Mano Amiga Pilipinas

WANTED: VOLUNTEERS! :)

2012-01-17T00:55:00.000-08:00

April 21- Book to the Future( a book drive + book fair in March) For more info, check out the article from last year’s event: http://manoamigapilipinas.blogspot.com/2011/04/book-to-future.html

June 9- Volunteers’ Talent Fair
Volunteers will contribute their talents (e.g.face painting, dance,storytelling, arts and crafts) and the kids will go around each booth
Venue: Washington Sycip Park, Makati

July 14- Volunteers’ Talent Fair
Volunteers will contribute their talents (e.g.face painting, dance,storytelling, arts and crafts) and the kids will go around each booth
Venue: Washington Sycip Park, Makati

September 15 - Community Kids field trip
Volunteers will serve as the big brother/sister for the day
Venue: To be announced

October 13: UN Day- Volunteers will transform the different areas of the schoolinto a particular country and the children will go around, have their passportsstamped and learn about different cultures.

December 1: Advent- themed activity with the objective of helping childrenunderstand the real meaning of Christmas (arts and crafts, storytelling and cookie-decorating)

If you're interested to volunteer, send us an email at manoamigaphilippines@gmail.com!

Development Director Eleanor Pinugu on Education and Social inclusion

2012-01-15T19:14:00.000-08:00

The World Economic Forum recently asked the Global Young Shapers worldwide to share how the WEF Annual Forum could help them improve their respective projects and advocacies. Mano Amiga Development Director Eleanor Pinugu talks about her dream of building a country where every child has access to quality education, and the small steps she has taken towards this vision.

Mano Amiga Development Director to present at the World Economic Forum

2012-01-15T18:45:00.000-08:00

Mano Amiga Academy Development Director Eleanor Pinugu was recently heralded by the World Economic Forum (WEF) as a Global Young Shaper. She will be joining Save the Philippine Seas movement founder Anna Oposa and San Vicente Mayor Carmela Alvarez in representing the Philippines at the upcoming WEF Annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland.

Eleanor has also been asked to present the Mano Amiga project in the Ideaslab session where she'll be discussing with the WEF participants, including different heads of state, the Mano Amiga model, it successes and how she could further improve it.

MANILA, Philippines - Nine outstanding young Filipinos were chosen asamong the 2012 “Young Global Shapers” of the World Economic Forum (WEF).

The young achievers are Anna Rosario Oposa, Mayor Maria CarmelaAlvarez of San Vicente in Palawan, Ponce Ernest Samaniego, Jay MichaelJaboneta, Dr. Bryan Albert Lim, Eleanor Rosa Pinugu, Mildred Ople, television host Bianca Gonzalez, and Alexandra AmandaEduque.

“The Young Global Shapers are exceptional achievers who initiated projects that have positive impact in the community,”said ABS-CBN news anchor Karen Davila, WEF Young Global Leader 2010 and Founding Curator for the YGS Manila Hub.

The nine individuals – whose ages range from 20 to 30 - have beenaccepted by the WEF as potential leaders because of their positive impact intheir communities, said Davila.

Oposa, 23, co-founded the Save Philippine Seas movement to protect theworld’s richest marine life, and “Isko CleansUP,” a waste management program in the University of the Philippines-Diliman.She is the daughter of Ramon Magsaysay awardee, environmentalist lawyer TonyOposa.

Alvarez, 24, the youngest female mayor of San Vicente, has a degree inInternational Business Administration with a concentration in EnvironmentalTechnology and Global Marketing Management from Babson College in Boston. Sheaims to transform the town into a tourist destinationmunicipality using sustainable development technology to preserve its naturalenvironment and help residents become self-reliant in terms of its present andfuture needs.

Samaniego, 21, is co-founder and chief executive officer of Outliers,a social enterprise that serves as an outsourced business expertise fornon-profit organizations.

Jaboneta, 30, founded the movement Philippine Funds for Little Kidsthat helps schoolchildren in Zamboanga City who had to swim to go to school. He was the first and former New Media Head ofthe Presidential Communications Operations Office under President Aquino. He isalso a board member of the Kabayanihan Foundation and Team Pinoy, Inc.

Lim is a practicing physician in San Pablo, Laguna. He is a programconsultant of the Asian Institute of Management Zuellig Center for AsianBusiness Transformation, a research associate of the UP Universal Health Care Study Group, and the proponent of theQuisumbing-Escandor Film Festival for Health and serves as adviser in varioushealth-related projects.

Pinugu is the founder of Mano Amiga Academy, Inc, a non-profit schoolthat provides underprivileged Filipino children access to fourteen years ofhigh quality education (K-12th grade), and allother support they need to have a better life. After two years of raising fundsfor the students’ scholarships through private donations and corporatepartnerships, she helped establish a social enterprise that would generatea steady income for Mano Amiga, and at the same time give employmentopportunities to the mothers of the students.

Ople, 25, is an advocate of countryside development through theadoption of innovative agricultural technology with profitable businessconcepts and ideas. She is also one of the founders of the Hagonoy YoungLeaders Program and has worked with the Ayala Foundation on youth leadershipand development projects. She is currently taking up law.

Gonzalez was recently appointed as Special Advocate for Children forthe United Nations Children’s Fund-Philippines.

Eduque, 21, is involved with various humanitarian projects andendeavors in partnership with Habitat for Humanity Philippines. She has beenworking with the organization for about seven years now, and is the founder andchairperson of the Habitat for Humanity Philippines Youth Council.

Davila said of the nine achievers, only Oposa, Pinugu and Alvarez wereinvited by the WEF to the 2012 conference in Davos, Switzerland next week.

The WEF is a Geneva-based non-profit organization best known for itsannual meeting in Davos. It is an independent international organizationcommitted to improving the state of the world by engaging business, political,academic and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industryagendas.

The organization launched last year the Global Shapers community aimedat providing the youth with a global platform to shape the future – integratingpersonal, community and global dimensions. This community will help youthdevelop their leadership potential to serve society.

The Global Shapers community includes extraordinary young individualswith great potential for future leadership roles in society. Aged between 20and 30 years, they represent all walks of life and share a spirit of entrepreneurshipin the global public interest, the WEF said.

Click here for the link to the original article:

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=768252&publicationSubCategoryId=63

Learning Place

2011-12-14T21:13:00.001-08:00

P3 features Mano Amiga volunteer Florian Trinidad's insights on what's so unique about the Mano Amiga school model and how more people could help the organization fulfill its mission of providing quality education to underprivileged youth.

Have you ever wondered why a four year old child selling sampaguita in the middle of the street is a normal sight here in the Philippines? Ever wondered why people don’t get surprised with seeing families sleeping on the sidewalks with beds made of cardboard and newspaper? Well this is a pretty normal scene in the Taguig area.

What Started It All
Despite the fact that most of us are insensitive about the matter, fortunately someone noticed. Enter Mano Amiga, an academy that aims to provide education to marginalized families. “The thing is, people keep saying how they support education because it has that equalizing promise but how can it be an equalizer in the Philippines if the poor have access to poor quality education and only privileged families have access to quality education” says Lynn Pinugu, Institutional Development Director of the Mano Amiga Academy. Mano Amiga was founded in Mexico by privileged highschool students who saw how bad reality was in their country. They raised funds in order to put up a school that would offer the same books, curriculum and every academic advantage that these high school students have in order to give the less fortunate the equal treatment that they deserve. They started small but they started with heart, so it’s no surprise that Mano Amiga has been growing since. “The model became successful that it eventually grew into a network of schools all over Mexico and it mushroomed all over Latin America,” Lynn says. Apparently, it didn’t stop at Latin America. In 2008, Mano Amiga was finally brought to the Philippines.

How You Can Help
To be a helping hand in this mission, you don’t have to be a major corporation or a millionaire for that matter. Be a volunteer and help in building a better life for these wonderful scholars. Build schools and houses for them, educate them in proper cooking and good nutrition and teach them what is right and wrong. You not only save a child’s future but you also get yourself saved from the whole experience.

Read this article in full by visiting: http://www.p-3.ph/view/794

A New Perspective

2011-12-11T19:15:00.000-08:00

Volunteer Cristina Lobregat shares the experience of watching the Azkals-Galaxy game with twelve exuberant Mano Amiga kids in tow, and the insights she gained along the way.

"Kung nandiyan lang sana si Coach Richard, siguro panalo na yung Azkals." Said in the most matter-of-fact tone, this was one of the endearing moments that really put the Philippine Azkals-LA Galaxy match into perspective; Particularly, the perspective of a grade 2 Mano Amiga student. Though it may come as a surprise to some, the students in Mano Amiga are actually football fans, thanks to the generosity of Coach Candice and Avery del Rosario of Futbol Funatics, who together with Coach Richard, volunteer to teach football every Friday to the Mano Amiga kids. The weekly games in Mano Amiga, coupled with the growing popularity of the Philippine Azkals peaked the students’ interest in football. With their newfound love for the sport, it was almost too good to be true that twelve students were given the chance to see the much-anticipated match last December 3.

While many people who watched the friendly match were looking forward to seeing David Beckham, the Mano Amiga students who trooped over to the Rizal Memorial Stadium from FTI, Taguig barely had an idea on who he was. In fact, they were more excited about finally seeing the Azkals live, so much so that the students actually prayed before the game, asking God to help the Azkals win. What a sight they were, twelve small children sitting quietly in prayer amidst a noisy, cheering crowd. Their excitement showed as their voices stood out from the rest during the National Anthem, prompting others seated around them to look over, where many, if not all, couldn’t help but smile.he Mano Amiga students were oblivious to the hype over LA Galaxy, continuously rooting for their home team, cheering with the rest of the crowd when the Azkals had finally scored a goal. The energy and excitement in the air had gotten to them as they were running up and down the bleachers, calling out the names of the most popular Azkals they knew.

But as with all children their age, by the time the game was winding down, so were they; Understandably so, it being way past their bedtime, the game ending at almost 10pm. But despite their sleepy eyes, tired but grateful smiles filled their faces as they walked out of the stadium. While waiting for the van, there was a renewed energy as the students recounted the highlights of the match. This experience was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime event for all those who watched the game, but for these students, the reason for that differs from the rest. In the end, it didn’t matter that David Beckham and the rest of LA Galaxy were there, nor did it matter that the score was 6-1, what mattered was that these students were able to watch a team they knew, play the sport they love.

Tax Exemption for Mano Amiga donors

2011-11-22T21:00:00.000-08:00

Mano Amiga Academy, inc. is proud to announce that it was recently granted by the Philippine Council for NGO Certification (PCNC), a certification for donee institution status.

The PCNC accreditation gives corporate and individual donors exemption from donor’s tax and allows the donated amount to the Foundation to be deducted from their taxable incomes. Based on the Philippine Tax Code, the cap for deductibility is 10% for individual donors and 5% for corporate donors. Only organizations with a successful track record for at least two years could apply for the status.

PCNC was established as a response to the growing number of “fly-by-night” foundations and those that are being used solely to avoid paying taxes.

Mano Amiga Academy received its accreditation after PCNC conducted a thorough review of its operations, finances and policies. PCNC also looked at the dif- ferent resources that the school had in place to ensure project sustainability.

