Author: Leo

Last year, Tony Vic and his wife Amber came home after a spell in the USA to settle in Talisay, Batangas, the province neighhboring ours (Laguna). They had heard about the community work that Goducate is doing in the villages in Iloilo, so they went over in the last quarter of last year to see what is being done. And since Laguna is a province neighboring Batangas, they visited us too, first in November, and then on several more occasions.

The visits kindled their desire to help the villagers in their neighborhood, and they decided to do so by setting up a model farm on a 2000 sq m plot of land that they own. There they will promote organic and hydroponics farming.

The groundbreaking ceremony for this farm was held on Feb 22. The Municipal Mayor of Talisay had visited the plot of land, and was represented by his Administrative Officer to plant a vegetable at the ground-breaking ceremony. Also present at the ceremony were the town’s head of agriculture, and the president of the farmer’s association.

A coconut tree also was also planted to symbolize a partnership with Goducate. Goducate will be assisting the project to start on vermiculture, to produce fertilizer for the farm.

Last December a group of Singaporean friends came to see the Goducate community work in Laguna, and offered gifts for children in the various villages we work in. The children selected were those taking part in our literacy, sports, and music programs. 430 children from 11 villages each received a school bag and school supplies, snacks, and a recorder.

Recorder classes have been held every Saturday. Most of the teachers are our Goducate scholars (college students receiving a Goducate bursary); others are our community development workers.

After a month 205 children were still attending the recorder classes regularly. 54 of these were chosen to play in late January for those sponsors who paid a return visit after a trip to Manila.

Next month we will hold an evaluation. Those who pass the theory and practical examinations will be allowed to proceed to learn a brass or string instrument. Most of our students prefer brass instruments, and we hope that we will be able to acquire sufficient of these instruments.

Goducate’s music program has been valuable not only in keeping children off the streets, but also in giving children a valuable skill, and in instilling in them much discipline.

For several years Goducate staff in Laguna have been trying to make a business out of producing vermicompost—compost produced by earthworms from manure—at the Goducate farm. It has been quite a struggle, until the last quarter of 2015, when they were able to sell the vermicompost at a good price and to get a regular customer.

The farm could produce 4.5 tons of the compost every 45 days. To meet demand vermifarming was extended to the Goducate Training Center in Laguna, to produce an additional 6 tons every 45 days. The first lot of these extra 6 tons was harvested in the second week of January.

Since we are producing the compost, we also produce organically grown fruit and vegetables as well. The bulk of these would be from creepers (eg, passion fruit and various gourds), which provide the shade needed for the worms to produce the compost. Some of the harvest has been sold and the rest used for personal consumption.

Goducate’s aim of helping Asians help themselves extends to our staff and to Goducate itself. Thus financial support from headquarters for Goducate staff and Goducate work in Laguna has been gradually phased down. The proceeds from the vermicompost project in Laguna are used to boost the allowances for 5 workers, to buy the raw material for the vermicompost, and to contribute towards Goducate funds.