PREDA NEWSLETTER OCTOBER 2013

OCTOBER 2013

PREDA SPORTS FESTIVAL 2013. The PREDA staffers, volunteers and youth had a fun-filled sports festival last October. This is to celebrate the rights of children bring about greater awareness by adults to give encouragement, inspiration, good example, affirmation, love and protection to children and youth. It’s a positive way to tell the world that children don’t need punishment and it brings them to sadness, depression and losing trust in the adult world.

October is the National Children’s Month in the Philippines so Preda celebrated this important event through the SPORTS FESTIVAL. It was held at the Preda BukangLiwayway Center, Open Home for Boys located in Brgy. Nagbayan, Castillejos. It has been a tradition to celebrate the   activity as a way of establishing and strengthening team work, friendship, trust, understanding, camaraderie and sportsmanship.

Around two hundred people participated in the activity coming from the AKBAY Children and Youth Organization, children from home for girls and home for boys and staffers of PREDA Foundation. Volunteers from Germany also participated in basketball, volleyball, dama, chess, tug of war and a lot more.   It is in the context that despite injustices and inhumanity in our society, SPORTS FESTIVAL became a tool to uphold the basic right of children which is “The Right to Play and participation”.

AETA COMMUNITY ENJOYS POTABLE WATER. After long years of suffering from the long and difficult walk in the hills of Sitio Alibang, Brgy. Naugsol, Subic just to get water in the upper part of the river, the people has now a village water supply on tap 24 hours, clean and potable water from the natural spring in the mountain. Nothing had been done, many years of neglect by the local government and the people especially the children were enduring different kinds of water based illnesses like diarrhea and tape worms. Finally it comes to an end, with the inauguration of the new water system funded by Toto Company Japan and coordinated and arranged by Free the Children Japan and implemented within the budget by PREDA Foundation.

There is a powerful water pressure in a pipe that feeds into large concrete tank and from the tank the extension distribution pipes carried the water to seven (7) community faucets. The people only have to walk a few meters out of the house to get all the clean water they need. It’s a very big change in the lives of 35 families or 150 people and now they can spend more time with their children, planting vegetables and working in other projects to improve their lives. This development project is a fast efficient and successful project, many thanks to the team players who helped make it happen with full participation with the members of the community who all did their share of the work to make it a reality.

It all worked out in coordination and partnership of PREDA Foundation with Toto Foundation and Free the Children Japan the water project came into reality. Bringing potable water and improving the health and sanitation of the indigenous people’s community are the primary objectives of this water project in Sitio Alibang, Brgy. Naugsol, Subic, Zambales. The construction was completed on 12 November 2013 and the water is freely flowing bringing happiness and joy to the people. Now there are 35 families or 150 people benefiting from the project. Happy days!

VOLUNTEERS AND STAFF AND BIG BOYS HELP AETA COMMUNITY. The destruction of an entire village in the typhoon left hundreds homeless, desperate and refugees living in emergency shelter along the road of Botolan, Zambales. With the help of an Irish Church agency Trocaire, a resettlement project was organized. After great difficulty, land was finally found and a community arrangement was made with government and people to allow the refugees settle in the community of PAPAHT in the hills of Botolan. Great efforts were made to create with the people a joint effort to build up a new village with houses that will resist the typhoons and give protection and shelter. Massive trees, coffees, coconuts and mangoes and endemic trees were planted.

So after much lobbying with the local government and with the people, a rough road was made, a water project, road making and a small house construction project began. Today, that project is nearing completion with almost 20 houses constructed. The very poor people can only give minimum help as they have to find work every day to feed their family. When they get food for work they build with the PREDA volunteers, staff and the big youth from the PREDA home for boys.

So on October 22-23, 2013, the older residents, staff and volunteers of Bukang Liwayway Center for Boys had an outreach program at PAPAHT (Pinatubo Assistance for Poor Aetas of Human Tribes) Community in Botolan, Zambales. The community is situated in the highlands of Botolan, Zambales, the area is devoted for agricultural crops that will eventually serve as the community¹s livelihood and income generating project.