“Acquiring our PCNC accreditation is an important milestone for Mano Amiga Academy because it helps attest to our legitimacy and professionalism as an organization,” Development Director Lynn Pinugu said. “My deepest gratitude goes to the Grupo Integer administrative team for helping us prepare the necessary requirements, as well as to the Mano Amiga staff, students, and families who had given powerful and inspiring testimonials all throughout the evaluation.”

Healing Hands

2011-10-30T16:20:00.000-07:00

British Alumni Association holds Medical Missions in Mano Amiga

A child from a disadvantaged family has to work doubly hard in order to succeed in life. Giving him access to quality education is part of the solution, but hardly enough to ensure that he would be able to rise from his circumstance. This is why Mano Amiga Academy is more than just a school. It also serves as a community center, seeking to provide students and their families all the necessary support for them to build a better life.

One important aspect is addressing the health concerns of the community. As part of the PHIL-UK friendship week, the British Alumni Association (BAA) and the British Embassy Manila staff held Medical Missions at Mano Amiga Academy.

The project veered away from the traditional “one-day” format of giving free food and medicine. Under the leadership of Dr. Kenneth Hartigan-Go, the team focused on health education and patient diagnosis. BAA seeks to inculcate among the residents the discipline of regular visits to the local health office and for them to take advantage of the different medical services it offers.

BAA also asked for feedback from the families on how the public health centers could improve their services. It is part of BAA’s objective to help the Taguig local government better address the health concerns in marginalized communities.

The health education component during the Medical Missions focused on disease prevention, reproductive health, proper nutrition, drug abuse responses and other necessary information. Beneficiaries had access to free screening for diabetes and hypertension for adults, and free medical checkups for the children.

*Special thanks to Ms. Nell Belgado for the photos. More pictures from the event could be seen at her flickr site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/68837301@N07/page4/

Students receive TOMS shoes

2011-09-29T01:15:00.000-07:00

In PNR Taguig, the community of shanties where most Mano Amiga students live, majority of the population live on less than a dollar a day and a sturdy pair of shoes is a luxury most families cannot afford. Children running barefoot are an ordinary sight and slippers are not replaced until the soles are completely torn open. Siblings close in age often take turns wearing a pair of worn-out shoes to school.

It’s an all too common scenario that happens in every impoverished community in the world. In 2006, American traveler Blake Mycoskie saw how children in Argentina often played outside without anything to protect their feet from skin infection, diseases and injury. This moved him to start TOMS, a company that would match every pair of shoes purchased with a pair of new shoes given to a child in need. It became known as the One for One movement.

TOMS received overwhelming support and has given shoes to rural and urban communities in different parts of the world- Argentina, Ethiopia, and most recently, the Philippines.

To help the children from the PNR community, Mano Amiga Academy, in collaboration with TOMS and Philippine based group WE international, organized a shoe-giving event in the school last September 16. Each student received a new pair of TOMS footwear.

Mano Amiga volunteers also organized a fun workshop for the kids to teach them the importance of wearing shoes, particularly in preventing soil-transmitted diseases that could cause long-term physical and cognitive harm.

“We feel incredibly fortunate that our community was chosen as one of the beneficiaries of the program,” Mano Amiga Development Director Lynn Pinugu said. “The long-lasting pair of shoes is a powerful intervention to help keep the children healthy, allowing them to stay in school and work hard for a brighter future.”

One such child is Johnny Canares, 8, who experienced wearing new shoes for the first time. Before his TOMS pair, he had always worn hand-me-downs that his 5 older brothers had outgrown.

“I love my shoes. They smell nice and they feel so soft,” he said with a proud smile. “I’m going to wear them everywhere!”

Raising Little Heroes!

2011-09-07T13:54:00.000-07:00

School year 2011-2012 marks another exciting development for Mano Amiga Academy as the One Core Success Center launches Born to be a Hero Values Program, a highly interactive program where character building and formation is done through exciting and fun-filled activities.

The program features afternoon workshops filled with laughter and creativity. The program aims to instill in young minds the core values they need in order to maximize their potential and achieve their goals.

In the first session, the students talked about their dreams and ambitions in life by creating a small mural. The activity also allowed them to realize their responsibilities and commitments that would help in keeping their dreams alive for themselves and for their families or communities.

Coaches Auee Umel and Elie Diccion facilitated the second session, which focused on the theme, "WHO IS MY HERO?" It allowed the pupils to share the heroes they look up to and how they can become heroes in their own ways.

---

HELP BRING OUT LITTLE HEROES!

OneCore Success Center accepts supplies donations, monetary contributions and volunteers for our sessions!

Contact Koi Mejia at 09285501702 and o.mejia@theonecore.com or Patricia Sumbingco at 09209326049 and p.sumbingco@theonecore.com.

Veggie lovin' with Vegan chef Marie Gonzalez

2011-08-08T22:15:00.000-07:00

Marie Gonzalez has been volunteering in Mano Amiga Academy since it first opened in 2008. In the same year, she started Kitchen Revolution, a vegan gourmet food business that offers private chef services, in-home healthy eating consultations, cooking classes and catering. She earned her culinary degree from the Natural Gourmet Institute for Health and Culinary Arts in New York and trained at Pure Food and Wine, a raw vegan restaurant also in New York. For nutrition month, Chef Marie spent an afternoon with the community kids to tell them why it's important to include a lot of vegetables in one's diet, and prepared them a vegan meal that no carnivore would be able to refuse! Learn more about Chef Marie and Kitchen Revolution at http://kitchenrevolution.ph/

About a month ago my good friend Lynn Pinugu invited me to share my vegetable love with the kids of Mano Amiga, a school that she runs in FTI Complex, Taguig. I had the privilege of doing just this two Saturdays ago on the 23^rd of July.

To be honest, that Saturday was a pretty hectic day for me and an end to a pretty hectic week. That morning I held the Fantastic Salads class and immediately rushed to Taguig for Mano Amiga. I couldn’t turn down the opportunity to teach kids how to enjoy vegetables! And boy was I glad I did. Nothing warms my heart more than to see a room full of kids eating healthy, vegetarian food (hanging out with cute farm animals comes as a close second).

Soy milkshake appreciation

Lynn Pinugu, headmistress of Mano Amiga (official job title: Institutional Development Director) is one amazing woman. I am privileged to call her my friend and we both share a passion for creating change in this country – for her through education, for me through food. And all, hopefully, with style

In the past, I have lent a hand at painting classrooms, scholarship fundraising by way of a dance-a-thon (yes! And I don’t dance!), conducting a book drive and book fair for the school library (back in my old corporate job with former work colleagues), bringing the kids to an Enchanted Kingdom field trip, and volunteering at some Saturday activities. Whatever amateur expertise I had at web design, I lent to the Mano Amiga Pilipinas blog. I wish I had more time for Mano Amiga’s kids!

Anyway, back to veggie love:

I started off the afternoon with bringing the kids to the school vegetable garden and explained that our food has to be as colourful as the world around us. A plate full of white, khaki, brown, and black food is not as exciting as a plate of food brimming with colors of the rainbow. Truth!

Mano Amiga’s veggie garden, aptly named Kinder Garden, was donated and planted by Starbucks Philippines by way of Zarah Zamora Perez. Zarah is as enthusiastic about urban vegetable gardens as I am about eating vegetables. The garden currently grows okra, squash, sili labuyo, malunggay, papaya, eggplant, and chives. Read more on Mano Amiga’s garden here.

We moved back to the classroom and I did a food demonstration of a black bean and seashell pasta salad. I had such a riveted audience; they ooh’d and aah’d at all the right places. Sarap to have my own veggie cooking show! Moving forward…

The dish was super colorful and that really piqued their interest – black from the beans, red from the tomatoes, yellow from the mango, green from the avocado and herbs, purple from the onions.

I followed the salad with a banana peanut butter soy milkshake which they LOVED. It was a healthy beverage that had zero added sugar. Of course, I included a brief explanation on the health benefits of plant-based milks over dairy milk. The kids didn’t have to take my word for it – they were busy enjoying their dairy-free milkshake.

Daniela, my pretty sous chef, developed a soymilk mustache which the kids all giggled at.

Well, we ended up sporting the soymilk mustache too!

All in all, a good Saturday well spent with fellow volunteers.

Merienda with Lynn Pinugu, Mina Herrera, Irene Balinao, Mark Brazil, Amor Herrera, Zarah Perez, and Jerome Gatmaitan

Kinder Garden Harvest

2011-07-20T12:22:00.000-07:00

Volunteers from Starbucks Philippines and MFI Foundation joined the Mano Amiga Kindergarten class in harvesting the first fruits, vegetables rather, of the Mano Amiga Vegetable Garden. Starbucks CSR head Zarah Perez shares some excerpts from her journal entry on what happened during the activity:

District Manager Jovie Bonifacio and her magic wand gets us started with introductions. Our friend here wants to be 'matalino' when she grows up.

I meet Mark and I tell him that one of my best-est of friends is named Mark too. This young Mark aspires to be the school principal someday.

In the other classroom, MFI Foundation's Rita is with the Mano Amiga moms carrying on about taking care of their other child - the Mano Amiga kinder gardens. Thanks to MFI for teaching us how to nurture veggie friends along with their worms and insects.

Time to harvest those veggies!

Helping that little herb breathe by taking those nasty weeds out.

Mano Amiga's Lynn and Jam both proud and happy with their achievement.

All of us working intently on our stations.

Break Time! Red velvet cupcakes; available only for our special Mano Amiga kids.

It seemed to be over too soon. Thanks to my colleagues at Starbucks in the Asia Pacific and Seattle offices for letting us grow; vegetables, friendships and more of ourselves.

A School for All

2011-07-03T09:47:00.000-07:00

The following article, reprinted with permission from The Philippine Daily Inquirer, tells the story behind the first Mano Amiga school in the Philippines, the different challenges it faces, and the fulfillment that comes with helping marginalized children transform their lives and achieve their dreams and aspirations.

***

A School for All by Vicky Herrera

Philippine Daily Inquirer

First Posted: July 2, 2011

When you ponder the question, “What do you do?”—you’ll be surprised where it can lead you to.

I met an energetic, friendly 26-year-old girl named Lynn Pinugu. She runs a nonprofit school. I already found this interesting, but learning more about her opened up a whole new world for me.

Pinugu moved to Mexico to work as an international youth volunteer in 2006. Part of her work was to go to schools to encourage high school students to volunteer for social action programs. Her story began when she walked into the Mano Amiga Guanajuato school.

“I was surprised when I found out the students only paid a symbolic amount for their tuition, because the campus had spacious grounds and up-to-date learning facilities,” she said of the school set up by a nonprofit organization to provide quality education in places like Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, El Salvador, Mexico and Venezuela.

“I was immediately impressed by the students’ self-confidence, good communication skills and enthusiastic participation,” she said.

According to Pinugu, what made a profound impression on her was the students’ genuine desire to serve others. “Many of them voiced out how they consider themselves more fortunate than other children because they were given an opportunity to study and they would like to share their blessings by joining a volunteer program.”

From Mexico to Manila

Before she left for Manila, Pinugu told the program director to give her a call if they considered Manila as one of their future development sights.

Little did she know that the conversation with the program director would alter the course of her life. The Altius Foundation, which operates the schools in Latin America, asked Pinugu to pioneer the school system in the Philippines.

Pinugu was 23 then, and the responsibility she inherited was enormous. For starters, she had to convince a group of investors to trust a young girl in her early 20s with their money.

