'Subduetheearth.Ruleoverthefishofthesea,the birds of the air, and over every living creature that inhabitstheearth’~Genesis1:28
Godcreatedtheworldasperfect.
However, he then made one correction. He createdmanasapartner:‘Itisnotgoodformanto bealone’(Genesis2:18).
Man was created in the image of God and could have lived alone as his independent being. However, it does not say why God did this, whether it was to make the world he created moreblessed,butitisclearthathewantedmore people. Hecreatedthisworldassomethingtobe managed.Thatroledidnotchangeaftermanwas banishedfromEden.
People blame God when various unreasonable events in the world occur. However, most of the problemsintheworldoriginatefromman.People havebeenentrustedbyGodwiththeauthorityto managethisworld.Inotherwords,Godleavesitto peopletosolvetheproblemsthatoccurbetween people,incommunities,countriesandtheworld.
Goddoesnotwantasituationwheremanypeople are poor, hungry, battles are taking lives and peoplearedivided.
If we want to be blessed by God, we must first fulfilourGod-givenrole.
God loves people and the world He has created. Changing this world starts with individual action. First, start with those close to you and what you can do, and if you can't do it by yourself, take actionincooperationwithotherstosolvevarious problems.
Sitio Salidang, a budding community in partnership with HOLPFI, has shown remarkable interest in improving their quality of life. With a population of 239 individuals comprising 48 families and 45 households, thecommunityplacesahighpriorityonestablishingformaleducation.
FromSeptember27to29,2024,leadershiptrainingwasconductedforSalidang’sleaders,attendedby 18outof25leadersandtwoadditionalcommunitymembers.Thetrainingrevolvedaroundtheconcepts of being "SALTY" (a changed person) and "LIGHTS" (becoming a beacon of hope as leaders) for their familiesandcommunity,aswellaslivingundertheKingdomofGod.Throughinteractiveactivitiessuchas focusgroupdiscussions,dramatizations,andteamworkexercises,theparticipantslearnedtoprioritize others,takeproactivestepsinaddressingcommunityissues,andembodyservantleadership.
Thetrainingandthecommunity’sdesireforaschoolreflectasharedvision:tobuildabrighterfuturefor Salidang by equipping leaders with the skills and values to enact meaningful change. By working together,thepeopleofSalidangaresteadilymovingtowardtheirdreamofaself-sustainingandthriving community.
FromRiverCrossingsto GraduationCheers
Last May/June 2024, I had the privilege of attendingthegraduationceremoniesin2schools in Mindoro where HOLPFI has been deeply involved with for the past several years: Alsabi Elementary School in Socorro and Tugdaan Mangyan Center for Learning and Development inNaujan.
The first ceremony I attended was the one in Alsabi, Socorro, a community where the HOLPFI team had been engaged in capacity building for the past 6 years. The establishment of Alsabi Elementary School was one of the fruits of the community’s efforts to make their vision of the community a reality. I was looking forward to seeingtheschoolevenifthecommunitycanonly bereachedaftera5-kilometerhike.
Our Mindoro team gave me an overview of the trektoAlsabiaswellasapackinglisttoensureI brought the essentials to my Alsabi visit. So, I knewwhattoexpectbutIsupposenomatterhow muchinformationyouhaveaboutthetrip,youstill feel an initial shock when you start the hike, especiallyasyoumakethefirstoftheMayoRiver crossings. The calm waters of the river would occasionally surprise me with slippery rocks or a slightlydeeperpartthatcausedmetonearlylose my balance. Fortunately, membersoftheAlsabi community accompanied us on the hike and theywouldalwaysbetheretosupport,muchlike the HOLPFI team supporting the Alsabi communityleadersindevelopingtheirvisionfor thecommunity.
We started the hike at Brgy. Fortuna but did not get wet the first time we crossed the river becausetherewasahangingbridgewhichledto a small community. We followed a cemented pathway but at one point had to make a turn towardstheriver.Itturnedoutthatweweregoing totaketheshorterrouteandhikealongtheriver itself instead of going up and down the mountainousareaofSocorro,whichwouldtakea longerperiodoftime.
