This year, BP Manila focused on the Community Service Program based on the needs raised by the management team on the school performance of its scholars. For 10 Saturdays every semester, the students conducted the tutorial program with SAAD beneficiaries. The students also underwent spiritual formation, designed for them.
The Word of Life, which is a sentence, taken of the Gospel to be put into practice was the center of their spiritual formation. Overall, it was a very positive experience for the student’s tutor as well as the students they coach. Further, on Saturdays, the students’ help facilitates the feeding program. They handled the formation of values, hygiene, environment, and catechesis, using the technique they learned from school, besides playing and organizing the feeding program per se. Having this assessment on the program implementation, the community service became a venue of sharing and exchanges of experiences, skills, and knowledge from the PNU students to the scholars and vice versa.
Also, PNU conducted a summer workshop with SAAD scholars using the facilities of the university. For more than two months, SAAD scholars go to PNU five (5) days a week for their computer literacy program, theater workshop, and sports.
PROGRESS REPORT ON FORMATION ACTIVITIES
From October 2019 to January 2020, Spiritual formation has been given to the following entities every month (except for PNU students who were met every Wednesday):
BP Staff 29
SAAD Scholars 191
Parents of SAAD scholars 241
PNU students 45
——————–
Total number 506
Observations
The 2nd batch of PNU students who did their NSTP finished last December. Because they were smaller in number compared to the 1st batch[1], they had more opportunities for sharing insights. They had strong impressions & realizations as well as experiences on living the Word. Many also expressed the desire to continue meeting like this beyond NSTP requirements. They ended up doing also the Dice of Love. This has always inspired them to think of creative ways to teach & motivate children.
We continued meeting the parents once a month. Since last September 2019, we’ve been meeting them together with some Bukas Palad workers in response to the call to “accompany” our families (beneficiaries). When our topic turned to the Eucharist, many of them also the scholars have not understood the importance of the Sacrament of Reconciliation which prepares one’s soul to fully receive Jesus in the Eucharist. Thus the need to talk about this sacrament as well. We have also “gone out of the classroom walls” to make Formation more stimulating. So last November we brought our Tramo Scholars ( high school & college levels only) to an exhibit on the environment to emphasize the point of Pope Francis when he wrote Laudato Si. Followup meetings in these months ahead will hopefully include their action plans and involve the whole Bukas Palad family in contributing to the care of our environment. Overall we still haven’t seen an improvement in the no. of attendees to parents’ & scholars’ formation in Tramo. We hope to gather many of them before the Lenten week for a general assembly & recollection.
Insights, Realizations, Experiences
Philippine Normal University (PNU)
· At first, I thought we came to Bukas Palad to help scholars in their studies, to teach them. But more than this we also had the time to learn, to listen, sometimes to be silent, or to reflect together with my classmates, on spiritual things & living life meaningfully.
· It has been said, “Teaching is a noble profession. Only brave souls enter it!” The job of a teacher isn’t easy at all. Bukas Palad Foundation allowed us to envision our future selves: teachers who love each student concretely! They are the ones who can influence & inspire their students.
· It is unbelievable that with just a short period I got to know what service is all about, what is my purpose & calling in life. Each formation session is memorable. They opened my eyes to the needs of society. As a teacher, I am not there just to share knowledge & wisdom but also the goodness & gifts God has given me. I’m very inspired to do things out of love for God because then I give Him glory. I may only be able to teach a few children at a time but my influence on them will reach more people.
· As a teacher, I understood we need to be role models also, like Chiara Lubich & the teacher in the movie we watched, “Freedom Writers”. And the need to build relationships with the students. I’ve built connections with some scholars here. I’ve noticed how they transformed from being shy & quiet to being active & participative in our discussions, openly sharing their thoughts. Should I fail, what matters most is to stand up & start again.
