Miagao, Iloilo — After months of hardship and struggle, the fruits of the labor of the NSTP-CWTS paid off, though not monetary, the experience was worth reliving and reminiscing; every single sweat, every single smile flashing from the children’s face, they were worth it all.

The Awarding Ceremony was quite offhand, there were some technical errors which occurred during the event leading to some misconceptions and misguidance. We thought that all hope was gone, but there was more to it than just being a simple Awarding Ceremony. Prof. Serafin Malecosio Jr., NSTP-CWTS Coordinator of UPV Miagao Campus delivered his closing remarks in the most innovative way through his last award-winning performance singing Spandau Ballet’s “Gold” which shined through the gloomy environment that once encapsulated the Pidlaoan Hall.

“Gold” initiates the essence of faith, hard work and cooperation wherein people tend to be indestructible, quite strong word which symbolizes that when one believes thoroughly, surely he or she will succeed.

It was uplifting, at the same time undoubtedly with the spurt of spirit and excitement made the hall a lot livelier with the cheering students.

The smiles and hurrahs filled the hall. It was more than just the fun; rather, it hallmarked a new beginning for this new batch of student leaders and project planners. Now, they are more than prepared to take the new challenges awaiting them in the rest of their stay in college.

Godspeed Batch 2009!

“A unique bazaar and an annual search for best project ideas that addresses social issues”

The Civic Welfare Training Service class of 2009 held its Community Service Project Fair at the CAS 1st Floor Lobby last March 19-20, 2009. The Project Fair aimed to showcase the various projects of the CWTS students to the UPV community and to the outside community as well.

The exhibit featured projects of the 20 teams and their respective beneficiaries through a tarpaulin display. The tarpaulin contains basic information such as: project title, background, objectives, project beneficiaries, project cost, and contact information.

The exhibit included the Art Contest and the Photoessay. The Art Contest consists of the hand-painted shirts by the teams wherein they expressed their project’s advocacy. The teams are free to choose the media they want to use in designing the shirts. The Photoessay consists of four to six pictures, a title, and a short statement arranged in poster form expressing the project’s advocacy or vision.

The event is also a contest among the teams. Honors such as Young Project Manager and Leadership Award were given to deserving students. The awarding ceremony included in the Culminating Activity last March 21, 2009 at CFOS-AV Hall, Pidlaoan Building.

The other contest included in the awarding ceremony were the Best Community Service Project, Best Video Documentary, Best Project Poster, Kapatiran Award (Team with Best practices) and Most Innovative Fundraising Strategy.

“What do you do when you see a 25-centavo coin lying on the road?” This is common question needing a simple answer. But that simple answer can define what’s in store for you.

This is the part where reality bites: most people would choose to ignore that coin. Let’s face it, that coin can’t even feed a hungry mouth. But sometimes, you just need to look ahead instead of just focusing on the mediocre coin you are currently holding in our hands to see the difference that it can make. This is what the people of Brgy. Malagyan did, and now, they are about to use 25 centavo coins to fund something that can make a difference in their lives.

Last February 27, 2009, the Mind Builders, in partnership with the PTA of Malagyan elementary School as well as the Malagyan community, celebrated the awarding ceremony for the winners of Mr. & Ms. Beinte Sinko 2009. Present during the event were Mrs. Lirio Carigaba, head teacher of Malagyan Elementary School, PTA President Antonio Fajurano, Jr., Hon. Rose Mary Galvan, barangay captain of Malagyan, and Prof. Serafin O. Malecosio, Jr., UPV NSTP-CWTS Coordinator.

The concept of Mr. & Ms. Beinte Sinko was suggested by Hon. Galvan who is also the PTA’s vice president during Team 4’s meeting with the PTA. Judging of the winners will be based on the amount of 25 centavo coins they have collected during the contest duration. Other denominations are not allowed in the contest. Each grade level chose a male and female student, both of which have collected the most number of coins for their grade level. This pair then represented the level for the school competition.

The canvassing was held on February 18, 2009 at Malagyan Primary School. The parents, teachers, students and a representative from the Mind Builders were present. It was also during that day that the winners for the said event were announced.

