Date and Time of the Interview: August 19, 2020 (Wednesday), 4:00 PM

Interviewer: Gerard Galang

Interviewee: Dani Nepomuceno

[START: 00:00:27.28]

Gerard: Introduce yourself.

Dani: Hello! I am Dani Nepomuceno. The president and founder of Sulagpo.

Gerard: Ilang taon ka na? How old are you?

Dani: I'm 19 years old.

Gerard: Saan ka kasi nag-aaral?

Dani: I'm studying AB Development Studies in Ateneo.

[00:00:57.18]

Gerard: Yung org niyo na Sulagpo, paano siya nabuo? Paano siya na-create? Anong naging initiative?

Dani: tually reed for this other org in Manila and yung initiative nila is to... they were collecting
baranggay data in Manila and then I said, "Parang gusto ko 'tong gawin sa Angeles." so doon sya nag-
start... gusto kong i-replicate yung ginawa nila sa Angeles. Actually, we asked for help from them. They
oriented us and helped us out. So yun ang unang ginawa ng Sulagpo - we interviewed baranggay officials
to ask about their relief operations, COVID status, and we also asked if they were willing to give contact
details para ma-release namin as infographics and people would see what is happening in the
baranggays.

[00:01:53.07]

Gerard: Sino yung mga kasama mo sa org na nagbuo ng org na yun? Yung Sulagpo?

Dani: I was just tweeting (?) "Hello guys! I wanna start something. Just message me if you're g (game)."
Tapos may mga nag-message tapos yun yung mga nag-start. Pero yung mga nag-start parang wala na sila
ngayon... they're busy or they have other priorities... but slowly... so it's nice because my friends are also
like-minded (?) so sila yung nagjo-join and hanggang ngayon, yung iba nandoon pa rin.

[00:02:33.29]

Gerard: Yung bang org niyo, ano ba yung goal ng org niyo? Ano yung mission, vision? Or anything na.. ito
yung goal ng org namin...ito yung purpose ng org namin.

Dani: Our mission and vision: provide Angelenos with the neccessary tools and support to thrive during
the "new normal"
Dani: So vision namin, Angelenos to thrive with the "new normal" and our mission is to provide
Angelenos with the neccessary tools and support to thrive. Then, our core competencies is we want to
serve as a reliable and relevant information resource and also to provide sustainable assistance through
sustainable projects to Angelenos to help them thrive in a post-pandemic society.

[00:03:44.03]

Gerard: Okay. Maganda naman pala. So... di ba... sa Angeles lang... so if ever ba na magtuloy-tuloy...
parang if ever ba gusto niyong mag-expand yung org niyo?

Dani: Actually, we want...I want it to be something like youth for community so I'm trying to get the
youth from Angeles to... want to support their community and all. Pero actually, we're composed of... a
mix of people from Manila and all other places like meron nga kami from Laguna. But we're focusing
right now on Angeles but like my long-term goal like after COVID is to let there be (? this is unclear btw)
Sulagpo in different areas, and then, it's all like the youth there wanting to help out in their community.

[00:04:28.09]

Gerard: So yung sa org niyo nag-start siya noong... kailan siya nag-start if ever yung org niyo?

Dani: Actually, mga 3 months old lang kami. We started May 6.

[00:04:39.16]

Gerard: Ah, May 6. After noong May 6, ano na nagawa ng org niyo?

Dani: So, first three weeks we did that baranggay data collection system and posted our infographics on
our page. Then, after that, we did this ask an expert. It's where we interviewed professionals and about
mga Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) related to the COVID crisis and then, we made it into Tagalog
para mas accessible siya sa ordinary Filipinos or mas accessible siya sa karaniwang Pilipino. Then, kasi we
noticed like ang daming infographics but they're all in English so we wanted to make ours in Tagalog.
After that, we did this Sulagpo ML Cup. It was like our pinaka-stressful and pinaka-event na event na
talaga like that's our first event and first fundraising...where we set up an ML (Mobile Legend)
competition - an east-west competition (?)- to raise funds for our future frontliners or medical students
na in need... so we're actually holding the application right now and so we're gonna be giving 5
Angelenos 10,000 pesos each... we're prioritizing Angeleno medical students. So dapat in their second
year or above because we want to make sure that they're really pursuing their studies than being in the
first year. Then, the applications include questions like family data, personal data, but also an essay kasi
we want to prioritize those who were affected talaga by the pandemic lalo na if their family lost jobs or
something and if they still want to continue their studies so we want to support those people.

