Villegas Elementary School Nutrition Day

Team Journey was invited to the Nutrition Day Celebration in Villegas Elementary School last Wednesday, July 25, 2012. It was a successful event, combining both Nutrition Day celebration and the induction of PTA officers. Congratulations to the school administration led by Mrs Joyce B. Diamano and her teachers... Team Journey was able to give 359 pupils their notebooks...Daghang salamat!

Nutrition day in villegas elementary school from Jessica Villarmente

Agulang Primary School

Last July 25, Team Journey visited Agulang Primary School in an upper sitio (village) of Brgy Villegas. When I asked the Grades 3 and 4 children what they would like to be when they grow up, almost all wanted to be teachers, 2 girls would like to be nurses, and one boy wanted to be a doctor. Another boy wanted to be a driver.... Journey to Agulang

Parents' labor of love: a schoolbuilding for their children

Labor of love for Brgy Magsaysay High School from Jessica Villarmente

To meet 24,000 schoolchildren

Filled with a sense of adventure, I am very happy that some very good friends have signified their willingness to support our journey armed with notebooks, ballpens, crayons and such school supplies.  For a fact, we know that there are almost 24,000 children in public elementary and high schools, scattered  all over the 33 barangays of Guihulngan.  Of these, only 10 barangays are located along the highway or coastline.

There are 57 public primary and elementary schools, and 8 high schools (two in Poblacion, GNHS Poblacion and Special Science Class).

This journey is to visit those schools.

FTAMES, Brgy Tinayunan

FTAMES, or Filomena T. Aranas Memorial Elementary School, is perched on top of a hill overlooking the sea. Every beautiful sunrise in Guihulngan can be seen from its schoolgrounds. But the Magnitude 6.9 earthquake last February 6, 2012 did much damage to this school. There is a growing crackline near the schoolsite, that the Mines and Geosciences Bureau has standing instructions to school authorities to send children home during heavy rain days. Many parents are afraid for their children, that some pupils have transferred to the Central School in Brgy Poblacion. As of this writing, there are around 381 pupils officially enrolled in the school. Most of the children come from families of fishermen, laborers, farmworkers, farmers and trisikad drivers. Last June 18, Team Journey visited the children and gave away notebooks, crayons, pens and pencils. What beautiful smiles we received in return!

Ftames, brgy t.beach

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A journey begins in the mind

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step...

That’s an old Chinese saying, but in some translations it says, a journey of a thousand miles begins beneath one’s feet...

Whichever is the correct translation, nonetheless it’s a long journey, and it begins with a step, with one’s own feet moving forward (smile)...

For the past few months, I have travelled around the now City of Guihulngan and shared experiences with teachers, parents, community leaders and students.

The making of Barangay Magsaysay High School has so impressed on my mind the desire of the young people of Guihulngan, with their parents, to go to school. Only that even with free elementary and high school education, going to school isn’t so easy. First problem, transportation money if they have to ride going to school. Second, school supplies. Third, when lean season comes, food is short and having no lunch is of course a reason why there’s a high drop-out rate. There could be other reasons.
So I decided to go on a journey and take my friends with me. I am going on a long journey around the 33 barangays of Guihulngan, Negros Oriental to visit the different schools of Guihulngan, to bring good news and gifts to the children of Guihulngan and to share their stories to the world, that some kindhearted friends might help them move a step forward in their own little journeys...

This blog is about the journey...

Brgy mags hi school, week 1

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