Get Connected!

Being a news reporter I met different kind of people and I learned from them. But being a volunteer in a certain foundation teach me more than what I have learned from being a news reporter for several years. This time I am not only interviewed people for my news article but to mingle with them.

We do "Libreng Tawag" or free call for the families who have love ones abroad. We also have feeding program in a certain community and gift giving specially to the victims of calamity such as typhoon and fire.

Every time we have an outreach program in Kasangga Mo Ang Langit Foundation, I felt thankful that I joined with them. I can hear different reaction from the community. Most of them are thankful for what we are doing but some are still complaining (mga Pinoy kasi).

Finally, the moment I've been waiting for. My last project for the Ivatans, the Basco Town Fiesta that was held on Aug. 15, 2010 at the UP Balara. It was a successful event for all of us specially to me who is very fulfilled of the out come of the fiesta. From the foods, the visitors, the program down to the decorations we organized, all are perfectly set up.
At the end of the program that we organized, I was shocked when they surprised me because I was part of the program. They awarded me with a certificate for being a volunteer in our community. I was so thankful to everyone and left with a big smile. I will never forget this moment of my life.

Since i don't know where to blog my service regarding helping my chosen community the Ivatans,I'll just blog it here.

My help service for the Ivatan community began last July, 15, 2010. My mother, Gemma Castillejos is the head of the Ivatan Center so it is very also convenient for me knowing that I am also a Lupus patient, I can still help and do it wherever I can.

Since my mother has only 2 office staff and hundreds of projects to be done, I am so willing to help because it is a good opportunity to know my roots, to know my culture, to know my relatives and almost everything I want to know about Batanes.
My first assignment is doing the Ivatan directory. I get to know alot of Ivatans who are now leaving here in Metro Manila. I enjoyed this project because I was able to have a chat with them while interviewing them, and finding out more about Batanes and more Ivatans residing here. 

After I finished my project, I started planning for the Ivatan Center up coming celebration for the Basco Town Fiesta at UP Balara on Aug. 15, Sunday. Together with my cousin, Lynssae Abad who is also one of the office staff of Ivatan Center we organized the fiesta from the foods, programs down to the motif that will be using in decorating the said event.
I really enjoyed planning with her and finding people who will be participating in cultural displays for the event. We Invited the Ivatan choir as one of the highlights of the said fiesta. On Aug. 14, Saturday I accompanied my cousin/ivatan center staff at the UP Balara for decorating the place for tomorrow's event. I really had fun and very excited for the town fiesta.

Ivatans are native Filipino came from northern part of Philippines. I am a pure Ivatan that was raised here in Manila. Since both of my parents are Ivatans, I was raised with the culture that they have. Because I grew up here, I never had the chance to serve my fellow "Kaydian" in any way I can but now that I have the chance to choose any community that I can render my service through this course, I would gladly choose to serve my fellow Ivatans.

One of the service I am rendering for my "kababayan" is helping them in organizing, preparing for the annual "Basco town fiesta" this Sunday, Aug.15,2010 at UP Balara. This event serves as get-together of "wakays" who are based here in Manila, also this occasion is very important to us because we are able to address all our concerns to our Governor and Congressman for the improvement of our province. This event also serves as a display of our native culture.

Another project/service that I've finished working on last month was the completion of the contact numbers and addresses of Ivatans here in Manila, this serves as a reference for the Ivatan Center's up coming plan of Batanes Sports Fest, sometime in october of this year.

Its on Aug 23, Friday, that I joined the Biomodd in World Trade Center.

Christian Benjie Merciales was the one who invited me to attend the biomodd,and because I have CWTS1 I need to earn service hours,but service hours is not only the reason or goal. After joining the Biomodd.
I was able to:
Help my classmate and Upou community on enriching the knowledge of others about Biomodd and UPOU.
Be tactful and responsible on my duties.
Be a model of UPOU and share my knowledge to the people who wants to know more about our university.
Appreciate that I'm a UPOU student.
and most importantly, enjoy the time I'm serving the upou biomodd and have a bonding with my classmates.

I was so happy I achieve all of these by just attending one day to serve Biomodd. Though it was very tiring because of the stressful commute,it was all worth it.

Its on Aug 23, Friday, that I joined the Biomodd in World Trade Center.

Christian Benjie Merciales was the one who invited me to attend the biomodd,and because I have CWTS1 I need to earn service hours,but service hours is not only the reason or goal. After joining the Biomodd.
I was able to:
Help my classmate and Upou community in enriching the knowledge of others about Biomodd and UPOU.
Be tactful and responsible on my dties.
Be a model of UPOU and share my knowledge to the people who wants to know more about our university.
Appreciate that I'm a UPOU student.
and most importantly, enjoy the time I'm serving the upou biomodd and have a bonding with my classmates.

I was so happy I achieve all of these by just attending one day to serve Biomodd. Though it was very tiring because of the stressful commute,it was all worth it.