Rolly Tablatin: ‘It's All Up to You’

Former street kid Rolly passed the A and E exam along with his brother, Roberto “JR” Tablatin, Jr. (Read JR’s testimony here). Rolly is now eligible to proceed with his secondary education, while JR and other students at CCT Magdalena – Arnold de la Cruz and Daniel Seth Jerusalem – are now qualified to enter college. Last June 13, they all attended a graduation ceremony led by the Department of Education Bureau of Alternative Learning System for the students in Laguna. Below is an excerpt of Rolly's testimony.

I am Rolly Tablatin, 18 years old. I am among those who passed the Alternative Learning System (ALS) Accreditation and Equivalency (A and E) examination. 

When I was about to take the exam, I was nervous but I remembered to pray so that I would feel calm. I just offered everything to God. He gave me wisdom to answer all the questions from different subjects. I did not run out of answers and it seemed like everything that I reviewed was in the exam.

In the essay part, I just kept on writing and I even included a Bible verse. But, I wasn't able to write a long piece because there wasn't enough time. 

I had doubts about passing but I told the Lord, “It’s all up to You. If I would pass the exam, thank You. If I wouldn't, thank You still.”

I thank Him because He allowed me to pass the ALS exam. I also thank those who have been helping me in my studies. May the Lord bless you!

 

Rolly proudly shows his diploma.

Rolly's diploma qualifies him to continue with high school.

 

Rolly (third from the left) attends the ALS graduation
with fellow CCT Magdalena boys.

Teachers, Parents Partner in VOHCS Feeding Program

Parents take turns in preparing and serving food for their children
at VOHCS Malibay.

"Parents are surprised that we can turn something like instant noodles into a nutritious meal,” says Visions of Hope Christian School (VOHCS) Teacher Annabel Autiangco about the menu planning that she and Teacher Ediloisa Alidio lead among parents of VOHCS pupils in Malibay, Pasay. 

Meal planning is part of the school’s feeding program this year. The program started in 2013 with funding from partner organizations Wholistic Transformation and Reform Center (WTRC) and Australia-based Only About Children (OAC), and has helped 43 preschoolers gain healthy weight. It enlists the help of parents who take turns preparing and serving the food. School nurse Nowell Alejo monitors the children’s height and weight. 

Before classes began in June, the parents worked out a division of tasks among themselves. At a ten-peso daily budget per child, they cook heavy snacks like porridge, noodle soup with vegetables, and meat dishes with rice for this school year’s 38 VOHCS Malibay children. They learn in the process that they are responsible for their children’s nutrition and health, and that they too can prepare nutritious yet affordable food at home. 

VOHCS Malibay children love the heavy snacks served during recess.

Teacher Annabel says that the feeding program benefits other children in the community. She tells of a student from a large, poor family who comes to school daily with two younger siblings. The siblings are also fed during recess. 

Malnutrition is a perennial problem of VOHCS children nationwide. Because of poverty, some VOHCS children attend classes on empty stomachs, and they either skip meals or are not given nutritious food at home. They usually struggle with academics because of their short attention span and sluggishness. VOHCS hopes to set up feeding programs in all of its 24 community-based preschools to combat malnutrition.

Yes to Gardening, ROS Kids Say

Can little ones develop a love for gardening? "Yes!" say the children at Visions of Hope Rose of Sharon House of Friendship (ROS) in Brgy. Puypuy, Bay, Laguna. The children not only learn the science of tending plants and animals in agriculture class. They also get to see and feel for themselves God's provision through His creation.

ROS kids dutifully tend their plots of vegetables.

Beginning in October 2013, 23 ROS children who are nine years old and above discovered the basics of vegetable seedling preparation, transplanting, and harvest in twice-a-week classes that combine lecture and hands-on organic gardening.

Biblical truths such as valuing the abundance, diversity, and interrelationships of all of God's creation and our stewardship mandate as human beings are integrated in the agriculture lessons. The class also teaches the children, former street-dwellers, about becoming self-sustainable.

Agriculture teacher Rey Sibi relates that the children were in awe when they saw the first buds of their pechay (Chinese cabbage) come out of the earth. Working in groups, they dutifully cared for plants in 20 plots, regularly watering and applying organic fertilizer to these. With organic gardening skills, they would know how to grow food in ways that are productive and friendly for the environment.

"When they got to eat their pechay after harvest time, they could not stop raving about literally tasting the fruit of their labor," Teacher Rey says.