Armed with her vision and her slides, Lynn pursued as many people as she could to get the school started. “All I could show potential donors was a Power Point presentation on the success of Mano Amiga schools in other countries, and the promise we will do our very best to achieve the same results here,” she said of how she started the small campus in Taguig City.

“I will always be grateful to the different individuals and organizations who supported us during the first few months. They took a leap of faith by supporting the school,” she stated.

From a class of 35 students in kindergarten to 90 students this June, the school is growing slowly, but steadily. “We can still remember how the school only had a makeshift bathroom for the first three days and everyone really watched their food and liquid intake,” she recalled.

Volunteer-inspired progress

Volunteerism played a big role in the development of the school. Through the volunteers who donate their time, resources and knowledge, Mano Amiga has been able to offer student enrichment programs, free medical services, skills and training seminars, and parenting classes.

Programs can range from ballet to football classes, as well. In fact, a few of their students received a scholarship from the ballet school because of their amazing potential.

A lot of the volunteers are also young advocates. Doing everything from painting the walls to playing with the kids, the volunteers are energetic and excited to be there. “I constantly experience first-hand how our youth volunteers could be so effective in empowering our students, who are simply starving for good role models to look up to,” Pinugu shared.

She added: “Interaction with youth volunteers improves the students’ social skills, builds their confidence and motivates them to have higher aspirations. What is just an afternoon or a day for a volunteer has a lasting impact on a child, who receives the inspiration he needs to thrive in life.”

This year, the volunteers got even younger. There were groups of 8-year-old girls who made bookmarks and sold it to relatives and neighbors to help earn money for scholarships. To raise more funds, a group of fourth graders conducted a bake sale and car wash to buy armchairs for the school. This proves you are never too young for volunteerism.

Community building

Each year the Mano Amiga staff and volunteers conduct house visits, where they spend time getting to know the family of each student.

“We cannot understand the circumstance of a student without understanding his situation at home,” Pinugu shared. “We also recognize that parents are the primary teachers of their children, and that the school cannot fully accomplish its mission without the parents’ cooperation.”

The school makes sure they keep all levels of communication open with the parents with dialogues and parenting seminars. Pinugu encourages families to participate in the development services offered by the school. After all, it is important that a peaceful home environment supports what one learns in school.

Pinugu understands the misconceptions regarding charity work. “For me, the biggest mistake a person can make when it comes to working with marginalized communities is to give them everything they need without asking them to do their part.”

She was inspired by the idea of teaching a person how to fish, instead of giving them fish. “We discourage the dole-out mentality in Mano Amiga because it’s not going to be good for the families in the long run.”

Learning from students

After working so long with the kids, Pinugu shared how she, too, is learning a lot from them. “It’s their generosity toward others, despite having so little. Sometimes we get so caught up in the consumerism mentality, and we’re always fixated on what we can have. These children constantly remind me of my responsibility to use whatever resources or talents I have to improve someone else’s life.”

The students also teach Pinugu about life’s simple joys. “I think it’s really beautiful how the children never take anything for granted,” she says.

“One time, about nine kids visited me in the office. They got so excited when they saw the swivel chair. For an hour, the children just took turns spinning around. They found it magical!”

Three promising students receive Ballet scholarships

2011-06-10T22:25:00.000-07:00

When asked what he wanted to be when he grows up, Mano Amiga Grade 2 student Joshua Dave Waras answered without missing a beat,"I want to be a pilot so I can go to France." Expecting to hear a more commonly known country like USA, the teacher asked him why he chose France of all the possible countries. Joshua Dave replied with a big smile, "Because I learned the French folk dance for the ballet recital."

Joshua Dave, along with fellow Grade 2 students Jazailah Cababat and Camille Rosales, received a dance scholarship to participate in Dance Basics' 2011 Summer Recital. Entitled "Around the World", the recital featured dances from different countries: Spain, Japan, India, Ireland, Africa, Morocco and the Philippines. Also showcased are dances that originated from the founding countries of ballet: Italy, France, Russia and the United States of America. Apart from the three Mano Amiga scholars, 48 other students joined the recital.

The Dance Basics teachers chose the three students after seeing the children's potential during the free ballet classes being held bi-monthly in Mano Amiga Academy. The vision of Dance Basics is to create a venue for young dancers to learn the fundamentals of Ballet, share the love of dance and cultivate appreciation for music and culture. They partnered with Mano Amiga because they wanted to extend the same opportunity to underprivileged children.

The Dance Basics team hopes to keep training promising students from the community with the hope that it will broaden their horizons, and open educational and career opportunities for them. Learn more about Dance Basics at http://dancebasics.wordpress.com/

Quality Parent Education

2011-06-10T09:11:00.000-07:00

Coach Pia Acevedo and The OneCORE Success Center recently visited Mano Amiga Academy to give a skills-building session to the parents of the school year 2011-2012 scholars.

Bayani Para Sa Sarili teaches participants to take care of themselves in order to handle difficult concerns at home and better take care of their families.

"Parenting classes are a crucial aspect of the Mano Amiga program because we strongly believe that the likelihood of a child's success in school and later on in life, is largely affected by his home environment," Development Director Lynn Pinugu said. "Every year, we look for partner organizations and individuals who will help us form the parents in creating a nurturing and encouraging home environment."

The seminar was made possible with the help of Mano Amiga volunteer Vicky Herrera, who used her birthday celebration to raise funds to cover the costs of the activity.

The OneCORE success center is focused on providing guidance and personal development through programs that are tailored to an individual's specific life stage. Its CEO, Coach Pia Acevedo has over 17 years of experience in the field. She received her degree in AB Philosophy from Ateneo de Manila University and proceeded to do further studies in Coaching and Mentoring abroad and graduate studies on Family Ministries from the same university.

For more inquiries about services of The OneCore Success Center and Coach Pia Acevedo, visit: http://www.theonecore.com/main/

Reliving School Year 2010-2011

2011-04-28T11:28:00.000-07:00

As classes come to a close, we take a last look at some of the key moments that marked Mano Amiga’s 2010-2011 school year. It was certainly a year of firsts, which began with the announcement of Ms. Rev Tria-Siasoyco as the new Principal as well as the opening of Mano Amiga’s first social enterprise.

Here’s a look at some of the milestones Mano Amiga Academy achieved over the year:

Healthy body, healthy mind: Bistro 3846, Mano Amiga's first social enterprise, delivers a unique, novel, and nurturing cafeteria experience in Everest Academy International school, where it serves healthy, age-appropriate lunch meals to the students. 100% of the profit is donated to the Mano Amiga scholarship fund and 90% of the staff comes from parents of the Mano Amiga scholars. Bistro is headed by Cordon Bleu London graduate and Everest parent Chef Amelia Ann Alba.
Enriching school events: There's a very good reason why Mano Amiga students hardly get excited about summer vacation. Their teachers always make sure to give the students a fun, learning experience. Lessons in the classroom are supplemented by fun school activities that aim to increase the children's realm of experience and give free reign to their imagination. Events that were held during the year include English Month, Buwan ng Wika, UN Day, Christmas Play, and Quiz Bee.
Livelihood Program: Lovingly made by hand by the Mano Amiga mothers, the Jesse Tree is an Advent Preparation kit that consists of a handpainted tree, a set of handcrafted ornaments and a booklet of readings and daily reflection. Christmas 2010 was the Jesse Tree's second year in the market and it garnered attention for its uniqueness and profound message. The Jesse Tree was one of the highlighted products in the DTI Christmas bazaar, and was featured in several newspapers and television shows.
Community Development activities: According to an African Proverb, "It takes a village to raise a child." Mano Amiga works closely with the families to help build a community that would support the positive development of the children. The school offered free development services all throughout the year to the students, their families, and other families living in the community. These are services that seek to address their physical, spiritual and emotional needs. The programs include free Medical and Dental services, Parenting classes, Back to school program for Adults, English classes and skills development, values formation seminars and spiritual talks.
Football Fridays and Ballet Saturdays: Children who come from low-income families rarely have the opportunity to explore and pursue their interest in arts and sports. Thanks to Futbol Funatics and Dance Basics who graciously volunteered their time in the school, Mano Amiga students were able to take Football and Ballet lessons for free.
Veggie Tales: 100 Starbucks partners volunteered their time and planted a vegetable garden in the Mano Amiga schoolyard. The vegetable garden project aims to develop the children’s knowledge of living things, foster greater appreciation and love for their surroundings, and instill a responsible attitude towards the environment. The garden will also help generate income for the families since the produce will be harvested by the Mano Amiga parents and will be sold to Bistro 3846.
Amazing Field trips: Field trips are always considered by children as the highlight of the school year. For teachers, field trips are important because it enables that students to connect abstract concepts learned in class to real-world experiences. For School year 2010-2011, Mano Amiga students met real life NASA astronauts, roamed around an amusement park for a day, and watched a movie in the big screen for the first time.

A Step Closer to their Dreams: 2nd Batch of Preschool Graduates for Mano Amiga Academy

2011-04-12T00:00:00.000-07:00

Principal's Award for Excellence Recipient Nicole Cruz addresses her fellow graduates

Prep students giving their own rendition of Miley Cyrus' The Climb

Keith Adi shares his dream to be an astronaut or a race car driver someday

The Mano Amiga Action Team (L-R): Principal Revelyn Tria-Siasoyco, Specialist Teacher Malou Fernandez, Mano Amiga Academy inc Development Director Eleanor Pinugu, Prep Teacher Marie Roxas &Grade 1 teacher Justine Loteria

"This Graduation day is particularly meaningful for me," Mano Amiga Principal Revelyn Tria-Siasoyco shared in the Graduation ceremony's opening remarks. "If you remember, I was the first teacher who handled this class. It seems only like yesterday when these children were only in Nursery and would spend every morning crying loudly by the window, pleading with their Mothers to bring them home. To see them now, so well-behaved, happy with school, and ready to take on the challenges of being a first-grader, truly fills me and the rest of their teachers with a sense of accomplishment."

The stage was artfully decorated with the slogan, "Follow your Dreams," an apt title that captures the Mano Amiga Prep students' three-year journey in preschool and their parents' proud sentiments that their children have taken a step closer to their dreams. When the children first entered Mano Amiga, most of them did not know how to read or write and could barely speak in complete sentences. The developmental milestones they have achieved are apparent not just in their academic performance but in their social and cognitive skills as well.

Under the direction of Prep teacher Marie Roxas, the graduates performed a heartwarming rendition of Miley Cyrus' The Climb. Afterwards, each child announced what he would like to be when he grows up and offered a portrait he made of his future self to his parents.

Nicole Cruz, batch valedictorian and recipient of the Principal's Award for Excellence, gave a speech thanking the teachers for all their hard work. She encouraged her fellow graduates to make the most out of the opportunity that Mano Amiga has given them by always giving their best so that they could someday achieve the dream professions that they shared.

Students in Mano Amiga are provided with 14 years of education(preschool until high school). We look forward to the next 12 years when our second batch of Prep graduates finally finish high school, excited and well-prepared to pursue higher opportunities because of the quality formation they had received.

Congratulations to the Mano Amiga Academy 2010-2011 preschool graduates!