· After all the sessions, I realized that “loving” should always be a part of our daily lives. What is important to be an effective teacher above all is to love! Here in Bukas Palad, I learned to adjust to the needs of the children assigned to us for tutoring. I had to go down to their level of understanding. I saw that I needed to repeat many times before they understood what they needed to do so I shouldn’t get tired of doing so. I was able to participate in the feeding program & learned that many of them are deprived of the basic needs, some homeless. I began to have the passion to make them feel loved.
· In my few days in Bukas Palad, the lesson I will always bring with me is that of going beyond borders. To go beyond my comfort zone, to reach out to people I don’t know, every little step & every little thing counts. This will make life more meaningful!
· Isa sa tumatak na karanasan ko dito ay ang “fellowship” sa tuwing matatapos ang
aming pagtuturo. Pinupuno kami ng Magagandang Balita mula sa Panginoon. Pati
yung videos na napapanood naming ay nagsisilbing inspirasyon at gabay sa arawaraw
na pamumuhay. –
(English translation: One of my favorite experiences here is fellowship every time we finish our studies. The Good News fills us with the Lord. Even the videos we watch serve as inspiration and guides to our daily lives)
· I enjoyed best our sessions after tutoring, our small discussions on loving, kindness, reaching out. I like the sharing time we have because it’s inspiring what the others do & I can contribute also with my little acts of love & kindness shared.
· I had many “what if’s” when I came here. What if I cannot teach well? What if I won’t be enough? And many other questions in my mind. Little by little my “what if’s” turned to “why not?” Why not smile so I can make others smile? Why not try to understand the other so I can learn from them? Why not try to listen first? Yes, why not?
· I am thankful for the time to reflect on the Lord & to share with Him our everyday challenges, to see what we have done so far & be inspired to do more for the others.
· One of the things I will be forever grateful for is the constant reminder that God loves us & will always be there for us though we struggle much in life. And that I can influence & touch the lives of my students aside from just teaching them academically.
· I find it difficult to teach students who are naughty & playful. But I learned to be patient with them, to listen to their stories, to know their interests. I am grateful for the love & care of our formators, for the words of wisdom which brings relief to us as we sometimes feel drained with school work.
· One time I was in a photocopying shop to photocopy some scripts needed for school. An old lady came with some papers to photocopy also. I was next in line but I gave way to her. She thanked me & said without my kindness she would be late for Mass. Last Sunday, my friend was feeling so low as she felt she was failing in her major subjects. Though I was super busy, I didn’t hesitate to go to their house & be with her.
· To love & to show love: I feel so frustrated at times when the kids are so stubborn, but trying to love, I learned to be with them as a friend…to smile, to listen & talk with them, to control my emotions & be there for them.
· Nasira ang CPU cord ng computer sa bahay dahil kinagat ng daga. Hindi ko alam kung bakit pero nagkusa akong bumili ng bagong cord upang magamit ulit naming lahat sa bahay. Ito ang natutunan ko dito.
Activities for the SAAD Program[2]
The varied activities aim at an integral formation of the beneficiary with the parents as partners in
accompanying the growth and the development of the child.
Last 13 October 2018, Mr. Roberto Samson, specialized trainer/coach on Basic Awareness on Child Protection conducted a half-day workshop, to a group of twenty-seven parents who had varied reactions/feedback from perplexity, fear, realizations (the different forms of child abuse, its consequences, and its prevention), to remorse and conversion. It was unfortunate though, that only a few responded to the invitation to such a very important and relevant issue involving parents and other people dealing and working with children and young people. To take full advantage of future courses, it was suggested that ample time should be allotted to the dissemination of information on the event.
Open City Workshops
An out-of-town activity is an opportunity to get to know different kinds of places and people. The “Open City” was a day of fun, games, experiences and workshops, for all ages held at Terra Moy, Tagaytay City, organized by the Focolare Movement at its Mariapolis Center in Tagaytay called Mariapolis Peace.
