The remedial classes at Sigcay Elementary School and Lapnag Primary School, partners since the inception of GFF HELPS Philippines, are pivotal in aiding students to achieve competencies in core academic skills like literacy and numeracy. With a focus on English and Mathematics, we prepare and print worksheets to enhance these skills. Rewards such as stamps, stickers, and snacks are used to motivate students, especially low performers, boosting their confidence with consistent praise.

Recognizing the diversity in learning styles, we’ve embraced the concept of remedial classes, including house-to-house sessions at Ugsod and Laserna Villages. These personalized sessions cater to children’s needs in comfortable spaces, ensuring targeted academic support. As a result, students show significant improvement, reading English words and sentences, and identifying differences among objects.

With the end of the school year approaching and the Holy Week around the corner, our activities vary based on the students’ levels and monthly celebrations. We also celebrate the achievements of Grade 4 students at Lapnag Primary School, who will be graduating this May and moving on to new educational journeys. While we will miss them, we are immensely proud of their progress and the memories we’ve created together.

The Sports Project at Lapnag Primary School continues to thrive, with students in Levels 3 and 4 engaging in Scrabble and Chess. These games, introduced last year, have become a platform for students to develop strategic thinking and teamwork. Most students can now play independently, coaching each other and excelling in the games.

We plan to organize one-on-one matches for top players to compete. This month’s sessions saw a plethora of new words in Scrabble and innovative moves in Chess. These activities foster not just skills in board games but also essential life skills like communication, cooperation, and resilience.

Team sports and board games alike are essential for relationship-building and character development. The students’ enthusiasm and progress are evident as they eagerly participate, strategize, and laugh together, creating lasting memories. Their loud “yes” when asked if they enjoy playing Scrabble and Chess speaks volumes about their engagement and the positive impact of the Sports Project.

We continue to monitor their games to ensure fair play and adherence to rules, supporting their journey of learning and growth through these timeless, mind-engaging activities.

Hand hygiene, especially handwashing, is crucial for removing germs and preventing disease spread. At Sigcay Elementary and Lapnag Primary Schools, children are taught proper handwashing with soap and water, effectively eliminating bacteria.

Recognized by the WHO as a vital disease prevention method, handwashing is even more critical in the COVID-19 era. Our mentors guide children in integrating hand hygiene into their daily routines.

The eager participation of students in handwashing activities, despite challenges like water supply issues, highlights their commitment to health. Weekly, we provide antibacterial soap, utilizing classroom sinks when necessary, teaching students the importance of cleanliness and resourcefulness.

Adults and senior citizens need equal health benefits and government support. During our recent House-to-House Remedial Classes, we discovered that many villagers were not regularly monitoring their blood pressure, doing so only during village meetings with health workers.

Taking this into account, we initiated weekly free blood pressure check-ups for adults, seniors, and teachers at Sigcay and Lapnag schools. Mothers and grandmothers, often waiting for their children’s dismissal, were thrilled with this service. Some had high blood pressure but were neglecting their medication.

Given the distance to health clinics and costs, many villagers ignore their blood pressure, risking their health. Our weekly visits help them stay conscious of their health, encouraging them to seek medical advice when necessary. As part of our Health Project, GFF HELPS Philippines provides free blood pressure and weight checks during all our community projects, ensuring that everyone stays informed about their health.

During this month, we’ve focused on expressing love to those close to us, especially through initiatives with children in villages. Our team provided materials for card-making, guiding children through cutting, writing, and designing. The heartfelt letters they created were given to their mothers, whose faces lit up with joy upon receiving these handmade tokens of gratitude.

At Lapnag Primary School, we continued spreading joy with a “happy hearts” video greeting created by the children. This gesture aimed to share positivity and love with everyone.

As we celebrate International Women’s Day (IWD) on March 8th, honoring women’s achievements and advocating for gender equality remains crucial. This year’s theme, “Inspire Inclusion,” highlights the importance of diversity and empowerment in our society. To mark this occasion, we conducted activities in schools, providing coloring and writing materials for students to create heartfelt cards and messages for the influential women in their lives. Guiding them through this activity, we ensured they grasped the significance of celebrating women’s contributions and achievements.

Through these efforts, we aim to instill values of love, gratitude, and inclusivity in children, both at home and in school, fostering a brighter future built on respect and appreciation.