2010-2011 Awardees

Principal’s Award for Excellence: Nicole Cruz

Silver Medal Awardee: Arzel Sumalinog

Bronze Medal Awardee: Sheryl Gerarcas

Subject Awardees:

Best in English and Catholic Formation: Nicole Cruz

Best in Science and Friendship Award: Arzel Sumalinog

Best in Math and Leadership Award: Sheryl Gerarcas

Apostleship Award: Myles Gonzales

Athlete Award: Dave Jamir Pangilinan

Conduct Awardees: Daisy Anne Aton, Michaela Pagaran, and Erica Gerero

Book To The Future

2011-04-04T09:29:00.000-07:00

Earlier this month, Mano Amiga Academy held "Book to the Future", a special book fair for the students and other kids who frequent the Mano Amiga community library. Adarna Publishing house set up a booth and organized a morning of storytelling and fun games. Youth volunteers joined the activities and sponsored a book for their child partner.

Book To the Future volunteer Vicky Herrera shares how Dr. Seuss influenced her life and why it's crucial for children from all walks of life to have access to good books.

When I was a little girl, I remember how my kindergarten would allow each student to take home a book over the weekend to read. I decided one day to take home the book “The Cat In The Hat…Comes Back” by Dr. Seuss.

I loved the book so much that I took it home…..Every Weekend.

I don’t even remember the story anymore. But I do remember how I felt when I would read. My imagination took over and I’d be so excited to sit down and read it over and over again. I used to have tons of books around me, and I still do.

Last Weekend, Adarna House visited Mano Amiga Academy (in Taguig). Each student was able to take home their own book for free. I loved how they wanted to encourage young kids to read.

Some of the books were written in Tagalog. From “Si Pagong at si Matsing”, to “Ibong Adarna,” to “Ang Alamat ng Ampalaya,”- all I could think was… Dang, if I had these maybe my Tagalog skills would be better!

I guess watching them sit down in their seats and go over their book gave me flashbacks to my Dr. Seuss days, and it reminded me of how important reading was to my own development. Maybe if I never picked up that book, I wouldn’t like rhymes and wordplay (there goes hip-hop!)… maybe I also wouldn’t be writing…

Kids these days…their minds that are so fertile, it’s important we feed the right messages. You never really know what a can influence a child.

Original post could be found at: http://www.victoriaherrera.com/post/4203969919/mano-amiga-academy-x-adarna-house

Invitation to two events: Book to the Future Volunteering activity and the 2011 Mano Amiga Open Class

2011-03-15T23:03:00.001-07:00

Help us give children a brighter future. Help us give marginalized children access to books that will feed their imagination and nourish their desire to learn. Join the Book to the Future volunteering activity on March 26, 9-11am and treat a child from Mano Amiga to a morning of storytelling, fun games and activities. Bring P200 to sponsor an Adarna book for your partner.

Interested in what the students have been up to for the past year?

Join us on March 31 or April 1, 9:30-11:30am for the Mano Amiga Open Class. Please don't forget to RSVP!

Hope to see you there!

Starbucks holds training for the Bistro 3846 staff

2011-03-09T23:33:00.000-08:00

Starbucks Philippines organized a Customer Service Workshop for the staff of Bistro 3846, Mano Amiga's social enterprise that provides healthy lunch meals to school children. The workshop focused on honing the customer service and leadership skills of the Bistro team to help them effectively handle operational challenges and create meaningful customer experiences.

The Customer Service class is the first installment of the series of workshops under the Starbucks Shared Expertise program. Aside from Bistro 3846, three other social enterprises were chosen as participants, namely: Rags2Riches, Messy Bessy, and Homeless World Cup.

Seasoned mentors from the Starbucks Learning and Development team as well as selected Senior Baristas spearheaded the whole day workshop.

Starbucks CSR manager Zarah Perez said that the goal of the program is to equip social enterprises with costumer communication tools that will develop into valuable skills they can use in their day to day operations.

The activity ended with an interactive tour of Starbucks Jupiter where the Bistro 3846 staff had the opportunity to interview Baristas about the store's daily processes and to learn helpful insights on good client service.

For more information about Bistro 3846 visit: www.bistro3846.com

KIDS helping KIDS

2011-03-08T20:26:00.000-08:00

The Everest Academy students recently held two fundraising events to help buy armchairs for the students of Mano Amiga Academy.

Led by the Everest 4^th graders, the girls sold delicious baked treats while the boys spent two afternoons washing cars. The students raised a combined amount of P18,000, enough to buy 21 arm chairs for the school.

During the turnover of funds, Development Director Lynn Pinugu thanked the Everest students for their generosity and hard work. “There are public school students who have to sit on sacks of rice because the class sizes are so big that the school does not have enough arm chairs for everyone. This is one of the reasons why I consider the Mano Amiga students very fortunate. The Everest community has always been actively involved in ensuring that these scholars will have an opportunity to learn in an optimal environment that would not have been possible otherwise.”

MPIC Volunteers Give Mano Amiga Teachers a Day Off

2011-03-04T00:28:00.000-08:00

In celebration of Teachers’ Day, employees from Metropacific Investment Corp (MPIC) decided to give the Mano Amiga faculty a much deserved vacation by volunteering to be teachers for the day.

Held annually, the Mano Amiga Teachers’ Day OFF celebration gives partners and donors a chance to step into the Mano Amiga teachers’ shoes and to immerse in the school’s learning environment.

The theme for this year’s event is “Going Around the World: Exploring different cultures.” The MPIC volunteers prepared different games and performances to introduce the students to the history, traditions, and holidays of various countries. Activities include flamenco dancing, Origami making, storytelling, and trivia quizzes. The students also had the chance to sample famous dishes from Japan, China, and Spain.

“It is heartwarming to see all the hard work that MPIC employees put into making this a fun and enriching experience for the Mano Amiga students,” Mano Amiga Development Director Lynn Pinugu said. “Through this event, they have demonstrated their commitment to the community. The Mano Amiga faculty and I find their level of enthusiasm and spirit very inspiring.”

Mano Amiga Patronato Member named Ambassador to Spain

2011-02-09T17:43:00.000-08:00

Regnum Christi member and Mano Amiga Patronato Carlos Salinas was appointed as the new Philippine ambassador to Spain. He was nominated to the post by President Benigno Aquino III last November, which was immediately confirmed by the Commission on Appointments.

Mr. Salinas founded the Philippine Transmarine Carriers, Inc., a maritime company that employs thousands of seafarers every year and is considered as one of the Philippines' largest crew management firms. He served as chairman of the Filipino Shipowners Association and was also a former board member for both the Maritime Industry Authority and the World Maritime University in Sweden.

In the send-off dinner hosted by the Regnum Christi Men's section, Mr. Salinas shared his plans to learn from the success of Spain's tourism industry and to use it as a model for the Philippines.

Before leaving for Madrid, Mr. Salinas gave a three-year scholarship to the Mano Amiga student he has been supporting for the past two years, to ensure that the child continues to receive a good education even while he's out of the country.

Mano Amiga Academy holds first Quiz Bee

2011-01-30T23:25:00.000-08:00

Thirty students joined the recently held 2011 Mano Amiga Quiz Bee. The Quiz Bee tested the students' knowledge on different topics from five subjects namely, Science, Math, Catholic Formation, Language Arts and Reading.

"The Quiz Bee participants and the parents spent a great deal preparing for this event and their efforts were rewarded by the students' enthusiastic participation in the competition and their evident mastery of the topic," Mano Amiga Principal Revelyn Tria-Siasoyco said.

Three students from Prep and Grade 1 emerged as Quiz bee winners. Each student received a plaque of recognition from the school.

Grade 1:1st Place: Zycareine Benigay, 2nd Place: Ariane Camingue, 3rd Place: Daisy May Nieva

Prep:1st Place: Arzel Sumalindog, 2nd Place: Nicole Cruz, 3rd Place: Sheryl Gerarcas

"We will certainly hold similar activities in the future because it is a fun and effective way of reinforcing what the children have learned in class," Ms. Tria-Siasyoco added.

In His Shoes

2011-01-10T15:08:00.000-08:00

Jamir Pangilinan, 5

Prep student

Jamir is a playful and inquisitive young boy. But because his mother had no job, she didn’t know how she would be able to provide him with an education.

Thanks to Mano Amiga Academy, who took on the five-year- old as one of its scholars, his life has changed. It is something Jamir is fully aware of even at a very tender age. “In the school, they teach me to become smart — especially in reading,” he explains. “They also teach me how to be good and to do the right thing.” Today the mischievous boy who used to get into fights and pester his mother tries his best to help his family and peers. Since the foundation has also found a job for his mother, they have money to eat daily meals.

Jamir loves that his family is now happy and that he enjoys so many fascinating experiences. He is most inspired when he learns new things on field trips and on Saturdays when the foundation’s volunteers hold activities and help out at the community center.

His dream “I want to become a policeman because they are kind and they help other people.”

His favorite shoes “My rubber shoes. I play football in them, and wear them during our field trips. Once we went to Enchanted Kingdom and to the zoo. I’ve been to so many places in my shoes!”

This is an excerpt from the Smile Magazine December feature, entitled "In Their Shoes". For the full article, please visit: http://www.cebusmile.com/2010/12/01/in-their-shoes/

The Mano Amiga students' magic voyage

2010-12-30T15:32:00.000-08:00

For most of us, going to the theater to watch a movie is something so ingrained in our daily routine that we no longer consider the experience as something out of the ordinary. For children from poor families however, watching a movie is a luxury they could only dream of.

As a Christmas treat to the kids, Living Dreams Philippines organized a special movie screening of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, the third installment of the C.S. Lewis' Narnia series. For the students, just the experience of stepping inside a movie house was already a magic voyage in itself.

Upon entering the cinema, most of the students ran excitedly with the volunteers to choose their seats. Some of the younger children were initially scared of the dark theater but immediately got over their fear as they played with the cushioned chairs. Before the movie started, some of the students kept leaving their seat to go closer to the movie screen and admire the "giant TV."

For two and a half hours, the Mano Amiga students explored C.S. Lewis' world of magical creatures, scenic islands, and never-ending adventures. It sparked the students' curiosity, fed their imagination, and taught them important values. After the movie, the children excitedly chatted with the volunteers about the new things they learned, particularly the characters they met and new places they discovered.

Before saying goodbye, the children performed a song to thank the volunteers for the day's adventure. The experience was truly a magic voyage they would not easily forget.

A Day of Spiritual and Physical Nourishment

2010-11-25T16:13:00.000-08:00

When thinking of ways on how to help families from marginalized areas, the first programs that come to mind are usually those that address physical needs-food, shelter, health, and education. Equally important however, are programs that seek to cater to the spiritual needs of the poor. As Pope John Paull II stressed during his Papal visit to the United Nations, “The poor have needs which are not only material and economic, but also involve liberating their potential to work out their own destiny and to provide for the well-being of their families and communities.”

Last November 19, the Men of Sacred Heart of Sanctuario de San Antonio Parish teamed up with the Everest Academy K4J (Kids for Jesus) Club to help the Mano Amiga students and their families develop a more profound understanding of the unconditional love of Jesus and to see His presence in their lives, despite the challenges that each day may bring.

The afternoon began with catechism using games and crafts. The students listened attentively as the volunteer catechists explained how the sins of man deeply hurt God’s heart. Even at a young age, the students could already grasp that God must love us so much to allow Himself to be vulnerable. Afterwards, the K4J members and Mano Amiga students then made heart-shaped cards containing promises and resolutions on how they could show their love for Jesus.