John Kevin Fajurano and Christine Joy Nulada were crowned Mr. & Ms. Beinte Sinko 2009. They are both third graders and have collected 30 kilos of 25 centavo coins. Awarded first runners up are Carla Faigones and Xavier Moscaya, Jr. from the Grade 4, collecting a total of 13 kilos. The second runners up are Rhea Mae Fagarita and John Paul Faujurano representing the Grade 5. Together, they collected 7.5 kilos of coins. The third runners up are from Grade 1, collecting a total of 4.11 kilos. They are Connie Nicolasora and Christian Angelo Galvan. The fourth runners up are Glory Jenn Yap and Ronald Faner II from Grade 2. Together, they collected 2.5 kilos of 25 centavo coins.

From this activity, the school has raised a total of P 3, 660.00. This amount will be used as additional funding for the electrification project entitled LOL (Lighting Others’ Lives) that is currently being spearheaded by the Mind Builders in Malagyan Elementary School.

So you see? The “lowly” 25 centavo coin isn’t so lowly after all. What we need is just a little inspiration and the desire to look ahead. Who knows? You might see a long line of 25 centavo coins ahead of you, all of them waiting to be picked up just like the one you hold in your hand.

(An ounce of sacrifice, a sweat of hardship, a story of solidarity)

Being in an isolated place is really a hard thing. Though we can say that living there would give us fresh air and healthy life style, it is inevitable to experience hardships since it is far from the town where the center of trade is located. Being in a barrio would entail you to experience lack of some things especially in terms of facilities for education. This is what we saw at Brgy. Durog Day Care Center, a twenty-minute ride from the town proper of Miagao.

Having lack of facilities for conducive learning makes it hard for the little kids to establish a strong foundation for education. While still young, it is important to train these kids well in order to condition their minds in facing harder challenges in the future. But how can they learn well if they are not comfortable in their place of learning?

Kids of Brgy. Durog Day Care Center are really motivated to do good in their studies only that their school lacks the needed facilities especially a conducive classroom for learning. Kids don’t even mind walking under the extreme heat of the sun just to reach their temporary classroom, the Brgy. Hall. The Day Care Center teacher decided to have her classes at Brgy. Hall because of the fact that their roofs are leaking during rainy days and their pathway are muddy.

Seeing their situation, we have decided to help the center not only to establish a good classroom but at the same time helping the children to have a better foundation. Having them as our beneficiaries made us realize many things, that we can help them in our own little ways, that we are capable of establishing unity and cooperation among ourselves just to help them and most of all, we became more responsible in the different assignments and tasks given to us.

We had different fund raising activities aiming to raise money and at the same time aiming to strengthen the bond between us, the BUTLAK members. As time went fast, we realize that our vision will be possible with just cooperation among team members. And with frequent site visitations, we became close to the children and with other residents of Brgy. Durog. Seeing their smiles every site visit makes it very heartwarming on our part, making us even strive harder to have our vision come true.

It was the 8th day of March and the sun was high when the “Dagyaw” (Bayanihan) happened. Many parents and concerned residents helped out in the said activity. Many cooperated; ladies were assigned to prepare foods for the gentlemen, who were the one responsible for the refurbishment of the Day Care Center. Everyone was busy helping each other. At noontime, everyone gathered together for a prepared lunch. You can see in everyone’s eyes that they are very happy in helping out and also eating lunch of “monggo with langka and baboy” and free softdrinks. And at 4 pm, the work was on its way to be finished. The remaining work will be done by the assigned carpenters.

This project really taught us that nothing is impossible with helping hands and a willing heart.

With the ongoing festivities, the teams, accompanied by their respective team managers and UPV NSTP – CWTS Coordinator, Prof. Serafin O. Malecosio, Jr., conducted various fund raising activities on different locations in the town proper.

The activities carried out by the teams ranged from rummage sales to selling of personalized scrapbooks, bookmarks, food, and other novelty items. These activities have already been prepared by the team days before the event was held. Proceeds from the activities will be utilized to fund the ongoing projects being spearheaded by the teams for different beneficiaries in Miagao.

Projects being implemented by students this school year include: feeding project; school electrification; anti-dengue campaign; classroom rehabilitation; math, english and science tutorials; science laboratory rehabilitation; and “aklat para sa lahat” a textbook drive.

More Pictures @ Gallery

CWTS Students from the University of Philippines Visayas, Miagao Campus will showcase their projects at “Community Service Project Fair 2009″ competition to be held in Miagao Cultural Hall, Miagao, Iloilo on March 16-21, 2009. A total of 20 teams will compete for the best project award to be judged based on innovation, sustainability, partnership and impact. This school year’s service projects include school feeding; school electrification; anti-dengue campaign; classroom rehabilitation; math, english and science tutorials; science laboratory; “aklat para sa lahat” a textbook drive; and various fundraising initiatives for project beneficiaries.

