Beginning 2014-2015: A Photo Essay

Ever wonder what going back to school is like for Visions of Hope Christian School (VOHCS) community-based preschools? Beginning school year 2014-2015 was a fruit of hard work, commitment, and collaboration among VOHCS teachers, parents, Center for Community Transformation (CCT) staff, and leaders in the local community.

Community surveys were conducted to invite pupils to VOHCS. Reading readiness tests followed to assess the students’ learning levels. The students are a mix of sponsored and paying children. The sponsored children belong to poorest of the poor and are unable to afford their education, while the paying students, albeit given substantial subsidy, are children of CCT micro-entrepreneurs. As of August 2014, a total of 836 children are enrolled in 24 VOHCS community-based preschools nationwide.

A VOHCS Irawan teacher conducts a community survey in
Brgy. Irawan, Puerto Princesa, Palawan. 

Reading readiness tests are administered in VOHCS Midsayap. 

Former students and other children in rural and urban poor communities were also encouraged to join the Boys’ and Girls’ Brigade (or Brigada Bata), a character development program carried out once a week with VOHCS students.

Children from VOHCS Jaro and from the community enlist
in Boys' Brigade. 

Boys' Brigade drills start in VOHCS Taguig as the school year opens. 

Help was solicited from the children’s parents to help prepare the classrooms. This is in line with a Department of Education-initiated program called Brigada Eskwela. Parents then attended an orientation meeting where they learned about VOHCS school policies and their role in their children’s education.

A parent from VOHCS Irawan helps prepare the school grounds
for the opening of classes.

Mothers from VOHCS Midsayap help clean the floor of the
school's classroom.

Parents attend a parent orientation day at VOHCS General Santos City.

A VOHCS Midsayap teacher leads the parent orientation. 

Then, it’s all systems go!

VOHCS Butuan's new classroom is ready to use. 

VOHCS Irawan opens in June with 36 students.

Inside the classroom, VOHCS Oton (Iloilo) children learn to fall in line.

VOHCS General Santos children and their parents go out on a parade
of Philippine flags in celebration of the country's independence day. 

Despite Hardships, VOHCS Child Brings Zip to School

Judilyn Bukiron sings and dances to an action song
with her classmates. 

Energetic and affectionate – that’s how Visions of Hope Christian School (VOHCS) Mandaue teachers describe six-year-old Judilyn Bukiron. Despite being underweight, Judilyn brings much zip with her to school. She is bright, fun-loving, and one who quickly finishes her tasks. Perhaps to show them her love and gratitude, she runs to hug her teachers every time she sees them.

The VOHCS Mandaue teachers first met Judilyn when they conducted a community survey in a densely populated area in Mandaue City, Cebu. Judilyn was resolved that she would not enter school anytime soon, but that changed when she and her mother learned about VOHCS. Her father is serving time in jail, while her mother is incapable of work due to goiter. Only Judilyn’s eldest sister, who is married and employed, provides for her siblings when she is able. One of the other siblings struggles to finish grade school while another is mentally unstable and has a baby.

Now that she is learning to read and write, Judilyn dreams of becoming a teacher when she grows up.

Judilyn is one of the six children at VOHCS Mandaue whose schooling is fully subsidized by VOHCS. The preschool has 39 pupils this school year.

More Students in SY ’14-‘15

VOHCS teachers and Kinabookasan field staff attend the 3rd CCT-VOHCS Annual Teachers' Training
this summer in Laguna.

Having taught over 700 underprivileged children from urban and rural poor communities across the country last school year, Visions of Hope Christian School (VOHCS) is all geared up to increase the number of its students for school year 2014-2015. Sixty-seven VOHCS teachers, both old and new, attended a two-week teachers’ training on May 5-15, 2014 to enhance their teaching techniques and skills, set strategic goals for the upcoming school year, and reflect on God’s Word together. They came out of the training determined to seek out more children who deserve subsidized quality Christian preschool education from VOHCS. The training had the theme, “Raising Each Child to be a Light to the Nations.”

In March this year, 703 out of 763 VOHCS students passed the reading readiness test and graduated from preschool. Summer remedial classes are ongoing for those who were unable to graduate.

For school year 2014-2015 which opens in June, each VOHCS school aims to have a total of 60 students. Half of the students will attend morning classes and half will attend afternoon classes. Three new schools will be opened in Kidapawan City and Tagum City in Mindanao, and in Muntinlupa, Metro Manila – in addition to the 25 schools that VOHCS has at present.

