About Us

"NEVER SEE A NEED WITHOUT DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT."

The FSMM Inc. is a non-profit organization committed to educating Filipino Indigenous and vulnerable children whose parents are in humble circumstances. It sponsors indigenous students in their studies, builds classrooms for these students atop mountains, and provides dormitories for university students pursuing advanced studies in the cities.

The organization was founded in 2019 by Rev. Fr. Dean Klayford Bongat, a Filipino-Diocesan priest in the Diocese of Sandhurst in Australia. He drew inspiration from his personal experiences and deep dedication to providing opportunities for those aspiring to transform their lives through education. The organization funds its projects and missions through generous donors and from the sales of empty cans and bottles personally collected by Fr. Dean Bongat every Monday during his day off from parish or priestly duties.

Since 2019, the Friends of Saint Mary MacKillop, Inc. has accomplished a series of remarkable initiatives. These accomplishments include the construction of three classrooms atop the mountains of Zamboanga del Norte, the establishment of a dormitory for Mangyan elementary learners in Bansud, Oriental Mindoro, the provision of a dormitory for the most underprivileged university students in Dulag, Leyte, and the creation of a Balay Mangyan for Mangyan university aspirants in Calapan City. Additionally, the organization has rented a boarding house for Mangyans in Mamburao, Occidental Mindoro, built a Youth Centre in Bayawan City, Negros Oriental, and procured townhouses in Malvar, Batangas, catering to indigenous learners pursuing higher education.

At present, the Friends of Saint Mary MacKillop, Inc., in collaboration with its private donors and sponsors, is providing sponsorship to 54 scholars spread across various regions in the Philippines.

Our Story

Our story began with a simple 'PET BOTTLE.' In 2019, Fr. Dean Bongat took on his role as an Assistant Priest at St. Patrick's Parish in Wangaratta, Victoria, Australia. Housed in the aged St. Patrick's presbytery, a building over a century old, encountering rusty pipes was not uncommon. Among these, the pipe in Fr. Dean's room needed attention. He decided to purchase a 'PET BOTTLE' of water, and as one bottle emptied, he continued buying more, eventually amassing a collection of PET bottles.

During a visit with a parishioner, conversations turned to the late Bishop Joseph "Joe" Grech of the Diocese of Sandhurst, and his words, 'God did not create rubbish,' struck a chord within Fr. Dean. Reflecting on his empty PET bottles, he realized, 'These are not rubbish; they can change lives.' Thus began his quest to find a purpose for these bottles, transforming them into funds for the education of the less fortunate.

Starting with his own PET bottles, Fr. Dean ventured out to inspect roadside recycling bins, collecting empty PET bottles, cans, and glass bottles. His collection efforts never wavered, and he devoted his day-off to this noble endeavor – the education of indigenous and vulnerable children whose parents face humble circumstances.