We encountered locals at different areas of the hike including a number of carabaos – some cooling off in the river and others helping their humantopullacart.Ourguidespointedtosome parts of the mountains that were burned as part of the traditional kaingin planting culture, which willserveastheplantingareaforthelocals.
The silence of the forest was disturbed by our group’sfriendlybanterasweexchangedstories andgottoknowmoreabouteachother.Seeing thegreeneryandbreathingfreshairwasindeeda refreshing experience which was made more energizingbytheoccasionalsoundsofthebirds.
The trek was not an easy feat for me, but my exhaustion disappeared the moment we heard familiarvoiceswhichmeantthatwereachedour destination,justintimeasthesunbegantoset.
Wewereledtothehut(notsurewhattheycalled this��)wheretheteachersstayintheirindividual rooms. A portion of the hut had a kitchen/toilet and multi-purpose area for their meals and possibly meetings It was not until the next morning that I was able to see the entire community. I noticed that the houses were built with some order/organization with the school at thecenter.
A number of the members of the community were also bringing to the hut various root crops that they harvested It was their simple way of expressing their appreciation and thanks for HOLPFI’ssupporttothecommunity.
Graduationwasabigdayforthecommunity,and itseemsthateveryonewasinvolvedinpreparing fortheevent,whichincludedavisitfromtheTown mayor. They were milling about the food preparationareawhichincludedroastingawhole pig.
The children were visibly excited as they waited for the ceremony to start. I did notice that most membersofthecommunitywereshy.Theywould smileandthenturnawaywhenIstartedchatting withthem.
The teachers, Kuya Ton, Kuya Edcel, Ate Ruby and Ate Lyn prepared well for the graduation which included a printed program, graduation processional march as well as a properly decoratedstagewhichtheyworkedonovernight.
Hon NemmenOrtega Perez,MD (MunicipalMayorof Socorrro, OrientalMindoro)
Kuya Jay Mark, the former teacher in Alsabi, was the guest speaker and his sharing on how he, as a memberoftheMangyantribe,wasabletoovercomethechallengesandsucceedtobecomeateacher forthecommunitywasaveryinspiringstorywhichIhopethegraduateswillbeabletoemulate.
It was good timing that the graduation ceremonies for the Tugdaan Mangyan Learning Center was scheduled the day after Alsabi graduation. Having witnessed the graduation in the small and remote Alsabicommunity,IhadexpectedasimilarexperienceinTugdaan.Butitwasmarkedlydifferent.
Firstly,Tugdaan’sinfrastructurewaswelldevelopedastheyhadbeenattheforefrontoftheeducational development of the Mangyan community for a number of years. Secondly, I was impressed that the mangyansworetheirindigenouswardrobefortheceremony.
Mymemorableexperiencewiththe2eventshadsignificantdifferencesbutIbelievethatthesewere Mymemorableexperiencewiththe2eventshadsignificantdifferencesbutIbelievethatthesewere outweighedbytheexcitementofboththestudentsandtheproudparents.Theimportancethatthe outweighedbytheexcitementofboththestudentsandtheproudparents.Theimportancethatthe community bestows on education is indeed promising and we are hopeful that HOLPFI’s efforts to community bestows on education is indeed promising and we are hopeful that HOLPFI’s efforts to buildthecapacityofthecommunitywillfurtherexpand. buildthecapacityofthecommunitywillfurtherexpand.
On behalf of HOLPFI, we would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to Atty Jojo for taking the time to meet the community and witness the graduation ceremony of the scholars of the BEP His presence and supportmeanagreatdealtousandtothescholars,asit reflects his commitment to empowering communities andencouragingthepursuitofeducation.Thankyoufor celebratingthismilestonewithus!
TA-Tatag(Resilience)
IntheheartoftheremoteAlsabicommunity,two remarkable teachers have become beacons of hope for indigenous children. Driven by an unwavering passion and deep compassion, they dedicate their lives to breaking barriers and nurturingdreams.