[00:06:37.23]

Gerard: Sa org niyo ba, may committee na ba kayo?

Dani: Yes! Actually, super hard. Sobrang struggle kasi... you know I just started out not knowing anything
about organizations and all. All I knew is I wanted to help out but I'm still thankful that my friends, the
people who helped me along the way, they were really super patient (?) with me and they helped see
through these divisions (?) for all of us. They helped us. They helped me with the organizing everything.
So it's really a team effort talaga.

Gerard: Oo kasi nga 3 months old pa lang, tapos isipin mo may pandemic, 'di ba ang stressful?

Dani: Yah... we're still learning... we're still learning so... the another night nga we had a meeting 9 to 12
am just restructuring the whole org because we recently held applications so now, 36 strong na kami.
[Gerard: Wow! Very nice!] So we reorganize and everything.

[00:07:37.22]

Gerard: So.. if ever ba after ng pandemic, itutuloy nyo ba yung org niyo?

Dani: Yah. It actually depends kasi until now I feel the pressure and everything like I really wanna make it
good and make it something worthwhile because I don't want paproject-project lang. Gusto ko parang to
stay humble (?) talaga and worthwhile talaga like it really makes an impact yung mga projects namin...
during the pandemic it's our priority but post-pandemic we'll see because (you know) an org is only as
good as its people so we'll see if the members are still... willing to pursue it but for me, I don't know
(like) I feel like I want to pursue it talaga because... my drive is the fact na there's so many organizations
in Manila and (you know) in universities like UP and... advocacy orgs in Ateneo (and stuffs) and I was
exposed to that and I realized that in Angeles parang... AUF (Angeles University Foundation) and HAU
(Holy Angel University) they don't have much advocacy orgs [Ge: Ay oo nga.] so I wanted to be that
avenue to people who can't access advocacy orgs and they want to help out... I want to be that avenue
to help out.

Gerard: Totoo yun. Actually, ako din yun yung difference na nakita ko sa org sa province at saka sa
Manila lalo na sa UP. Ang daming orgs sa UP na kailangan mo talagang mamili talaga. Di ka lang basta sali
ka ng sali [Dani: Oo.] (Dati daw, 'di ba ang daming orgs, so sali ng sali. Tapos habang tumatagal,
halimbawa sa batch namin, pansin daw nila na namimili na sila ng org dahil sa sobrang dami. Pero okay
lang naman na maraming orgs dahil maraming pagpipilian unlike kapag halimbawa nag-provincial college
ka or nag-aral sa provincial university, ang konti lang so parang di mo alam kung paano ma-eexpand or
ma-wiwiden ang perspective mo)

Dani: Yes, exactly. Pero I'm happy kasi you know who is the part of the executive board right now? Si
Fiona. [Ge: Ah, si Fiona Besanez?]

Dani: Yes, exactly. Pero I'm happy kasi you know who is the part of the executive board right now? Si
Fiona. [Ge: Ah, si Fiona Besanez?] Yes, and she was (you know) people like her kapag kinukwento nila
yung experience nila sa akin, syempre na-iinspire ako na ituloy siya kasi sinasabi niya na, okay in our
school puro mga councils lang or per course yung org but this org...it helps provide an avenue to them to
really help out in the community (so) that's really nice.

Gerard: Sana stay strong sa org niyo [Dani: Sana] Actually, sa UP ang daming mga orgs nang namatay
tapos 'di nila alam paano bubuhayin ulit.

Dani: At school org na yun ah parang yung Sulagpo kasi kami-kami lang and actually, yesterday ina-apply
na namin siya as an organization talaga. [Gerard: Ah okay, that's nice.]

[00:10:50.06]

Gerard: So yung next question na nagawa is: kayong mga members, including ikaw and the executive
committee din na ginawa niyo, how do you cope or survive now? Lalo na sa... ang daming.. aside sa
pandemic, napaka-problematic din ng government natin at aminin na natin yun so... lahat kayo na nasa
org, how do you cope with that? Paano kayo nakaka-survive araw-araw?

Dani: (How we cope as an org?) I think we find meaning because I think its... I think a lot of people are... I
mean... It's just helps us cope with doing something about it. Doing something about what's happening
in our country. Some people they feel helpless and all, but... let me rephrase [ Gerard: Okay.] I think the
best way we cope right now is knowing that we're helping out, knowing that we're doing something
about it. We're just (like) not watching and leave by (?) as all these things happen is we hope that
through the projects we do are actually doing something about it and I think that provides us with some
sort of comfort.