October 15 is Global Handwashing Day, a global advocacy day dedicated to increasing awareness and understanding about the importance of handwashing with soap as an effective and affordable way to prevent diseases and save lives. Responsible hygiene also teaches kids good habits that they will benefit from for life. Children come into contact with germs every day. Proper handwashing can help stop the spread of many illnesses – from the common cold to more serious illnesses like hepatitis A. Oral hygiene, for instance, sets kids up to have good oral health into adulthood. We know how important these two things are to the children in schools who like to play and eat sweets. We purchased antibacterial soap and toothpaste for the handwashing and tooth-brushing activities in schools. We contacted the teachers to ask their students to bring their toothbrush, and they said yes. We did these activities in Sigcay Elementary School, Lapnag Primary School, and Polo Elementary School. We plan of doing this activity before starting our regular Remedial Class Projects. We are thankful for the support of teachers to make these activities successful. They also took pictures and notes to include in their documentation.

We are delighted with the successful outcome of the recent Sign Language Webinar that we did. We are grateful for our participants who are eager to learn the language of the deaf. We want to recognize their efforts by presenting a simple gift of appreciation. The GFF HELPS Philippines purchased a few school supplies for the two active participants in our country. Other country teams also presented their active participants with gifts and certificates. We delivered our gifts and certificates to Atasha and Rojelique’s houses. Their parents were proud of their new learnings and thanked us for the gifts. This webinar is one of the most successful events that we hosted including the other country teams. We made a video and a special report to narrate the story of how we prepared for the event itself and the post-activities. We are looking forward the phase 2 of this webinar.

The students in Lapnag Primary and Polo Elementary Schools are our regular recipients and participants of Chess and Scrabble games after every Remedial Classes. Our regular students are Level 4, 5, and 6 students. And they are continuously learning the techniques and strategies on how to play chess strategically. Children also knew how to create longer English words as they play the Scrabbles. This games were played into groups of 3 or 4 so that everyone could participate and they will have the chance to support and think as a group.

SIGCAY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

This school is our first school partner this school year. They are also included in the previous school partners that we had last school year. The Remedial Classes continue for Grades 2 and 3. The teachers have been very supportive of our activities, and the students were very excited every time we went there. As usual, we focus on literacy and seldom on numbers because they are mostly “struggling readers”. They have difficulty reading and spelling words in English, so we use English flashcards with eye-catching pictures. We never forget to compliment and reward them if they do well in the activity.

LAPNAG PRIMARY SCHOOL

This school is also very close to us because it has been our school partner ever since GFF HELPS started here in the Philippines. The teachers knew all of the previous representatives and volunteers and never failed to support us in every activity for their school. This year, they are still with us, and we have developed a strong relationship with their students. Our Remedial Classes usually focus on reading for lower levels and answering varied worksheets for higher levels. If there’s a global celebration to observe, we discuss and provide activities for them related to that celebration. The teachers always include our activities in their reports.

POLO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

This school year, we had a new school partner, Polo Elementary School. This school is the farthest of all our school partners. This is located in the heart of Polo Village and has a cozy ambiance. We have to travel by bus or jeep to reach this town. Our schedule is also at noon after the lunch break of the students. The teachers and the students welcomed us warmly. We are conducting Remedial Classes for students in Grade 2 to Grade 6. They were all labeled as “struggling readers” by their teachers.

We use Filipino and English words for reading and spelling. We usually make a spelling drill and reward them with stamps. Students are eager to learn and motivated by the stamps. They are always excited when they see us enter their school. The teachers were grateful for our presence, and they always prepare some snacks for us.

As the Team embark to a new town, and find what is the best for them, we planned on visiting the Seafood Capital of Aklan Province, the New Washington town, which is 10 kilometers from the GFF HELPS Office in Kalibo Town. It is in the Eastern part of Panay Island, facing Sibuyan Sea, hence always prone to flood and red tide. It is approximately 5 kilometers from the Kalibo International Airport. Transportation are often tricycles and multicabs, and mostly are routing to the Kalibo Town. The residents in this town are used to walking to the nearest Town Center, Town Market, Town Church. Their Municipal Mayor is Hon. Jessica R. Panambo with 16 village leaders coming from the different sub-barangays.

New Washington is known for being the main producers of seafood, dried fish, shellfish, where many restaurants in Manila order shellfish and other seafood. Some areas are surrounded by human made fish tanks, oysters plantations and other shellfish, hence, it is an agricultural area, with the residents being either the owner or the fishermen/tenants of fishing boats while housewives tend to look for their children, they sell their husbands’ harvested fish, oysters, shellfish, and cooking fishball, barbecue, fried banana, cooked vegetables, and other street food for that could help them add for their daily needs.

