CONCERT FOR A CAUSE

I am helping a friend promote another worthwhile event. Please come to this concert on May 21 and help send poor but deserving students to UP Diliman :) I hope to see you there!

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CONCERT FOR A CAUSE

Ex Libris Philippines, a SEC-certified, nonstock, nonprofit organization of book enthusiasts, is raising funds in order to help send deserving but financially challenged UP students to school. Their last two fundraising projects held March 2007 and April 2008 have funded the education of seven poor but deserving students at the University of the Philippines, Diliman.

Ex Libris Philippines is now holding its third fundraising project, a Concert for a Cause, with performances by Gabriela and Natasha Francisco, Franco Maigue, Raymond Sanga, and other alumni and teachers of the UP College of Music. All funds to be raised will go to the Scholarship Project. The concert will be on May 21, 2010, Friday, 6 p.m. at the UP College of Music, Abelardo Auditorium.

Tickets are at Php 300.00 each. For tickets, please contact Tata Francisco at 0920-947-08-61, or Gabi Francisco at 0920-947-08-35. You can also email teachertata@gmail.com, or gabitwin@gmail.com.

For more info on Ex Libris Philippines and its Scholarship Project, please visit: http://exlibrisphilippines.multiply.com

Please help spread the word!

GOLF TO GIVE

Here is an activity/event by a group which I am a (small) part of: Grace Leung's KaEskwela :) I hope my Isang Bata friends can support this worthwhile event.

Are you a golf enthusiast? Here's a perfect opportunity to play for a good cause!

GOLF TO GIVE

A KaEskwela Fundraising Tournament for Public School Libraries

April 27, 2010 (Tuesday)
Wack Wack Golf & Country Club

Ticket: P3500
Inclusive of Green Fee, Caddie Fee, Dinner, Giveaway and Raffle Entry

For ticket and sponsorship inquiries, email kaeskwelavolunteers @yahoo.com or text 0917-5365293 (Katrina), 0917-5363224 (Grace)

Slots are limited, so get your tickets now!

For more information about KaEskwela, check out www.brigadaeskwela.multiply.com and www.kaeskwela.org

Please feel free to forward to your friends who play golf, or to organizations that may be willing to support the event.

Two Isang Bata scholars are outstanding students

Christine Cagadas and Lino Miranda, two of the eight scholars of Isang Bata, landed on the 3rd and 2nd top places, respectively, in their classes last school year. Christine was in 3rd year, and Lino in 2nd year. It was a heartwarming piece of news and I'm sure their sponsors, Carol Soriano Macasaet (for Christine), Lyli Eleuterio and Chikki Agbayani (for Lino) are all proud and happy about their scholars' success. I myself am very pleased and very proud about their achievements.

I met Christine and Lino's parents last year and was moved by the facts about their lives. From having only dim prospects for scholarly success due to poverty, these kids have risen above adversity and managed to perform very well in school, with the help of their sponsors. This was what I wrote about them last year:

"Lino's father is dead, and his mother had gone missing. He is now under the care of a guardian, but like everyone else, he is in urgent need of financial assistance so he can graduate from high school."

"Christine is 14 years old. Her father has cancer and needs medical attention so she often needed to stay home and help out. Her mother works as a housemaid."

ANOTHER WONDERFUL NEWS

On another note, five sponsors have expressed their intention of supporting their scholars through the next school year! Anj Sales Onrubia will be paying for Bernadette's schooling, until she finishes high school and even through college! Isn't that just great? Peter Foo will likewise support John Cedrick through high school. Iten del Rosario will also be continuing support for Danilo next year. And Carol Soriano Macasaet and Auchee Villaraza will keep sending money for their scholars until March 2011!

I'm just so filled with gratitude today, my heart glows with pride and love. Mabuhay po kayong lahat :)

Isang Bata at the Wawa National High School Commencement Exercises

JCI Manilena President Armi Nabablit and me in Wawa, Rodriguez Rizal


With Wawa Elementary School Principal Mrs. Mercy Gutierrez


With Isang Bata's Peter Foo


Discussing classroom situation with Peter


Wawa Elementary School sits at the foot of a mountain


Each class has an average of 60 students!


Principal Gutierrez tells me there are only 18 teachers to teach the elementary kids


Photo op at the foot of steps leading up to the school


Discussing our projects with Principal Mercy. Ladies on the foreground are preschool teachers at the barangay daycare center.


At the Principal's office


With Leonard Regis, owner of service we used


I'm wearing my JCI Manilena shirt because the ocular was mainly for Manilena projects and campaigns

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Last April 5, 2010, the principal of Wawa National High School, Mr. Vivencio Felix, invited Isang Bata to grace the commencement exercises and witness the graduation of their high school seniors.

I went with Isang Bata sponsor Peter Foo, and JCI Manilena president Armi Nabablit, who went for our meeting with key persons regarding new campaigns for Wawa Elementary School, and five (5) daycare centers under the local barangay of San Rafael. It was a productive day, to say the least.

Armi and I met with the principal of Wawa Elementary, Mercy Gutierrez, and a couple of teachers from the daycare around 11 in the morning. Then we had a meeting with San Rafael barangay captain Edgar Sison.

After the meetings and a simple lunch at a local carinderia, Peter and I were welcomed at the graduation with wooden necklaces and were made to walk on the red carpet under shining cris-crossed swords. We sat with the school's guests of honor including Anakpawis' Ka Paeng Mariano. Peter delivered a short congratulatory address.

We all had merienda together before Peter and I left at half past three so I could make it to another meeting in Quezon City. It was a full day for me. Big thanks to Leonard Regis for driving us around the entire day :)

At one point during merienda, the high school principal pulled me aside to discuss Isang Bata's participation in school-related activities and administration/decision-making. Wawa National High School considers Isang Bata as a partner and friend. For my part, Wawa National High School has also grown close to my heart because of the projects we've launched there and the people I've come to meet over the years. It will be Isang Bata's pleasure, indeed, to be the school's partner and supporter.

On another note, I am facilitating the launch of more projects for Wawa, this time under JCI Manilena, of which I am also Director for Community Development. For Wawa Elementary, we are donating at least a couple of computer units for the use of teachers. We are also talking with IBM Philippines regarding a possible computer literacy program for preschoolers (for the 5 daycare centers in San Rafael) under IBM's Kidsmart program, as well as a reading program for the grade schoolers.

On top of these, we'll also be looking for sponsors for more scholars! We will try to help 30 deserving but underprivileged elementary students go to school by offering financial assistance.

Isang Bata has 8 scholars from high school, who are being given P1500-P2000 every month. The 30 elementary scholars, 5 from each grade level, would receive P700 monthly. Let me know if you are interested to take part in any of these endeavors.

Mag-akyat ng Aklat sa Wawa

From left: Iding, Bebang, Wennie, Maam Ritchelle, Principal Mercy, me, and two faculty members from Wawa Elementary

Isang Bata, together with Dagdag Dunong and the UST College of Engineering, donated more than a thousand books to Wawa Elementary School and Wawa National High School last March 14, 2010.

Read more about this here:
http://blogs.gmanews.tv/abet-umil/archives/39-Akyat-aklat.html