Frustrated readers are those who can identify words but have inadequate or no comprehension at all.

More than 1,000 youth volunteers or “big brothers and big sisters” fondly called as “kuyas” and “ates” will help the 288 teachers this year in mentoring and conducting read-along sessions.

Three volunteers from Thailand and one from Turkey are also joining the youth this year from the American Field Service Organization, an organization which provides future leaders exchange program to promote global citizenship.

Nuth Sonthipanyahul, 16, from Bangkok, and three other foreign youth volunteers do their share through storytelling and teaching children to read.

“It is tiring but fun. It’s good to make them (children) happy,” Sonthipanyahul said.

However, he observed quite a disparity of the children like those in Jose Warlito Berba Primary School they visited in sitio Kityan Gamay in Malungon.

“In the city everyone has food, has money to buy their own food but here, they don’t have,” he said.

“They have to walk like four kilometers five kilometers a day and then they have nothing to eat and the school is just made of wood and they study under the trees, something like that. It’s very bad.”

When asked what he wanted to contribute to these children, he said it should be “education” and teaching them to speak “English because if you can speak English you can go anywhere around the world. You give them more opportunity to work and have a better future.”

“Children are the future of everything. If you give them good life then they will be good,” Sonthipanyahul added.

Elif Gurcinar, an 18-year-old youth volunteer from Turkey, said that more interventions from the government are needed, “because some of the schools are really bad. Classrooms are not enough. Not enough materials.”

She said SBB is a laudable intervention of Sarangani to help its slow readers and, “a lot of volunteers are also coming to assist the children. It’s very helpful in their pronunciation. We teach them also English words and letters and how to pronounce them correctly. We also read stories with actions because sometimes they could not understand.”

Malungon Sangguniang Kabataan chairman Earl Jared Galvez said, “I observed that these children wish to become volunteers themselves volunteers when they grow up like their big brothers and big sisters.”

Galvez recounted, “Our experience here is more difficult because we have to climb some mountains, cross several rivers, experienced falling from motorcycles, and almost falling into ravines several times but the overall feeling of helping the children is heart-warming.”

At least, he said, the youth are involved not only in sports activities but also with SBB where, “we are able to touch their (children) lives,” by helping them how to read.

He then hoped that a few years from now, “no Grade 2 and 3 would be frustrated readers” and that SBB would no longer teach remedial reading classes but would instead focus teaching children advanced lessons to hone knowledge and skills of these children.

Jenneth Ruta, a Grade 1 teacher holding SBB class in Lun Padidu Elementary School in Malapatan said “It’s very difficult to deal with those pupils because some of my pupils cannot identify letters in the alphabet.”

To address this, Ruta said she conducted a one-on-one approach with the kids just to make them read.

“During my first day, I started with the alphabet, then the sounds, before I was able to make them read words,” Ruta noted.

SBB is very helpful because students are not only taught to read but also to develop their comprehension skills, she said.

QUEST program manager Annalie Edday said, “Reading comprehension makes the difference between a passing and a failing grade in school. It is one of the most crucial skills for children to master.”

“By Grade 3, children can probably comprehend simple texts but need to work on more advanced comprehension, including summarizing and analysis,” Edday said.

By reading frequently, she said, is one of the “most effective things children can do to improve reading comprehension in Grade 3, but there are enrichment activities to make frequent reading more powerful.”

“Sarangani Big Brother: Reading is Fun!” is a whole day remedial reading program from April 17 to May 8 implemented in partnership with the DepEd, QUEST, Sangguniang Kabataan and the Alcantara Foundation. The rest of the sponsors this year are Synergia Foundation, Sagittarius Mining Corp. and World Vision.

Palawan and Compostela Valley are replicating Sarangani Big Bother in their own provinces to jumpstart their education reform program. (Beverly Paoyon-PIO Sarangani/PIA 12)

Source:
PIA

“The event reminds me of my childhood and how today’s children are hooked on to computers that they have forgotten the value of physical activities that build both body and mind,” Bolo said at the event at the CNHS Oval on the date of the competition. He had brought his grandson to join the kite flying activity. Eledios Bejasa Sr. won the biggest flying kite competition and flew away with the P3,000 prize. The P2,000 prize for the smallest flying kite went to Alxis Capitan. Rocille JUmalon topped the more than 40 kites for the best in flat type that carried a prize of P2,000 while the best gurion kite prize of P1,000 went to Jhyanna Dominique Yee. The most colourful kite with a cash prize of P500 went to the entry of Aires Tia. Representatives from the Kite Association of the Philippines headed by its president for Mindanao Binko Reyes conducted the kite clinic where he introduced basic Filipino kite making craft that uses native materials. The association is an affiliate of the Asean Kite Council which is planning to hold a first major kite event in Davao City in the future.

Rep. Maricar Apsay described the event as well as the Compostela-New Bataan biking competition and the six-day Zumba dance exercise introduced by the provincial tourism office, “a much welcome activity” that would infuse more excitement to her regular annual summer sports program in the first district. The additional events, lumped as Summer High 2012 by the provincial and municipal tourism offices on April 23 to 28 in the interior highland town, complement the provincial summer beach sports festival along the Mabini-Pantukan coastlines in May.