The children are studying in a government-funded school, Mabilo and Tambak Elementary Schools, and New Washington Elementary School, and Comprehensive High School for middle school.

Haircuttign seminar is the highlight this October. It was held last 23rd October and LP and Stef lead the program by introducing the GFF HELPS before the semianr started and giving of Certificates to John and the participants after the seminar.

The dropped out youth and adults was able to gain knowledge and ideas on haircutting for men and women through the help of John Barrera, a Senior Hairstylist in a Local Salon in Kalibo Town. He managed to talked about the trainings and seminars he had at the age of 18, he has been working in the field of haircutting and styling for 15 years now. He also talked about the different materials used in haircutting and the salary of every employee and part-timer. He also demonstrated how to cut male and female’ hair with the proper use of tools. The 19 participants really enjoyed and learnt at the same time. They are also askign about the next seminar that we would give them.

This month marks my fourth year of being part of the GFF HELPS and the GFF HELPS Philippines – a non-religious and non-political organization that empowers vulnerable communities by providing them with sustainable access to their most basic needs.

All the projects are under the umbrella of HELPS – Health, Education, Livelihood, Personal & Professional Development and Skills sharing.

As the team leader, project manager and volunteer teacher, I initiate the planning/designing, implementing, accomplishing and evaluating short-term and long-terms projects, while working, communicating and collaborating with the school community, villages and authorities in the government and private organizations at the same time, with the help of our Asia Coordinator and Team – making everything fall into place – these must come with careful decision making and commitment, hence SMART.

These tasks require (1) physical strength as we tend to go from different town to another, walking in long distance, running errands, carrying these and those things (books, laptop, materials, etc);

(2) emotional strength as we face those people in need, listening carefully, showing empathy and sympathy with all the struggles they are facing – food scarcity, financial problems, sickness, etc. I always fight and hold my tears back whenever I witness other’s disadvantages;

(3) social readiness as we initiate meetings with the authorities (Mayors and Brgy. Captains, School Heads and Teachers, Doctors and Nurses, Police Officers, Guest Speakers, Parents, Participants, Students, and others – sealing and dealing agreements on certain projects;

(4) mental strength to cover, surpass the unexpected happenings and get ready with everything (project proposals, postponements, shortcomings, miscommunications, bad weather, accidents, deadlines, international meetings, oral and written reports, etc)

I am always grateful that my superiors and subordinates are all smart, supportive, trustworthy, responsible and committed – where we work as a team, even if we are in the different parts of the world.

Thank you, Sir Owen Glenn and Sir Saom for entrusting me with all of these projects and programs in Aklan, Philippines.

Thank you, Stef and Erica for volunteering and doing your part for the benefit of Aklanon children, youths and adults, and the whole community since 2021.

Thank you, Willyn, Ana, Leisle, Jem, Minket, Lisa for all your help in the past.

Thank you, Representatives and Volunteers in GFF HELPS Sri Lanka, GFF HELPS Nepal, GFF HELPS India for the hardwork and friendship.

October 15 is Global Handwashing Day. Although it’s already over, we continue to bring the antibacterial soap to schools. Before we started the Remedial Classes, we asked the students to fall in line at the sink and wash their hands. The students are always enthusiastic when it comes to this activity. We assist them to prevent wasting water. Students in Sigcay and Elementary School learned the importance of handwashing for a healthy body. They also like the smell of the antibacterial soap after every wash.

In the last week of October, we did an initial visit and survey to the town of New Washington to know the people’s source of living, the training that they need, and the things that they want to know. We visited some villages, and the Municipal Office, and went to the Department of Agriculture to know the list of seminars that they will have this November. Unfortunately, at that time, the election was about to happen, and the long holidays were coming. The staff in the Department of Agriculture told us that the government offices are busy and they don’t have a list of the seminars for the coming months. They told us that they would contact us if ever they have information. They advised that we should first give a Letter of Intent to the Mayor so she can approve our plan.

We did a follow-up visit to the town of New Washington in the second week of November. We brought the Letter of Intent to the Office of the Mayor, but unfortunately, she has a meeting with the newly elected officers of each village. The staff in the office told us that they would contact us if the Mayor approved the letter. We are looking forward to their reply. We are also excited to conduct our very first seminar in one of the villages.