A small group of six young people participated in the event. They learned a Korean Dance (K-Pop) and had a taste of Pakistani cuisine, as well as a tour of the houses of the inhabitants of the “little city which is a testimonyof the life of unity in a community.
One of the scholars who came, shared, “her impression: “It was really beautiful because I saw the unity of peoples, regardless of skin color. They didn’t see the other as different from them… I want to go back there”. At present, she became more sociable, especially with her co-beneficiaries.
Values for Integration and Effectiveness Workshop (VIEW),
a 3-day global formation program for young adults (average age of Senior High School, College students, and above). It aims to clarify one’s values that are aligned with the values of the spirituality of unity: communion, testimony, spirituality, health, and ecology, beauty and harmony, wisdom, communication; and the core values of the Bukas Palad Foundation: reciprocity, social consciousness, fraternal love, communion, and integrity; develop a personal vision for oneself, and formulate “back home” plans to enhance personal and collective effectiveness.
The workshop helped the participants to clarify their values that align with the core values of Bukas Palad, developed a personal vision for oneself, discussed and tried our practices that enhance personal and collective effectiveness, using the Rainbow Life framework based on the Seven Aspects of the life of
the Spirituality of Unity namely:
1. Resource Management & Work and Economy (Red),
2. Investing in Relationships & Other-centeredness (Orange),
3. Yearning for Higher Ground & Spirituality (Yellow),
4. Caring for Your Body & Good Health (Green),
5. Caring for My Environment & Beauty and Harmony (Blue),
6. Continuous Improvement & Wisdom and Studies (Indigo),
7. Voice of Unity & Communication (Violet).
The seven aspects served as a guide to a well-balanced life, which is the human dimension rooted in the spiritual.
The plan of action was timely for the New Year as resolutions.
The seven aspects were presented well as a guide for living a well-balanced life but it can also be reviewed to consider presenting also the spiritual dimension of these aspects which is its roots.
Learning experiences:
A Senior High student participant relates his experience nine months after the VIEW Course. He was able to fulfill all his back-home plans in each aspect. He had trouble managing his time wisely. After classes, he would usually speed things up to finish schoolwork so he can spend more time enjoying playing mobile games for at least five hours which covered almost his entire afternoon. When it comes to household chores, he waits for his parents to ask for his help. Otherwise, he would not move. At times, he even finds a way to escape. He also skipped attending some Sunday Masses that depended on how he “felt”. This poor time management also resulted in having low performance in school. He also avoided eating bananas because he did not like them and he had no exercise at all.
His participation in the workshop helped him to improve as he was about to enter college. He acquired a more serious attitude towards his studies which motivated him all the more to implement his back home plans. He no longer spends most of his time playing mobile games. When he counted the number of hours, he spent on it for 1 whole month, it’s been reduced at present, to a maximum of 3 hours. He now has a list of things to do with a prepared schedule. As such, he can spend more time in his studies without rushing. He has higher scores on his exams. He is very happy he can now achieve a perfect score which he said, he used to have difficulty in accomplishing. To add, he now takes the initiative in doing the household chores and no longer escapes from them. He included it in his schedule. On Sundays, even if he woke up late and the rest of the family had already gone to Mass that morning, he will still find time to be able to attend Mass because he already understood the value of it. He believes that he can dedicate his time to God every moment of his life and not only in going to Mass every Sunday. He no longer chooses even bananas. He also spends time on regular exercises.
He once had poor time management applied what he learned and improved himself in every aspect. He considered it life-changing and one can truly notice the difference between the student before and now.
Now, he takes the initiative in conversations. He became more responsible and focused. He was very grateful to have gone through the VIEW course and one can see how the personified the lessons learned in VIEW. It was the right moment for him. Had he not gone through the course; he wouldn’t have to cope with the pressures at the onset of college life.
