Friday, October 19, 2012

2007 - 2012 GFI Mindanao Narrative Report

       In May 2007, GFI started its outreach with just one school in the island of Mindanao The service is focused to the indigent school children belonging to two Indigenous Peoples (IP) groups, the Blaan and Tboli. Specifically, GFI’s Mindanao outreach communities are located in Polomolok, South Cotabato and Maitum, Sarangani Province.

The Before and After scenario for each beneficiary are as follows:

I.Kipalkuda Elementary School (KES) – New La Union, Maitum, Sarangani Province

 
Before GFI’s intervention, there were no educational resources and even library; students
during break time are just playing; and no school supplies and artwork materials.

 Since GFI started its 2008 outreach to the school in partnership with the Datu Wali Mission, the school was able to lobby financial assistance from the Provincial Government of Sarangani for the construction of the school library. The school developed a log book system to track library use. During the site visit to the school, the teachers shared that students now spend time in the library during their class break.  School supplies and artwork materials were also enjoyed by the students.

   Dan Evans, Datu Wali Mission Director, noted in 2009 during his graduation speech at the school that the “ Galing Foundation, Inc. awards were received with surprise and elation. I had an opportunity during my speech to ensure that parents, students and teachers understood what the foundation is, and why they are such a help to the school. I told them it is a genuine blessing that the foundation has taken an interest in them and their school and it brought a loud applause from the community that had assembled for the event. This year, the school graduated a total of 25 students which was their largest graduation class ever.”

 
II. Maligo Elementary School (MES) – Barangay Maligo, Polomolok, South Cotabato

  Before GFI, students do not have access to other educational resources aside from textbooks used by the teachers. Students learning and reading is slow and they do not have a library or a reading center. The parents admitted that they are not involved in teaching and helping their kids after school because they do not have educational materials to refer to in teaching.

  The intervention of GFI helped the school establish a reading center serving as their mini-library inside the school principal’s office because they do not have a separate space for library use only. Teachers have assessed that the reading comprehension and learning skills of the children increased. On top of that, the parents are now using educational materials from the school to be able to teach their kids for their home works and make them actively involved in their kid’s learning.

Maligo Elementary School (MES) is a non-central, complete monograde school. The school is using the Restructured Basic Education Curriculum (RBEC). The competencies are based on the Philippine Elementary Learning Competencies (PELC). The media of instructions are English and Filipino in all grade level (Grade I to Grade VI). Sometimes Cebuano or Ilonggo dialects are used.

Mrs. Lorelyn Fabulare, MES School-in-Charge, noted in her 2011 letter to GFI:

 Your Mission which is “Providing children resources to assist in promoting the importance of functional English literacy” has proven to be beneficial to the recipient schools especially to Maligo Elementary School.

The teachers, pupils and parents as well are very much grateful to your kind generosity. The reading materials you have donated are indeed of big help in increasing the reading readiness and interest of our school children.

To maximize the use of these, we have developed a Reading Corner, wherein every grade level is given a regular schedule using it. This this, we thank you very much and may your generosity will continue till the end of time.

    The school desired to have its own space for its growing Reading Center and transform it to be the school library.

III. Maligo Day Care School – Polomolok, South Cotabato

  The Maligo Day Care School is composed of Kinder I and Kinder II pupils. The school is funded and operated by the Barangay Council of Maligo. Before GFI, they do not have picture books, toys, artwork materials and other educational resources aside from what the teacher is using.

 With every books shipped to Maligo, the officials and volunteers are segregating educational materials appropriate for the day care school. Now, they have cabinets to place educational materials like story books, toys are available during play time; they have art work materials such as coloring books, crayons, and pencils.

 
IV.  Blaan Dalel Christian Academy – Barangay Landan, Polomolok, South Cotabato

             GFI’s outreach to the school started in 2007 in partnership with the Blaan Evangelistic Mission (BEM). After series of educational resource materials shipment, no status reports or updates were submitted by the school administrators. GFI could not justify the continued support without feedback from the school if resources sent were useful or beneficial to the students.

