However, his security guard license was expired 10 years ago as he has not had enough money to renew it. The agency has taken an advantage of it and keep delaying in paying of his salaries, sometimes for 3 months. It makes his family in a difficult situation. However, he cannot argue much as he is not currently licensed.

His wife, Elvie works at Academy of World Healing Foundation (AWH) as a part-time housekeeper. Since she only works every other day, her income alone does not fully support the family.

On February 22, 2023, Our club, Rotary International Multinational Manila (RIMM), decided to provide a financial assistance of P7,000 to him for the renewal of his security guard license, so that he can select a good agency and be competitive.

He will start the renewal process including Philippine National Police (PNP) Intelligence Clearance Certificate, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Clearance Certificate, and so on.

With his security guard license renewed, he will be able to apply for another security agency who will pay his salary on time and give employee’s benefits such as Social Security, Philhealth (health insurance), and Pagibig (home loan program).

He will keep our club informed on the renewal progress.

Update on April 14, 2023

The security agency at Camp Crame in Metro Manila recently mailed his licensed card and Dionisio finally obtained his renewed and valid security guard license.

Update on May 25th, 2023

Dionie visited our HQ on May 8, 2023 to show his security guard license card.

He was accepted to work at a bank in Tagaytay City with much higher salary rate and better benefits than before, when he did not have the active license.

Such activities have mostly been reactive to the events that have happened, such as providing aids to damaged areas by natural disasters, ending polio, etc.

Now, Rotarians are stepping forward and challenging to create a new format of society.

We can see that the existing consumerist format of society is a dead end. As the result of pursuing profits of a few people, groups or corporations, there are dire poverty, wars and destruction in nature. Even mainstream mass media are control by them and the truth has been hidden. They do not tell us that there are unstoppable climate changes, but we have already seen or experienced them.

We people have to rise and unite. We need to voice that we want to end this consumerist society and create a new society that belongs to people and is organized directly by people.

Such movement has already been active. Please see the Creative Society format.

The following volunteers joined the event:

• Army Reserve Command 402nd Team
• Alfonso Municipal Mayor Randy Salamt (RS) group
• Members of the Alfonso police who donated school supplie
• CDC Charlie of Anti-Crime Alfonso
• Gina of Department of Social Welfare Development Alfonso
• Barangay Captain Cynthia of Luksuhin Ibaba
• Barangay Captain Berio Perea of Manggas Uno who donated children’s clothing and slippers
• Guardians Central Federation International
• Guardians youth

About 70 indigent children attended the event.

Our club provided the following to the children:

• slippers
• clothing
• toys
• reading books
• school supplies ie. crayons, pencils
• packed biscuits and drinks

A Philippine non-profit organization Academy of World Healing Foundation (AWH) which provides the HQ facility to our club at no cost provided the following items that were donated by its guests from Japan:

• schools supplies
• adult clothing
• travel size hygiene items (shampoo, toothbrush, toothpaste, soap)
• bags
• men’s shoe

Children’s faces were lit up each time an item was individually handed to them. They also received P20 coins each. While the event was on-going the children opened their packed biscuits and drinks immediately.

The leader of Camp Hope was very grateful for extending the spirit of Christmas to their children. He even mentioned that it was only our club who helped them with weekly food supply during the Enhanced Community Quarantine period when they were not able to go out to sell taho (tofu), their vending staple. In a joyous voice all of the children said, “Maraming salamat po” (translation: “Thank you”) at the end of the event.

Our district 3810 granted our club P25,000 for the workshop.

There were 10 students under our scholarship program and an American student who actively participated in the workshop. Mario, a student who used to be at the nearby squatter camp and now resides in Northern Samar, connected online to get involved in the workshop.

Two guest speakers were invited namely Jose Tayolo, a Director and actor and Elvie Bueta, a writer, syllabus developer and actress.

Past President Raymund and Honorary member Sgt. Jun shared their involvements in the club during the workshop.

The workshop involved many activities involving different aspects of arts to seek and develop leadership skills of the students.

President Lito, who is a renowned sculptor and also was an art teacher, aims to gear up involvements of students to develop leadership skills for future community services.