UGAT (Ugnayan at Tulong para sa Maralitang Pamilya—which means connection and assistance for the disadvantaged family) Foundation, an apostolate of the Jesuits for grassroots that conducts its ministry through psychological interventions and family systemic approaches, rendered its initial services in January 2019. The focus of the opening sessions was on planning and realization of workshops for minors, ages 13-17 years old, who are at the stage of confusion of sexual roles and identity. The facilitators confirmed the need to strengthen the sexual identity and roles of the teens amid growing issues on gender. The continuity of the future sessions will depend upon the outcome of the revision of the modules of the UP2ME project, as it is expected to cover the said matter of prime importance in the formation of young people.
Bukas Palad aims to instill appreciation and value of the richness of Philippine Culture through artistic expressions of its folk dances and songs. Last 15th of February, twenty-eight (29) high school scholars responded to the invitation of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), to “Panaghabi”, a cultural show featuring Mindanao folklore – its life, ways, customs, and traditions.
Learning experience:
For many, It was a discovery on how cultural production can be done, acquired knowledge and information on Southern Philippines, its peaceful life.
It inspired participation in the summer workshops on dancing and theater, conducted by the Philippine Normal University students.
Inspired by the presentation at CCP and the desire to make the summer productive, Bukas Palad entered into a partnership with the Philippine Normal University (PNU), one of the Philippines’ premier schools for teacher education. Their students now conduct literacy training service to students of institutions like Bukas Palad, an immersion in a community that is a requirement of the school.
In compliance with said agreement, the university students who came in the morning were: 15 participants for Basketball, 5 for Volleyball, and 5 for Badminton. In the afternoon, there were: 4 for Dancing and Theater and 6 for the Computer literacy program; workshops on basketball, volleyball, badminton, dancing, theater.
The month-long workshops concluded with an official game for the sports the morning sessions, a stage presentation for the Dance and Theater groups in which the latter did a skit on the environment. The computer group presented vlogs and slideshows. It was evident how the workshops honed sports and artistic skills/abilities and helped develop all the domains of the transversal competencies.
In the previous months, they have visited our center to conduct tutorial sessions with the students of SAAD who have obtained a general average below 80% and for those who have difficulty in Math and English. This was made possible by the head of the university’s department who was a former beneficiary of Bukas Palad.
The students of the Philippine Normal University also conduct tutorial sessions every Wednesday and in turn, they also receive formation on the spirituality of unity from Bukas Palad’s spiritual formators.
One time, after a week of meeting about the Word of Life for the month which was “Freely we receive, freely we give”, one PNU student shared his experience. It was a hot afternoon when he decided to go to a convenience store to buy milk tea. At the entrance, he noticed an old beggar. He thought that this man will also appreciate having something to drink so he bought him not only one but two bottled water and then he also bought milk tea for himself. After paying at the counter, he went to the old man to give him the two bottles first then came back to get his milk tea. When he asked for the change, the cashier did not charge him anymore after seeing his kindness. Living this verse of the Gospel also proves how true is the phrase: “Give and you shall receive.”
This Word of Life had an impact on them. The following month, almost everyone shared how they helped people in need around Manila especially in the vicinity of the university.
[1] The 1st batch in 2018-2019 is a pilot testing activity between PNU and BP Manila.
[2] Activities that involve scholars, their parents, and PNU students.
EXPERIENCES OF THE PNU STUDENTS:
Student 1 shared how he prepared some bread with mayonnaise to randomly give to people begging. She went to Luneta Park with her friends to distribute them. For her, even if it was a simple gesture, she felt fulfillment. She valued food more, that is, she became more conscious of the food that is wasted.
Student 2 had new roommates in the dormitory. One of them became sick. She didn’t hesitate to tell her that if she needed anything, she is free to ask. April noticed she needed help. However, her allowance is also tight. Right there, she decided not to spend money on unessential things and instead use that money to help her roommate. She secretly did this while also hiding the fact that she was tight with her finances. That experience reminded her of being grateful to have things that other people may not have.
