Discovery camp for kids with issues
By: Minerva BC
These children are beneficiaries of the Bidlisiw Foundation, Inc., an NGO in Cebu that handles children with various issues and extending to them emotional, psychological and educational assistance and other programs that would help in their healing process.
The discovery camp is one of the programs of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. (RAFI) under its Kool Adventure Camp (KAC).
It aims to help the participants improve their self-awareness; build positive outlook and confidence; set personal goals through games and creative presentations; self-evaluation and small group sharing.
The 3-day camp hoped to assist the children in discovering themselves, their self-confidence and individual healing of their respective personal pains and unhappy experiences.
Franco Otero, one of the KAC facilitators during the camp noted that majority of the children participants simply wanted to complete their studies to help their families and improve their lives.
Otero shared that whatever unhappy memories these children had the discovery camp somehow re-directed their sense of direction for the future.
Otero said that during the mask making activity a child wrote: “Gagawin ko ang lahat upang maabot ko ang aking mga pangarap sa buhay.” (I will try my best to achieve my dreams in life.)
The discovery camp is part of the Child and Family Healing, Recovery and Re-Integration Program of RAFI’s Dolores Aboitiz Children’s Fund in partnership with the Bidlisiw Foundation Inc.
The program started in 2009 and is now on its second year of implementation. It is designed specifically to improve the health conditions of 140 families in Barangay Ermita, Cebu City
It is also designed to protect children from abuse and exploitation in their homes and in the communities; and enhance livelihood skills among family members to augment family income. (PIA-7/mbcn & RAFI)
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Solon pushes for free ‘Special Education’ for children with disabilities
By: Minerva BC
The SPED centers are geared towards preparing handicapped children for integration with non-handicapped peers as they pursue higher education.
The Department of Education, in coordination with the Department of Social Welfare and Development will determine the programs suitable taking into account the children’s aptitude handicaps.
Senator Loren Legarda, author of the bill said vast majority of persons with disabilities are not able to acquire even elementary school education, making it more difficult for them to contribute financially to their families.
Legarda quoted a study conducted by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific that only two percent of children with disabilities are enrolled in formal educational institutions due to financial constraints.
“As much as nine million of Filipinos suffer from disability, and we lack the government support even for the most basic of rights as free education for handicapped children,” Legarda lamented.
She said the World Health Organization estimates about 10% of Filipinos are living with some form of disability. Among them include people who suffer from autism, blindness, deafness, muteness, and physical or orthopedic impairments.
The bill will provide free and suitable public education for children with disabilities to promote their integration to society and provide them opportunities afforded to other Filipinos, Legarda said. (PIA-7/mbcn)
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Ateneo de Cebu, RAFI launch ‘Blue Tree project’
CENTRAL VISAYAS, Oct 9 (PIA) -- The Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu launched recently its ‘Blue Tree project’ during an ecological mass and through the unveiling of a marker in the school campus at Canduman, Mandaue City
The project, initiated in partnership with the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI), is the school’s “green” investment for the environment’s future.
Part of the project’s initiative is to establish a native tree nursery inside the school campus and this will become a satellite nursery of the RAFI-Native Trees Nursery for its nationwide GREENIN’ Philippines
RAFI communications officer, Haidee Emmie Palapar in her press release said, the project is designed as a “sustainable urban tree planting and plant care initiative that is geared towards maintaining urban landscapes’ overall health and appearance.”
It is called ‘Blue Tree Project’ because Ateneo’s brand color is “blue”. It is an identification of the school’s environmental initiative that links with RAFI’s Generation REdemption and Expansion of Natural resources INitiatives in the Philippines or (GREENIN Philippines
The partnership calls for inter-organizational commitment to assist and complement one another. RAFI will provide lectures and demonstrations to the Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu community on the proper planting and caring of seeds.
The local government units will identify suitable locations for tree planting and growing while the student community of Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu will fund the project through creative initiatives.
“The Blue Tree Project will showcase the school’s concern for the environment and hopefully catches the interest of the Jesuit community throughout the country as well as the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines member-schools,” Fr. Sigmund de Guzman, S.J., Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu Campus Ministry director, said. His office will link the school with various partners.
Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu President Fr. Manuel Uy, S.J.; Dr. Robert Gallardo of the Department of Education-Mandaue City Division; and GREENIN Philippines Program Coordinator Neil Papas turned over Bitanghol seedlings to the representatives of the various departments of the Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu community, among them Student Council President Niño Cardenas who represented the student body.
The ceremony symbolized the responsibility of individuals to nurture seedlings until they grow and become forests.(PIA-7/mbcn & RAFI/hep)