Helping the children of San Roque Primary School in Lanao del Norte

(Excerpt from the report Isang Bata received from Kaabag Ranaw, Inc., Isang Bata's partner in this project. Another important partner is LBC Express and LBC Foundation, particularly Jose C. Garcia, who took care of sending all four boxes to Lanao del Norte.)

As of July 6, 2011, San Roque Primary school has a total of 100 pupils from day care to grade IV. Isang Bata sent over 100 school kits for these children, plus around a hundred books to build a small library. The following is the summary of recipients:

Kinder - 25
Grade 1 - 22
Grade 2 - 17
Grade 3 - 17
Grade 4 - 19

Books are very limited in San Roque Primary School. Only the teachers have text books. This is one of the reasons why the school does not have competitive/excellent students. Indeed, the children and the teachers are thankful for the rare opportunity to receive high-quality books.

Photos below are courtesy of Kaabag Ranaw, Inc., through Jojo Pacaldo, Executive Director.

This project would not be possible without the support and generosity of ‎Dino Narciso, Irene Chia, Kat Palasi, Lalaine F. Yanilla Aquino, Candie Cobiao, Joy Ty-Sy, ‎Henry Salazar, Jane Frances Salazar, Cooki Co Macatol, Iten Zamora del Rosario, Emmeline Aglipay, Aze Ramos, ‎Sara Denise Mendoza, Resti Hallig Santiago, Susan Cristie Delovino-Belmonte and LBC Express' Tedd Santos.


Ms. Alfanta, checking the school enrollee master list.


Kaabag Ranaw, Inc. staff members counting the books for turn over.


The kinder teacher browses through the books with interest.


Bgy. Captain Escorial, Ms. Alfanta and Kaabag Ranaw, Inc. staff members facilitate the distribution.


Child signing the acknowledgment receipt.


One school kit per child.






A short story telling session after the turn over.


The truck that brings the children to and from school. They cover a distance of 4 kilometers each time.


"SCHOOL BUS". Since around 40% of the constituents of San Roque are settling in the coastal area, a number of students go up and down every day. The barangay council has allocated budget for a 2-way travel every day from the coastal barangay to San Roque, a distance of about 4 kilometers. They usually leave at 7:00 and depart San Roque at 4:00 – 5:00 in the afternoon. This practice made the students even closer.

(Ime's note: This is such a strong image. I could not help but think of the school buses we have in Manila. In Lanao, these children have to make themselves fit in this truck and travel on rough roads while standing up for 4 kilometers every day, twice a day, rain or shine, without a roof over their heads--just to attend their classes. Could not imagine doing that myself. Amazing children.)

173 books for Cabasagan Elementary School

Isang Bata turned over 173 books to the representative of Cabasagan Elementary School in Lanao del Norte yesterday. The principal, Intan Magigired, expresses her overflowing gratitude. Thank you to Agnes Atienza, Sush Narciso, Resti Hallig Santiago, Irene Chia, Aithne Lao, Joy Ty-Sy and Michelle Siy Yap. If you haven't seen the school, it might be difficult to grasp how big a difference 173 books could make on the lives of the students here.

We donated the following books: Science, Math, Religion, ICT, Pilipino/Pagbasa, Reference, Reading/Language, History/Culture, Activity books and of course, story books.


This is Cabasagan. Photos by Kat Palasi.






Dedat Salem, son of Cabasagan Elementary School principal Intan Magigired, receives the books from Isang Bata, including a 17-volume Encyclopedia Britannica donated by the Narciso family (through Sush).

The difference that one pencil can make

It’s hard to believe, but in many places in the Philippines, there are children who don’t go to school just because they don’t have a pencil. Or paper to write on. But sometimes, they go ahead and go to class without these, and they end up not learning anything.

There is a small primary school in Kolambugan, Lanao del Norte called San Roque Primary School. Last year, the school served around 80 students in four grade levels. It only had two teachers. This year, the school expects enrollment to swell to more than a hundred, however, the administrators are apprehensive due to limited school resources and the students’ inability to secure basic school supplies.

This school year, Isang Bata would like to reach out to the primary school children of the remote barangay of San Roque. They have literally been forgotten by many aid workers, the Department of Education (last year text books were given ONLY to teachers), and other aid agencies probably due to distance, difficulty of travel and security concerns because of conflict in the area.