Students are always excited and ready to start playing Chess and Scrabble. As usual, they are grouped by three or four, with five members in each group. Four members will play the game, and the remaining one from it will be the one to monitor the game and tally the scores of each player. Boys are often declared as the winners in playing Chess and Scrabble because they are quite talented in thinking logically and analyzing where to put their pieces at the advantage place for them to win the game. Girls often help one another which not only showcases their ability to understand the situation of the game but also builds their teamwork and cooperation which strengthens their bond and friendship towards one another. “Sports connect them closer and bind them together.”

Days go by, and it’s only a month before 2023 ends. Remedial classes are ongoing, and students are participative and creative during these sessions. Worksheets like fill in the missing letters for level 1 and CVC for level 2. Grades 1 and 2 students answered worksheets about filling in puzzles using words from the boxes, solving the puzzle about jobs, reading, spelling, writing, etc. They are given different kinds of worksheets to test their knowledge and skills in answering them orally or individually. They learn in many ways, and each one of them is listening attentively and coping to understand what the teacher teaches. Most of them can read well, although some are still having difficulties in reading, understanding, and answering. We are helping each one of them to do it in their own ways and apply what they have learned at the end of the discussion.

UGSOD AND LASERNA VILLAGE

During the first week of November, we have a lot of holidays. We decided to visit some groups of kids in their houses because schools are closed. I visited a group of kids living in Ugsod Village in the Town of Banga. They go to school in Capitan Tazan Memorial Primary School. LP visited the group of kids in Laserna Village in the Town of Kalibo. They go to school in Kalibo Integrated School. We haven’t visited these kids for a while because we are always going to school. We had the opportunity during the long holidays to meet them again. The kids were very excited to see us. We also brought some snacks for them for doing a great job in our activities. The parents of these kids expressed their gratitude to us for visiting their homes and for the snacks that we brought. We are happy to know that they appreciate our simple acts.

The Department of Education (DepEd) marks the calendar with a significant yearly celebration – the National Reading Month (NRM). This month-long event observed every November, is part of the agency’s efforts to foster a culture of reading and enhance literacy skills among the youth. DepEd urged schools and learning institutions to conduct a month-long reading program to revive students’ interest in reading. The team also planned some activities in our partner schools. We introduced the Reading Workshop and Mobile Library. We brought 12 books to Sigcay Elementary School to let the children borrow, but we only distributed 10 books and used the remaining two books for the Reading Session. LP read the book about worms, and the students spelled the words from each page. The students were happy to get their books, and they will swap books with their classmates next week. We also read the same book about worms in Lapnag Primary School. The students spelled the words from each page, and after that, we had an outdoor activity of finding worms and their waste. The teachers were also happy that we already started to conduct activities related to Reading Month.

Since November is the Reading Month, we brought books to partner schools that are within in the student’s level. After the book rotation, securing their book title and names, we read a story to the kids in these two schools. We also let the children explain how important it is to read books and to love reading.

We did a storytelling about the Worms, prepared English Worksheets for the Level 3 and 4 students. We did outdoor activities regarding to the story heard by the children. We explore the school ground by finding worms and worm’s wastes. The children explained how the worms contribute to make the soil healthy. We did activities such as Spelling, Reading, Writing and Oral Recitation. Separate activities were given to the Level 1 and 2 students as they need a more simplified lessons to match their level. We were always accompanied by our Intern Erica when we do our projects in this school. We reminded the children that they have to take care all the books that they received because they are going to lend that book to the other student next week. We will continue this project even after the Reading Month pass by.

According to the Power Resource Center, there are several very powerful reasons why leadership training is important. The best reason of all. Leadership training and development is important because it works – if you do it the right way. Sure, there are many failed leadership development programs out there that give it a bad name. But we’ve seen it transform underperforming teams and inspire high-functioning teams to accomplish great things. But it takes patience, stamina and commitment because long-term behavioral change is hard. All the pieces must be in place – strategic clarity, alignment with goals and values, defined success criteria, detailed execution, a thorough and in-depth follow-up plan to ingrain the learning and reduce backslide. With real strategic commitment, leadership training and development is one of the most powerful paths to success for any business.

We at GFF HELPS Philippines is very grateful for allowing us to gain knowledge from this seminar. It was attended by Stifhany and I together with 60 participants form all over the Philippines. It will help us become effective and great leaders even more. And we are planning to create a 1-hour seminar for the International Country Teams in December as well.