Like the beach sports festival, Summer High 2012 aims to promote Compostela Valley as a sports and adventure destination in Davao region. The beach sports festival won the national champion award in the Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines-Department of Tourism 2010 search for tourism best practice in the sports and wellness category. In the biking competition on April 28, bikers from Tagum City and Bislig City grabbed the major prizes of P5,000 for first, P4,000 for second and P3,000 for third in the professional category of the team bike racing competition from Compostela to Bamboo Resort in Andap, New Bataan. The amateur special prize of P1,000 went to homegrown racers Jumalon brothers. The prize of P3,000 in the fastest racer category went to Jr. Lubanan-Tour D’Jack Team while the most colourful team prize of P3,000 went to Team B Prof. Tour D’Jack Team. PIA

Source:
Goldstar Daily News

Among the highlights of the caravan include technical presentations covering the field of production, animal health, and exhibits to showcase production efficiency and farmers’ profitability.

The first stop of the caravan was done yesterday at the municipality of Montevista. The caravan will also be held in Maragusan on May 10, to be followed by Maco on May 17, and the last stop will be in Mawab on May 29.

More than a hundred farmers in each municipality are expected to join in the event.

The Provincial Veterinarian’s Office, headed by Dr. Benjamin S. Reyno, DVM, is leading the event in partnership with the Department of Agriculture-XI.

The respective Municipal Agriculturist’s Office and private partners in each town recipient are also supporting the livestock technology and Negosyong Pinoy Caravan.

This year’s celebration of the Farmers’ and Fisherfolks’ Month is anchored on the theme “Sapat na pagkain, sama-sama nating kamtin!” (IDS-Comval/Grace Almedilla)

Source:
PIA

But DepEd XI made it more meaningful in this splendid annual gathering for the most important clienteles–the school children. They went home full of joy and stories to tell about gifts, games, entertainment and meals specially prepared for them and that for sure made them appreciate the true meaning of Christmas—on loving and sharing.

The beneficiaries are seated by districts in their respective superheroes-inspired costumes at the spacious Christmas decorated gym of Mawab. They received a Sponge Bob cartoon character- designed back packs containing slippers, school supplies, toys and other goods.

They were also served with juice and hamburger for snacks and Chicken Joy for lunch. Children watched mascots Hetty and Jollibee’s dance number and posed with them for picture taking.

A 25-minute production number of SPA students of NNCHS showcased the story of Pinoy superhero Darna battling it out against the villains like Valentina and Babaeng Linta in different episodes. Children were glued on their seats stunned by what they witnessed.

The story of Ding who turned as Darna ended as a dream but taught the children a lesson about heroism and that they, too could be heroes in their own little way.

Applause reverberated in the middle of the story when Governor Uy, dressed like a king, surfaced and sang Gary Valenciano’s Pasko na Sinta Ko. He was joined by the main casts of Pasko ni Darna.

He went down on stage and shook hands with the children and teachers and finally sang Willy Revillame’s Ikaw na Nga. The governor had the children waving their hands on the air while he was singing. After the number, he greeted everybody a Merry Christmas and then led the giving of tumblers to the children.

Susana Teresa B. Estigoy, regional director acknowledged the governor for joining the children in their special occasion. Uy was with Mawab Mayor Evalina J. Jampayas and Mayor Reynaldo Navarro of Laak.

Even in the midst of economic and political crisis that affect the country, Estigoy said DepEd XI had set aside funds to give children a special treat, “there is no reason that Christmas celebration for children will not push through,” she said.

“Isa itong paraan sa pamamahagi ng DepEd ng pagmamahal sa inyo mga kabataan ” she added as she noted that the program was in its fourth year with ComVal being the fourth destination.

Estigoy in red blouse, white long pants and with red Santa Claus’ hat handed three hundred pesos each to thirteen children who symbolically gave her an angel figurine. Recipients received the cash on stage. One thousand pesos was also awarded to Montevista District as the earliest participants to arrive at the venue.

What touched many participants was the director’s gesture of care when she mentioned that one of the children beneficiaries from Maco North District had a fever and with her concern she handed the boy five hundred pesos.

A total of four thousand pesos in cash from her pocket was given by the director to the beneficiaries. She said she saved the amount she should have spent buying a blouse as a Christmas gift for herself while she was in Mall of Asia in Manila the day before. But it was the thought she said of sacrificing one’s needs for the welfare of the children.

Children sang ‘Daghang Salamat’ after the distribution of gifts. It was followed by a Parade of Cakes by Education Program Supervisors, District Supervisors and District Coordinating Principals of the host division.

Regional officials were also given an ornament by the beneficiaries as a token symbolizing the identity of the children of Comval described as delicate but strong and promising.

Dr. Lillian C. Calicdan, schools division superintendent of Compostela Valley presented the participants with their cheers and yells.

Nabunturan West, Maco North, Pantukan, Mawab and New Bataan were awarded as top five best in costumes.

Source: Philippine Information Agency