New learning kits for 30 Manila day care centers

Lucky recipients of donations from the East Meets West Foundation of Vietnam will receive brand-new learning kits to be distributed in 30 day care centers in Manila. The donations were received on Monday by local government officials and day care administrators led by kagawad Edmon Cayanan, Rosalie Mocon, kagawad Diana Espinosa, Nerezabeth Tardio, Angelica Anit, Glenda Deria of the social welfare department NCR, city administrator Simeon Garcia, Dr. Honey Pangan and Evelyn Carballo of the Manila Department of Social Welfare. With them was Iris Gokeelao, country director of East Meets West. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Thirty day care centers in Manila will exchange their old learning materials for 60 boxes of brand-new development kits containing early childhood materials donated by a Vietnamese nongovernment organization on Monday.

East Meets West Foundation, a Vietnamese nongovernment organization (NGO), chose Manila as one of the beneficiaries of its program under the Department of Social and Welfare Development’s (DSWD) Early Childhood Care and Development, to assist in the comprehensive development of children until 6 years old. This is also in line with the Barangay Day Care Program of 1987 which provides parental care to children below 6 years old through developmentally appropriate activities that develop their social, mental, psychological and physical capacities.

DSWD National Capital Region child welfare specialist Glenda M. Derla said Manila and Caloocan were the two selected local government units to benefit from the project as these two cities need assistance the most in terms of the quality of education and development provided in day care centers.

During the turnover ceremony at the City Hall on Monday, 30 chosen day care centers from the six districts in Manila each received two boxes containing learning materials such as puzzles and number blocks, plastic feeding utensils, school supplies, toys, musical instruments, health supplies, books and other reading materials for 2,000 pupils.

Child development worker Veronica S. Dorig, of Brgy. 742, Zone 79, Singalong, Manila, expressed her gratitude to the NGO as well as the city government for the aid provided to them.

She noted that the monthly budget provided by the barangay for the expenses of the day care center was not enough to buy books and other learning materials for her pupils aged 3 to 5 years old. “I cannot take money from my own pocket because my monthly allowance is only P3,500,” she added.

Adelfa Cabiles, a child development worker of Brgy. 101, Zone 8, Tondo, said the donations will help her 110 pupils who are using old learning booklets and visual materials. “They will be so happy when they see these toys, books and other learning stuff,” added Cabiles.

Manila City administrator Simeon Garcia said the learning materials will be very beneficial to the training of the children in attaining quality education.

“Of the more than 500 day care centers in the city, we are thankful that East Meets West chose 30 beneficiaries from  us,” Garcia said.

The organization also vowed to enhance professional education of service providers through training programs for child development workers who will be provided resource materials after they complete the workshop.

“In September last year, the group together with DSWD-NCR conducted the live-in training of the development workers from Manila and Caloocan,” Derla told the Inquirer.

Iris Gokeelao, East Meets West country director, said that since the registration of the organization as a resource agency of the DSWD in 2013, it has been firm in its commitment of “delivering innovative solutions to problems faced by the poor in developing countries.” The foundation, established in 1988 by book author Lely Hayslip, has core programs in the areas of learning, healing and health in Asian countries like Vietnam, Cambodia, India and the Philippines.

Derla also expressed their intention to expand the project to other cities in Metro Manila and also reach out to other provinces in the country.

“By focusing on early childhood care and development, the DSWD-NCR and East Meets West Foundation also want to have more accredited day care centers in Manila and Caloocan,” she said.