It is with a humble heart that I was again invited as a Resource Person in this International Webinar. I was able to meet again the children from India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and other professional guests from the mentioned 3 countries. They were participative and eager to learn.

Conducting 2 webinar sessions on Sign Language as part of the celebration for the International Sign Language and educating the children, youths, and adults about the Deaf Community and their language is a form of appreciation and love to all the Deaf around the world. The basic Sign Language words they learned all throughout the webinar would be a stepping stone for them to communicate and acquire friendship.

We are very thankful to the participants from the 3 countries, especially here in the Philippines, Jelai and Atasha participated during the 2 sessions, and they are very grateful for the Certificate of Participation, ballpen and notebook that they received as an acknowledgment.

Here at Glenn Family Foundation, we are inclusive, we are considerate and loving when it comes to dealing with different kinds of people despite of status, race and PWDs. We are also accompanied by my sister, Leonorma, who is a part of Interact Club in their school. She loves volunteering to the community like me.

I am grateful to be part of this advocacy.

“GFF assisted Nepal in actively participating in the sign language project initiated by GFF Helps Philippines. Seven students from Shree Balkumari School, predominantly teenagers, were enthusiastic participants in the program. Essential materials needed for the initiative were provided to these participants, ensuring the program’s effectiveness. As a result, the students learned how to use sign language to communicate with and understand individuals who rely on this form of communication in their daily lives.”

The impact of the project was profound, as it empowered these students with the ability to communicate using sign language. This newfound skill allowed them to engage effectively with individuals in their community who depend on sign language for communication. Beyond the practical aspect, the program also fostered a sense of empathy and inclusivity among the participants, instilling in them a deeper understanding and appreciation for the diverse forms of communication around them.

September 23rd is the International Sign Language Day and to give respect to the differently abled individuals, GFF Helps Philippines Team conducted a sign language webinar. Philippines Local Representative Lady Peace, was the resource person and Stiphany Salvador was the Technical Assistant. Sign language is an important skill to learn as it will enable us to bridge the communication gap and converse with differently abled individuals, therefore GFF Helps India team also decided to attend the webinar. The webinar was divided into two sessions conducted on the 16th and 23rd September at 9:30 am IST. In the first session we learned about how the sentences while using sign language are formed in a different order. We also learned the alphabets and basic signs of family members, food etc. In the second session our students from the SOGG learning centres excellently followed through with the homework given to them and actively participated in the revision session and also during the entire webinar. Kudos to the Philippines team for coordinating such a well-planned and easy to understand webinar. Our students from all three centres gave their full participation and diligently revised the lessons learned in the webinar.

The GFF HELPS Philippines Team has been conducting activities even during vacation. We know that children only spend time playing with their phones or outside during these days. We also received some messages from parents if we have activities in their village because they want their children to attend. Aside from the Mid-Year Workshop, we have been visiting kids in their houses for reading activities. We also bring colorful books for younger kids. They expressed that they are always waiting for us if they have no classes. We are touched by their sincerity and we promised to visit them during the days that we are free.

The FREE Coaching for Civil Service has ended today. We got Sir Mike as our Math Guest. As you all know, we covered the 10 topics for 10 weeks. And one of the topics is MAth and it was composed of: Number Series, Work, Mixture and Probability, Motion, Ratio and Proportion, Number Related, and Logical Related, which were discussed and the solutions were explained and checked accordingly by our invited Mathematics Guest Coach, Mr. Mike Jamora on Saturday, August 5th. We have given certificates to some who had perfect attendance since week 1.

We are hoping that all of them will pas the examination this August 20th. Most of the participants said that , they are beyond blessed for the opportunity and the GFF HELPS Philippines served as a stepping stone to their careers.

Seminars are often organized to provide valuable information, knowledge, and insights on specific topics to the community members. It can raise awareness about important social, environmental, or health issues within the community. It provides an opportunity for community members to interact, network, and build relationships with like-minded individuals, professionals, experts, and peers. These connections can lead to collaborations, partnerships, and mutual support within the community.

