Category: Training Center

As part of its goal to help Asians help themselves, Goducate has started a new program to train existing leaders to be better leaders. The target groups for this training are community, education, government, and religious leaders—especially those who are already recognised as leaders in their respective fields. There are few leadership programs tailored for the needs of those who are already recognised as leaders. In Asia most leadership programs train men who aspire to be leaders. With leaders who already have much experience to share, the method of training most suitable for them is a “forum”—where they gather to listen to experts and then share their experiences in the forum and learn from one another. Our new program is called Asia Forum for Leaders.

Goducate launched this program on Sept 20 by holding a mini-forum in the Goducate Training Center, Iloilo, Philippines, for 14 barangay (village) leaders.

The next day 90 church leaders from Iloilo Province gathered for a 3-day forum. There were sessions on leadership planning, strategy, and implementation, and practical sessions on livelihood projects (eg. vermicomposting, detergent making) for their communities. Those who were interested were given enough African night crawlers to start their own vermicomposting projects. The main speakers were myself from Singapore, Leo Decinal from Laguna, and Jeru Samilo from Iloilo.

The feedback from the leaders was very positive, and another forum has been planned for 150 church leaders in Feb 2017.

There are plans to run another training session in November for 30 town mayors (and their heads of departments) in the province of Laguna (which is south of Manila).

We believe that one of the best ways to help Asians help themselves is to train better leaders for Asia!

The Goducate Training Center in Iloilo, Philippines, was a partner in the drug-awareness campaign on July 23 that was sponsored by the National Service Training Program (NSTP) of Iloilo Science and Technology (ISAT) University La Paz Campus. The campaign was aimed at approximately 1000 freshmen college students. The other partners were the university’s department of Bachelor of Arts in Community Development and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Regional Office 6.

Mr. David Abraham Garcia, the Public Information Officer of PDEA Region 6, gave a relevant and interactive lecture on dangerous drugs and the Republic Act 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002). The talk about the dangers of drug addiction was then reinforced by an activity-based program facilitated by the Goducate team.

The program conducted by the Goducate Team focused on empowering the students to take preventive action against drug addiction. The students were divided into smaller clusters for the lesson and counseling time. GTC believes that the best medium for learning is fun, so fun and interaction were incorporated into the lessons, discussions and activities facilitated by Goducate community development workers. Surveys have shown that drug addicts who have loved ones who care for them have higher recovery rates than those who do not. Thus students were taught how to help drug addicts give up their addiction by being their friend. and a positive influence.

Smiling is one of the most effective tools in connecting with people. To help students confidently connect with people, Goducate held a week-long program called “Smile-all-you can Mission” for ISAT-University NSTP students. Students were divided into teams, and members were encouraged to greet and smile at anyone for 5 seconds. The person smiled at signed a form to verify receipt of a smile. The team who with the most number of verifications became the winner.

Goducate is one with the Philippines, together with the new President Rodrigo Duterte, in its relentless pursuit of putting an end to drug addiction in the country.

*Our guest writer is Joanna De Leon, a community development worker

The 8th batch of trainees from Goducate Training Center (GTC) in Iloilo, Philippines, has completed their training in community development work. At the commencement exercise held on June 17, the 18 trainees were joined by their parents and friends, who came from different parts of the Philippines. At this event 4 of the trainees also received their National Certificate II issued by the Philippines Government’s Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) for passing their training in automotive mechanical assembly organized by Goducate.

All the graduands were challenged by Goducate founder, Dr. Paul Choo, to continue their mission of helping others.

One of the perfomances at the event was a song composed and arranged by one of the trainees. The song speaks about friendship, and that “one thing” that will still unite them after they go their separate ways is their love for the community, especially the poor.

Most of the trainees will go back to their home places to start community work, some will help the communities around GTC area, 1 will go to East Malaysia to help with Goducate work there, and 2 to Indonesia to help with Goducate’s Sing Your English program.