RIZA PRINTUP
President
As a child and young adult, I often heard about the work our Grandparents (Tatay and Nanay) had committed themselves to in their hometown of Luisiana - a sweet small town tucked away in the Province of Laguna, Philippines. Tatay and Nanay moved to the States in the late 70’s, but continued to carry out what they considered their missionary work. I was aware that they had built a church (and eventually an elementary school), but having been born and raised in the US, the information only stayed in the peripheral of my mind. As a toddler, then as a teenager, I had the opportunity to visit the Philippines with my parents and sister. However, it would be nearly 30 years later when as an adult, my travels would take me back and the dots would finally connect.
The circumstances were different the third time around. In 2019 at the ripe age of 99, Tatay with all his wits and humor intact, moved back to the Philippines to live out his last years. But in 2022, at 101 and 1/2 old, Tatay’s health inevitably and aggressively began to fail him and a family emergency trip needed to be made. Consumed with handling his care at the hospital and making the most of any conversation we could have with him, soaking in the Veluz family history and culture of their motherland could not have been further from my mind.
After Tatay’s passing (and still numb from exhaustion and intensity from the previous weeks), we made the two and half hour drive to Luisiana to plan his funeral service. As our truck made it through the gates and onto the campus of the Luisiana Adventist Elementary School, it began to hit me. For the first time, I was able to see, touch and walk around the property I had only seen a few pictures and heard about. It’s a humble campus, but ever so sweet in character. Three pale yellow two-story buildings lined with turquoise painted iron railings wrap around the diamond patterned gray brick quad completed by a small outdoor stage at the top of the quad. There’s just enough space to hold about 140 students, their classrooms and labs, a canteen (the school’s kitchen), an administrative office and the outdoor stage/performance area. The Luisiana Adventist Church sits on the second floor and occupies half the length of that side of the building. The walls and railings show signs of being bathed by the Philippines’ humidity, hot temperatures and tropical rains. There is an abundance of beautifully potted plants placed all around the quad and the school’s golf cart sits parked in a corner near the outdoor stage.
As the awe of seeing Tatay and Nanay’s “foreigner” family dissipates, the school staff, locals and their children begin to greet us. It is then when I start to see Tatay and Nanay’s true mission, their heart and their passion come to life.
Over the next five days, we would be approached by handfuls of people telling us of how Tatay and Nanay helped them in times of need and how grateful and indebted they were for their generosity. “Had it not been for Nanay Nora and Tatay Diego, our children, our families would not have been able to ….”. From paying medical bills, to babysitting, to providing rice and even financial aid for their children’s tuition, Tatay and Nanay’s compassion and genuine interest in the people of Luisiana was a deep and common theme. What I had envisioned as a child as simply being a structural project, morphed into a humbling epiphany. Through each person’s story, I was able to see Tatay and Nanay’s hearts and dedication to making a difference in people’s lives. I learned that just as Tatay and Nanay felt spiritually blessed, it was their deep desire to pay it all forward. To the best of their abilities, they were invested in providing the people of Luisiana light and hope of the possibility of more than what their circumstances seemed to dictate.
I am grateful and humbled to serve as President of the Diego and Elnora Veluz Foundation. It is my desire and that of our Board, to continue the legacy of Tatay and Nanay. We are dedicated to supporting the efforts at Luisiana Adventist Elementary School as they continue to work in providing access to quality education to the families of Luisiana and surrounding communities. And in time, we hope to expand our efforts just as Tatay and Nanay did.
Riza is a Jazz Harpist, Composer/Arranger and Educator of 25 years. She and her husband Marcus Printup have been married for 12 years and currently reside in the New York area.