The students and members of K4J and Men of Sacred Heart then gathered outside for the enthronement of the statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Father Simplicio of Ina ng mga Dukha Church, a parish near the school, led the prayers. The Mano Amiga teachers and parents joined the students in the solemn celebration.

The afternoon concluded with the sharing of snacks. The Men of Sacred Heart also donated to the school much needed school supplies and uniforms for the children.

Lead activity organizers were Men of Sacred Heart of Sanctuario de San Antonio Parish members Mike Limpe, Jun Rodriguez and Ditto Lesaca, Everest Academy Catholic Formation teacher Christa Huddart and K4J Volunteer Mom Karen Limpe.

“We are incredibly grateful to the Men of Sacred Heart as well as the K4J club for giving this simple yet very meaningful activity,” Mano Amiga Development Director Lynn Pinugu said. “In order for us to be successful in our mission of transforming the community, we need to form these children and families not only intellectually and humanly speaking, but spiritually as well.”

British Alumni Association holds Medical and Dental Missions in Mano Amiga

2010-11-08T11:13:00.000-08:00

Early childhood caries, tooth decay and other dental problems were identified as the main problem in the community. To help address this problem, Mano Amiga Academy Development Director Eleanor Pinugu asked the British Alumni Association to hold Dental Missions in the school for the students, their parents, and other families in the community.

BAA organized a one-day Medical and Dental Missions in Mano Amiga as the culminating activity of the RP-UK Friendship week. BAA Executive Director Elcid Pangilinan and his team worked with Mano Amiga Principal Revelyn- Tria Siasoyco in getting volunteers and promoting the activity to the community.

20 doctors and 3 dentists spent the whole morning attending to the medical and dental needs of the families. Over 300 children and adults benefitted from this initiative.

The volunteer doctors and dentists used games to help put the nervous children at ease.

The families were provided with free medicine and multi-vitamins. The volunteers also gave lectures on proper health and oral care.

Adequate health and dental care is vital for the children's growth and learning, as well as for the families' general welfare and productivity. Mano Amiga Academy thanks the British Alumni Association and everyone who volunteered their time and shared their resources for helping us serve the needs of the community.

*Pictures c/o Aileen Siroy Photography

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=247077&id=94112807615&fbid=454926627615

Futbol Funatics and Dance Basics give Mano Amiga students a chance to pursue Arts and Sports

2010-10-25T13:22:00.000-07:00

Most parents enroll their kids in sports and art programs because the children learn essential lessons that would benefit them all throughout their life: leadership and time management skills, increased self-esteem and confidence, and good values namely teamwork, discipline, and respect.

Studies show that these activities have an even greater impact on the lives of economically disadvantaged children. Making team sports and performing arts accessible to at-risk youth led to improved over-all academic performance, lower drop- out rates, and decreased occurrence of emotional and behavioral problems. Unfortunately, the children who need these programs the most are the ones least likely to get them.

Mano Amiga Academy has partnered with the founders of Futbol Funatics and Dance Basics to help give poor but deserving students an opportunity to pursue their interest in arts and sports.

Football Fridays

Futbol Funatics’ (http://www.futbolfunatics.com/) first encounter with Mano Amiga students was a year ago when the group decided to hold a one-day outreach camp in the school. Founder and Head Coach Candice Grey-del Rosario remembers vividly how the students had zero knowledge about football at that time, “Most of them did not know any other sport apart from basketball. At first, all they wanted to do was dribble the ball using their hands. After a few exercises, the students fell in love with the sport and tried their best to apply defense tactics and score goals.”

Coach Candice and her co-founder Coach Avery del Rosario felt that playing football would teach Mano Amiga students valuable lessons that would help them reach their future endeavors. They decided to offer free, regular classes in the school to broaden the students’ exposure to football. Every Friday, Futbol Funatics takes over the PE classes and holds different fun drills to introduce the students to the fundamentals of the game.

“It never ceases to move me whenever I see them get so excited in class. We are committed to providing these children with an enriching experience that would impact their lives in the same way football did for us,” Coach Candice shared.

Ballet Saturdays

Dance Basics (http://dancebasics.wordpress.com/) was founded in 2004 by ballerina sisters Nesa Tanyag and Trina Tanyag-Zafra. What was originally a school with only one class grew fast into a school offering four levels. The two sisters approached Mano Amiga because they wanted to extend their love for dancing to underprivileged children.

“We have always wanted to make ballet more accessible to children who cannot afford to pay the high cost of training,” Teacher Nesa said. “We chose the Mano Amiga community because we saw how eager the children are about learning new things as well as the parents’ desire to give their family a better life.

Dance Basics now holds free ballet lessons in Mano Amiga on Saturday mornings. There are 40 students enrolled in the class. The most promising students will be awarded with dance scholarships for a more intensive training.

Other students of Dance Basics have also been helping out by serving as teachers’ assistants. Some of the students also donated their old (but not worn out) ballet shoes, tights, and leotards so the Mano Amiga students could have the proper attire.

“Our company has been so blessed and we are thankful for the opportunity to share those blessings with the Mano Amiga students.,” Coach Nessa said. “We believe that Ballet will be a good learning experience for the children, and hopefully, pave the way for educational and career opportunities in the future,” Ms. Tanyag added.

The Mano Amiga parents have expressed their gratitude to the school and the two organizations for offering football and ballet classes in Mano Amiga because they know these are opportunities their children would not normally have access to due to financial constraints.

“Akala ko po sa panaginip lang posible na makapag-aral ang anak ko ng ballet o kaya football,” Grade 1 parent Marlyn Nieva said. “Talagang malaki po ang pasasalamat namin na nabigyan kami ng ganitong pagkakataon. Nagsisikap kaming bigyan ng mas magandang kinabukasan ang aming mga anak upang hindi masayang ang mga paghihirap ng Mano Amiga at ng lahat nang mga taong tumutulong sa amin.”

(I thought that my child would never have access to ballet or football lessons, except in my dreams. We are all very grateful to have been given this opportunity. We are working hard to give our kids a brighter future because we do not want to waste the efforts of Mano Amiga and the other people helping us.)

A Magical Day

2010-10-15T14:23:00.000-07:00

Living Dreams, an international organization that aims to help ease the plight of underprivileged children, recently gave the Mano Amiga students and community kids an early Christmas gift by bringing them Enchanted Kingdom amusement park for a day of fun and magic.

The 120 beneficiaries were accompanied by their volunteer Ate and Kuya as they spent an entire day exploring the different rides, and trying out the different food stalls. The kids loudly expressed their amazement as they experienced riding the carousel, flying swings, and water rides for the first time.

What made the day even more magical for the children was the special visit they received from the different mascots including some cuddly dinosaurs, a famous wizard and a lovely princess.

"We believe that Mano Amiga Academy is making a genuine difference in the lives of these children," Living Dreams Chair Cristina Yambao said. "We hope that through this field trip, the students would feel even more inspired to go to school and take advantage of the wonderful opportunity they have been given so that they could have a brighter future."

For more info on Living Dreams Philippines, please visit:

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=428038763439&oid=62689578190

Give a gift that gives twice!

2010-09-18T10:00:00.000-07:00

It is quite difficult to give a gift to the people we know who seem to have everything they need. Show your loved ones how much your care for them by helping a child fulfil his dreams.

Mano Amiga Academy is selling In lieu of Gift cards. Each all-purpose gift card contains a message explaining that a donation has been made in the recipient’s name in lieu of traditional gifts. The amount donated is not indicated. The cards feature special portraits of the Mano Amiga students taken by well-known Filipino photographer Mr. Jun de Leon, who volunteered his services for free. Proceeds from the card will go to the Mano Amiga Academy Scholarship fund. For orders, you may get in touch with Ms. Lynn Pinugu at 09063361663 or at lpinugu@altius.org

For those who want to get a head start on their Christmas shopping, complete your gift list by giving Christmas Cards produced by Picture Company. Instead of a gift, give your family and friends an Idream Christmas card and help a Mano Amiga scholar continue his schooling. The cards could be personalized; it could feature your company logo, personal message, family crest, etc. Pre-order now and get it after 14 days. Pickup and payment could be in any Picture company branch.

For orders/inquiries, kindly email: advocacyorders@idream.org.ph or call 756-0020 (Greenbelt 5 branch)

Mano Amiga celebrates Buwan ng Wika month

2010-08-30T20:14:00.000-07:00

August was an exciting month for Mano Amiga Academy as the school celebrated Buwan ng Wika for the first time. The Mano Amiga staff worked with the parents and volunteers in coming up with different activities that help build awareness and instill love for Philippine culture.

Throughout the month of August, culture appreciation was integrated into Mano Amiga's classroom activities by introducing the students to different local customs and traditions, as well as important events in Philippine history.

Mano Amiga included the whole community in the festivities by organizing a Youth Sports Tournament featuring traditional Filipino games.

The Buwan ng Wika month culminated with a program featuring performances from the students and parents of the different types of folk dance. After the show, the community feasted on different local delicacies donated by the Mano Amiga faculty and some of the families.

"Buwan ng Wika is an important school event because it serves as a good opportunity for us to nurture the children's love and appreciation for our culture, specially the Filipino language," Principal Rev Tria-Siasoyco said. "Developing a strong sense of country among our students is something we try to integrate in our activities all throughout the year to help them become productive citizens who are proud of their rich culture and heritage."

Western Union Global President and CEO Christina Gold visits Mano Amiga Academy

2010-08-24T10:49:00.000-07:00

Western Union President and CEO Christina Gold accompanied by Drina Yue, Senior VP and Managing Director of WU Asia Pacific; Patricia Riingen, Senior Vice President of WU Pacific Indo-China; and Lorenzo Ocampo, President and CEO of PETNET Inc, recently visited Mano Amiga Academy to meet with the PETNET-Western Union scholars.

In 2008, PETNET and Western Union Foundation provided Mano Amiga with a $50,000-scholarship grant to cover the tuition fee and educational materials of 14 students for three years. The recipients of the award were chosen from the informal settlers residing in Taguig City which includes families of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs).

The Mano Amiga students welcomed the guests by performing musical numbers while the parents of the PETNET-WU scholars met with Ms. Gold after the program to express their gratitude. Taguig Mayor Laarni Cayetano awarded Ms. Gold with the Key to the City, to thank her and the company for their numerous efforts to improve the lives of underprivileged families living in Taguig.

Ms Gold's visit to the Philippines is her fourth time over the last few years. It will be the last occasion she visits in her official capacity as she retires in September and hands over her role to Hikmet Ersek, the current Chief Operating Officer.

The entire Mano Amiga family thanks Ms. Gold for being its partner in transforming communities!

NASA engineers inspire Mano Amiga students to reach for the stars

2010-08-20T15:00:00.000-07:00

Cheers fill the Philippine Science Centrum auditorium as a woman in a space suit gracefully enters the room. The woman is Sabrina Singh, an engineer and astronaut trainer for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration(NASA), and her audience are the students of Mano Amiga Academy and other public schools in Manila.

Singh, along with fellow NASA engineer Adam Gilmore, took a break from their work duties to be part of Asia's society Science Caravan: Reaching for the Stars. For two weeks, Singh and Gilmore will conduct "interactive science and space demonstrations in different public schools in order to inspire and motivate the youth."