A new curriculum called Child-Centered Education Transformational Curriculum will be piloted as well in four areas: VOHCS Rose of Sharon, VOHCS Irawan (Palawan), VOHCS Angeles (Pampanga), and VOHCS Oton (Iloilo). VOHCS follows the Basic Literacy Educational Support System (BLESS) in majority of its schools.

VOHCS is also prepared to minister to more parents through the formation of Bible study and discipleship groups in communities where the schools are located.

Kim Fajardo: Ready for First Grade

Kim Rando Fajardo attends
the moving-up ceremony of
VOHCS Irawan with his parents. 

 On March 29, 2014, five-year-old Kim Rando Fajardo took a long walk to the barangay hall in Irawan, Puerto Princesa City to attend a moving-up ceremony. But unlike his daily two-kilometer treks to school, he was walking with his parents this time, and was garbed in barong. He graduated from the CCT-Visions of Hope Christian School (VOHCS) Irawan along with 35 other children that day.

Around summer last year, Kim’s parents – a carpenter and a homemaker – signed him up for morning classes after hearing an announcement at a local Christian church that VOHCS was offering free preschool education to indigent children.

Kim was always the earliest to arrive at school when classes began. Although he determinedly came to class, he was initially shy and uncooperative. However, he started opening up when he saw that he was genuinely cared for at VOHCS. His teachers found out that he was undernourished and most of the time, his family could not afford to let him bring baon (packed snacks) to class, so they shared food with him out of their own pockets. Kim’s classmates gladly pitched in as well.

Kim (fourth from left, first row) joins his classmates in a special presentation on their moving-up day.

Also, on two separate occasions in November, Kim was hurt while walking home from school – he was bullied by an older child and attacked by a dog. His teachers were quick to pray for, comfort, and assist him with medical needs until he was well enough to come back to school.

Within months, Kim’s confidence grew. He learned to mingle with others, led prayers and joined class activities, and surprised his parents by independently working on school projects. He finished the school year as one of the class’s top five pupils!

Kim is ready to enter grade school in the coming school year. He plans to walk to the public school with his big sister, who will be in third grade.

VOHCS Child Survives Kidney Disease

Benchil Villorejo, seven, had been looking forward to joining his class’s nutrition month parade on July 29, 2013, but when the big day came around, he was just too weak to come to school. Dr. John Tabije and nurse Lynn Chan of the Visions of Hope (VOH) health team who were in Isla Puting Bato for their weekly community visit went to his home. Seeing that Benchil's face and abdomen were swollen and that he had difficulty breathing, they brought him immediately to the Ospital ng Maynila.

Dr. Tabije examines Benchil's health, especially as his
swelling becomes apparent. 

Laboratory tests revealed that Benchil was suffering from nephrotic syndrome, a kidney disease that causes the body to lose protein through the urine. His parents – a DVD vendor and a housewife – knew about his condition but did not earn enough to sustain his medication. He also had a few sores.

Benchil is one of 25 pupils of the VOH Christian School at Isla Puting Bato. The school provides free preschool education to children from families that have informally settled living near Manila’s North Harbor.

At the hospital, Benchil’s parents tapped into charity funds for some of his bills. VOH covered other expenses, and staff even braved floods to bring payment for laboratory tests. 

On his second week in the hospital, Benchil’s doctor announced that his condition was critical. The news rattled his family, but the health team’s faith remained strong and they mobilized more people to pray for his recovery. Benchil’s blood urea nitrogen and creatinine levels  went down significantly the following week, showing a big improvement in his kidneys. A CT scan also produced normal results, the swelling of his face and abdomen subsided, and he was taken off the ventilator. Early during his fifth week in the hospital, his mother sent a message that Benchil had started walking again!

Benchil was discharged from the hospital on August 29 and is excited to get back to school again. “He is a bright student, he will be able to easily catch up with school work,” Teacher Elsa de Leon, who tutors him at home for the meantime, said. 

Benchil, whose face and body are no longer swollen,
stays at home to recuperate. 

__________________________

According to Dr. Tabije, Benchil’s malnourished condition became evident when the swelling left his face and body. His sores were also caused by poor nutrition. He is being given a nutritional drink and multivitamins daily to help him gain weight and be properly nourished. Please keep praying for Benchil’s health and for provision for his family.

Update as of September 24: 
Benchil has resumed joining classes at VOHCS Isla Puting Bato since September 16. Able to catch up with required modules, he got an average grade of 92% in the first periodical examinations. He ranked fifth in his class. 