The GFF HELPS Philippines knows the benefits of seminars to small communities. This month, we are organizing Health Seminar about Diabetes and Hepatitis to Ati Community in Numancia Village and Haircutting seminar for out-of-school youths and adults in Banga Elementary School Alternative Learning System (ALS). For the Health Seminar, we went to the Rural Health Unit of Numancia and the Municipal Office of the Town Mayor to give the Letter of Intent. We met the Municipal Doctor, Dr. Levens, and he introduced us to his health workers. We did not meet the Mayor, but his Executive Assistant approved our letter. It was successful, and we have now our speakers and the date of the seminar. The Haircutting seminar preparation is ongoing. We already have our speaker, and the PPT is almost ready. We are yet to confirm with the teachers in the Alternative Learning System (ALS) in Banga our intent and available schedule. We are excited to facilitate these seminars and meet different persons.

It is important for children to know the different living things within their community and how they contribute to the ecological balance. When they are aware of all the living things that live along with them, as well as their purpose, they will grow appreciation of their existence. This workshop was intended to be an outdoor activity where children will play a Scavenger Hunt game. But the venue is along the highway, and there are many cars passing by. To avoid any accident, we changed the flow of the activity so we could have it inside the venue that the Village Council provided. They watched a video about the ecosystem, identified the living and non-living things using the Scavenger Hunt worksheet and drew a place where living and non-living things exist. The children actively participated in the activities, and we rewarded them with some candies. Their parents were very supportive too.

The goal of this day is to awaken the children’s creativity as they individually make a paper plate snake, jellyfish, chick or any other animal that comes in their minds. They would be able to discover, display and share their hidden talents in crafts, coloring and designing their outputs.

LP, Stef, Intern Erica together with 3 teenagers volunteered to help with the cutting and coloring. of the young. It is important for children to learn to be creative and to beautify things on their own. Their creativity will bring colorful ideas into reality and it will also teach them to value the things that are useless, for example, the one-time use paper plate could turn into a beautiful paper plate snake and jellyfish. These crafts could be of replacement for cellphone games.

They will take away memories about their effort in doing arts and crafts, their patience will get tested as they learn to beautify their outputs. Those outputs will serve as a symbol of their creativity, hard work and patience. They could also share what they had learned to their siblings and other playmates.

Making connections and making the other person feel included is one of the great way to show empathy especially to the deaf. Teaching the children from Muguing the Sign Language is a big help to the deaf community, especially that there are deaf living in the area. During our workshop, we invited Lovely, a young lady who became deaf at age of 8 due to accident. We taught the children Sign Language Alphabet, Sign Names, Greetings, Family, Colors, Transportation, Jobs, Appliances and many more. It is important for children to learn these for them to be sensitive enough when dealing to those people with special needs. Instead of ignoring them, the participants could develop a good relationship with them because they have learnt their language. On the other hand, the deaf would also be happy because they would gain new (hearing/speaking) friends who knew their language.

Communication takes a vital role when dealing with the students, parents, teachers, the institution, and the community. As an Intern, I learned so many things throughout this journey. First, I got to visit the different places and meet different people. Second, I got the chance to know the wonderful, and intelligent students. Third, I got the opportunity to educate each one of them, expound their knowledge, and even teach life-learning lessons. It is so memorable and meaningful to know people, their status, passion, and views in life. I’m learning a lot from them too. The participating schools and the students of the Reading Workshop and Mobile Library together with the free workshop became an important part of our life and we’re tied because of the bond and the relationship created upon staying with them. A parent once said, “Ma’am, we’re so thankful because our son/daughter is now participating in class very well, he/she is not so shy and timid anymore, and they learned a lot from the lessons.” Hearing this heartfelt and tearing message, I realized that because of the opportunity as an Intern, I received so much value and appreciation from the beloved parents that makes me an effective teacher. I would be forever indebted and thankful towards the GFF HELPS, Sir Owen, the GFF HELPS Philippines team for the support, help, and mentorship to become successful in this journey.

The GFF HELPS Philippines Team have successfully conducted Environmental programs inside and outside the school premise of Lapnag Primary School through games using Environmental game box, proper waste segregation, coloring activities, worksheets, school clean-up drive and planting activities and many more. Other activities were also done in Sigcay Elementary School.

These programs were done to raise awareness and kindness to our environment with the help of our school partners. We started announcing this program last May and officially started last June 6th. We are very thankful to our very participative and appreciative school children and teachers – Teacher Ronie of Sigcay Primary School, and Teacher Shearel, Teacher Mona and Teacher-In-Charge Rosalie of Lapnag Primary School for being with us in every project. Some of the fruit tree saplings were also donated by Teacher Shearel.

