My friend, Barbee, sent her son, Enrique to join the CISV camp last year!  Looks like the kids enjoy at CISV, aside from representing our country, they get to meet different people from all over the world, they experience traveling and being with other children their age and a sense of independence living away from home.  They are so lucky to have this opportunity to experience this kind of camp.  

Thanks Barbee for sharing this with everyone at Heart2Heart!

Some info about Enrique’s camp and delegation:

• Children’s International Summer Village, QC Chapter

• July 1 to 28, 2011 in Fredericksburg, Denmark (30 minutes from Copenhagen)

• His village was called “Our World Village”

• Philippine Delegation:  Enrique Chuidian, Luis Trota (son of Rica Tamesis & Robert Trota), Isabel Puno (daughter of Bea Lopez & Eric Puno), Katrina Villonco  (daughter of Hazel Perez & Martoni Villonco)

• with Adult Leader:  Anielle Banson

• CISV summer camps are called “Villages” and each village consists of child delegates (all 11-year olds); Junior Counselors (JCs); Adult Leaders and the Camp Director

• In Enrique’s Village, there were child delegates from 12 countries (each country sends 2 boys and 2 girls, plus one adult leader)

• Delegations from the following countries participated in his Village:

o Jordan, Belgium, USA, Costa Rica, Brazil, Italy, Germany, Austria, Norway, Sweden, Poland, and Philippines

o Junior Counselors and Camp Staff were also from all over the world

The next round of CISV camps will be in July/ August 2012.  But, in early 2013, the delegates will start getting together for the Saturday playdays where they will all get to learn about CISV and its traditions; learn Filipino songs, games and dances to share when they go away to camp; make some great friendships and in early March, a lottery will take place to determine where these 11-year olds will go to attend camp.  Next summer,  I think the CISV QC chapter will be sending at least 5 delegations (20 kids) to Denmark, Sweden, Mexico, USA, Portugal.

For more information click below to go to their website:

 share with a friend

 Congratulations Tito Eddie and Dino

for building the Caring Jesus Elementary School for the Gawad Kalinga children in Pandi, Bulacan.  The school now has 56 students from grades 1 to 4. 

Previous entry:  Caring Jesus Educational Foundation February 8, 2011 

 share with a friend

On Halloween day, I spent the morning at The Makati City Jail.  It’s just a few blocks from MC Home Depot in the Fort.  This is where people are detained while they are waiting for their day in court.  It’s a pity because some of them wait for so many years, it’s like they served their sentence already.  Then when the time comes for them to go to court, they meet their lawyers a few hours only before their trial

Yet it was nice to see that despite that, people here are trying to make the most of what they have

When you first enter, you see a nice christmas tree made from recycled plastic bags.  They celebrate early too like me

Thank you to my friend, Chary, for bringing me along with her.  For Chary this is a regular routine for her as she comes every week to tutor the detainees.  Thank you too to Bong Espenocilla, a detainee himself,  for touring us around and telling me about life in their place

A typical day for them 

Everyone is kept busy which is good.  I would not know how life is in a place like this but seeing all of them, it was nice to see some smiles on their faces and hope that maybe one day they will still have a life outside 

These are the old jail cells for solitary confinement but these are not used anymore nowadays.  This is where Ninoy Aquino and Serge Osmeña stayed during their stay here.  Now they are used for conjugal visits of spouses or just locked up and not being used 

They cook their own food 

They are a very religious community.  There are even volunteers who regularly visit, some even everyday to give spiritual guidance for them.  They have a grotto in the garden with a chubby Mother Mary  They are looking for someone to donate a Virgin Mary for their grotto.  I actually like their version because I find it unique and antique already  

Chary never visited the cells but this visit we went inside and we toured the male cells and they even serenaded us :-) They were very well behaved and the place was clean and neat.  There are around 400 plus male detainees 

And we visited the female cells.  There are almost a hundred female detainees, not as many as the males 

They have  many, many activities to keep them busy, who said life in jail was boring? Not here! 

