Isabelita Rosueta Organization

Dire times of need are always followed by desperation. Familiar to these situations, the family wishes to help and pay in kind the help that they received and to give it back to the society. The first and foremost goal of IROG is help in creating a better society through the means of education and morale. As it has always been, the value of education knows no bound and is one of the few things that cannot be stolen. But not everyone is capable of going to school.

IROG on its early days started on providing scholarship to students. Volunteers would help scope the surrounding places to find those in need of support. Far and wide we have traveled and some places include beside the rivers, farms and some even do not have a house and instead settled in public establishments. Children who yearn to go to school but cannot be sustained by their parents, they are the scholars chosen by IROG.

For community services every year, IROG would have what we call missions that include going to all sort of places to provide other help that is a different project from the scholarship program. We would conduct activities that often bring smile and joy. Simple games and community feeding is often the content of the said activities. As for the places, they range from hospitals, schools, and even cast-off locations from the community- the indigenous tribes.

On summer we would conduct our own version of a summer camp. Children, instead of playing in the streets would learn and enjoy at the same time. There would be different subjects such as Basic Math, Basic English and Basic History. After would be the sports, the activity that all kids love. There would be a meal after (we call them meryenda in the country) and free time follows. The Best thing about this is, all of it is free. This is only possible through the help of volunteers that accepts the joy in helping instead of wage.

IROG has a unique tradition on to spread the Christmas spirit, the spirit of giving. We simply call it Reverse Caroling, an event where volunteers would find people in the society beforehand and we would visit them as groups, would sing merry songs. But instead of accepting any money, as the name suggests, IROG would give them relief goods and other things, it was all too satisfying seeing their smiles. This was inspired because of the knowledge that some family had nothing to celebrate with, in Christmas, in this manner IROG helped these families make Christmas different from any other day.

It was not until January of 2014, that the activities except the scholarship program were halted. Cancer struck one of the founding members of IROG, Joel I. Castillo, which needed to collect funds for his treatment. The long and painful nine months of medication, would cost no measly amount of money. The expenses were tremendous that most programs were stopped. Friends and family helped Joel in his medication in all means possible and every effort counted. Knowing of him, even friends from abroad sent help.

But in the end it was to be too late. Joel Castillo passed on and after a short while IROG continues, with Roselyn Tuazon-Castillo and other volunteers, to its operations as to carry the will of the former.

The story of IROG is evidence that there are people who want to help; there are people who would help. We just need to give people a way and the good within the society will naturally rise up. IROG serves as a medium in connecting this people and the society as the agents of change. As was said, small efforts repeated shall complete any undertaking.

IROG is certified as an NGO (Non-Government Organization) and is not affiliated to any Politician. The Organization is created with the sole purpose to help and return if not uplift society.