The produce was sold to the canteens of ROS and CCT Magdalena, and to ROS neighbors and visitors. The children divided their earnings among themselves, and with the help of Teacher Rey, started a savings group. They plan to withdraw their money at the end of the year.

Some of them want to give their savings to their families when they go home for the Christmas break, while the others plan to use it to buy things for school.

Other vegetables that the children planted and harvested were tomatoes, eggplants, and cucumber. While the weather is not fit for planting this summer, the children at ROS are raising 40 free-range chickens which they intend to sell after 45 days.

It's pechay harvest time! 

In groups, ROS kids weigh their produce after harvest.

Jeloxen Canalita: Sharing Parental Love

Mommy Jelox tells former street-dwelling children at
ROS that the Lord has a better plan for them. 

“I want to let the children feel a parent’s love,” Jeloxen Canalita, young houseparent at the Visions of Hope Rose of Sharon House of Friendship (ROS) tearfully explains. “Having grown up as an orphan, I never experienced that myself.”

Jeloxen, “Mommy Jelox” to the children, has served at ROS for a total of two years – the longest-staying among the ROS houseparents. Only 22 years old this year, she started her houseparent duties in 2010 but left after a year to pursue an education degree while also serving as a teaching assistant at Visions of Hope Christian School (VOHCS) in Muntinlupa City. She returned to ROS in 2013.

Jeloxen hails from Zamboanga del Sur and grew up under her aunt’s care. Her aunt, who worked for Dr. Pan Callanta, one of Center of Community Transformation’s (CCT) doctors, encouraged her to avail of a CCT scholarship for a welding and construction course. When Jeloxen finished, she attended training on the BLESS (Basic Life Empowerment and Support System) curriculum of VOHCS. Then, a work opportunity opened up for her in ROS in Puypuy, Bay, Laguna.

She confesses that her childhood dream was to become a soldier, but because she has a big heart for children, she loves being in ROS. Aside from enjoying the friendship of other ROS staff, she takes
delight in sharing her life story with the children, listening to their own stories, and leading devotion and Bible study sessions for them. She tells them that even though they are not with their parents, “the Lord has a better plan for them and that many people are looking after them, including Lola Ruth,” referring to CCT President Ruth Callanta, whom the children call their “lola” or grandmother.

Through the years, she has seen the children become more respectful of each other. She says that they used to try to avoid meeting new people because they were too shy but now they know how to confidently greet and talk to visitors. She is also seeing a growing sense of initiative and obedience among the older girls. The children are now more affectionate and loving, she adds, unlike before when they would often get into fights.

Jeloxen makes sure to teach them about honesty. She tells them that when they want something, they can always ask and when they have made a mistake, such as taking things that are not theirs, they should admit to it and say sorry. Not only do the children learn from her but she also learns from them about humbly owning up to a mistake and always treating others with respect.

She prays that the children whom she takes care of will be grateful even in the smallest things, and will love God, others, and their country. She believes that as she serves the children, God is molding her to become more obedient, humble, patient, and faithful. To be more equipped in influencing them, she plans to go back to school in the near future to finish her degree.

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.

VOH Child Learns Acceptance, Leadership in BB

Alvin Ramos (center) leads the BB Magdalena squad in opening an event
at Rose of Sharon House of Friendship.

Visions of Hope child Alan Vincent Ramos, or Alvin, found acceptance in Jesus Christ and learned leadership when he became active in Boys’ Brigade (BB), VOH’s character and leadership development program for children and youth.

Alvin ran away from home when he was 13 to escape his stepfather’s frequent beatings, especially when the latter was drunk. In the street, he got into drugs and brawls. He thought he would hurt others to get back at his stepfather.

He later moved to a street in Manila, informally called Sarimanok, where he met Frankie Libre, another street dweller. Frankie served as a father figure to Alvin during the many years that he lived on the street. Alvin remembers that Frankie disappeared for a time and when he returned, there was something different about him. He started leading feeding programs, talked frequently about God, and often asked Alvin if he wanted to leave the street. (Frankie had become a Christian and a worker of the Kaibigan Ministry. Read his story here: http://peopleblessingpeople.tumblr.com/post/2479622041/a-fresh-start.)

