Send 200 Filipino kids to better daycare centers

After more than two years of distance learning, schools and daycare centers in the Philippines are finally going to re-open its doors to welcome students back in the classrooms. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the last time that Philippine schools had actual students learning inside its halls was way back in March 2020. With COVID-19 cases becoming more manageable and with pediatric vaccinations becoming more available to students between the ages of 5 to 17 years old, the Philippine government has decided that face-to-face or in-classroom learning would be implemented when the new school year opens this 22 August 2022. 

While this is regarded as a positive development for teachers and parents who firmly believe that in-classroom learning trumps distance learning, there are many challenges along the way. Parents and students are concerned that the current economic climate would hinder them from securing needed school supplies. Teachers are concerned that they do not have enough classroom materials for returning students.

With these challenges at hand, the Daycare Improvement Project that you helped support is staying true to its goal of going beyond helping daycare students and improving daycare centers. Through your support, the following programs are to be implemented in time for the opening of the new school year:

Continued Support for the Daycare Centers in La Union

Through your donation, the Daycare Improvement Project will continue to coordinate with the La Union Daycare Centers to identify immediate needs that the project can provide that would improve daycare learning for enrolled students. Based on the most recent feedback and reports from the La Union Daycare Center teachers HBI works with, all of the previously provided materials, educational equipment, toys, and books are well-accounted and are ready for use once the school year starts on 22 August 2022. All infrastructure improvements made possible by the project have remained sustainable and daycare centers are now gearing up for the re-opening of face-to-face daycare learning.  

School Supplies for 366 indigent students in Metro Manila and Nearby Provinces

With the daycare centers and students already equipped with their school needs through previously reported activities, your support has enabled the Daycare Improvement Project to provide basic school supplies such as notebooks, pens, pencils, and pad papers to 366 indigent students in Metro Manila and nearby provinces of Rizal and Bulacan. These students are all enrolled in public schools and are part of households that only earn an average of US$ 3 to 5 daily - an amount too difficult to stretch in terms of providing all the needs of the family members. These activities are going to be implemented from August 22, 2022 to the first week of September 2022.    

Continuing of Health Support for Community Health Centers in La Union and Metro Manila

In-kind donations from Vitamin Angels Philippines has enabled the Daycare Improvement Project to provide 17 community health centers in La Union Province, Pampanga Province, and Metro Manila with supplies of Vitamin A supplements for children under 5 years old, deworming tablets for children, and multiple micronutrient supplements (MMS) for pregnant women. Over 3,000 children and pregnant women are benefitting from this health support initiative. Private donors who came across the GlobalGiving page but chose to willingly donate in-kind also enabled the project to provide over 100 children with their own complete sets of hygiene kits. Through your support, the project will continue to try to provide these health needs to underequipped community health centers.

Other Important Updates: The July 28, 2022 Earthquake

On July 28, 2022, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck the Northern Philippines where the La Union Province is located. The epicenter of the earthquake is a town in the Abra Province - approximately two to three hours away from the La Union Province - which bore the brunt of the earthquake's effects. Based on immediate reports from community groups, parents, and daycare teachers in La Union, while they felt the shaking caused by the earthquake, there were no major damages or casualties in La Union. The daycare centers also did not report any structural or material damages. 

Our Most Heartfelt Thanks

It is heartwarming for a small organization like HBI to receive generous and unsolicited support from donors all over the world for the benefit of the Filipino daycare children and indigent students. In behalf of these children who firmly believe that education is their ticket out of poverty, HBI would like to fervently thank all previous and current supporters and donors of this simple project - most notably Karina Estrada, Stainless Flat Pack Pty Ltd, FCIC Diocese of Los Angeles, Vitamin Angels Philippines, Roland Jay Dingal, Rio Siochi, Elyas Kashfi, Andrew Fader, Lucille Kelly, Alessandro Ciccolo, Malambing Serafin, Derek Housman, Michelle Stefin, Gomez, and all the other donors who chose to give anonymously. Your support, willingly given and received with utmost gratitude, inspires HBI to continue doing their very best work for this project to reach more children in need.     

Until our next report!