Isang Bata’s appeal. It is a rare opportunity for us Manila residents to be able to send help to our children in the remote areas of Mindanao. Through this small project, we at Isang Bata are really hoping that many will take this chance to send some assistance over to Kolambugan. Please send me, Ime, a message through 09179378617, 09202770315 or blubitel@yahoo.com. School supplies, books in good condition, toiletries and snacks for the children, and cash (for shipping expenses) are welcome. We hope to be able to help at least 100 students this year, and we want to get these donations to them by June 19 at the latest. So if you intend to share something, please send it over by June 15. And please help us spread the word through your blog, social networks, email groups, etc. Just cut and paste this announcement. Thank you very much.

.

Books for the children of Cabasagan

ISANG BATA sends out a call for books to build a library for elementary school children. Donations will go to Cabasagan Elementary School in Lanao del Norte. The books will be turned over on April 26, 2011. The school doesn't have a library, doesn't have one decent book. It's a run-down school damaged during conflict in 2008. Cabasagan is a remote barangay in Lanao.

Believe me, getting some help to the children there is a RARE opportunity.

If you need more details, please email me, Ime, directly through blubitel@yahoo.com or text me through 09179378617.

A Mini Library of 100 Books for the Children of Gutted (and Demolished) Community in Navotas

Yesterday, March 22, the sun shone at its fiercest. Representing Isang Bata, I went with Akap Bata on their feeding/gift-giving mission for the children of Kadiwa, Bgy. San Roque, Navotas City. Akap Bata is a progressive sectoral organization that advocates the rights of Filipino children. Thank you to Arlene Brosas, Secretary General of Akap Bata, for inviting me/Isang Bata to be a part of this activity.

Never in my whole life had I seen children line up under the scorching sun just to get their names listed for a chance (a chance!) to get one children's book. Some of the children who fell in line didn't even know how to read!

Last Christmas, Isang Bata received book donations from children's book author Heidi Eusebio Abad. These were the books I distributed to the Kadiwa children yesterday. There were only around 47 books, but the number of children was way more than that. So we tried various strategies in distribution: siblings were to share, even cousins had to share, and the younger ones who couldn't read yet didn't get copies of the book.

Aside from the 47 books, I also gathered the books donated to Isang Bata last year so I could come up with a 100-book mini library for the Kadiwa community. The collection was turned over to NASAKA (Nagkakaisang Samahan sa Kadiwa), the local residents association in the area, for safekeeping and guardianship. I would like to thank Candy Villanueva Lykes, Lalaine Yanilla Aquino, Dino Narciso, Sara Denise Mendoza and May Tobias Papa for these books.

Isang Bata plans to work with Akap Bata again next month to launch a reading/storytelling project for the children in the area. Possibly, a literacy workshop might be conducted as well. Aside from living in poverty and unsafe conditions, some children were traumatized after a huge fire burned down their houses last January 29, 2011, killing 12 people including 5 children. A week after the fire, a violent demolition/dispersal was carried out by the City Engineering Office to relocate the residents to another area. Click to view Tudla Productions' video of the violent demolition and dispersal http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWtrOYpw41Q

Get in touch with me, Ime, through 09179378617 or blubitel@yahoo.com if you want to help the children of Kadiwa.


Making a list of children who will get books


Swedish volunteer, Cecilia, reading to the children


Lining up in the sun for a signed copy of Abad's books


A long, long line it was


Who wants a book?!


Giving out the books




So happy to receive a copy


You could see that they were excited to read (or look at the pictures)








Akap Bata volunteers came up with a system to distribute the books to the children






Another Swedish volunteer, Amanda, played and sang with the children of Kadiwa


Fil-Swedish volunteer Marie playing games with the children


Cecilia had a full repertoire of children's action songs!


Amanda makes them listen to music on her iPod


Akap Bata's Secretary General Arlene Brosas: Gigibain ang bahay nyo, papayag kayo??


Akap Bata's Gift Giving and Feeding Project


Some of the children of Kadiwa, Barangay San Roque, Navotas City


Little girl amidst the rubble


Engrossed






New widow with her 1 year old Andrei


Talking to his father's picture (Antonio Homo, NASAKA's campaign officer, was gunned down last March 16, 2011 inside the NASAKA office)


With Akap Bata's Arlene Brosas and my newfound friend, Chloe aka Shembot :)

Please help baby Job

A few days ago I received an email from Bowi's pediatrician when he was still a baby (we go to a different pedia now). She is asking people to help Job Tyrese Feliciano, her 7 month old patient diagnosed with Biliary Atresia shortly after birth. He will need a liver transplant at the soonest possible time in Taiwan. The family will need anywhere from 3 to 4 million, an amount they cannot afford at this time, but a liver transplant is Job's only chance at life.