Alvin was 15 when he finally decided to embrace change. This started with an short yet enlightening jeepney ride to the Center for Community Transformation (CCT) Kaibigan Center, a drop-in center ministering to street dwellers. For some reason, none of the jeepney passengers moved to offer him a seat and he ended up sitting on the step board. He realized that he stank and was grubby all over.

Frankie told him that if he would clean himself up and appear presentable, people would respect him and willingly give way. Alvin followed Frankie’s advice and soon saw a change in how others treated him.

Alvin says that although what others think about you matters, that is nothing compared to how the Lord views you. “Even when I was dirty, in the eyes of the Lord, I was worthy of love and acceptance,” he says. Because he received the Lord’s forgiveness, Alvin has been able to do the difficult task of releasing forgiveness to his stepfather.

Now 18, Alvin stays at the CCT Magdalena Campus and is finishing his high school education by way of the Accelerated Christian Education curriculum. He is a squad leader of the Boys’ Brigade First Magdalena Company. “In the BB leadership training activities,” he said, “I learned to show respect to those who are above and below me, just as Christ showed respect to the Father as well as to every person around Him.” He says he desires to live a life of patience, obedience, and respect – characteristics that are all in Christ and are required of leaders like him.

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 Wins at Swimming Meet

“I was determined to give it my all and I succeeded,” says Visions of Hope (VOH) child Angelica Zafe, 15, in Filipino describing her swimming victory at the 2nd Nikki Coseteng Motivational Splash. “Unlike a few others who stopped in the middle of their laps because they thought they were losing, I kept going.” 

Angelica placed third in the extra heat of the 50 meter freestyle for girls and bagged second place in the final round of the same category. The meet, held at Diliman Preparatory School on May 12, 2013, was organized by the Philippine Swimming League (PSL) and was a gathering of more than 400 PSL-trained beginner teams from different parts of the country.

Angelica Zafe (in black shirt) celebrates with other members of the
Center for Community Transformation (CCT) Swimming Team.
Others  from CCT-VOH who won in the extra heat round were 
John Mark Torres, Jervie Magat, Rico Meras, John Paulo Caparas, 
and Jennylou Lumbang.  

Her interest in swimming, Angelica says, began while growing up in the densely populated district of Tondo in Manila where she used to sneak out of the house to swim with friends.

Angelica and sister Angelina have been in the care of VOH for over a year now. Their father, a janitor, and their mother, who does occasional domestic jobs, did not earn enough to provide for the family. Though the Zafe siblings were able to go to school, they constantly worried about not being able to submit school projects. Starting late 2011, the family resorted to collecting recyclable waste from the street. But still, that was not enough. They were evicted from their rented house, and the siblings had to drop out of school.

Tears well up in Angelica’s eyes as she describes four months of living in Luneta Park. Flattened cardboard boxes served as their bed. A thin plastic mat under these kept water from seeping through. When it rained they would sit close with their few belongings between them, holding another plastic sheet over their heads. “At night I would try to stay awake as long as I could to keep watch,” Angelica says.

Looking back, Angelica realizes how precious a full night of sleep is, something she is able to experience at VOH Rose of Sharon House of Friendship (ROS) in Bay, Laguna. She is thankful for food that is more than enough as well. In the eighth grade at nearby Masaya National High School now, she has grown healthier and fit for sports training.

From April 1 to May 12 this year, Angelica and other VOH children were trained by PSL coaches. The crude strokes she learned when she was younger were corrected and made suitable for competition. “Swimming for three and a half hours five days a week was not easy,” she says, “But all the hard work paid off when I joined the swimming event.”

Angelica looks forward to more swimming training at ROS. She also wants to try out for her school’s swim team soon.

A coach from PSL closely checks VOH children's strokes. 

VOH children learn to swim laps in ROS's six-lane pool.

The CCT Swimming Team warms up before competing at the
2nd Nikki Coseteng Motivational Splash.

VOH Children Receive Early Christmas Gifts, Serve Others

Whoops of delight filled the room as 53 Visions of Hope children opened shoe box gifts to find colorful toys, school supplies, fashion accessories, clothes, candies, toiletries, and letters from the givers.

It was the 24th of July, but for the children from the Rose of Sharon House of Friendship (ROS) and Magdalena boarding schools in Laguna, it seemed like Christmas. In the morning, they welcomed 34 Filipino and American volunteers from Operation Christmas Child (OCC) with leis and music and a program where some VOH girls did a dance interpretation of Hillsong’s “I Believe.” In the afternoon, they helped the OCC volunteers give out shoe box gifts to about 300 children at the neighboring Puypuy Elementary School. This became an opportunity for them to serve others in their community.