Meals were served in the one-day workshop.

At the end of the workshop. certificates of participation were handed to the 11 students, speakers and volunteers Julie-Ann and Katrina.

The students discovered leadership skills that they could develop and the self confidence to talk in front of an audience.

Responsible parenthood will be discussed during the event.

Captain Army & officials extended their gratitude to RIMM and PP Don for their contributions. 

District Governor Rudy Bediones and district officers were appreciative of the efforts of RIMM to render services in the 6 Areas of Focus of Rotary.

The senior high school students also fitted their new school uniforms bought at a store in Luksuhin market.

The school shoes & senior high school uniforms were provided by RIMM about which Vanessa reported that the students from Camp Hope were very excited to receive.

The mother of Vanessa as a sawer will finish with the sewing of elementary & high school skirts by next week.

We plan to distribute all of the school needs by May 28 as the new school year commences on June 3.

UPDATES on Birth Certificates:
A total of 15 birth certificates have been successfully released. The remaining 21 birth certificates are still on process. We are aiming to have all of the remaining done before the end of June.

RIMM has further adopted a squatter camp site consisting of 14 families and 75 people, calling it Camp Hope. As part of the government’s family planning efforts women are obliged to visit the local barangay health center once a month for family planning education and desired assistance. Two of the partnered women had been ligated years ago, one lady is pregnant with her second child and the rest of the women practice family planning.

These families largely came from Mapanas, Northern Samar to Cavite with most never having had the opportunity to attend school. Their primary income is from making tofu which requires that they buy the beans for the women to prepare with the men collecting largely a dwindling supply of dead firewood carried often on their backs from wooded areas as far as 1-2 hour walking distance. Their process of making tofu consists of grinding the soybeans with water, boiling the grounded paste-like soybeans using firewood, and then adding “calcium” which will solidify the paste. Tofu is then sold along streets, in markets and along highways. During the rainy season it is difficult to collect firewood and sell tofu along roadsides, so everyone goes hungry.

In conjunction with the barangay (local village) volunteer health worker, family needs were evaluated along with their request for assistance. 35 persons (13 female ages 6 to 35; 22 male ages 3 to 48) did not have the legally required birth certificates and therefore no true legal standing in the community. Four of the 35, all men 27, 36, 40, 47 years old, are illiterate (cannot read or write) as they did not/could not attend school in Samar. However, they are supporting their families. In close cooperation with the City of Alfonso and local pastors, an attempt is made to obtain birth certificates for everyone with RIMM strongly supporting the project and providing the necessary funding. However, after three months of spearheading this part of the project, only six birth certificates have been issued to date (as of April, 2019) by the authorities. This mirrors the hopelessness indigents often feel in their attempts to better their lives as it would be almost impossible to get “after the fact” birth certificates without the long-term financial support of committed sponsors. Further assistance is being provided for the four illiterate persons to attend special training while also working to support their families.

As pointed out by Camp Hope residents and the volunteer barangay health worker, basic needs further included better sanitation, firewood, rice, staple foods and clothing.

RIMM therefore immediately provided 2 toilet bowls, firewood as well as clothing and slippers for 20 children as some of them walked around nude or semi-nude nude and most did not even have slippers. To assure continued education for the young, eager minds to give them a chance in life, RIMM is also providing for the new school year starting June 2019 the required uniforms and shoes for all of Camp Hope’s day care (5M, 1F), kindergarten (2M, IF), elementary school (5M, 10F) and high school children/students (10M, 10F) along with necessary school supplies.

Occasional additional support missions to Camp Hope and other such camps is also carried out in conjunction with overseas visitors to RIMM and its H.Q. where lodging is available for them. For example on March 9, twelve Japanese, US RIMM and Filipino members and guests visited “Camp Hope”, initially providing an additional 15 kg of rice to each family along with goodies for the children as well as six sacks of firewood and 3 sacks of brown coconuts donated to RIMM from
AWH (Academy of World Healing) for such support and dental hygiene kits donated by assisting Rotary clubs. They also bought and enjoyed the taste of the freshly made tofu. Firewood and coconuts are also provided on a continuing as available and needed basis to this and other groups.