They are not just teachers they are mentors, advocates, and pillars of change in a community striving for a brighter future. Letusseeheartof thetwoteachers:SirJayMarkMalimataandSir TonFrancisco.
DuringthegraduationceremonyinAlsabi,SirJay Markwasinvitedasaguestspeaker.Hedelivered an inspiring and heartfelt message to the firstevergraduatesofAlsabiElementarySchool,with thetheme,"FilipinoYouthforaStrongerFuture ofaNewPhilippines."
To conclude his speech, he emphasized the meaningofMA-TAT-AGasaguidingprinciplefor theirjourneyahead:
MA-Mag-aral(Study) "Educationwillbeyourfoundationtoliftyourlives. Regardless of being indigenous, you have the right to free education and the same opportunities as others, whether Mangyan or Tagalog." (Ang pag aaral ang magtataguyod sa inyoupangmaiahonninyoanginyongbuhay.Kahit kayo ay isang katutubo, kayo ay may karapatang makapagaralnglibre,maykarapatangmakapagaraltuladngnatatamasangibangMangyanmano Tagalog.)
"Challenges will come as you study—lack of food, discouragement, or even limited resources like clothes or school supplies. But through it all, resiliencewillbeyourstrength.Howfarcanyour determination take you to reach your dreams?" (Habang nag aaral kayo nariyan ang sunod sunod na pagsubok. Unang una ang kakulangan sa pagkain, tatamarin nang mag -aral dahil walang pagkain, baon, walang pambili ng magandang damitatibapanggamitsapaaralan.Perosakabila nglahatnangpagsuboknariyanangtatagngloob. Hanggang saan ka tatatag para maabot mo ang inyongminimithingpangarap.)
TAG-Tagumpay(Success)
"As a former teacher and administrator of this school, I want you to be resilient, even when the path seems difficult. Your strength today will pavethewayforyoursuccesstomorrow.” (Bilang datingguroattagapamahalangpaaralangito,nais kongmagingmatatagkayokahitmahirapatgusto kongmagingmatatagkayo.)
(Dahil kayo ang magiging kinabukasan ng BagongPinilipinas,kayosasusunodangbabalik paramaturuanangsusunodpanghenerasyon.)
SirJayMarkMalimata
SirTon onTransformingEducationinAlsabiCommunity
Whatarethechangesseeninthestudents?
Theyhavelearnedtoread,write,andrespectone another. Additionally, they have developed the confidence to interact with people from other cultures without hesitation or fear. Most importantly, there is now a noticeable improvement in maintaining cleanliness in their surroundings compared to when they were not yetinschool.(Angmgabatapoaynamulatnapo sakaalaman,natutonaposilangbumasa,sumulat at natutunangigalangangbawat isa. At gayundin namanaynatutunannilangmakisalamuhakahitsa ibang lahi ng walang pag aalinlangan at takot. At higit sa lahat ay napapansin na ang pagiging malinisnakapaligirankumparanoongsilaaydinag aaral.)
What were the most difficult aspects of teaching?
As teachers, what matters most to us is being abletoimpartknowledgetothechildreninways thataresimpleandrelatabletotheirexperiences. However, the most challenging aspect of teaching is the lack of resources, such as books, electricity, and, of course, access to the internet. (Bilangisangguroangpinakamahalagaposaamin ayyungmakapagbigaykaalamansamgabatasa pinaka madaling paraan na kanilang nararananasan. At ang pinaka mahirap naman pongpartesaamingpagtuturoay angkakulangan sateachingmaterials,tuladnglibro,waladinpong powersupplyatsyempreinternet.)
Have there been any changes in the educationalenvironmentsincemovingfrom MayiVillagetoAlsabi?
Therehaveindeedbeensignificantchanges.The children were provided with two concrete classrooms,eliminatingtheneedtomovearound whenitrainsandensuringuninterruptedlearning. They now have proper chairs. Most importantly, more teachers have been assigned, making teaching and learning much more efficient and manageable.(Angmgapagbabagopoaynabigyan po sila ng pagkakataong mabigyan ng 2 konkretong clasroom kung saan hindi na po nila kailangangmagpalipat-lipatkungumuulanathindi na naantala ang kanilang pag aaral. Meron din po silangupuan Atangpinakamahalagaposalahat ay nadagdagan ang mga guro, kaya naman ang pagtuturo at pagbibigay ng kaalaman ay mas napadaliatnapagaan.)