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Every Tuesday, students of Lapnag Primary School engage in playing Scrabble and Chess. We can see the eagerness of the students to learn, their determination to win, and their cooperation to help one another. Most of the time, they are playing in a group with four to five members. Sometimes, some students are very excited to play and forgot to follow the rules, but at the end of the game, we can see their genuine smiles. Their laughter means that they enjoyed the game no matter whether they win or lose. Now, they can make longer words in Scrabble and make different moves in Chess. We’ll continue to conduct the sessions until they master the games. Moreover, parents see our pictures, and one of the members of the GFF Aklan Workers’ Association and beneficiary of the Sewing Project, Mrs. Zenie Felipe, volunteered to sew pouches for the letter tiles of our Scrabble Boards. We are very thankful for their support.

Last March 2023, The GFF HELPS Philippines had a seminar in collaboration with the Municipal Agricultural Office, and this month, we collaborated with the Municipal Health Office to conduct seminars with the topics “Voluntary Blood Donation Program and Anti-Drugs Abuse Prevention Campaign” by Mr. Josh Brix Naig, RMT and “Dengue Awareness” by Ms. Marevi Esparagoza, RMT in the Village of Muguing, Banga, Aklan, Philippines.

Atleast 30 residents from Muguing Village attended the Health Seminar in collaboration with the Municipal Health Office of Banga. Mr. Josh Brix and Miss Marevi, both are Registered Medical Technologist delivered 3 topics in the said seminar. 2 Clinic Teachers from Muguing Elementary School and theVillage Nutritionist are also present. We also checked the participants’ weight and blood pressure before the seminar started.

The first speaker, Mr. Josh Brix fluently delivered his talk and gave awareness on the danger of using and abusing drugs, as well as the advantages of blood donating while the second speaker is Ms. Marevi T. Esparagoza, talked about Dengue Awareness: mosquito carriers, symptoms, and prevention. During her talk, the attendees learned that it is the female mosquito that bites and might carry the virus that causes Dengue. They also learned about the symptoms that they might neglect. The attendees were already aware of the things that they should do to prevent this virus from spreading, but Ms. Marevi reiterated those things.

As what our Municipal Doctor said, “Your foundation is a big help in community, especially in creating timely and relevant seminars like this, inviting various speakers from different departments.”

Last February and March 2023, we had our first ever FREE Coaching on Civil Service Examination where 10 individuals were given assistance in passing the examination — conducted by the Civil Service Commission (CSC) — through thorough discussions and test-taking, covering almost all the areas in the examination, by the GFF HELPS Philippine Team Volunteers, Lady Peace and Stef, and with the assistance of a Mathematics Guest Coach, Miss Jonamae. It was a successful one. And this June, we will have our Phase 2, with newly-graduated students, and housewives, hoping to land a good job in the Philippine government offices once passed, together with our Math Guest Coach, Mr. Mike

The Civil Service Exam, otherwise known as the Career Service Exam, is an exam conducted by the Civil Service Commission (CSC) to determine which individuals are deemed fit to work in public service.

As the days go by, we can see the progress of groups of children residing in Ugsod and Laserna Village. They have different learning styles, and we conducted different activities for them. Those older kids answer worksheets, while the younger kids have psychomotor activities. We observed how they handled each activity and shined. Most of them can now read and write well. Some are quite shy, but now, they are active during activities. They show cooperation and work with their groupmates during group activities. With our guidance, they reached far from where they are before. We also maintain our close relationship with their parents by contacting them during our schedules. We also spend time talking with them after the activity. We are thankful that they welcomed us into their homes and trusted us with their kids.

Remedial Classes are ongoing in the two schools: Sigcay Elementary School and Lapnag Primary School every Monday and Tuesday. The number of students during sessions varies because some were absent. We always prepare worksheets before each session and make sure that it will target the weakness of students. There has been obvious progress with the students under this project. Teachers reported that they have been more confident to read. They are very happy to see progress because the end of the school year is fast approaching. They have to send all of their students to the next level and not let anyone fail. They are thankful for our help and hope that we can continue working with the on the next school year.

Helping our fellow Aklanon to become eligible to work in the Philippine government offices.