Chary teaches up to 10 per class.  Since March this year, Chary and other volunteers with her - Jason Bangayan, Leah Puyat and Risa Garcia come over to tutor them for an hour.  Many of them don’t have highschool diplomas, so teachers from the Department of Education come twice a week to teach them and Chary and her friends come once a week to tutor them in preparation for the once a year test they will have to pass to get their diplomas.  

and boys have separate classes from girls, they are not really allowed to interact unless they have joint activities planned.  Chary told me that she used to teach them under the heat of the sun!  It’s a good thing now they have these huts where they can work in  

Thank you Chary for this very enlightening experience for me.  I will never forget this Halloween Day.  And Thank you to you and your friends for giving hope to the detainees who are wiling to learn and earn a highschool degree.  And maybe one day when they are free and can go out in the real world, they will be ready and able to do more for themselves and face a bright future  

 share with a friend

Our batch has formed a committee called ” FOR THE BENEFIT OF ” and this is headed by Lala and Eds.  Aside from the funds that we will be donating to the Assumption Mission Schools, we have a few outreach programs we would like to do now and in the coming years.  And we are all excited!  

In a few months, With the help of Tito Frank Drilon, Our Assumption batch will help build a classroom in Porac, Pampanga!  Thank you Tito Frank!  What a great advocacy!!

Our roadtrip led us to Katutubo Elementary School where Assumption sometimes holds their immersions.  We were also happy to find out that Xavier School is the main donor for this school through the Mena Foundation of Fr. Mena

They also have feeding programs here 

The school caters to the Ayta tribe in the area, they have a very cute village around the school

They remove their slippers before going inside the classroom

 Here we are with Sister Lilia Malimit and two of the teachers from the Department of Education

The fence will be removed to make way for the classroom which will be built beside this existing one.  We are targetting December just in time for Christmas 

We hope you can help us raise funds and it can be in many forms:

1.)  Cash Sponsorship - please contact Aileen Tupaz- Lota at at_lota@yahoo.com or cell #:  0917-828-6671

2.)  Donate items for the ONLINE AUCTION - to be launched in September - WATCH OUT FOR THIS! SO many exciting items up for bid!!

If you would like to donate, please contact Yvonne Dayrit Romualdez at ysdromualdez@mac.com

3.)  Buy tickets at P 2,950.00 for Girls Just Wanna Have Fun event and get a lootbag worth more than P 5,000.00 

If you want to help the Assumption Mission Schools and purchase a ticket, please contact:

Peachy Zulueta- Maxwald 0920-9704091 or email at  salonsys@hotmail.com  

 share with a friend

 share with a friend

Last week, James, Jaime and I went to the Collective to attend Futkalicious

Tito Eddie together with my cousin, Dino, started a foundation!!  Heart2Heart is so happy to have discovered this and loves foundations especially focusing on education for kids!! Thank you Tito Eddie and Dino!!!

 share with a friend

Starting school is an important step in a young child’s life.  This prompts many parents to ask, “Is my child ready for Big School?”  Starting big school can be a stressful experience for children.  The days are longer, the buildings are bigger, there are more children and they are the smallest in the playground.  Much more is also expected of them in terms of academic skills.

We are very pleased to inform you that we are organizing a discussion as a response to parents’ request and need for some guidance on how they can help their child manage the transition from preschool to primary school or elementary.  The talk entitled, “Ready… Set… Big School!  A Guide for Parents” will be held on Friday, 11 February 2011 from 4:00 to 5:30 pm at the Everest Academy Administration Building.  We are fortunate to have as guest speaker, Mrs. Ma. Carolina “Maricar” Gustilo-de Ocampo.  Mrs. de Ocampo earned her master’s degree in Early Childhood and Elementary Education in Bank Street College of Education in New York, USA.  She later pursued her studies and earned her PhD in Executive Program in Educational Leadership and Management from De La Salle University. She is a well-known education consultant of many schools. She has given a number of talks on education-related topics to educators and parents.

I encourage all of you to attend this talk.  You will gain a better understanding of this big step in your child’s life, and as you understand this important step, you can manage your expectations of our child and at the same time help him/her make this transition as smooth as possible

Hope to see you all then.  Please feel free to invite your friends.

ANGELICA R. FERNANDEZ DE CASTRO

Principal     

Everest Academy

3846 38th Drive North, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig 1643 Philippines

882-5019

www.everestmanila.com

 share with a friend

We were very excited when Father Julian and Father Manolo invited us over to use the new Sports complex of the Colegio San Agustin!!  

We used the basketball court which the boys really enjoyed….

The oldies ( excluding Carlo ) versus the young ones…and surprisingly the oldies beat the young ones :-) 

After the games, Father Julian toured us to the other parts of the complex and it is really world class!  Father Julian himself is very much into sports and he knows the importance of sports in the growth of the kids in school 

Aside from the basketball court, the kids also used the swimming pool 

The sports facilities is open to all not only to the students.  Just call up Coach Mario or the school for more information and bookings 

 share with a friend