Posted on

Thumbnail sketch of Camp Goducate team, Iloilo Philippines

HERMES CERBO – is our campsite Architect and our Project Manager. He is the one taking care of all the matters in construction. Hermes worked in a Singapore architectural firm for four years,

JUDE LANGUB – is our Electrical Engineer. He is a retired senior officer of a private electric company in Panay.

GLEN GIRAO – is an Electrical Engineer, who presently working in an Electric Power Corporation who distributes electric power in different power companies. He’s helping as a volunteer consultant.

JERU SAMILO – ia a civil engineer who does our structural plans and supervises our work. He is also our camp program director .

MARTIN CERBO – is an architect and a contractor. He and his team will do the construction of our Multi-purpose Hall.

RIC PATRICIO – is an agriculture expert who is our volunteer agricultural consultant.

HOPE PATRICIO – is the soil expert who does all the soil testing for us. She also helps us putting our nursery. She is the wife of Ric Patricio.

MEPHIBOY – he is a Electronic Communication Engineer working in a Technical School but has offered to resign to help us on the farm. He was born and raised in his family farm.

JUN RUIZ – he is a plant pathologist. He is a part-time volunteer.

MAYETH MARRERO – is our building construction secretary and bookkeeper

Posted on

Sabah teachers get taste of modern life!

Last week we brought our Sabah Literacy Center teachers for team-building and training. These teachers have been trained by us to teach the children in their own kampongs. Many of them seldom leave their kampongs because they are “undocumented aliens” without the necessary identification papers.

The team-building sessions were held in a government complex.

We have now 48 teachers and needed to cast again our vision to them and for them to know each other. The government complex has a dormitory, conference hall and cafeteria.

Facilities wise it was very good exposure for all teachers. It was the first time for many of them to sleep in a spacious room with fan, each one having her own bed. For many it was also the first time to use a proper toilet, bath and sink for washing. We used this opportunity to them them about sanitation, and how to use a toilet in a non-offensive way.

It cost us 24 Malaysian Ringgit (about US$8) per head for accomodation and 3 meals.

Our theme was – One Team.
Session One: What is a Team
Session Two: What is Teamwork
Session Three: Handling Conflicts

All the activities/games were directed towards achieving the theme.

When it was time to discuss what they learned, it was very exciting. Our teachers are thinking! And learning on their own! We did not share any input except to wrap up afterwards.

They said that they learned:
– not to leave anyone behind
– without cooperation there is no team
– it is important to follow the leader
– it is important to know the instructions

(because of security reasons we are not publshing photos or mentioning names of individuals or venues)

Posted on

Goducate Philippines headquarters staff

1. Oscar – is nurse by profession and he was previously working in the Middle East as nurse. Presently, he is one in charge of mountain and depressed areas community centers in Dumangas, Lacturan, Lanit, Bitoon, Neuva Invecion & Layog Bato.

2. Mike Mendiola – was a Chemistry professor at the Central Philippines University before joining us as volunteer and now a camp director for Camp Goducate Program.

3. Jeru Samilo – is a Civil Engineer who helps us both in our training and camp building project.

4. Belen – trained as English Teacher but worked in a bank. At present, she still pursuing her Masters in English proficiency  and is in-charge of our English Enhancement program for teachers.

5. Selah – trained as a Medical Technologist but worked as office secretary and as a teacher in one of our literacy training centers.

6. Jasper Dex  – trained as a nurse but is presently the our assistant camp director.

7. Teofy – a nurse by profession and presently doing Goducate community work.

8. Rodel – previously in the Philippines military and now camp handyman and teacher of youth in a Goducate community center.

10. Jet – is passionate in helping wayward youth, esp. drug-dependent youth, because he came from that background.

11. Jesusa – a commerce graduate works with kids and is in charge of the kitchen..

11. Biboy – a hotel and restaurant graduate, presently a handyman at Goducate.

12. Ranie – Chemical Engineering by training who is National Coordinator and Corporate Secretary for Camp Goducate. She is also the one in care of Goducate literacy training centers in Panay.