METAMORPHOSIS
ProjectOfficer|Ms.AnnieAsi
BANYUHAY! Metamorphosis – a process of changeinformfromonestagetothenextinthe lifehistoryofanorganism,
Inspired by metamorphosis, Kapasa Project begins using this butterfly life cycle journey to reachitsgoalsandstartlife.
Empowering women and building a leader in the community, is not easy. As we aim to build a leader in our partner community, we begin with knowing what they can and what they have. Through this, we facilitate them to move toward thelifetheywant,slowlybutsteppingawayfrom thelifetheyusedtobeandusingtheirGod-given potential. Everyone receives a gift and we are given capacities and skills to grow and explore those gifts not just for ourselves but for our neighbors and communities. Together let us use those gifts to change life. As we reflected last year,wefeaturedthe“giftforchange”andactof service as the greatest gift we can give to our clients. To facilitate them to reach their ideal life byrecognizingtheirGod-givenpotentials.
We believe that women can do more, not just keeping the house but making the community a better place. Regardless of their ethnicity and race they deserved every support they can get. These women of KAPASA Project are from AlanganandHanunuotribes,
two of them were students who deserved to be treatedequallyandgetachancetobeeducated and have access to every way possible to be better.Notjustamomwhotookcareofherchild at home, not just a wife who waited for their husband to go back home and a student who wentbackhometodotheirhomework.
Butawomanwhoisstrongerandbravertoface thechallengesineverywaypossibletobuildand supportherfamily.Awomanwhoisempowered enough to show her light in their home and her community. A woman with purpose to inspire otherstouplifttheirlives.Toleadthecommunity tocatchfishandnottoleantoothershandout.
Series:EmpowermentJourney
We are delighted to instill knowledge and awareness to our partner and with that we have come up with a series of sessions where we can buildastrongrelationshipwitheachother.
This will be the starting point of our sessions throughoutthewholeyear.Thesewomenplanted seeds in four different pots, where pots had variouskindsofsoilthe1stonecontainedsoilwith sand, 2nd pot had soil with pebbles, 3rd pot was ordinary soil then the 4th pot was with fertilizer. Everyone has 4 pots to monitor. They are responsibleforcaringforthegivenseedstogrow andbearfruits.
If we have luck and are given a chance to grow, this seed will serve as our material on our upcoming series of sessions. Upcoming sessions will be based on the track of what they need to developtheircharacterandmindset.
The first stop we have WORLDVIEW - As a facilitator, understanding the perspective of our partner community is vital. In doing this, we can organizeameetingtotalkabouthowtoapproach them and lead them toward the outcome we hope to achieve together. With the helping hand of the Almighty, they are becoming gradually shapedandbringingtheirmindsetestablished. We think that with efficient leadership and management, we can empower and inspire one another. This can be achieved with the right directionandcommunication
After several weeks we have come to have our reviewforwhatwehadthelasttimeanditslowly reveals the different viewpoints on the nanays. Alangan and Hanunuo tribes had different and vast points with regards to life as a whole. Bearing their cultural background and tribal practices.Asforthem,theyfocusontheirfamily, and as mothers, they haven’t thought yet or questionedthemselves“Whatisgoingtohappen if they die.”? “Why I am here?” “Is my life beautiful” These are the series of questions that leadustoournextsession.
PURPOSE.
Whyarewehere?Whydoweneedtohelpothers, when we can't even upgrade our own? Have you askedyourselfthiskindofquestion?Orjustlikethe othersnahindinatinalambakitngaba?AtBahala na bukas? Of course, we had also consider to discussedproblemsandwhythereareproblems.
Knowingourpurposeisjustlikesalt.Aquestion pops up asking are you a salt or an insult? Salt does not seem to have the same appearance as other ingredients or smell the same as other seasonings,butsoupwouldbetastelesswithout it.