The staff and volunteers led the way with hard work and  good example and leadership and the  older  stronger boys helped .They  participated well in carrying  bricks  for the construction of houses and had a chance to reintegrate themselves before the people in  the community where they learned about the Aeta culture and became aware of their social responsibility.

They learned about the social discrimination and poverty that the Aeta people are experiencing and how resilient they are in facing challenges. The two day activity brought an impact to the mind of the boys who are undergoing therapeutic rehabilitation at the Bukang Liwayway Center.  Witnessing the indigenous peoples lives made them realized that each and every one of us is responsible to protect ourselves, others and our environment. There is a spirit of friendship, community participation and cooperation.

REGIONAL CHILDREN’S MONTH CELEBRATION. Presidential Proclamation No. 267 declared the month of October of every year as the National Children’s Month to emphasize the importance of the role of the child within the Filipino family and in nation building.

This year’s regional children’s month celebration was hosted by Harbor Point, Ayala Mall where 25 child caring institutions participated. The children all over the region colorfully and creatively showcased different cultural dances and presentations. Surpassing last year’s celebration the READLANI Committee gave out the following awards; Best in Cultural Presentation, Early Bird, Biggest Delegation and Most Friendly. Aside from showcasing the culture of the country through the dances the activity also aims to promote cooperation and friendship amongst the child-caring institutions in the region and uphold the genuine participation of children. PREDA Foundation bagged the award on the Biggest Delegation sending about a hundred people.

FAMILY DAY OF PREDA GIRLS. On October 9-10, 2013 the Childhood for Children, Home for Girls had their Family Day which is one of the most important activities of the program. The said activity aims; to give an opportunity for the residents and the parents to have bonding which is essential to their psychological growth and development, to be more open-minded and supportive on the situation of their off-springs, to harness the participation and support of the family for the development and treatment of their abused children, give information to the parents on the legal updates and behavior of their children in the center and to prepare them on the reintegration of the children.

Different topics were discussed to equip and educate the parents to be more responsible. Alex Corpus Hermoso (Programme Director), Maricel Viloria (Education Department Coordinator) and Mary Anne Abastillas (Singles for Christ) discussed Special Protection of Children (R.A 7610), Anti-Violence against Women and their Children (R.A9262) and The Value of Christian Family in Safeguarding Children respectively. There were 22 families who attended in the activity out of 31 children in the center.   

LEADERSHIP MANAGEMENT TRAINING IN CAVITE. The City Social Welfare and Development Office of Dasmarinas, Cavite invited the Education Department (PEPS) of PREDA Foundation to conduct Leadership and Management Training to the new members of Pag-Asa Youth Association of the Philippines (PYAP) on October 22, 2013. This is one of the organized out of school youth groups in the city aging from 13-24 years old. It aims to promote the development of disadvantage youth to become self-reliant, economically productive, socially responsible and able to contribute to the development of their family and community. Furthermore, it also aims to effectively and efficiently equip them with the skills necessary to become pro-active leaders on issues and concerns that confront them. A total of 75 active and assertive youth leaders and members participated in the said activity and watched the play entitled ‘Once we had a dream’. All the participants appreciated and learned from the musical play and also enjoyed the whole day seminar workshop.     

AKBAY GOES GLOBAL . One hundred fifty youth leaders all over the provinces of Bataan and Zambales and City of Olongapo attended this year’s general assembly of AKBAY Children and Youth Organization. ‘AKBAY Goes Global’ is the theme of this year’s gathering where Mr. Alex Corpus Hermoso (Programme Director) was invited to be the guest speaker. In his speech, Hermoso challenged the members of the organization to be visible in the national and international scene especially in the advancement of youth sector as stated in Republic Act 8044 or the Youth in Nation Building Act. Fr. Shay Cullen and Mr. Francisco Bermido Jr., PREDA’S President and Vice-President respectively gave welcome and inspirational messages to all the participants. General Assembly is a venue whereby officers present the Accomplishment Report of the organization and an avenue where the senior and new members meet to discuss things for sustainability and strengthening the programs and services of the organization to the community.

The event was filled with different activities and games and was enjoyed by the participants. It was held on October 31, 2013 in the social hall of PREDA.