Update as of December 17:
It is with heavy hearts that we momentarily say goodbye to Benchil. Last Saturday, he was rushed to the hospital for pneumonia and he passed away the following day. We thank God for his life and his story of hope. His teachers say that he was determined to learn new things and every time he smiled at them, their tiredness went away. Benchil will be missed but we know that he is in a much better place with our Heavenly Father.

VOH Child Thankful for Dental Mission

“Every time I had toothaches, I felt so much pain I could literally punch others. But that changed in a matter of minutes after two of my teeth were extracted. I feel so relieved,” said Elmer (name changed due to the sensitive nature of his story), 16, one of 73 Visions of Hope (VOH) children who received free dental services recently. Two of Elmer's teeth were also saved with flouride application.

In a dental mission led by the Philippine Dental Association of Quezon City (PDA-QC), children from the Magdalena and Puypuy VOH boarding schools attended a lecture on oral health, participated in a toothbrush drill, and got oral health kits. Thirty-six of them underwent fluoride application, 23 had teeth extracted, and one received oral prophylaxis. The dental services were done at the Rose of Sharon House of Friendship in Laguna on July 16, 2013. 

Elmer had been staying at the CCT Magdalena Campus for barely a month when the dental mission was held. Before that, he lived on the street for four years. He sniffed glue, begged for money, and stole from jeepney passengers and resting travelers to make it through a day. A turning point for him was when he and his friends preyed on a couple sleeping along Roxas Boulevard. The couple’s cries of despair upon discovering they lost all their money filled him with guilt and he wanted out. 

Now that he is part of VOH, Elmer dreams of someday reuniting with his parents and three siblings. He was just 12 when he ran away from home in Tacloban City after an argument with his parents. He hopes they have already forgiven him.

In the meantime, he enjoys newfound friendships in Magdalena. He likes that he is able to play basketball and soccer, and tend the garden with the other boys. He regards daily baths, sufficient food, and sleep as blessings because he was deprived of these on the street.

Elmer thanks the volunteer dentists from PDA-QC for giving him his much needed dental care. He prays God would grant them strength and more opportunities to serve more children from the street.

A VOH child undergoes an oral checkup from a
PDA-QC volunteer dentist.

VOH children follow instructions in brushing their
teeth while a volunteer dentist demonstrates.  

58 VOHCS Teachers ‘Step Up to Excellence’ in Summer Training

Fifty-eight teachers from all 30 Visions of Hope Christian Schools (VOHCS) in the country met for the 2nd CCT-VOHCS Annual Teachers’ Retreat and Equipping on April 21 to 27, 2013 at the Rose of Sharon House of Friendship Boarding School in Bay, Laguna. With the theme, “Step Up to Excellence”, they learned together through teaching and interactive sessions how to offer the best possible Christian education to their students as the new school year approaches.

A vesper worship service on the first night aptly opened the week-long training. The following day, the teachers reported on highlights and challenges met for the school year 2012 to 2013. “It was an encouraging time for many because we were reminded of God’s faithfulness and of our part in a bigger community that builds His kingdom,” one of them said. 

In sessions led by Center for Community Transformation President Ruth Callanta and VOHCS Board Member Edmon Ngo, the teachers were affirmed of their purpose and commitment. Meanwhile, guest expert speakers Bgit Tuico, Anna Alegre, Donna Simpao, Fe Mangahas, Malu Garcia, Leo Arnaiz, Rowena Kakilala, as well as the Right Start team led by Arlene Sy and the MGC New Life Christian Academy team led by its principal, Mrs. Helen Villanueva, introduced new knowledge and skills that would enhance the teachers’ capacities and teaching methods. Prescilla Salili and Christina Gellor, along with the VOH (Visions of Hope Foundation) and VOHCS support teams, also facilitated dialogues on policies and procedures that concerned the teachers. 

A tribute to the teachers, which moved some of them to tears, wrapped up the full yet rich training week. Donned in Filipiniana attire, the VOHCS teachers each walked down a red carpet, received a garland from a VOHCS child, and were honored by the MGC New Life team and VOHCS board members. They left the training venue with improved skills, minds full of new things learned, and, hopefully, hearts ready for another year of service to VOHCS children.

VOHCS teachers work in groups to discuss their teaching exercises.

They also get their hands dirty in outdoor team building activities. 

A group of VOHCS teachers lead one of several teaching demonstrations.

Shown here with VOHCS support staff and mentors from MGC New Life Christian Academy, 58 VOHCS teachers
successfully finish the teachers' training for 2013.   