Themostprevalentandsolewaysaltbeginstolose its flavor is if it gets blended with excessive amounts of other substances. Powered by our visionandpurpose,wewillnotlikelyeasilygetlost whenwechoosetobewiththerightpeople.With theknowledgeandexperienceswegain,wecan maintainourdignitywhilegroundedandcontinue growing.Sharingtastetorenderagoodmenuto thechallengingdaysofourlives.Bevigilantabout who you associate with if they lack values of morality. Salt is quite significant and is not to be thrownaway.
Remainpure. “MAINTAINYOURDIGNITYandINTEGRITY”.
Wehavethissessioncourseandwesharedthem in our community. Here we have defined each letter.SALTYandalsotranslatedintoTagalogfor our clientele to easily understand. Ans we didn’t endhere,wehaveLIGHTS.
14
"You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannotbehidden.15Neitherdopeoplelightalampand putitunderabowl.Instead,theyputitonitsstand,andit giveslighttoeveryoneinthehouse.16Inthesameway, letyourlightshinebeforeothers,thattheymayseeyour gooddeedsandglorifyyourFatherinheaven." ~Matthew 5:14-16
Andforourlastsessionthisyearwegettoreflect on the IMPORTANCE OF LIFE and our past sessions.
Lifeisflavorful,sometimeswecan'tmeasurehow littleorhowmuchweshouldgiveupforothersto serveandpleasethem.However,bydoingthiswe can’t satisfy all. And we end up losing ourselves servingotherswhodon’tseeourworth.
Living in a community with diverse culture and tribal practices, one of the nanay shared that sometimes to help others she becomes the one initiating to find the solution to someone's problem. The other one shared that when a misunderstanding arises, she immediately talks to the person to address the issue. Sometimes it causes her not to have many friends, however, that’s how she was. She is not afraid of showing her identity to others even though she loses acquaintance. Another one shared that even though you already spent time and do good for others, still they are not contented and spread rumors in exchange. With all these sharing we concludedoursessionswith
We have struggles in the first quarter since we don'thaveavenuetodoouractivities.Wemetby thesideoftheroadforthemostpart.Theweather andlackofelectricitypresentedchallengeswhen we switched locations for our lessons. Also, severalofthemothershadrecentlygivenbirth,so we had to have a serious discussion and search for a better location. A location to store our unfinished crafts and raw materials and secure spaceforourmeetingswiththenewborns.
After long consideration and family talks, for the second time, the Taywan Family decided to renovatethedampabesidetheirhousewherewe holdourrecentactivities.Inthisplace,wecanbe protected from rain and other worries we had in thepreviousquarter.
JUNE2024
JULY2024
This is now our dampa on 1st Quarter during summer and it help us to let the passerby be awarethatweexistinthecommunity.Andasby days and months passed by, we are happy to thriveanduseourresourcesandabilitiestodrive peopletorecognizeourcrafts.Monthsbymonths wetriedourbesttocommunicatewhatwethink wasbestthatcouldalteroursituation.
Weseizedthechancetointroducethecraftstothis REMAP CHAPTER: Two-Day Workshop and Seminar,whichendedonNovember27and28.In collaboration with HOLPFI staff members Ms. Agnes,ouradministratorMalyn,ourrecentlyhired staff member, our bunso, and a Registered Social Worker. With a great deal of support and awareness from the participating groups throughout Metro Manila, the event was successfully ended under the guidance of Kaira andAnnie,theeventcoordinators.
SPOTLIGHTPRODUCT SPOTLIGHTPRODUCT
REMAP CHAPTER: Rebuilding Marginalized Families into Constructive Households and PromotingChildren’sWelfareTowardsEmergence fromPoverty:
A collaboration and networking project where HOLPFI acts as a coordinator to support the AISES team (Advanced Institute for School Education and Support) to delivers training and workshop here in the Philippines. A Japanese organization called AISES seeks to improve the underprivileged sector by partnering with communities and providing workshops and trainings to implement the changes that are needed. KAPASAProjectonREMAP
Withagratefulheart,werecognizetheeffortof our dear customers in choosing our crafts. Despite, of heavy rain and distance from our physical store this group of buyers from Evangelista had come. This year our most soughtitemandbestselleristhe....
