TIn October 2016, the FAITH Botanic Gardens Foundation (FBGF) was established in recognition of the vital need for well-organized public places for communities throughout the country. FBGF is an initiative of FAITH COLLEGES, a premier educational institution in the Calabarzon region. FAITH COLLEGES wants to set an example, and lead the way, in getting the private sector to provide public spaces as part of the private sector’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives. This undertaking is based on the paper presented by FAITH COLLEGES Chairman Saturnino G. Belen as a requirement for his Advanced Management Program at the Harvard School of Design. The ASEAN UNITY PARK is the first project of FBGF. It forms part of FAITH COLLEGES’ commitment to spread awareness of the ASEAN through the school-wide ASEAN awareness activities that it has been implementing yearly on a sustained basis since it opened in 2001.

The land component of the ASEAN UNITY PARK has been contributed by the Belen family. A grant for capital expenditures will be provided by FAITH COLLEGES to kickstart the initial development of the park. Thereafter, fund-raisers will be done to cover its capital expenditures, while admission donations will be collected to cover the operating requirements. 5% of the admission donations will be set aside to set up a Center for ASEAN Studies at FAITH COLLEGES.

The financial sustainability model for the ASEAN UNITY PARK will follow the same model as the one being used for Marian Orchard, a private pilgrim park, also in Balete Batangas which is one kilometer away from the proposed ASEAN UNITY PARK. FAITH organized the Marian Orchard FAITH Foundation which manages the Marian Orchard. Presently, Marian Orchard is already able to fund its total operating requirements through its admission donations and is even able to allot 5% of its admission donations for its socio-civic projects in the local community.