A group of Singaporeans went last week to the Philippines to see the Goducate learning centers and model farm in Laguna and the training center that is being built in Iloilo. The day after we arrived we were handed invitations to the Goducate Dayap Graduation Day to be held that very afternoon (Nov 14). The “graduands” turned out to be a special group.
Typhoon Ondoy was the most devastating typhoon in the 2009 Pacific typhoon season. Some 5000 families have had to be relocated from Manila. One of relocation sites is Dayap village in Laguna province, a couple of hours by car from Manila. There we could see many neat rows of houses that the government has provided for the victims of the typhoon.
Providing housing is one thing. Providing jobs is quite another, and one that is far from easy. And if the family has no income, the children lose out on education because even with free education, there are still the incidentals such as books, uniforms, and transport that have to be paid for.
Goducate volunteers started tutorials for the children here every Sunday afternoon, helping them with the Philippines Alternative System of education. This system has been specially devised for students who cannot attend regular school. It enables students to learn on their own and at their own pace. About 30 students registered for the tutorials. They range in educational level from grades 1-6, and a few at high school level. The houses that have yet to be completed serve as classrooms, and a little shop nearby helps by lending chairs or stools as necessary.
The graduands impressed us with their performances, and an excuse was found to reward every student with something. It was most touching to see them thrilled with what they received even if it was no more than a tube of toothpaste.
Goducate hopes to help this community of resettled people in other ways too. The model farm has been experimenting with different ways of growing vegetables. A couple of the families at Dayap have agreed to be the pioneer group for transfer of growing techniques to little backyards, and as you read this they are probably already being taught what to do. Goducate hopes that soon most of the resettled community here will be able to put their own “veg@table”.