OCC is a project of Samaritan’s Purse, an international relief organization. Through OCC, volunteers collect and pack gifts in shoe boxes for distribution to needy children around the world.

After hearing about the life-changing love of Jesus Christ in stories told by the OCC volunteers, the VOH children lined up to receive their Christmas gifts. They were instructed to close their eyes and, while holding their gifts, pray about what they wanted to find. At the count of ten, all of them opened their gifts.

Eleven-year-old VOH child Carmela Panis, who used to live on the street with her family, said she wanted to receive shoes, sunglasses, toiletries, and school supplies but was glad to get necklaces, combs, a pair of cloth slippers, lip gloss, wallet, a small bag, drawing pads, and adhesive bandages. She described these as beautiful.

Thirteen-year-old Janelie Clavel, on the other hand, giggled about getting a box meant for a younger girl. But that did not make her less grateful for her new Barbie doll, as well as for the new clothes which she prayed for. She also got toiletries and flash cards to help her practice addition and subtraction.

Since she moved to ROS, Carmela said, she is able to eat three times a day and have a permanent dwelling, instead of having to always wander around. She also found people who mentor and correct her. Her mother, who stayed at the Center for Community Transformation Kaibigan Center in Manila for a time, died of cancer last year, and Carmela misses her dearly. She said that aside from the provision of her basic needs, she prays to be content despite her loss, and to know God more and draw nearer to Him. She thanked her shoe box giver and the volunteers who came to share their lives with her, and whom the Lord used to help change her life. 

Janelie and her older brother Michael were referred to VOH a year ago after he ran away from their home in Cavite. Janelie had to quit school after the fourth grade because her parents could no longer afford to send her and her five siblings to school. Today, she enjoys reading and writing. She related that in her former school, she learned unruly behavior from her classmates, but at ROS, she appreciates the rules she has to follow and the teachers who give enough attention to her learning needs. She dreams of also becoming a teacher someday and of taking her family out of poverty.

Carmela Panis interacts with a volunteer
from OCC while checking her shoe box gift.

Janelie Clavel (left) strikes a happy pose
after opening her gift.

OCC  volunteers, seen here with VOH children, also helped cover books for the ROS library. 

VOH children line up and help give gifts to the children
from Puypuy Elementary School.

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.  

VOH Children, Families Bond on 1st Family Day

The children at the two Visions of Hope (VOH) boarding schools in Laguna have a common wish – to see their families every chance possible. On June 29, 2013, that wish was granted when VOH organized the first family day to bring the children and their families together in a time of worship, celebration, and dialogue.

Frances (left) and Jireh (middle) gets a tight embrace
from their mother after they sang and gave her white roses.

The boarding schools, which house children who otherwise would grow up on the street, are run by the Visions of Hope Foundation, a member of the Center for Community Transformation (CCT) Group of Ministries. The parents of about 50 % of the children are actively involved with the CCT’s Kaibigan Ministry which reaches out to specifically to street dwellers. Some of the parents are employed as service staff at the CCT support office or at branch offices, and others have jobs as construction workers. Five of the children are orphans formerly under the care of the Department of Social Welfare and Development. The parents of most of the rest of the children still live on the street, often attending CCT’s feeding program.

Almost half of the 73 children had visitors on family day, the highest number in years, as noted by VOH staff. Previously, the parents paid simultaneous scheduled visits once every two months but this was the first time there was a set of planned activities they were able to enjoy together.

The day began with the weekly corporate worship service, where the children sang and danced. They also offered white roses and a thank you song to their families. Those who did not have visitors gave roses to their house parents and teachers. Parents and children who celebrated their birthdays in June were surprised with birthday cakes. Parents joined the games that followed, while their children cheered, and they shared meals during lunch time. A dialogue with the parents – which included reports on health, academics, and home care – wrapped up the day. In the meeting, parents expressed their opinions and asked questions about partnering with VOH in taking care of the children.

The boarding school in the town of Bay houses boys ages 3 to 12 and girls ages 4 to 15. The Magdalena boarding school houses boys 9 to 19 of age. 

Grace, who danced during the program, is glad
that she can spend time with mother Nida. 

Frances Bumby, nine, is proud about the fact that her younger sister, Jireh, sang and danced during the program. She was also pleased that her mother, who visits them regularly, won second prize in a food-eating contest. Frances wishes that family days will be done more often.

