
SPMAFI President’s New Year Message for 2025
Greetings my Fellow Paulinians!
The coming of every new year brings hope for a fresh start and the excitement of new beginnings as we look forward to the prospect of better times ahead.
As is the Paulinian tradition, we celebrate our annual homecoming on the last Sunday of January every year, which falls on January 26 this year, as we welcome back to campus Paulinians from all over the world to “ Reboot, Refresh and Rekindle” the spirit that binds us to our Alma Mater as we reconnect with our Paulinian roots and family.
The 2025 Alumni Homecoming is doubly significant for SPMAFI (St. Paul Manila Alumni Foundation Inc.) as it coincides with the election of a new Board of Trustees since the 3-year term of the incumbent Board expires this year and turnover of leadership to the newly elected Board will be done at the end of the Homecoming Program.
Milestone SPMAFI Election
This will be a milestone election for SPMAFI as for the first time we shall be conducting a hybrid election process, which will allow alumni members in good standing the option to vote online or by remote communication through a digital voting platform imbedded in the SPMAFI Website or vote in person as they register for the annual homecoming event with polling booths set up for this purpose. The hybrid election process is in accordance with SEC guidelines and is covered by amendments to the SPMAFI By-Laws which alumni voters will be asked to ratify or approve as part of the ballot.
The online voting option is intended to allow wider participation of our alumni community in the election of SPMAFI leadership and approval of amendments to its by-laws, even if they cannot be present to personally cast their vote at the homecoming (which is considered SPMAFI’s annual membership meeting) as was the only option provided in the By-Laws before the amendment. Only alumni members in good standing (i.e., lifetime members or those who paid their annual membership fee for 2025) will be allowed to vote either online or in person.
Proxy Voting Option
However, alumni members qualified to vote who for any reason cannot cast their vote themselves, may assign their proxy vote to another alumni member in good standing who may cast their ballot for them both online or during the homecoming event. Should the alumni wish to vote via proxy, they must inform SPMAFI in writing thru SPMAFI’s email address ([email protected]) by January 15, 2025, the name of their assigned proxy, so that SPMAFI can validate the ballot cast on their behalf. SPMAFI will accept only one ballot cast in the name of each qualified alumni voter, whether done personally or by proxy.
Official Candidate List and Voting Schedule
SPMAFI will publish the list the official list of candidates for the 2025 election to the Board of Trustees, together with a brief profile on each candidate, by January 1, 2025, on the SPMAFI Website and all social media platforms (Facebook, alumni group chats) to allow alumni voters adequate time to select who they will vote for prior to the official start of online voting on January 10, 2025. Those who prefer to cast their vote personally or via proxy may do so on January 26, 2025, at the polling stations to be set up at the registration area for the homecoming event before they join the homecoming activities. Tabulated election results will be electronically processed and announced by our SPMAFI Election Committee so that official turnover to the new board leadership can be done at the end of the homecoming program.
I urge all Paulinians to take part in this historic election and join us for the 2025 Homecoming which promises to signal the start of more exciting plans and possibilities for SPMAFI and our alumni community.
Caritas Christi Urget Nos.

Patricia N. Arches
SPMAFI President