Student 3 has a tradition of celebrating whenever he has achieved something. Since he just recently won in a quiz bee, he thought of buying himself his favorite lasagna. While walking, he saw two children who were begging on the streets. He noticed they were thin. At first, he ignored them because he was already planning to treat himself. Then, he stopped for a while. He realized that perhaps while he is celebrating his achievement, others may not even be able to celebrate their birthdays. So, he decided instead to give the money \to the children he saw. He considered giving, as his celebration.
Student 4, loves receiving letters and notes. It makes him feel special. Then, one night, he saw a post shared by his classmates on social media, “Leave a short message for me, I need one”. Then he thought, maybe he can give something, at least a short message of encouragement to remind and motivate them to carry on. The next morning, he went to school early and left notes written in small pieces of paper inside the classroom for each classmate. He also left a note for himself so he will remain anonymous. When his classmates arrived, one had noticed a paper that made everyone look for the rest. They kept on wondering who left those notes but they remain grateful to whoever did. Student 4 couldn’t be happier having made his classmates happy. Truly, generosity is not only limited to money.
The first batch of PNU students who underwent immersion concluded by the first week of September. Among them, 13 have expressed the desire to continue formation meetings with the Spirituality of Unity of the Focolare Movement, through the Youth for a United World Program. A program will be prepared for them which in due time, will help them to the transition towards the Youth for a United World U-belt group meetings.
———————————————————————————————————–
Bukas Palad scholars were also invited to a one-month program of formation and immersion in community life, also known as the “Summer School”, which aims to promote universal fraternity. Since this is an in-depth formation program and requires certain maturity and exposure, only three scholars were recommended to participate. However, only one was able to come, since the other scholar was offered a summer job and another student was not available. This was held in Mariapolis Peace, Tagaytay City from June 30 to July 28., 2019.
The scholar who participated is a shy person and it was her first time to be away from home for a month. During the first days, she would often contact her parents to update them. On the third day, she felt she already wanted to go home but her parents encouraged her to continue the experience. During her first days of stay, she did not expect to become close friends with anyone with the thought that this experience will pass immediately. As days passed, she was able to befriend a young person from Nepal who she developed a deep friendship. She was amazed by this experience because she had difficulty with the language she communicates with her but eventually, she realized it was not a barrier for them to become friends. She became friends with other participants even though they all had different backgrounds. The once shy lady has now become confident. She even bravely faced an audience and shared her experience in the Summer Gen School ( a summer gathering by the Focolare Movement to the youth member of the organization at its center in Tagaytay City) to a crowd of 100 in one of its segments.
There was another invitation to participate in a three-day formation known as the Y4UW (Youth for a United World) Camp. The said camp aims to empower young people to be catalysts of a united world. Thus, the program included workshops to help participants learn how they can concretely bring about unity in their local communities through the different aspects of society such as economics, dialogue, arts, social development, and media.
EXPERIENCES
Among the attendees, a scholar shared, “Socializing with others of different ages and nationalities is not that easy but this event helped me to overcome my social anxiety. I learned a lot of things from the different persons and their beliefs. I learned how to get out of my comfort zone…I want to treasure this experience.
Another scholar was assigned to Bukas Palad Tagaytay. Upon her group’s visit, she felt she was technically doing the same thing in Bukas Palad Manila. According to her, the only difference is that she interacted with the kids in Manila out of compliance while she interacted with the kids in Tagaytay with love, in the spirit of true service towards the other. With this realization, she said that the next opportunities that she will interact with and help the kids in Bukas Palad Manila, she will do it with love, not just because it was required, but because she feels compassion towards the other. This moving experience did not only change her perspective in doing her community service in Manila but her enthusiasm as well. Now, whenever she has the opportunity to help in the tutorial classes in Manila, she does it and with love.
