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.

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.

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.  

How to Get to the CCT Visions of Hope Christian School in Puypuy, Bay, Laguna

Planning to visit the children at the CCT Visions of Hope Christian School in Puypuy, Bay, Laguna?  Here's how to get there: 

By private vehicle from Metro Manila: Enter  the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) at any of the following points: 

• Buendia Flyover (Gil Puyat Flyover)
• Skyway: Gil Puyat Ramp
• Skyway: Makati
• Arnaiz Avenue / Pasay Road Intersection
• Skyway: Don Bosco Magallanes
• Skyway Entrance: Magallanes
• Nichols Toll Barrier
• C5
• Merville
• Skyway: Bicutan
• Bicutan
• Skyway: Dr. A. Santos (Sucat)
• Sucat
• Skyway: Alabang South Station
• Alabang
• Filinvest
• Susana Heights 

 Leave SLEX at the Calamba exit, drive straight ahead on Real Road then turn right at the Calamba national highway. Drive along this highway through the resort town of Calamba, through Los Banos and past the UP Los Banos and IRRI on the right. About 500 meters past  UP Open Universiy you will enter the town of Bay, Laguna. Keep to the right when you get to the fork in the road. Drive straight ahead for about one kilometer, then turn right on the road before a police sub-station when you see the Royal Palm Resort sign. Keep going, passing the Royal Palm Resort on the left and the Puypuy Elementary School on the right. The  Visions of Hope Christian School (2240 Puypuy, Bay) is just about 300 meters past the school.  

 By public transport from Metro Manila: Get on a bus bound for Sta. Cruz, Laguna 

• at the  HM Terminal (near the Victory Liner terminal) on EDSA in Cubao, 
• at the DLTB bus terminal on Buendia /Gil Puyat (near LRT station)
• along Taft Avenue in Manila 
• at the Alabang bus terminal. (Fare from Alabang as of August 2011 is P77.85.) 

Alight at the Bay public market.  Tricycles to Puypuy are parked near Emely sari-sari store. Fare is P45.00 for a special trip (you alone) or P9.00 with four other passengers. The  Visions of Hope Christian School (2240 Puypuy, Bay) is just about 300 meters past the Puypuy Elementary School.