The NSTP - Civic Welfare Training Service program trains students become social entrepreneurs, community organizers, project planners and implementers of service projects for the betterment of the lives of the people in the community. Projects instituted by students are in the areas of health, education, environment, safety, recreation, entrepreneurship, and morals of the citizenry.

Students are involved in the planning, management and running of each project. Each team runs its own meetings, decides on plans of action, looks for partner institution/organizations and conducts fund sourcing activities for project finances.

Prof. Serafin Malecosio Jr., NSTP CWTS Coordinator, said: “I am edified seeing my students doing their best in helping the community, overcoming their laziness and complacency, and making other people happy. I am very much satisfied seeing them as young project managers, planners and community organizers. I hope that they will continue living those ideals, values and passion after they have graduated in this training program.”

The NSTP CWTS is an expression of what students can do while they are still in the university, making use of their talents, creativity in making difference in the lives of the community. It is a training ground of future leaders, guided by CWTS core values of competence, integrity and spirit of service.

The students, guided by CWTS Coordinator and team managers develop and implement collaborative, innovative and sustainable community projects. Project implementation commences November 2009 and ends March 21, 2009.

The best project award is given to a small-scale project that fosters innovation, builds collaboration, and creates a sustainable impact to the community. The “Kapatiran award” is given to the team with exemplary organizational practices, cooperation, and commitment to the CWTS principles.

Minor Awards include: video presentation, Art contest, poster making for KIDS, photo journalism, essay writing, music composition, and innovative fundraising strategy.

These various competitions aim to enhance civic consciousness, creativity and cooperation in the students by developing the spirit of service and patriotism while undergoing training in this program.

Winners will be selected by professional judges during the NSTP CWTS week on March 16-21, 2009 in UPV Miagao, Iloilo. Awarding of winners will be on March 21, 2009. Cash prizes and certificates will be given to the winners of various contests.

For contest details please click link “COMPETITIONS” in the website’s homepage: www.upv.edu.ph/nstpcwts or email us: upvnstpcwts@gmail.com.

How about another hundred years?

“…the CWTS teams are here to serve and to motivate the community to dream the impossible”

“Great power comes with great responsibility,” so goes the golden lines of our friendly neighborhood Spiderman on his superhero quests, which had moved lots of new era leaders. Sharing a century of excellence and service, the University of the Philippines is one of those leaders that had constructed an undaunted foundation. As one of the primary backbones of the university’s mission-vision today, the National Service Training Program-Civil Welfare Training Service (NSTP-CWTS) incurred a new saga of a modern day “bayanihan,” a symbol of Filipino unity under one nation umbrella, creating values and changes to everyone. Now, the challenge is to carry out these changes for hundred years to come.

As we students journey with the NSTP-CWTS, we meet life-long pillars along the way that we well share to the community. We transform from every teary eyes’ “HOPELESSNESS” to “HOPEFULNESS.” Squeezing our creative juices to offer a drink of hope, inspires them that in their little ways, they too can do something big. Showing them that we, the CWTS team, are here to serve, motivates them to dream the impossible. Because more than anything else, we are to teach minds, touch hearts, and change lives.

Fortunate are we that the values we give are then folds back to us. As teachers learn more than the students learn from them, so are we too. We get to learn that a well-built service begets a solid rock leadership. Through our interaction with the community, we unlock mysteries of humility and camaraderie. As we serve the community, we experience innovation, formulating ideas and talents we thought we never had. And serving the people is also serving the country, piercing a nationalistic thread in each one of us.

As in every value we share and gain, we start the change we want to see. From as small as a frown into a smile, into big changes as an abandoned building into a daycare center, the extent of change does not matter. It is the inner change that determines if we had succeeded. True, the only constant thing is change and this will be the marked fossils that will make the conversion of NSTP-CWTS into a modern day “bayanihan.”

Now it draws down that the values and the changes we had inscripted in every people’s hearts transformed NSTP-CWTS into a higher strain— a live achievement for than just academics. As a powerhouse, it requires a great responsibility and must always retain being a modern day “bayanihan” excelling not only in the academe but in repaying back the never-failing service the mother country has given to us. The challenge is to continue and not to give up the values and changes planted in every student, touching more hearts, teaching more minds, and changing more lives for a hundred years to come. If we will not move now, then, when? If it is not us, then, who?