           Thus, in second quarter of 2008, GFI stopped sending books and other educational resource materials to the school and focused the outreach to more receptive beneficiaries.

 

V. Landan National High School – Barangay Landan, Polomolok, South Cotabato

          Before, only the teachers have direct access to textbooks used in the classroom as there is no library and even educational materials available. The students spent their break time playing and eating junk foods.

 With the influx of books and educational supplies sent through Galing Foundation, Inc., the school administrators were able to lobby for the construction of a library. The book shelves were counterpart project of the Parent Teachers Association (PTA). The school implemented the Dewey Decimal System for proper guide on the library use. The school also designated a librarian. The enrolment has increased and students have improved their chances to pass entrance exams for better colleges and universities to further their education.

Mrs. Ninfa Macabenta wrote a very heartfelt testimony “Who Can Give Us This much” for GFI last March 2012. To quote part of her message of GFI’s impact to the school:

 Before, students will say that they only have very few copies of textbooks and nothing to refer to for more/better explanations and practices. But now with the books coming from GFI, there are always reasons for students to go to the library for further study of their lessons especially in English, Science and Mathematics. Since the school has acquired references and other teaching materials from GFI, our school was able to compete with other secondary schools in the locality not only in the academic aspects but also in terms of school facilities like our Science Laboratory where the VHS tapes and players are placed for use in the teaching-learning process.

 As the School Administrator for Landan National High School, I am proud to tell our higher
offices, through written report, that we are being adopted by the Galing Foundation, Inc. and we are very much thankful for this. I am also very thankful that I am given the opportunity to head Landan National High School. Without the books coming from GFI, our school might not be competitive with other secondary schools.

 Without counting the shipment and handling, the school has estimated the cost of different materials received from GFI to almost PhP 1,000,000,000.00. This is a huge amount! Who can give us this much?

 
VI. Maligo Public Library – Polomolok, South Cotabato

 Maligo Barangay Council is very active in helping the turnover of books to the Maligo Elementary School and Maligo Day Care School. Before, they do not have a public library especially for growing number of college students from their Barangay.

 College educational resources and public management resource materials donated by GFI supporters are segregated upon arrival in General Santos City and those educational resources not applicable to the elementary and high school recipients are turned over to Barangay Maligo. This prompted the Barangay Council to specify a place for public library. This has been very helpful for the college students especially management, nursing and accountancy resource materials. The Time Magazine, National Geographic and Travel Magazines were very useful for the Barangay Council to learn more about the world. The Provincial and Municipal Government awarded Brgy. Maligo for establishing a public library as a “Galing Barangay Awardee” for the best practices they have with GFI’s intervention.

Since 2009, the GFI Mindanao Outreach adopted the implementation of the Youth Leadership Award for each school. So far, we have given award/recognition giving out trophies and certificates to nine (11) students that exemplified excellence. The GFI Mindanao Outreach also initiated the Best in English Awards for all school recipients and we have awarded fifty seven (70) students that received medals during their respective commencement exercises.

The GFI Mindanao Outreach is thankful for the GFI board, the supporters and partners here in Atlanta for making all these achievements and imparting Christ’s love thru this noble missionary work.

Also, Galing Foundation has been officially nominated to the Banaag Award of the Year 2012 Presidential Awards for Filipino Individuals and Organizations Overseas. The Presidential Awards is a biennial search conferred by the President of the Philippines to distinguished Filipino individuals and organizations in recognition of their contribution to national development efforts, or their outstanding achievements in their profession or field of endeavor. The awards are also conferred to foreign individuals and organizations that have assisted and continue to help the country or advance the cause of Filipino communities overseas. We hope that GFI will make it to the shortlist and finally become the awardee for such category. This will give highlights to the schools that benefitted from GFI. Awarding will be done in December 2012.

 

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