What you can do: Please pray for Job and his family, first of all. If you have the capacity to give, please do so. Or you can share this note with your contacts so we can reach more people. If you know of any organizations, corporations, socio-civic groups who's willing to help, please let the family know ASAP.

Website: http://hopeforjob.blogspot.com/

Here is the solicitation letter that Job's parents have written:

HOPE FOR JOB: A CHANCE TO LIVE
Let me have a little time out of your day to read this earnest plea for help and spread the word

Dear _____________________________

Job Tyrese Feliciano, our first baby, was born in June 6, 2010 with BILIARY ATRESIA--a fatal, serious and rare liver disease that affects newborn infants (1 out of 15,000).

At seven months old, Job Tyrese's liver--and life--is at risk. His disease is caused by his liver not having bile ducts. The bile ducts should help the liver drain out bile to pass it on to the intestines for digesting food. As a result, the bile is trapped inside his body and this will cause liver scarring and loss of liver tissue/Cirrhosis. While the cause is still unknown, this disease is destroying his liver. Our son is jaundiced or has yellowish eyes and skin, his tummy is noticeably bigger than a normal baby, and his stool/poo is pale-colored. His digestion is poor that’s why he doesn’t gain weight that much.

At a tender age of two months, Baby Job already underwent Kasai procedure (Hepato-portoenterostomy)--a surgical procedure that temporarily provides a passage way of bile out of the liver. Unfortunately, the procedure was a failure. As a consequence his liver will eventually be damaged.

The solution the doctors came up with is through LIVER TRANSPLANT. The only curative management for Biliary atresia. The only option for baby Job. Unfortunately, the procedure can only be done in a hospital in Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, and USA. More importantly, the operation costs some P3 million to P4 million specifically in Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Taiwan.

It's a huge amount which our family does not have at this moment.

Myself and Thristian, my husband, are newlyweds and are earning just enough as nurses to support our daily needs and baby Job's medications. This is why we appeal to your kind consideration. Please help us raise funds for our son's liver transplantation. We will appreciate any amount from your kind heart. You can help us through donations:


BDO BANK PESO SAVINGS ACCOUNT: (Ortigas Ave. Branch)
Account Number: 1550156754
Account Name: Job Tyrese D. Feliciano
Swift Code: BNORPHMM

BDO BANK DOLLAR SAVINGS ACCOUNT: (Sta. Lucia Mall East-Felix Branch)
Account Number: 6310088717
Account Name: Raymelia D. Feliciano

Contact Information:
Please contact us for any help you may extend to our young family and we will forever be thankful and will pray to God to bless you for your compassion and generosity.


Thristian John Esperancilla Feliciano (Father) Raymelia “Sweet” del Rosario-Feliciano (Mother)
E-mail Address: jay_onaicilef@yahoo.com
Email Address: raymelia_badilla_delrosario@yahoo.com
Telephone number: (02)477-67-26
Telephone number: (02)477-67 26
Cellphone number: (+63)916-6369363
Cellphone number: (+63)927-6138727

For more information regarding Job Tyrese and Biliary Atresia, Please visit:
http://hopeforjob.blogspot.com/
Http://www.liftbabies.org/

Isang Bata's STORY THERAPY Part 2

These are pictures from Isang Bata's Story Therapy Part 2 which happened on Christmas day at the Philippine Children's Medical Center in Quezon City.

The volunteer storytellers visited wards on the ground and second floors to tell stories to the patients. Everyone's favorite magician, Ton Delgado, also performed pocket magic shows in several wards. The children also received gifts: storybooks, fruits, toys, and more.

Isang Bata would like to thank May Tobias Papa, Irene Chia, Jes Aznar, Ton Delgado, Arlene Brosas of Akap Bata, Betty Uy-Regala, Opaline Santos, Justine Santos, Joanne Santos, Veronica Uy and Jojo Vitug together with their children Tring, Tyago and Kulas, Raffy Lerma of PDI, Jennifer Bautista, Jubelle Bautista, Merdin Mojica, Daxx Bondoc and Tito Bobbi. Thank you also to Miss Grace, social worker from PCMC for making the necessary arrangements for the event.

Photographs by Irene Chia, except where she's in the picture of course :p