The students listened attentively while Singh explained to them how astronauts eat and sleep in outer space. They all gasped in amazement when Gilmore showed them an actual footage of a space shuttle launch. The children got even more excited when he taught them how to make their own space rockets using paper, cardboard and glue.

"The objective of the program is to free the minds of our children to dream bigger and to have courage in pursuing them through education. By meeting Sabrina and Adam whose life stories are likewise inspiring, our children will get to meet in person people who have truly accomplished much," Asia Society executive director Arnel Casanova told the Philippines News Agency.

During the workshop, Singh asked whether anybody from the audience would like to be the first Filipino astronaut. Many raised their hand, including Mano Amiga student Joshua Dave Waras, who added that he would like to put the Philippine flag on the moon.

Singh smiled at the audience and said,"Just remember: If these people can do it, then you can do it, too. Anything is possible."

20 Mano Amiga students from Prep and Grade 1 were chosen to be part of Asia Society's Science caravan

NASA Engineer and Astronaut trainer Sabrina Singh tells the students that they can do anything if they work hard enough.

From Trash to Scholarship Fund

2010-07-29T22:50:00.000-07:00

Mano Amiga Academy is now a member of Buyandshare.org, a website that allows donors to sell their unwanted possessions online, and be able to donate the proceeds to their chosen advocacy. The site, which has been likened to an ‘online garage sale’, specially caters to people who would like to help, but prefer to donate in kind rather than direct cash.

To help generate more awareness about the product, all items donated in buyandshare.org will also be sold on buyandsellplus.com. Sellers will get an acknowledgment letter from Mano Amiga once the items have been sold. Direct cash donations could also be made through the site.

Registration is free! Unload those unwanted items and help send a child to school at the same time! For more information, please visit: http://www.buyandshare.org/

Back to School!

2010-07-23T22:53:00.000-07:00

Last July 19, Mano Amiga Academy officially began its third school year. Mano Amiga Principal Revelyn Tria-Siasoyco welcomed the children, their parents, and the two new teachers, and outlined the different exciting activities aimed at providing quality education to the students and holistic formation to their families and the community as a whole.

The day marked another milestone for the school as it opened its doors to its pioneer batch of first graders. It was a happy and seamless transition for the students as they expressed their excitement about the new subjects they will be learning this year as well as the new responsibilities they will have.

Bistro 3846: A Mano Amiga Social Enterprise

2010-07-07T23:09:00.000-07:00

Mano Amiga Academy recently announced the official opening of Bistro 3846, a food and catering business that will help sustain the operating cost of Mano Amiga Academy.

The focus of Bistro 3846 is to provide school children with age-appropriate and nutritious lunch meals. The comprehensive nutrition program will help inculcate healthy eating habits that would provide nourishment, facilitate proper development, and promote environmental awareness and concern.

100% of the profits earned by Bistro 3846 would be donated to the Mano Amiga Academy scholarship fund.

Everest Academy has graciously agreed to host the initial site of Bistro 3846 and will be the school's cafeteria concessionaire for School year August 2010- May 2011. General Manager and Head Chef Amelia de los Reyes Alba, a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu London, developed a menu featuring children's favorite meals that are prepared in a healthy way. The bistro also established a school herb garden that will help augment the cafeteria's herb requirements and help educate the Everest school children about the different herbs, their taste and nutrition content.

To learn more about the project, please visit: www.bistro3846.com

Mano Amiga's partners had a chance to sample Chef Amelia's specialties during the Bistro 3846- sponsored reception of the recently held Mano Amiga thanksgiving mass.

The Bistro 3846 team (from L-R): Chelsea Otero-Lopez, Anna Aquino-Dee, Mano Amiga Development Director Lynn Pinugu and Chef Amelia de los Reyes Alba

Mano Amiga gives thanks for a successful 2nd School year

2010-06-30T15:00:00.000-07:00

On June 26, the entire Mano Amiga Academy faculty and school officials, along with some of Mano Amiga's partners and padrinos came together for a thanksgiving mass at the Everest Academy Chapel. Father Daniel Polzer, LC, officiated the Holy Mass while Mano Amiga volunteers led the singing for the celebration.

In his homily, Father Polzer thanked everyone for all the little sacrifices they have made for the sake of the Mano Amiga families: the teachers and staff for choosing to teach in an environment that is not always comfortable, the volunteers for spending their weekends to serve as youth mentors instead of on some other leisurely activity, and the partners for giving up some luxuries to help send a stranger to school. Father Polzer said that the real challenge is to be joyful in serving others "even when there isn't always an applause or recognition for those deeds."

After the Thanksgiving Mass, Mano Amiga Development Director Eleanor Pinugu shared how grateful she is to be part of an organization comprised of people who see Mano Amiga not just as a job or an advocacy, but as their vocation.

Incoming Principal Revelyn Siasoyco thanked everyone for their faith in her abilities to lead the school. She shared how she has seen the school grow from an infrastructure with bare walls and no restrooms to a learning center and second home for the Mano Amiga students and their families.

H.E.R.O.es for Education

2010-06-14T17:25:00.000-07:00

The PHINMA Helpful Employees Responsible for Others (H.E.R.O) Network, recently held a Charity fun run to raise money for the Mano Amiga Scholarship fund. About 300 PHINMA employees joined the three-kilometer race to help send one student to Mano Amiga, as well as to raise funds for PHINMA's other environmental, livelihood, and capacity-building programs. To raise more money for the project, several employees gathered monetary pledges and ran for an additional three-five kilometers.

The goal of the PHINMA HERO NETWORK is "to encourage employees to live and practice volunteerism in whatever cause or community they hold dear to their hearts."

Mano Amiga thanks and salutes all the PHINMA employees who graciously supported this event!

An Invitation: Mano Amiga Thanksgiving Mass

2010-06-03T06:40:00.000-07:00

Mano Amiga Academy Thanksgiving Mass

26th of June 2010, 4pm at the Everest Academy Chapel

First Seeds of Hope: A testimonial from the Waras family

2010-05-26T01:22:00.000-07:00

*Mary Grace Waras is the mother of Joshua Dave Waras, recipient of the 2010 Principal's Award of Excellence, granted to the Mano Amiga student who showed hard work and dedication to learning by demonstrating excellence in Academics and all other aspects of Integral Formation.

Not being able to finish college is one of Mary Grace Waras' biggest frustrations in life, “When I was in college I was a scholar. I failed in one major subject during the first semester of my 2nd year. I just needed one point. My teacher told me that it can still be fixed, but I chose to run away because of shame and because I knew it would cost me my scholarship. Instead of staying in school, I used the final payment of my miscellaneous fees to buy a ticket and I ran away.”

It was during this time she met and soon after, married Alberto Waras. As a construction worker, Alberto earns P7000 a month. Without a College degree however, Mary Grace found it difficult to find a good paying job with a salary that would enable her to afford someone who could look after the children while they are both at work. She has not given up though. “I plan to work when my children are a bit older so I can save up for their college education. It is only through good education that they could have a better life. ”

Joshua first entered Mano Amiga Academy last year as part of the Kindergarten class.“I tried enrolling my son in a different school but they did not accept him because they were worried I would be like my sister who couldn’t pay the tuition fees there regularly. We found out that Mano Amiga was looking for enrollees so I inquired here, and I immediately saw how this was a much better school.”

Mary Grace now believes that Joshua will go far because of the exceptional formation his son is receiving. “Mano Amiga is really a blessing to our family. The school is advanced and the teachers are very committed. Joshua is only 5 years old but he already knows a lot of things that I don’t even know! Mano Amiga also places a lot of emphasis on values formation. This is very important for me because the kids in our area are already cursing at such a young age and I don’t want my children to be like that.”

Mary Grace hopes that Joshua will continue to be a scholar in Mano Amiga Academy until he reaches 12th grade. “He really likes it here which shows in the enthusiastic way he does his homework. He doesn’t like being absent, unlike in other schools where the students have to be dragged to come to school.

“Everything your child will ever need to ensure a good future for him can be found here- morally, academically, spiritually. That’s why I’m hoping that my other child will also be enrolled here. So just like Joshua, she will learn too and have a good future,” Mary Grace adds with a hopeful smile. #

It takes P25,000 to send one child to Mano Amiga Academy for one year. We are currently looking for partners who would like to help with a full or partial scholarship. For more inquiries on how you can change the life of a child with the gift of education, you may contact Lynn Pinugu at lpinugu@altius.org or at 09063361663.

PHINMA fun run for Mano Amiga!

2010-05-25T23:04:00.000-07:00

June 5, 2010

The Grove, Ortigas

Registration: P350

For more info: please contact Hernan at 8700581

MA Milestone: First batch of Prep graduates!

2010-05-20T16:30:00.000-07:00

In 2008, Mano Amiga Academy opened its doors to deserving children from low-income families living in Taguig.

On May 18, 2010, two years after the school opened, Mano Amiga Academy celebrated the graduation of its pioneer batch of Prep graduates. The ceremony was made even more special by the stage that the parents volunteered to construct and design. Several Mano Amiga partners graced the event to partake in the celebration and witness their scholars finish preschool.

After the opening prayer and introductions, the 26 graduates sang You Raise Me Up, an inspirational song they dedicated to God and their parents.

The children beamed proudly as Mano Amiga Academy inc. President Amb. Jose Macario Laurel IV and School Principal Ramon Austria presented them with their diplomas. A number of students also received medals for academic achievement and special awards.

Students in Mano Amiga are provided with 14 years of education (preschool until high school). We look forward to the next 12 years when our Prep graduates finally finish high school, excited and well-prepared to pursue higher opportunities because of the quality formation they received.

Congratulations to Mano Amiga Academy's first preschool graduates!

Batch 2010 Awardees:

Leadership award: Zycareine Mae Benigay

Apostolic Service award : John Mark Ebero

Effort Award: Jhonny Canares and Jika Villaflor

Subject Awardees:

Math: John Mark Ebero

Science: Joshua Dave Waras

English: Zycareine Benigay

Catholic Formation: Joshua Dave Waras

Art: Mary Grace Aquiler

Academic excellence:

First Honor: Joshua Dave Waras

Second Honor: Zycareine Benigay

Third Honor: Lovely Villar

Small actions, Big change

2010-05-05T10:00:00.000-07:00

Angeline Nadera and her classmates squealed excitedly as they searched the classroom for hidden seashell cut-outs. Volunteers tried to keep up while the students crawled into every nook and cranny to gather as many paper shells they could and win the Underwater-themed Scavenger Hunt.

The exercise was a part of a Saturday activity in which volunteers of all ages spent the whole afternoon teaching the students the beauty of Marine life and the importance of Ocean conservation. The activity featured songs, stories, games, and arts and crafts to teach the students about the small things they can do that actually have a big impact in protecting marine life.

"It takes so little to make a difference. Efforts like this open the children's imagination and instill values that last for a lifetime," Mano Amiga volunteer Jamie Silva said.