Besides these formation activities done outside of Bukas Palad, an in-house formation was also held during the summer for one week during the last week of May. It was the Summer Catechism that targeted scholars who are Catholics so they may have a deeper understanding of the faith through sessions on the 4 Pillars of the Catholic Faith: The Creed, Prayer, the Sacraments, and Morality. However, only a few scholars were able to come and so it is recommended to insert these topics in the monthly formation meetings, to include it in recollections and retreats, or to hold another Summer Catechism Program in the next FY. Having it again next Summer is also under consideration.
All the formation programs and activities developed the different domains of transversal competencies in the scholars – interpersonal skills, critical and innovative thinking, intrapersonal skills, media and information literacy (specifically the ethical use of ICT), global citizenship, and others including respect for religious values and appreciation of healthy lifestyle, as defined by UNESCO.
The scholars have a regular schedule for the tutorial and formation classes. To strengthen its spiritual formation according to the life of unity, two spiritual formators conducted sessions every first week of the month for parents and every second week of the month for beneficiaries.
The month of July was the orientation and commencement of formation. Both parents and scholars were given a session on the “Story of the Ideal” (Story of the Focolare Movement), Chiara Lubich, and the history of Bukas Palad.
The parents and scholars realized the value of the monthly Word of Life, the core of the meetings handled with much creativity through activities that encourage them to live a life based on the Gospel.
A point of the Art of Loving, “Love Your Enemy” was discussed and bore fruits of experiences!
A mother noticed that the water she fetched in the afternoon to be used for the following day was seemingly decreasing before she could start using it in the morning. She observed first and discovered the pattern in the days that came. One night, she decided to stay up until she’s able to find out the reason why the water decreases even if unused. She was surprised to see her neighbor stealing the water! She thought of confronting this person but instead, she talked gently to her and explained that what she was doing was wrong. The neighbor felt sorry. She apologized and promised to never do it again. At first, this parent found it difficult to do it but when she forgave the neighbor, she felt free.
Experience in “Loving Everyone”.
One day a scholar encountered a classmate who had nothing to eat during break time. He saw this classmate sitting in a corner. In his desire to do an act of kindness, he approached this classmate and offered his sandwich. The classmate thanked him for the gift that he had offered. The scholar felt happy to have given it even if it was his only snack for the day. Truly, no one is too poor to give.
Other issues:
In a meeting of the parents, they were asked about the challenges they presently encounter as a family. The following challenges emerged: health, vices, misunderstanding, and financial problems. They also enumerated the things they want to improve in the family such as communication, faith, the discipline of the children, managing finances, and time.
The parents are partners of BP in the community, particularly in the accompaniment of the children in their growth and development. The parents need a global formation as well. The New Family Movement of the Focolare could give valuable assistance to the families.
———————————————————————————————————–
MARIAPOLIS
Mariapolis, a three-day summer gathering of the Focolare Movement which was held in Tagaytay City and Baguio City, aims to form its participants according to the spirituality of unity. This year’s Mariapolis centered on the value of family, youth, and dialogue with one given focus each day.
This with an almost 20% turn-out of participants and another in Baguio City with a 40% turn-out of participants.
Fruits of the Mariapolis:
Scholar 1 was observed to have matured and became more responsible after the Mariapolis. She became more active in her engagements in the community of Bagong Silangan, Quezon City. She also now takes initiative in doing her schoolwork and projects compared to before.
Scholar 2 felt out of place at first when she arrived in Tagaytay with new faces and with almost no one familiar to her. As time passed, she was able to get to know new friends whom she remains in contact with up to the present. She was very happy because she felt the joy of friendship.
One parent was amazed to see how proud her child was when she posted “Mahal ako ni Jesus kahit makasalanan ako.” (Jesus loves me even if I am sinful) as a profile picture on social media.
Other parents commented on how grateful they were to know that their children bravely went out to meet new friends whose pictures were taken through their cellphone cameras and were shown to them when they got back. They also noticed how they started to take initiative in helping at home.
