When the Foundation helps with non-education activities

Occasionally, the One Small Step Forward Foundation would be called in to support non-educational initiatives. Often, the foundation would respond positively.

Case in point is the Casa de Silencio project, a planned retirement home for the Diocese of Cubao’s retired, disabled, and permanently sick priests. Bing del Rosario helped conceptualize the project as early as 2008 but it became a diocese priority only in 2013, at which time the project was launched as “Tahanang Pari”, led by the late Msgr. Dan Sta. Maria, the Diocese Vicar General at the time. The del Rosario couple provided seed money in the amount of P2M, which they turned over directly to Bishop Honesto Ongtioco, who had become a good friend since officiating at the couple’s 25th silver wedding anniversary in 2007. It took several years to get the architectural plans and costings completed, then almost a year to finalize on the contractor and secure the site – a portion of the Holy Redeemer parish compound in Brixton Hills, near Araneta Avenue. After the groundbreaking in mid 2019, the diocese launch a fund-raising campaign, asking the 45 parishes to each meet a target amount. Christ the King Parish Greenmeadows, Cubao’s wealthiest parish, then headed by Fr. Steve Zabala, was given a 70M target. This prompted Fr. Steve to launch his Casa Setenta. In response, Bing and Elise donated 11M in March 2020 on the occasion of Fr Steve’s birthday, which was the amount needed to be able to have naming privilege for the chapel that was going to be part of the Casa structure. They later donated 3M more, 1M during the March 2021 Sacerdotal anniversary of Fr Steve and 2M at the December 2022 Dinner for a Cause, for a total donation of 16M. Then last January 11, 2025, on the occasion of her 70th birthday, Elise donated a final 5M for the Casa project, during a home dinner which she hosted for the former parish priests of CTK – Bishop Nes Ongtioco, Fr. Bong Tupino, Fr. Steve Zabala, and Fr Aytoy Opiniano.  

Elise del Rosario has also supported two other religious groups. The Missionaries of the Poor, established in 1981 in Kingston, Jamaica, is dedicated to serving the poorest of the poor and, aside from Jamaica and the Philippines, also have presence in India, Haiti, Kenya, Uganda and the USA. For over two decades now, Elise had also financially supported the Salesians of Don Bosco, the Roman Catholic religious congregation founded by St. John Bosco in 1859. The Salesian Missions is their global missionary organization. Their works have included schools, training centers, orphanages, youth centers, and humanitarian aid.  

Through OSSFFI, Bing del Rosario supports Dr. Jim Sanchez and his Hospital on Wheels. Dr Juan “Jim” Sanchez, a distinguished Filipino plastic surgeon, founded the Hospital on Wheels (HOW) initiative to provide accessible surgical care to underserved communities in the Philippines. HOW’s primary objective is to deliver free surgical services to indigent patients, particularly those in remote areas lacking adequate healthcare facilities. The mobile hospital is equipped to perform various surgical procedures, including cleft lip and palate repairs, tumor excisions, and other essential surgeries.