100 VOHCS Children Drink Milk for 40 Days

Super G child Jizelle Hallera from VOHCS Caloocan
gains healthy weight after the milk program.

Seven-year-old Jizelle Hallera used to be underweight but after forty days of drinking milk every break time at Visions of Hope School (VOHCS) Caloocan, her body mass index (BMI) turned normal. Jizelle, who loves the taste of milk like most of her classmates, became two kilograms heavier and one centimeter taller.

In VOHCS Cabrera, five-year-old Jan Senley Enaje was sluggish but since he started drinking milk, he became active in class and gained weight. Jan’s teacher says he belongs to a very poor family that hardly has anything to eat. He and two of his siblings would sometimes share a sachet of chocolate drink for breakfast, so his teacher gave him one box of milk to take home.

Super G child Jan Senley Enaje from VOHCS Cabrera
becomes active and energetic in class. 

Of the 100 VOHCS children who were part of the milk program, Jizelle and Jan were among those chosen as Super G children because they showed the most progress after Visions of Hope’s Super G…in 40 Days milk program. 

“G” in Super G, which stands for gatas or milk, also means ganado (having a good appetite, active, enthusiastic), galing (great), ganda (beautiful), guwapo (handsome), and other words that describe what the children could become at the end of the program.

Super G was initiated when partner organization Kabisig ng Kalahi donated 226.5 kilograms of chocolate flavored powdered milk in January. The milk was distributed to five areas: Cabrera in Pasay City, San Pedro in Laguna, Payatas in Quezon City, Caloocan City, and General Trias in Cavite. VOHCS teachers in those areas administered Super G between January 28 and March 21.

Parents and children from VOHCS General Trias give a thumbs up for Super G. Twenty-six children from
this school, 25 from VOHCS Caloocan, 22 from VOHCS Payatas, 10 from VOHCS Cabrera,
and 17 from VOHCS San Pedro are part of the VOH's Super G...in 40 Days milk program.
   

The 40th day of the milk program was a Super G moment for most of the VOHCS children, teachers, and parents – it was Super Galing and they were Super Grateful. The children’s body mass indexes as well as their behavior and appearance generally improved. Their stamina and appetite increased and they looked healthier, as observed by their teachers. For a number of children, the milk ration filled gaps in their daily food intake because it served as their breakfast, mid-morning snack, or both.

9-Year-Old VOHCS Child Finishes Preschool

Ryan Gayo (center, second line) graduates with brothers Roy (leftmost), Rene (second from left), and Jeran (fourth from left) from
VOHCS Iloilo in March. Behind the VOHCS children are their teachers and VOHCS Principal Cristina Gellor (second from left, third line).

“My dream is to finish school so I will be able to support my family someday,”  declares nine-year-old Ryan Gayo in Ilonggo. A Visions of Hope Christian School (VOHCS) student from Sitio Ilaya, Tabuc-suba, Jaro, Iloilo, Ryan finished a year of preschool education in March, along with three younger brothers.

VOHCS teachers in Iloilo first met Ryan and his brothers – Jeran, 7, Rene, 6, and Roy, 5 – when they surveyed the community for potential students in mid-2012. Asked if they would like to go to school, the brothers, with sun-burnt skin and bald heads, hesitated. After a minute, Rene said aloud what they were thinking, “We don’t have slippers to wear to school.”

Ryan has eight younger living siblings; three others passed away because of poor health. Sickly himself, Ryan lives with his family in a bamboo house by the river. His father is a pandesal vendor, and his mother washes laundry for a living. His mother only bathes them every two weeks and shaves their heads to save on soap. The family does not even have a toilet. Ryan quit school in the middle of first grade, preferring to go scavenging with his brothers to help out. He got bullied in school, anyway, he says.

Ryan’s parents agreed to send the brothers to VOHCS after they were assured that slippers and school uniforms could be sourced from donors. Teachers raised funds and bought slippers, school shoes, and socks for the Gayo boys and 20 other preschool children. They also bought second hand clothes, and some CCT micro-entrepreneurs donated clothes for the brothers.

The boys’ father brought them to school on the bicycle he uses when hawking pandesal. At their classroom door the boys would pause to put on their slippers, carefully carried from home. After school, they would hang the slippers on a wall at home as if these were prized treasures.

It is customary for VOHCS children and teachers to share food during recess. Ryan and his brothers seldom had snacks to share except on rare times when their father had pandesal leftover from his morning rounds. No one seemed to mind, though.

