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.