For more information on Mano Amiga Academy and its activities, you may contact Lynn Pinugu at 09063361663 or send an email to lpinugu@altius.org

More Home Cafe Coverage

2010-04-19T00:59:00.000-07:00

Home Cafe got featured in Heart 2 Heart!
For the full article click on the link:
http://heart-2-heart-online.com/2010/04/10/home-cafe-for-mano-amiga/

English Month Campaign

2010-04-07T13:35:00.000-07:00

Mano Amiga Academy recently concluded a month-long campaign designed to help the students learn and appreciate English both in and out of the classroom. During English month, the teachers increased the use of English in the songs, stories, lessons, and in classroom instruction and motivation. School principal Ramon Austria, also offered classes in basic conversational English to interested parents.

The students had the chance to show the great improvement in their ability to comprehend and use the language in the recently held culminating activity. The Kinder students opened the program by reciting the poem “Three Little Kittens,” with matching kitten ears and painted faces.

Afterwards, chosen class representatives were interviewed. Some of the questions asked were “Who is your favorite cartoon character?” and “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Answers ranging from Spongebob to Dora, to nurse and pilot were given. Additional points were awarded to the students who answered in complete sentences. The audience, mostly composed of Mano Amiga parents, cheered them on. Mano Amiga chaplain Father Daniel Polzer, LC served as the guest judge, together with the homeroom teachers.

As they were deciding on on who the top 5 best speakers are, the Prep kids closed the event with their own take of “There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly”- a humorous poem performed enthusiastically by the children. Their performance featured a big tarpaulin of an old lady’s face in the background that kids would enter whenever they got “swallowed!”

Arzel Sumalinog, Carlos Saguran, Emerlyn Cecilio, Sheryl Gerarcas and Andrey Miranday were selected as best English speakers for Kinder; Zycareine Benigay, Lovely Villar, Daisy Mae Nieva, Jenicel Gustilo and Jika Villaflor were chosen for Prep.

But in the end, with outstanding performances from both classes during the month-long campaign and the culminating activity, there is no question that all of them emerged as winners.

Everest Home Cafe

2010-03-28T16:44:00.000-07:00

Last March 25, the Everest Academy students showed off their superb culinary and hospitality skills to help raise funds for Mano Amiga Academy. The cafeteria was transformed into a one-day cafe complete with panini and pasta stations, as well as a juice and dessert bar. The Everest parents watched in amazement as their children took turns volunteering as pastry chefs, cuisine chefs, baristas, servers, and cashiers. To help prepare for their roles, the students attended a training workshop prior to the event.

"We wanted a fundraising event that would also impart important life long skills to the students," Everest parent and event organizer Amelia Alba said. "After seeing the children's enthusiasm and commitment, we feel that the Everest Home Cafe achieved that."

At the end of the day, the Home Cafe raised enough money to send 1 child to Mano Amiga Academy next year.

MA Volunteer Spotlight: MINA HERRERA

2010-02-25T15:00:00.000-08:00

Mina Herrera heads the Mano Amiga Community Development team, a group of volunteers who help in implementing different programs and establishing partnerships aimed at providing integral formation to the children, parents, and the whole community.

What was your first impression of Mano Amiga when you joined in 2008?
I saw a community of people who were committed to and passionate about providing quality education and spiritual formation for underprivileged children. I really wanted to be a part of this community and to do my share.

Why accept a job that, humanly-speaking, involves so many challenges and sacrifices?
I just thought it was the right thing to do. Given the sorry state of our educational system in the Philippines, I decided that volunteering for Mano Amiga would be a great way to take action and to be part of the solution.

What, in your experience, is the key in working in a Mano Amiga school?
Enthusiasm so that we can dream big. Teamwork and cooperation so that we can come up with great ideas and help each other find ways to transform our dreams into reality. Faith so that we never lose sight of our goals and so that we don't get discouraged when we encounter obstacles. Patience and perseverance so that we can see projects through and continue working toward our goals. Creativity, resourcefulness and flexibility so that we can make the best use of our available resources, figure out ways to successfully carry out our projects, and adjust to whatever surprises, challenges and opportunities for service come our way. A sense of humor and gratitude so that we can appreciate all the opportunities and blessings that come our way because of our volunteering with Mano Amiga.

Could you mention a concrete example of transformation that has happened in the time that you have been working in the school?
When we started holding enrichment activities for the Mano Amiga students on weekends, we saw that many of the other children from the community also wanted the chance to read books and to learn. When they asked if we could hold activities for them too, we decided to take on this new challenge even if it wasn't in our immediate plans. We now have a group of community kids (as we fondly call them) who regularly attend our activities for them.

How can people participate in this project of transformation?
For community development, we are looking for people who can volunteer for the activities with our Mano Amiga students and community kids. Currently held on two Saturdays each month, the sessions include games, arts and craft projects and story- based activities. We would also appreciate help with our programs for the parents of our Mano Amiga students. These programs include parenting and nutrition seminars, livelihood, financial management and entrepreneurship workshops and spiritual formation classes. And donations of books, educational materials and school supplies for the community library would be most welcome!

Feliz Cumpleanos Monica!

2010-02-05T22:14:00.000-08:00

Regular volunteer Monica Recto decided to celebrate her birthday differently this year. Instead of a lavish party, Monica invited her friends to Mano Amiga Academy where they spent the morning playing with the students. Monica also asked her friends and relatives to donate to Mano Amiga in lieu of a gift.
A big THANK YOU to Monica for celebrating this special ay with us!

ISM STUDENTS REACH OUT

2010-01-17T22:59:00.000-08:00

23 high school students from International School Manila(ISM) spent a whole week in Mano Amiga Academy as part of their ICARE (International Community Actively Responding to the Environment) week.

The ICARE program offers IS students an opportunity to contribute positively to the community, the environment, and to learn more about the Philippines and its culture. This year, Mano Amiga Academy was fortunate enough to be included in their roster of partner organizations.

Led by Mr. Ron Fast, together with Mr. Dale Hutchison and Mrs. Vicky Herrera (high school guidance counselor and the mom of Mano Amiga’s community development heads, Mina and Amor Herrera), the IS team arrived at the school in high spirits, very much excited and ready to work. The students were given the chance to interact with the Mano Amiga kids by being teacher assistants in class. They also helped with cleaning the school, preparing and constructing educational materials and visual aids for the teachers to use, and purchasing much-needed school supplies and equipment.

The week long program culminated with the unveiling of a new play area that was furnished by the highschoolers. The Mano Amiga students could not contain their excitement upon discovering that they now have a place to play and run around in.

Before they left, Ramon Austria, Mano Amiga’s school director, expressed the school’s gratitude for all the work and effort that they put in. “What you’ve done here is something that cannot be quantified or measured,” he said. “You all have truly left a lasting impression in these children’s hearts. This is your legacy, and just as we’ve benefited so much from what you’ve done for the school, know that you have also gained much because of your generosity.”

Something fishy

2010-01-13T18:10:00.000-08:00

With the help of Living Dreams Philippines, Mano Amiga Academy students had the chance to visit the Manila Ocean park and learn about the Philippines' rich marine biodiversity.

The students, along with their volunteer Ate or Kuya for a day spent a whole afternoon observing countless fish species. The kids could not contain their excitement as they saw up close the different sea animals that they learned in class.

The boys were instantly drawn to the tanks featuring sharks and manta rays while the girls preferred admiring the colorful schools of fish. The park attendants also allowed the students to touch a live starfish and to interact with live shrimps.

Mano Amiga Teachers' Day Off

2009-12-27T16:11:00.000-08:00

The partners and donors of Mano Amiga Academy recently had a rare opportunity to step into the teachers’ shoes for a day. In an event aptly entitled Teachers’ Day Off, several CEOs, businessmen, and even a thespian and a congresswoman, volunteered as guest teachers in Mano Amiga and taught different subjects like English, Science, and Catholic formation.

“We came up with this activity as a creative way to thank our teachers for the wonderful work they are doing in the school, and at the same time, to show our partners how far Mano Amiga has come in a year”, Development Director Lynn Pinugu shared. “It was fulfilling to see our partners connect with our students in the classroom and to hear them thank the Mano Amiga teachers afterwards for their hard work and dedication.”

Volunteers for the two-day event include Noel and Lally Trinidad, Acie Romero-Salas with her daughter Paloma, Lorenzo Ocampo (Petnet, inc.), Amanda Lim, Anay Zalamea, Yssa Fernandez and Xavier Javier (Western Union), Dee Chan, Eileen Navarro and Jeffrey Santos (Handyman), Zarah Perez (Starbucks), Cong. Lani Cayetano, and Mano Amiga President Amb. Jose Macario Laurel IV.

An Invitation: TEACHERS' DAY OFF

2009-11-15T19:42:00.001-08:00

Did you ever have the itch to teach?
Do you have a hidden talent for storytelling, arts and crafts, or making science experiments?
Do you adore kids and do they love you back?

If you said yes to any of these questions, then Mano Amiga Academy needs YOUR help!
Interested? Contact us at 09063361663

Giving Kids an Early Christmas

2009-11-10T23:21:00.000-08:00

an article by Ruel de Vera for Sunday Inquirer Magazine

A Philippine version of the Mexico-originated schools that seek to transform lives through education, Mano Amiga Academy just commenced its second school year with 60 impoverished students accepted for Kindergarten and Prep. This is almost double the 35 that the school started out with. “Most of our students and families from last year chose to continue on with Mano Amiga, and we take that as a sign that we’re doing well and that the community is noticing,” says Mano Amiga Director Ramon Austria. Due to its current size, Mano Amiga, which is located in Taguig City, cannot accommodate all the applicants –something they hope to change in time. The school is currently housed in a Habitat for Humanity building that they are swiftly outgrowing, especially since Mano Amiga plans to add one school level a year.

For the full article, click here:
http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/sim/sim/view/20091003-228242/Giving-Kids-an-Early-Christmas

FEAST FOR THE EYE AND HEART

2009-10-19T19:09:00.000-07:00

The Regnum Christi Women in cooperation with Jollibee and PB Dionisio, recently hosted a screening of Julie and Julia to raise funds for Mano Amiga Academy, a school that provides international quality education to children from low-income families. The event, which was held at Powerplant Cinema, drew more than 300 movie buffs and foodies alike and raised over P200,000 for the Mano Amiga Scholarship fund.

Dressed in complete Chef’s outfits, the organizers welcomed the guests at the door of the theater with gourmet sandwiches that were based on two of Julia Child’s recipes. Additional chips and a bottle of Orchard Fresh were also distributed.

“I can’t thank everyone enough for supporting our cause,” shared Lynn Pinugu, Mano Amiga Academy Development Director. “You have our full commitment that the funds raised will be put to good use in helping transform the lives of the students and families we cater to.”

“In just thirteen months of operations, Mano Amiga is already creating positive change in the community,” event organizer Cristina Pena said. “We are excited to see how much more it will accomplish after a few years. We believe in the project and we will continue to find different ways to support its needs.”

The Julie and Julia movie benefit was sponsored by Jollibee, PB Dionisio, Orchard Fresh, Pancake House, and Cooks Exchange.

Calendar Of Activities: October 2009

2009-10-12T18:23:00.000-07:00

October 14:

Screening of 'Julie and Julia' sponsored by the Regnum Christi Women to benefit Mano Amiga Academy
7:15pm, Cinema 6, Powerplant Mall

Starring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams, the movie is about the intertwined lives of female chef, Julia Child and food blogger Julie Powell as she attempts to cook each of the 524 recipes in Child's cookbook. Each ticket costs 700php and comes with Gourmet food and drink. Proceeds will be used to provide educational assistance to the 60 students currently enrolled in our school.