Despite their lack, the brothers brought their teachers happiness (and sometimes tears of joy) with their zeal for learning. Ryan would gladly read aloud whenever asked. His brother, Roy, volunteered a lot too.

Today, Ryan does not see his poverty as an obstacle to making himself better. He is certain of two things – poverty is transient, and his heavenly Father is able to meet his earthly needs. Hopefully, he carries these truths as he moves forward in life.

Soccer Team Bags Surprise Win

A team of soccer novices who thought they would only be spectators at a football festival ended up bringing home a trophy.

On March 16, 2013, the CCT Magdalena Soccer Team was all set for a few friendly soccer matches in Los Banos, Laguna but a last minute change brought them to a nearby town for the Calamba Football Festival. Instead of playing, they watched teams from the Laguna Football Association play. But it was not long after the festival organizers gave them a chance to play for free in place of a no-show team.

The CCT Magdalena Soccer Team, also known as the Magdalena Youth Boys Binhi, is composed of 17 former street-dwelling youth housed at the CCT boarding school in Magdalena, Laguna. Its members, aged 13 to 18, are under the care of Visions of Hope Foundation (VOH) and attend the Visions of Hope Christian School (VOHCS). The team has a junior, non-competing counterpart which has seven members aged 8 to 10.

Coached by two German volunteers, the Magdalena boys play soccer every weekday afternoon. In three years of training they had seldom competed against teams their age. 

Early this year, VOH Youth Development Coordinator Dulce Reonico and VOHCS Teacher Fil Jutba touched base with two Laguna Football Association member teams, making way for a friendly match. On March 9, wearing new soccer uniforms from partners in Wholistic Transformation Resource Center and inspired after watching their first ever professional soccer match through the help of Team Socceroo, a football club and academy, the CCT Magdalena Soccer Team won against the University of the Philippines Los Banos Raptors U17! 

A second match was scheduled for March 16, the same day that the Calamba Football Festival was to be held. The Magdalena boys planned to play against the Raptors, and attend the football festival afterward. As they headed to Los Banos, they were advised to instead proceed to Calamba. Little did they know that an opportunity to compete for a title was about to open up. 

The boys competed in eight games from morning until afternoon, and their overall standing sent them to the semi-finals. The crucial game ended with a tie, which was broken with the best-of-three-kicks rule. Much to the boys’ delight, their team emerged as the festival’s third best team! 

Immediately after winning, the Magdalena boys gathered around and kneeled to say a prayer of thanks. The junior team and a group of children from the community prayed with them too. Then, they all shouted “Plenus pectus!” (Full heart!), a slogan adopted from Team Socceroo, and “Glory to God!” 

Before leaving Calamba, the CCT Magdalena Soccer Team received an invitation to join the 2nd Roxas Football Cup on April 20. Various soccer team coaches also gave invitations for tune-ups or friendly matches. The boys celebrated their surprise victory in a small party and are already conditioning themselves for the games lined up.

A member of the CCT Magdalena Soccer Team advances with a kick.  

VOHCS Teacher Fil Jutba serves as the team's head coach during the
Calamba Football Festival.

The team kneels down in prayer after winning third place.

The boys line up in twos to receive their medals.

With the statue of Philippine national hero and Calamba native Dr. Jose Rizal behind them,
members of the CCT Magdalena Soccer Team give a thumbs up after their surprise win.  

Kids Sing of God’s Faithfulness in Puypuy VOHCS Inauguration

Fifty-two former street-dwelling children and youth attended the dedication and inauguration of several new buildings at the Rose of Sharon House of Friendship, a boarding school facility built for them, in Puypuy, Bay, Laguna on December 8, 2012. The children were composed of 26 preschoolers, 21 grade schoolers and five high schoolers who are under the education program of the Visions of Hope Christian School (VOHCS), VOHCS Chairperson Stephanie De Los Santos reported. 

Some of the children who are members of the Magdalena Drum and Bugle Corps greeted the arriving guests with music. Dressed in Filipiniana, the smaller ones entered the program hall in lines led by their teachers. Brigada Bata members in official uniforms carried the Philippine flag and the CCT colors. They quietly sat down and listened to the inauguration and dedication service that followed.

Testimonies of God’s faithfulness from VOHCS staff, board members, students, and parents were the highlight of the service. When it was their turn to perform, the children danced to a medley of Christmas songs, much to the delight of the guests. The hall echoed with their voices when they sang with everyone, Dakilang Katapatan (Great Faithfulness), a fitting song about God’s faithfulness, toward the end of the program. 

