classroom.

“Diskarte na lang ng teachers and us pupils to learn given the limited copies of books. The same was the case in high school and college where libraries became my best friends dahil walang pambili ng sariling books,” he recalled.

 

When he received his first ever paycheck, he bought two things: a book and a flat iron, which, according to Ramil, ended “the days when I would lay my shirt and pants on my bed that's made of plywood at night before I sleep, cover them with a sheet, and sleep on them, and ready to wear the following day for the office.”

 

Since then, he made it a habit to spend a part of his succeeding salaries on books. Every payday, he would visit his favorite bookstores and bring home one or two books, which helped him build his own personal library. Among his favorite books are Sun Tzu's The Art of War, Og Mandino's The Greatest Salesman, and Stephen Covey’s The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.

 

Wise on a fools’ day

 

One day, one of his former teachers from Baloy Elementary School, which he had not visited for 33 years then, asked him to give an inspirational talk on the graduation day happening in the province on the first of April in 2011.

 

Ramil thought of bringing a gift to his school, and his family advised him to donate their two sets of encyclopedias. These were the first books he and his wife, Lynn, gave to their children, Mitzi, Raham, and Ravi, because he did not want them to experience what he struggled with during his school years. 

Since they no longer use the encyclopedias due to modern technologies, Ramil found himself handing the books to the students of his alma mater that one fine day “while people were trying to fool others on April Fools’ Day,” he reminisced.

 

His teachers were so delighted that they asked him to help them gather more books and possibly help in building their own school library.

 

“When I went back to Manila, I excitedly informed friends and relatives through social media of the need for used books of my alma mater. The message became viral and so Books for A Cause was born,” he said.

 

Passion for action

 

Ramil, who is a graduate of BS Commerce major in Accounting, worked as a private firm employee before BFAC. It was his passion for the advocacy that motivated him to quit the job, giving him more time for collecting and distributing books, for conceptualizing a planned family business, and for bonding with his loved ones. 

 

His family has been supportive of his endeavors. In fact, he said that when his children are done with schoolwork, they join their father in BFAC activities.

 

Ramil also believes that his spiritual life is tied to the advocacy: “I realized I am just an ordinary person. I am not rich nor a doctor who can do a lot of things to help and save lives of other people. However, I know, with what started to be just a passion to have my own books, I have simple way of helping others—not really for me but all for His glory.”

More than a hundred smiles

 

For Ramil, what keeps the light of sharing flaming is simply the desire “to help and bring smiles to the beneficiaries of the books. That alone gives me the satisfaction and a new achievement every time BFAC has an activity.”

 

Individuals and organizations expressing their interest to donate books have started pouring in since he introduced his advocacy on social media. Today, BFAC has already helped more than 150 schools nationwide—from Pangasinan to Davao, such as the Ballay Elementary School in Benguet, San Juan Elementary School in Nueva Vizcaya, Rosario Elementary School in La Union, Mindoro Gloria Central School in Oriental Mindoro, Navotas Community Library, Esmeralda Elementary School in Balungao, Pangasinan, and those in Ifugao, including Ifugao Gumhang Elementary School and Eheb Elementary School.

 

Among those who have already recognized and contributed to BFAC’s efforts were BKP California, BKP Massachusetts, AHON Foundation, The Asia Foundation, Rex Book Store, Goodwill Bookstore, Ibon Foundation, The Bookmark, Inc, ArtPostAsia, Inc, St. Ignatius School of Loyola (Taguig), Ayala Foundation and Filipinas Heritage Library, World Vision, The National Library, Mu Sigma Phi Sorority UP College of Medicine, and Abakada Guro.

 

You can help too

 

Ramil admitted, “I know there is still a lot out there who need books, and with the help of good-hearted individuals and organizations and of course God, everything is possible.”

 

As for its upcoming activities, BFAC’s will be serving 500 public schools in Negros Occidental through the Rotary Club of Bacolod – South, Basilan Isabela in collaboration with SMILE, NPC Salam Central Schoo in Lanao del Sur in collaboration with the 65th Infantry Batallion and 9th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army, and the Burgos Memorial School East in Viga, Ilocos Sur. 

These are the types of books BFAC accepts from its donors:

 

 

 

For those who want to donate books or volunteer for activities, you can check out Books for a Cause’ Facebook page, Twitter, and Instagram, or email Ramil Sumangil at booksforacause@yahoo.com.

—KG, GMA News