“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” — This is a famous quotation that also mirrors the Glenn Family Foundation founder, Sir Owen Glenn. This project is created to elevate the employment of our fellow Aklanon in the Philippine Government Office. The Civil Service Exam (CSE), also known as the Career Service Examination, is conducted twice a year by the Civil Service Commission (CSC) to figure out whether or not an applicant is eligible to work in the Philippine government offices. With the help of our 7-week Free Review of the examination scope inside the GFF HELPS Office in Kalibo, we can help pass the almost 10 examinees. LP and Stef have been the one conducting the Review to topics like English, Math, Philippine Laws, Code of Ethics, Environment and many more since both are Licensed Teachers. We are looking forward to have 100% passers in the upcoming examination in 26th March 2023.

Doing projects with the community is a great way to increase knowledge, skills and promotes progress to people living there. The PH Team, with the guidance of Mr. Saom has initially make progress in communicating to the Muguing Village, an agricultural village 10 kilometers from the GFF Office to partner and create projects with them through the help of Philippine departments like the Department of Agriculture, the Local Government Unit and other agencies. The PH Team will serve as a catalyst to make this project happen. In January, we started communicating the the officers of Muguing Village, did some data survey so that we could decide which project applies best. In February, we communicated to the Mayor’s Office to request permission for a resource speaker from the Department of Agriculture, the Municipal Agricultural Office (MAO) in Banga, to be sent to the Muguing Village and give a seminar on Agriculture and Livestock. The MAO Acting Officer Mr. Elmar Estanislao were very willing to send a resource speaker to Muguing Village in March 2023. The recipient village, on the other hand, was more grateful for the opportunity that we will give to their citizens.

Remedial Classes are ongoing in the four schools: Banga Elementary School, Muguing Elementary School, Sigcay Elementary School, and Lapnag Primary School. Progress of the children were witnessed by the teachers and parents. More students were added to our class, and they also manifested progress despite being new. We continue to provide worksheets and focus on intensive learning. Now, there are more than 50 students under the remedial class from these four schools. We are also grateful for the support of our intern in most of our schedules. We are able to teach many kids in just one session.

Health is one of our priorities. In recent months, we purchased a weighing scale, automatic blood pressure monitor, and glucometer. In every activity that we have, we integrate the health check-up for the participants. One example is the Free Civil Service Examination Seminar where we checked the blood pressure and weight of the participants. All of them were interested to know their weight and their blood pressure. We are planning to hold a seminar in villages about health in partnership with the local government unit and their health workers in the future. For now, we will focus on health check-up integration to each projects that we have.

All human beings are creative by nature. Young children know this in their hearts but lack resources and support. As a celebration of Arts Day, the GFF HELPS Philippines Team brought art materials to Muguing Elementary School. We taught children in Grade 1 how to make animals using simple materials like paper and colored pencils. They made jellyfish and cards out of the materials that we brought. It doesn’t have to be expensive to be creative. The children learned that they could use available materials to create something. Almost 20 kids participated in the activity and proudly showed their work. This activity made us closer to them, and their parents, who are part of the community of Muguing Village. We are happy to ignite their creativity and inspire them to explore their skills.

The GFF HELPS Philippines Team provided Free Blood Pressure Check to almost 50 people from the mountains of Madalag Town. We communicated and sent Letter of Intent to their Village Leader and after getting the GO signal, we gathered all the materials that we need in that time such as the Sphygmomanometer, the Manual and Automatic BP Machine, the GF HELPS PH Flex, tables and sanitizers and BP Checklist to where the participants write their names and BP results. We needed to ride on a motortaxi from the center town going up to the village It was raining that time but we proceeded because people are waiting for us there. Most of the beneficiaries haven’t taken their Blood Pressure for quite some time because most of them are seniors and cannot easily travel to their clinics. The people living in Mercedes Village in the mountainous area of Madalag are quite humble and happy. We cannot forget how grateful they were while they were in queue observing us getting their Blood Pressure one by one and waiting for their turns. We have interviewed a grandfather who is taking his maintenance due to high blood pressure. He is quite happy for our service.

Remediation is a word that means improving and correcting a situation. Most students in different schools were in a situation of educational stagnation. They are stationary at a level where they can’t even comprehend a simple sentence, can’t read a CVC word, and worst, can’t read their own language Filipino. There have been different theories for this problem, but a major factor is the pandemic quarantine. Without personal guidance from the teachers and with the poor support of most parents, the children were greatly affected. The GFF PH Team is on the move as part of the remediation class. We keep on going to schools regularly, print our learning materials, and communicate with teachers. We forgot the days that passed, and we saw how they improved. From a blank page to ongoing writing, the kids’ progress is unstoppable. It only proves that focused attention to the learners and keen supervision results in academic progress.