Each new facility was then prayed for and dedicated to the Lord. The facilities are: 

• A three-story dormitory, which can house up to 140 children; 
• A two-story academic building with four classrooms, a reading room, a play room, a computer room, and a library given the name Kinabookasan (a play on the words  "book" and "kinabukasan," the Filipino term for future); 
• A six-lane swimming pool which will help train the children in swimming so that they may apply for athletic scholarships in college; and, 
• The two-room faculty building. 

VOHCS board members, children, parents, staff, and guests shared food and fellowship afterward in the wide and well-lit canteen, and a donor gave gifts to the children at the new dorm.

A couple of Christmas cards written by  VOH children hang
on the wall of the new canteen.

With smiles on their faces, VOHCS children wait for the program to start.

The CCT Choir serenades guests, VOHCS staff, and children with Christmas carols
in the new VOHCS canteen where the inauguration service was held. 

A group of young boys dance to a Christmas medley number.

Everyone prayed to dedicate the facility to the Lord and receive His blessing
during the benediction.  

VOH Board Member Maria Gemma Donna Simpao and
Kaibigan Ministry Peer Servant Arlene Diel cut the ribbon
in one of the VOHCS buildings being dedicated. 
(Photos by Jean Francis Barcena)

113 VOHCS Children Receive New Footwear

 VOHCS children are excited about the new 
footwear that they received from CCT friend 
Valerie Malabonga (center).

A child clutched his new pair of clogs tightly to his chest. Asked why he was still walking barefoot, he replied, “Isusuot ko lang po ito ‘pag magsisimba ‘pag Linggo” (I will wear these only to church on Sundays). He was one of 113 children from the Visions of Hope Christian School (VOHCS) who each happily received a pair of footwear through The Thongs Project. 

The Thongs Project was initiated by Valerie Agbayani-Malabonga, former Mission: East Asian National Support (MEANS) board member and a friend of the Center for Community Transformation (CCT). Ms. Malabonga visited the VOHCS boarding schools in Magdalena and Bay, Laguna on November 20, 2012 to personally hand over the footwear to the children. In Magdalena, 52 preschool and 23 high school students shared talent offerings of songs and memory verses, then patiently lined up to receive their gifts. Thirty-eight children from the VOHCS boarding school in Malungon, Saranggani also benefited from the project. 

According to VOH Administrator Noeh Vios, the footwear are perfect for the VOHCS children because these will cushion their young feet against protruding pebbles as they walk from one school building to another. These will also serve as formal footwear fit for use in the classroom and for special occasions. 

Vios also observed that The Thongs Project did not only mean a great deal to the VOHCS children but to Malabonga as well, who said her visit fulfilled a long-cherished dream to meet and minister to the children.

After Long Wait, Isla Puting Bato Preschool Starts 2nd Run

It was like a waiting game. It was already November of 2012, way past the opening of classes in June, but the Visions of Hope Christian School (VOHCS) preschool in Isla Puting Bato, Tondo, Manila remained closed due to the unavailability of a new venue. The building that the school previously used had been turned into a tutorial center.

The parents of the school's first set of pupils anxiously and eagerly awaited its reopening. Some of them, growing tired of waiting, registered their children in the nearest public school. Meanwhile, the VOHCS staff and teachers kept looking for a place that would best meet the needs of the children.

An opening came when Samahang Maralita ng Isla Puting Bato, a grassroots organization, planned to move its operations to another barangay. VOHCS Director for Administrative Affairs Cristina Gellor and VOH Administrator Noeh R. Vios met up with its president and discussed the possibility of renting the place it would vacate.

In due time, the wait was over. A contract was signed. A general clean-up drive was carried out. Chairs, tables, boards, and other school equipment were transported to the area. A date was decided upon.

On Tuesday, November 6, 2012, the VOHCS preschool in Isla Puting Bato officially started its second year of operation. In an opening ceremony, Pastor Nhoy Vista gave an apt teaching on the importance of spiritual values taught to children. Ms. Gellor also reminded the parents of their part in running the school and ensuring that the children are able to comply with its requirements. The parents responded by pledging to give their utmost support to VOHCS while the teachers committed themselves to training the children with excellence and tender care.

VOHCS Assistant Teacher Elsa de Leon welcomes Isla Puting Bato children
to the school's second run.

Together with their parents, VOHCS children sing the national anthem
on their first school day in 2012.