[00:12:10.04]

Gerard: (Nice naman) So next questions na ginawa namin: halimbawa ikaw, founder ka ng Sulagpo 'di ba,
how does the pandemic affect you? Gaano naapektuhan yung pandemic na 'to sayo? Lalo na ikaw.. for
sure active ka ngayong college tapos biglang dumating yung pandemic na di natin ma-imagine na ma-
experience natin ito, akala natin nasa history books lang siya 'di ba? [Dani: Yes.] (Di ba? kahit kami ding
nasa publication org, merong time na nag-realizations kami... Actually, ako na-realize ko din na, sa history
books ko lang 'to nababasa, bakit na-eexperience natin ito?) So yung question is yun nga: how does the
pandemic affect you?

Dani: (How does the pandemic affect me?) Personally, I am in a very privileged spot because... everyone
is affected but I'm privileged enough to continue living a comfortable lifestyle. This is why, with this
privilege, I have this privilege to help others rin. So, regarding mental health... (parang yung sinabi ko
kanina) it gives me comfort knowing that I am doing something about it... doing something to help out
talaga. [Gerard: I hope sana lahat ng privilege talaga ay tumutulong no? Yun din isang problem eh. Yun
din isang problem ngayon eh.]

[00:13:52.14]

Gerard: Itong next question namin eh, baka marami kang ma-share. What are the demands or changes
that (na ikaw mismo and your org) want to see in the future (after this pandemic)? (Lalo na, naku, ang
problematic ng government natin.)

Dani: (Yun nga) yung mission and vision namin, it includes about we want Angelenos to thrive in the
post-pandemic society. Not just... people say "new normal" but we also want to help create the "better
normal." We want us... I guess like... our org also believe in the spirit of bayanihan so, through our
projects, we want to... nurture that because especially in trying times like this, bayanihan is super
important in helping out one another, helping out in the communities so that's something we want to
see. We hopefully, through this pandemic, everyone sees that we're all going through the same thing
(like)... I mean not technically, but we're all, in some way, still human and this virus can affects us all. I
hope this thought brings us together in some way and hopefully after this pandemic, we all have a better
sense of community and bayanihan.

[00:15:13.12]

Gerard: So, what are the demands or changes na gusto mo at ng org niyo na makita sa government
natin?

Dani: The government? Hold yourself more accountable to helping out your people 'cause the right to
health is a universal right. Everyone has that right and the government should be held accountable for
upholding that right for all of our Filipinos. It's not just something that we asked for but it's something
that we demand of them because... as the government, they have to give that right to us, they have to
provide for us. And hopefully, to become more transparent with everything 'cause that's were really
trying to do with it. We did that before with the baranggay data collection but unfortunately, maybe only
16 out of 33 baranggays responded to our calls so through these... we all send questions on Social
Amelioration Program (SAP) in our interview and we were able to release some data so hopefully with
that, promoting more transparency. [Gerard: Tama nga naman.]

[00:16:30.27]

Gerard: Ano yung mga future plans ng org na ito? Naplano niyo na ba?

Dani: Yes. we're still in the works (this is not sure yet) but we want to do (something like) collecting data
din from the public schools in Angeles so that... like how ready are they, how many printers do they
have, etc. to see their readiness for the online classes and hopefully, to encourage people to donate rin
to them. And we also want to create a directory or Facebook group of all small businesses in Angeles
encouraging each other to support one another, or encouraging Angelenos to support these small
businesses because businesses are one of the most affected din from the pandemic. [Gerard: Nice
naman. So sana matuloy siya. I hope and I pray.] (Yes. Actually 5 pm yung first general assembly namin so
i-didiscuss ko rin sa kanila)

[00:17:30.21]

Gerard: Ayun so last na lang talaga. (Yung National Heroes Day, it's all about the frontliners.) Ano yung
message mo naman sa kanila? (Lalo na sa inyo.)

Dani: (For Nartional Heroes Day?) Rather than... all of us are... personally I am an idealist and I always
say, "I want to change the world. I want to change the world" and I think you don't have to be so great
to change the world because anyone can change the world in your own little way. So, rather than
changing the world, we can strive to participate meaningfully in the complex web of life. So that's what I
have to say...just do your part rather than changing the world, you can try to participate meaningfully in
the complex web of life, of society.

Gerard: Thank you so much!

Dani: Thank you rin.

[END: 00:18:34.20]