October 17:
Student Enrichment Activity
2-4pm

Be a Mano Amiga Ate or Kuya for the day. Interested volunteers may contact Mina Herrera at 09178463655

Ondoy

2009-10-12T17:49:00.001-07:00

A Personal Account of the Flood by Fr Daniel Polzer, LC

September 26 began like most Saturdays at our house of apostolate in Manila. It was raining constantly but nothing unusual. I remember commenting to Fr Eric at breakfast that it had rained all night and it woke me up several times.

After breakfast, Fr Eric left for Everest Academy for the weekly ConQuest boy’s club meeting. I decided to go for a walk even though it was raining. The rain was coming down steadily but that is something you get used to in the Philippines during the rainy season.

After I showered, someone rang the door bell to warn that the street was flooding and I moved the car that was in the street into the car port. Magallanes Village, where we live, has a drainage creek skirting the western perimeter. When it rains hard the street almost always floods so I was not alarmed. I sent a text cancelling my appointment and said that I might not be able to get out.

The water reached the curb and then started flooding the drive way. After a while the water entered the chapel, and I thought I better start moving things from the living area to the bed rooms which are two steps up from the rest of the house. When I was moving the television, my foot splashed in water. It was already coming in through the front door. At that point I decided to consume the Blessed Sacrament, just incase. I shut the power off and moved what I could into the bed rooms.

I started putting things up as high as a could, putting anything valuable on top of desks and beds, removing books from the bottom book shelves and putting them up above. I texted Fr Eric to stay at school and not to come home. I could see out my window that people were wading down the street chest deep in water. Water started coming in from my bedroom window which is about ten inches above the floor level. At that point I decided it was time to leave. I packed a bag with some clean clothes, toiletries, my breviary, wallet and cell phone and left the house. I crossed the street to our neighbor’s house in water chest deep with my bag over my head. The Ocampo family has a second floor so I figured it would be a safe place to stay.

I could see from their second floor balcony that our house was flooded up to the top of our front gate. Our two cars were submerged under water. There was very little news, just that the flooding was very bad. We prayed a rosary. I tried to help by entertaining the youngest child, Nino, by playing games with him.

I spent the night at the Ocampo’s house. By midnight the water had subsided and the street was a layer of mud. The next morning I crossed back over with Mr. Ocampo to see how things were. The glass door in the chapel was broken. There were things from the kitchen in the back yard. Our dining room table had floated into the living room. The things I had put up on the beds were all dry because the beds had floated. The floor was covered with mud. At first I thought we had lost just about everything.

Fr Eric arrived, a little disappointed that he had missed it all. We got to work cleaning up. Several Regnum Christi members came by to help. In the end the damage was not so bad as it first appeared. We were able to save a lot of the furniture. We moved most of the furniture to the new property we recently purchased where we will build our permanent residence. The house in Magallanes is no longer livable. The doors are warped and the floor is beginning to come up. Most of the cabinets are falling apart because they were made of plywood.

Many, many people suffered much worse then we did. Some people still have their houses submerged under water. Large parts of the city were not affected at all and are functioning normally while other parts are disaster zones. Relief stations had been set up in many of the schools to collect goods and distribute them to flood victims. Everest Academy has been collecting goods from the students and distributing them.

The Filipinos are a people accustomed to disaster and hard times. They have a great deal of resilience and a deep faith. They will bury their dead, clean up and continue with life. It is hard to see people who have very little lose the little they have. Some are angry, some are sad, many are smiling and playing in the water. Everyone does the best they can and life goes on.

We will be talking about the flood for years to come. It has affected almost everyone in one way or another from those who lost everything to those who have much and have generously contributed to the relief effort. One day, unexpectedly, people’s lives were shattered, many perished in the raging waters, others clung on to life until they were rescued. God knows why he allows these things to happen. He Knows how to bring out the generosity of a people.

*The families from Mano Amiga were relatively unaffected by the flood. Sadly, some of the employees lost their homes. Mano Amiga Academy conducted a relief drive to help the employees as well as other victims from Taguig and Marikina.

English for All

2009-10-12T17:36:00.000-07:00

Mano Amiga Academy recently offered English classes for Adults to the parents of Mano Amiga students and to the other residents in the surrounding community. Administered by the Center for East Asian Languages, classes offered were both basic and intermediate. Those who volunteered their time to teach the class include the Center’s head, Patrick Ong, along with Jasper Ong and Raffy Inocencio. The program began with one-on-one interview with the students as well as a written test in order to determine their proficiency.

The parents found the sessions fun and interactive. The teachers reinforced the lessons by giving them daily worksheets and by asking them to put on skits and to write essays on different topics. They also had to write a journal entry everyday which they were asked to share in front of the class.

The teachers focused on helping the students improve their grammar, punctuation and sentence structure. For the intermediate section, special lessons for job interviews and English usage in the work place were given.

“It was truly heartwarming to see the enthusiasm of the parents.” Patrick Ong said. “We hope that after these sessions, they would to continue to be committed to improving their English proficiency by constantly practicing what they learned.”

Mano Amiga Academy's New Library!

2009-07-15T16:38:00.000-07:00

We need volunteer storytellers to come and read to our kids! :)
If you're interested, please contact:
Mina Herrera at minaherrera275@yahoo.com

Mano Amiga Academy opens a Community Library

2009-07-06T00:24:00.000-07:00

by Crissie Malay

So much are stimulated when the first few pages of any book are read. The mind wanders and creates a mental picture of the scenes and stories described. It’s as if the senses are awakened and an entire world comes to life. When Mano Amiga Academy opened the doors to its library last June 6, 2009, they had tarpaulin posters around the Habitat area calling passersby to tickle their minds with a book. With the objective of creating a community library as a learning center for students and avid readers, opening the library hits something deeper: one that enriches the soul.

The Library Project was spearheaded by dedicated volunteers, Mina and Amor Herrera, who collected and catalogued the thousands of books now displayed on the shelves. Though the rain poured, it did not stop the many children who came to witness the opening. Making the library inspiring and interesting was what kept the Herrera twins, Denise La O’, Aina Lim, Dennis Sabado, Ramon Austria, and myself busy for the past month before its opening. Shelves were built, new furniture was installed, and the walls were covered with murals depicting scenes from stories.

We were very fortunate to have Ms. Lyn Danao from the Adarna House come and give storytelling activities. Her dynamism and enthusiasm for the stories she read brought auditory learning to a higher level. Our very talented Mr. Dennis Sabado has developed a sideline in storytelling as he read a story of Pilandok with intense multifarious emotions. The children applauded, laughed, and actively reacted to every stimulus our readers made.

In addition to the list of activities laid out for the opening, what made the day even more exciting were the very filling snacks from Breadtalk™. Not only was the day about filling the mind, it was also about nourishing the children’s tummies. Afterwards, the children were brought to the library for the orientation. As soon as the children removed their slippers and entered through the green door, they unanimously cried, “Ang ganda!” Phew! All that hard work paid off and that tops the cherry.

Though there is still work to be done, with a few things to tweak here and there, I think all will be accomplished in time. There is just so much to be thankful for, and it doesn’t take awhile to count the many blessings we’ve been given. I’m simply happy to be of service to this community and to be part of Mano Amiga’s advocacy for quality learning, which extends its influence over positive changes in the community’s cultural and spiritual life.

More Dance-a-thon pictures

2009-06-22T18:59:00.000-07:00

M.A.D Head Organizer Lynn Pinugu with Dancing King Franco Alvarez

M.A.D Organizing team

Best team: Team Jai-ho-ho-ho-ho

Mano Amiga Dance-a-thon

2009-06-22T18:37:00.000-07:00

FIRST EVER DANCE-A-THON PUTS 9 KIDS THROUGH SCHOOL

2009-06-08T17:38:00.000-07:00

MAY 23, 2009- You’ve heard of telethons and marathon fundraising events, but have you ever heard of a dance-a-thon?

Mano Amiga Academy, a school in FTI, Taguig that provides international quality education to underprivileged children, recently hosted the first ever Mano Amiga Dance-a-thon which raised funds for 9 full scholarships for School year 2009-2010.

Held at Il Ponticello, Makati, 12 teams totaling to 60 participants volunteered to dance for 5 hours straight and raised money for Mano Amiga Academy by getting their friends, family, and co-workers to pledge a certain amount for their participation in the dance-a-thon.

Over 250 people attended the event to pledge for the dance-a-thon participants. Known dance groups like Company of Ateneo Dancers (CADS), Funky Roots and The Philippine All-Stars performed for free all throughout the night to motivate the teams to keep on dancing.
Participants were each given a “Dance-a-thon survival kit” which contained a can of Nescafe Ice Coffee, a bottle of Tropicana Twister, a bag of Tostillas, doughnuts from Krispy Kreme, and other goodies to help them last through the night. Gift bags from Glitterati, Maybelline, Mizuno and Havaianas were raffled off every hour, keeping the crowd pumped up.

The winning team, which was composed of Isabel Saldana, Regina Vivencio del Rosario, Patrick Santos, Cristina Yambao and Paola Cortez, raised P13,000 for the Mano Amiga Scholarship fund from the pledges they got. They won an overnight stay at Microtel Boracay, gift certificates from Sangria Boracay and The Spa, and Vegan cupcakes from Kitchen Revolution.

Saldana, a regular volunteer at Mano Amiga Academy’s outreach activities said that she joined the Dance-a-thon because she has seen firsthand how the school has improved the lives of the children it caters to. “I really believe that the project’s focus on providing quality education and development services can help transform the poor communities in the Philippines.”
“Winning all these awards was a nice bonus though,” Saldana adds with a smile.

The idea for the Mano Amiga Dance-a-thon was born when a group of regular Mano Amiga volunteers had lunch to come up with new ideas to help generate awareness and raise funds for the school.

“There were more traditional fundraising event ideas that we initially considered,” Mano Amiga volunteer and Dance-a-thon organizing committee member Army Padilla said. “In the end, we decided to have a Dance-a-thon because we wanted something fun and creative that would also create a lasting impression.”

“We were intimidated at first by the idea of having to dance for 5 or 6 hours straight but we were having so much fun, we completely forgot about it after a while,” 2nd place winner Patricia Ocampo shared. Her team raised P12,300 for the scholarship fund.

It costs P23,600 a year or about P65 a day to send one child to Mano Amiga Academy for one whole year. The Dance-a-thon raised enough money for 9 full-year scholarships. Aside from local pledges, the organization also received donations from the participants’ friends and relatives residing in the U.S. who pledged small amounts ranging from $10-$50.

“We are overwhelmed by the success of the event, most especially by the support we had received from the Mano Amiga partners and volunteers.” Mano Amiga Academy Institutional Development Manager Lynn Pinugu said. “Their constant support and enthusiasm truly inspire us to carry out our mission of improving lives and transforming communities.“

Mano Amiga Dance-a-thon was sponsored by Il Ponticello, Globe Telecoms, Microtel Hotels and Resorts, Asya Boracay, The Spa, Neutrogena, Tropicana Twister, Nescafe, Maybelline, Enervon-C, Kitchen Revolution, Mizuno, Glitterati, Tostillas, Havaianas, and Sangria Boracay. With special thanks to Solar Sports- Dance-a-thon’s official media partner.

Feel free to contact us at 882-5019 or at lpinugu@altius.org.