Philippines – Page 94 – Goducate … Go And Educate!

2011-09-202011-09-22

More wheels to reach more villages

Goducate’s work in Laguna, Philippines, is largely a rural work that reaches little villages which are spread out and rather difficult to reach. Previously, our workers had to share the use of one van or use public transport (public jeeps and motorbikes). This was highly inefficient and costly and hampered the progress of our work.

Recently, through the generous donations of some Goducate supporters, 3 motorcycles and one car was purchased. These additional “wheels” have enabled our workers to cover more villages to expand the work.

2011-09-162011-09-16

Ric Patricio joins Goducate Training Center

Goducate Training Center in Iloilo, Philippines, is an 11-hectare site designed to train Goducate’s workers to help needy people to help themselves – especially in growing enough to feed themselves.

This month, Ric Patricio a well-known agriculturalist, has joined us as our full-time Agricultural Director. Ric, who received graduate training in the University of Minnesota, had a distinguished career teaching agriculture in the Central Philippine University and working in projects with the Asian Development Bank.

He has come on board to help us to improve our agricultural development in GTC and to improve the agricultural training of our trainees. His wife, Hope who is a soil expert, has been one of our agricultural lecturers.

photo(48) — Ric Patricio speaking at GTC

photo(49) — Giant delicious "sword bean" from GTC

2011-09-132011-09-13

New Developments at Goducate Training Center

Goducate Training Center in Iloilio, The Philippines, continues being developed even as its pioneer batch of trainees undergo training.

As soon as the basic infrastructure (Phase 1A) was completed in April 2011, the pioneer batch of trainees began their training.

Since then, work has been going on on students’ dormitories and staff quarters. The target date for completion of these projects was this month. However, unusually heavy rains hampered construction work over the past 2 months and caused erosion problems in our impounding pond and some slopes around the site.

The typhoon season continues to bring in much rain, but we hope that the dormitories and staff house will be completed in 2 months’ time. After the rainy season is over, the main roads will be concreted.

We hope to be ready to take in a larger batch of about 50 students in 2012 and train them to help the poor to help themselves