In 2012, she and her family were stuck in Luneta, a public park in Manila, for a few days because they did not have fare to return to their rented house in Navotas, a city directly north of Manila. They joined a CCT-led feeding program, and she and Jireh were later referred to VOH. Frances prays for a permanent home and for God’s daily protection to be upon her family. 

Unlike Frances, 15-year-old Mary Grace Torres said that before family day, she last saw her mother, Nida, at the end of 2012. This is because she tells Nida to save the money she would have spent visiting. Grace said that even though she is able to talk to her mother on the phone every weekend, her presence on family day was so much better.

Grace’s family lived on the street when she was eight years old after her father died, and Nida had no choice but to place Grace and her two siblings in different foster homes as they were growing up. Nida now works as service staff at the CCT support office. Grace prays that her family would stay strong in the Lord, and that she would be able to help them get out of poverty someday.

VOH children who were born in June celebrated their birth month with cakes.

Children and other parents cheered for fathers who joined an eating contest.

Frances's mother (second from right) won second in an eating
contest among mothers.

VOH-PSC Sports Training Becomes A Community Affair

The Visions of Hope Foundation (VOH), in partnership with the Philippine Sports Commission’s (PSC) Women in Sports Program, hosted a free three-day sports training in May. The training was primarily intended for the CCT-VOH Rose of Sharon House of Friendship Boarding School in Laguna but an invitation was extended to children in the community, and 120 boys and girls from Puypuy also joined the sports clinics.

The VOH boarding school, located in Brgy. Puypuy, Bay, ministers to children who used to be street dwellers. Out of about fifty children who are housed in the facility, 32 boys and girls who are between the ages of six and seventeen joined the sports training.

PSC Commissioner and former swimming Olympian Gillian Akiko Thomson-Guevarra sent some of PSC's best coaches to give the Puypuy children quality training. Coach Gregory Colmenares led swim classes attended by 41 children, 62 children learned badminton from Coach Dennis Orense, Coach Roy Cortel taught 11 children table tennis, and Coach Jarod Hubalde instructed 38 children on the basics of volleyball. 

The parents from the community were at first hesitant to enroll their children because some of them thought that the boarding school was scouting for students. However, when they learned about VOH’s work and PSC’s community programs, they were happy to let their children sign up, and the sports training became a community affair. VOH children made new friends with their Puypuy neighbors as they learned a new sport together and shared meals in the shade of trees on-campus. Several parents volunteered in keeping the children in order while the sports clinics were ongoing. Barangay officials also pitched in by allowing the use of the Puypuy covered court for the volleyball activities.

The PSC coaches said that several children showed much potential. They gave VOH volleyball and nets, table tennis rackets, and badminton sets so that the children can continue practicing their chosen sport. The campus has a 25-meter long pool where the swimmers can continue to train.

Lala Salili, VOH executive director, said, "Thank God for sports and that through classes like these the children can learn physical self-discipline, find out what it means to work with a team, and develop socially and emotionally."

The sports training was held on May 7 to 9, 2013.

To read a related story on PSC’s Women in Sports Program, click here: http://www.web.psc.gov.ph/index.php/9-news/68-women-in-sports-sa-naga.

Coach Jarod leads the volleyball clinic in Brgy. Puypuy's covered court.

Girls each get to try serving the ball.

Children practice their strokes before plunging into the pool.  

Parents and children from VOH and Puypuy community share meals and stories during lunch. 

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.

100 CCT Partners Give Blood

CCT partners take turns in donating blood on March 16. 

Nineteen Center for Community Transformation (CCT) micro-entrepreneurs in Binan, Laguna gave blood on March 16, 2013 to help meet emergency medical needs of CCT community partners. They were stirred after fellow Binan community partner, Emelosa Mitra, diagnosed with acute renal failure and renal anemia last year, received blood just in time to save her life. The Visions of Hope (VOH) Health Team linked Emelosa to the CCT blood bank for the blood transfusion. (Read more about Emelosa here.) 

Nurses Joy (left) and Leigh (right) from the VOH Health Team, and a
PGH medical technologist (center) are all smiles after the 
mass blood donation in Binan.

Just like the CCT Binan partners, 21 year-old nurse Rellymin Joy Calano was also happy to give blood. Joy was a blood recipient when she contracted dengue in high school. Thankful for how her life was saved by the generosity of others, Joy donated blood on March 9 at the CCT support office, along with 27 other donors. 