Before we start with our Thanksgiving Party, we have reviewed first our past array of sessions in the past months. Fortunately, they remember severalofoursessionslikeWorldview,SALTYand LIGHTS,andmoreenumerationquestions.
The activities continued and the evaluation has been measured through various games. Several games will measure their strategy, communication,andteamwork.Somegameswill measure their presence of mind and listening skills.Gameslike:
Buildingapapercuptowerwithoutusingahand andshootingtheballusingtheboardwithlotsof unevenholeschallengestheparticipantstowork togetherasateamandembracetheideasofthe team.
“Fortousachildisborn,tousasonisgiven,and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” This verse, penned hundreds of years before Jesus' birth, pointstoChristasourLordandSavior.
We have celebrated and concluded 2024 with a grateful heart, thankful for allowing us to reach thismomentsafely.Thisyearhasbeenajourney filled with challenges, growth, and countless blessings. As we look back, we cherish the milestones achieved and the people who have been part of this journey. With hearts full of gratitude, we look forward to embracing the opportunitiesandhopethatthecomingyearwill bring.
HEARTOFKAPASA
LensofExperience|Mother’sofKAPASA
The Heart of KAPASA tells the brief insights of mothers who channel their resilience, creativity, and love into crafting handmade products. Rooted in a deep sense of community and tradition,thesemothersnotonlycreatebeautiful crafts but also weave their hopes, dreams, and stories into every piece. Through their work, they uplift their families, preserve their cultural heritage, and embody the strength and heart of theircommunity.
~Isaiah9:6
OurfamilyisnotalwaysinthecommunityofPaitan,weresideinthesouthernpartofthe province that's why it was a few sessions ago and I was not able to attend. However, I beggedmycolleaguestoallowmetojoin.AndIamgratefulfortheopportunitybecauseit opened up a door for me to gain a small amount of income. My son got dengue and our hospitalbillisincreasing.There'snocurefordengueandatthesametime,hehadmeasles too.Icannotbeartoseemysondehydratedandnottakinganyfoodorwater.Withthesmall amountIreceivedfromweavingbeads,itmakesmeabitrelievedtoseemyfamilyslowly gettingby.
AteBelenAgabayan
Ourchildrenaretheoneswhobenefitedthemostinthisproject.Myhusbandworkedinthe farm.Theearningsserveasthepocketmoneyofmychildgoingtoschoolandtherestis our household. Weaving beads makes me stay at home most of the time. It lessens my minglingwithmyneighbors.EspeciallyIhaveanewborn.
AteLisaLintawagin
I'vebeenapartofthiseffortforseveralyears,andI'mgratefulbecauseithasbenefitedmy kids. My revenue helps us support their need in school. Such as pocket money and transportation.
Carryingthevisionofreachingmarginalizedcommunities,broughtmetobemorevigilantonhowIamgoing to approach them respecting their culture and tribal practices. Paitan community is a residential communityofmostlyAlanganTribeandHanunuotribe.KAPASAProjectstarteditslivelihoodengagement inApril2021anditaimstocreateanavenueforwomenwheretheycanharnesstheirskillsandGod-given potentialwheretheycanempowerthecommunitytocontinuetheprojectontheirown.
Empowering women from different walks of life presents challenges to my ability to carry out my task. First,theyareolderthanmehavelotsofexperience,andarekindofreserved.Therearepartsofthemthat aren’teasilysharedwiththeTagalogpeopleconsideringthelanguageaswell,AlanganandHanunuohada distinctlanguage.However,itdoesn’tstopmeasdaysandmonthspassbywearehappytothriveanduse ourresourcesandabilitiestodrivepeopletorecognizethatdespitetherace,tribe,culture,andpracticeswe have, we can work together and bring awareness to people that they are also human with abilities who deservedrespect.