Joy has been part of the VOH Health Team leading mass blood donations in CCT communities since last year. Joy says she gives pep talks to first-time blood donors because she knows they can feel nervous about having blood drawn. 

The VOH Health Team also held mass blood donations in partnership with the Philippine General Hospital in Muntinlupa City on February 16 and in Taguig City on March 2. A total of 53 persons donated blood at these gatherings. 

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.  

Taguig Youth Gains Confidence Through BB

With the Philippine flag behind her, Brigada Bata Taguig
member Carolyn Abella executes the BB salute.

“Natutunan ko na pahalagahan ang aking sarili bilang kabataan...,” (I learned to value myself as a young person….) relates fourteen-year-old Carolyn Abella about her experience as a Senior Squad member of Brigada Bata 2nd Taguig Company in Taguig City, Metro Manila.

Vision of Hope Foundation’s Brigada Bata (BB) is the Filipino version of Boys’ Brigade, an international uniformed Christian youth organization originating from Great Britain. Brigada Bata instills discipline, leadership, entrepreneurship, love for God, and love for country among pupils of Visions of Hope Christian Schools (VOHCS) as well as among poor children in communities being reached by the Center for Community Transformation (CCT).

When she joined BB in April 2011, Carolyn said her respect for her parents was dwindling because of a problem her family was dealing with at that time. She was rebellious and did not know God personally. But because of her BB training, she said she allowed God to enter her heart and change her life. She started reading the Bible, and said her relationship with her parents was restored after BB taught her about obedience. 

She also started serving others. One way is by helping train VOHCS preschool students to perform BB drills. 

“I learned about my worth as a young person through BB,” Carolyn said. Her newfound confidence and the discipline instilled by BB have made her more active in school activities and helped her excel academically. “Gusto ko laging gawin ang pinakamabuti o ‘yong best ko sa lahat ng ginagawa ko bilang isang BB at bilang isang anak ng Diyos.” (I strive to do my best in all I do because I am a Brigada Bata member and a child of God.) Out of 156 BB members in Taguig, Carolyn was one of eight who received a target award on February 16, 2013 for faithfully attending BB meetings in the last two years.

VOH Links CCT Partners to Blood Bank

Virginia Mitra (right) accompanies daughter-in-law Emelosa  (left) 
to pay a visit to the VOH office after a scheduled checkup in PGH .

With resources and time running out, sixty-year-old Virginia Mitra travelled from her home in Binan, Laguna to the Visions of Hope (VOH) office in Manila to take a chance on receiving a blood donation for her daughter-in-law, Emelosa. She felt anxious. But also expecting good news, she brought a water jug to keep the bags of blood in, in case these were available. Community Mobilization Program (CMP) Officer Fe Poblete and Covenant Community Builder Ptr. Deonito Espinosa of Center for Community Transformation (CCT) Binan coordinated with VOH Health Team's Dr. John Tabije who assisted Virginia in tapping into the CCT blood bank in the Philippine General Hospital.

Grateful for the two bags of blood that she acquired for free, Virginia hurriedly left the VOH office and beat a two-hour deadline in delivering the bags to a hospital in Laguna. The following day, Emelosa successfully underwent blood transfusion.

Virginia has been a CCT partner for almost five years now while Emelosa recently joined CCT. Before she became busy caring for Emelosa, Virginia was in a direct selling business. She sold cosmetics and herbal products, and also sewed school uniforms and pillowcases. Emelosa, on the other hand, used to sell prepaid electronic cell phone load and ice to her neighbors. December of 2012 was a time of their family’s “deepest sorrow” because it was when Emelosa was first brought to the hospital for acute renal failure and renal anemia. Since then, everything changed for them – both their businesses were stalled, Emelosa’s five-year-old son has been in the care of relatives, and Emelosa’s husband, Rufino, has to work doubly hard to provide for them.

Both Virginia and Emelosa thank VOH for its assistance during their time of need. They also thank CMP Officer Fe who has been a constant source of support, encouragement, and wisdom. They continue to trust God for Emelosa's healing and for provision for their family.

Encouraged by how Emelosa was helped by the CCT blood bank, the CCT partners in Binan are set to organize a bloodletting activity among themselves, with the help of the VOH Health Team’s doctors and nurses.

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)