Children of soldiers get newhttp://www.ahonfoundat

AHON donates books at Mindanao

Fri, 18 May 2012 04:45:00 -0500

Distance never hinders AHON Foundation from helping our countrymen! We donated brand-new books to two lucky schools in Mindanao, Dongon Elementary School and Parang Central Elementary School.

"Thank you so much! This is the first time we have ever seen this kind of books", enthuses the teary-eyed teachers who had received the books.

We thank Mr. Ariel Rodriguez for helping us in bringing the books to the community! Also, we would like to thank our Filway Marketing branch in Davao. Together with you, we had been instruments of change! Kudos to all of us! :)

To know more about AHON Foundation and how you may be able to help, please give us a call at (632) 433-1440 or visit http://ahonfoundation.blogspot.com.

Visit:
https://www.facebook.com/#!/ahonfoundation
http://www.filway.com.ph/

New year, new library for QC

Sun, 22 Jan 2012 03:44:00 -0600

Manila Bulletin
http://mb.com.ph/node/348882/new-year-new-library-qc

MANILA, Philippines — The Year of the Water Dragon promises to be a year full of blessings. Acts of Hope for the Nation (AHON) Foundation started the year right by opening its 55th adopted public elementary school library at Kamuning Elementary School in Quezon City last Jan. 16.

As a foundation dedicated towards becoming the leading advocate of education, AHON is committed to uplifting the lives of the Filipino youth by providing relevant learning opportunities. Recognizing the pivotal role of the library in increasing school children’s literacy rate, we partner with and empower local communities in developing public school libraries.

Kamuning Elementary School, under the stewardship of its principal Thelma Co, worked diligently and resourcefully to transform their old and non-functional library into a colorful, beautiful and children-friendly haven of reading.

Aware of the scarcity of funds needed to develop the facility, Co harnessed the resourcefulness of the teachers and the creativity of the students in order to complete the task. Soon, the power of working together made development and improvement achievable and possible.

LEVELING THE PLAYING FIELD

Completing the transformation, AHON delivered the hardbound and interactive Time-Life reference books in English, Math and Sciences last August 11. The almost Thalf-a-million worth of books, with additional learning resource materials that offers a more in-depth and well-rounded experience of reading, were greeted enthusiastically by the community.

“In AHON, we are leveling the playing field. Ang mga librong ibinigay ay nababasa sa mga private schools. Ngayon, mababasa na rin ang mga ito sa mga public schools. We are aware that there are more children enrolled in public schools. Thus, the future of our country is determined by the public school system. AHON recognizes that if we help it become better, we can be assured of a brighter future. We are glad to be of help,” said AHON chairman Hector “Chito” Tagaysay during the inauguration of the library.

Dr. Ria Santos, division supervisor in English (Elementary), Dr. Milagros Quinonez, division supervisor in English (Secondary) and Mercuria Ganaden, district supervisor of the Department of Education joined Tagaysay and Lewis Edwards, member of AHON’s board of trustees.

As the new principal, Co noticed the sorry state of the library and hastened to do something about it. Teachers set aside a portion of their holiday vacation and put all their effort into making the library development project a reality. “With AHON Foundation, the school had gained proper motivation and drive to work more diligently than ever before. Thank you for being here, AHON Foundation,” said Mrs. Co, “On our part, we are now drafting a good library system to ensure that all the children from preschool to Grade 6 will be able to use the library. We assure you that the books will be used.”

AHON Foundation is the corporate social responsibility of Filway Marketing Inc., exclusively distributing Timelife books in the Philippines. To date, AHON Foundation has already adopted 55 public elementary schools all over the country, reaching even far-flung places, benefiting more than 130,000 children.

This 2012, we will continue to bring more hope to the Filipino children by bridging more books and children together.

To continue our good cause, we are encouraging everyone to donate in cash or in kind. You may contact us at 433-1440 and ahonfoundation@yahoo.com. For more information, you may visit www.ahonfoundation.org or www.facebook/ahonfoundation. The author works as the program officer of AHON Foundation.

MacQuarie partners with AHON in adopting a school

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 04:26:00 -0500

What a school thinks about its library is a measure of what it thinks about education

By HERBEL SANTIAGO (Contributor)
October 16, 2011, 8:00am
Manila Bulletin

MANILA, Philippines — The above saying by Harold Howe now adorns the newly-refurbished library of Sagad Elementary School in Pasig, AHON Foundation’s 48th adopted library, to echo the school’s belief in the important role of libraries in improving students’ literacy rate. AHON stands for Acts of Hope for the Nation.

Sagad Elementary School is a one-building school with more than a thousand students. Due to the school’s limited resources, school officials and students lament about the lack of a fully-functional learning resource center.

Recognizing this, AHON Foundation worked with the hardworking principal, faculty members, parents, and even students in order to refurbish the library. MacQuarie Group, a global provider of banking, financial, advisory, investment, and funds management services, partnered with AHON Foundation on this project. MacQuarie Group conducted a mini-concert to raise funds. For two Saturdays, MacQuarie employees came to the small public school to help teachers and parents in painting the walls, building new bookshelves, and designing the library.

Encouraged by the overwhelming support, AHON’s second partner school in Pasig mobilized the whole community and transform the narrow and dark library to a beautiful and child-friendly space conducive to reading and learning. Its previous contents, mostly condemned and outdated textbooks, were replaced by books donated by MacQuarie and AHON Foundation, including the the TimeLife hardbound and interactive reference books in English, Math and Sciences which are worth almost half a million.

Philanthropy and progress

Last August 20, Sagad Elementary School finally inaugurated the library.

“We are very thankful dahil tayo ang napili ng AHON Foundation at MacQuarie. With God’s grace, we now have a new library that will be very beneficial to our students. Sana dumami pa ang mga katulad ninyo,” a very grateful Ms. Editha Tolop, the principal of the school, said. “In return, sa tulong ng aming Library Club composed of our students, we will make sure that the love for reading will be propagated among our students.”

The occasion was attended by the Division Superintendent of Pasig, Dr. Florentina Lizano, Garry Taylor, the country manager of MacQuarie Group in the Philippines, Lewis Edwards and Ms. Valerie Valeña, both member of the board of trustees of AHON Foundation.

“In AHON, we believe that we can help improve the literacy rate of the Filipino children through the development of libraries. But we want it to be a community effort. Congratulations to all of us. We only ask one thing, please let the students read the books”, said Mr. Edwards in conclusion.

Like MacQuarie’s outreach program, AHON Foundation is Filway Marketing Inc’s social responsibility arm, albeit a more focused and organized program. Filway is the exclusive distributor of TimeLife books in the Philippines.

To provide better services to our partner schools, AHON Foundation is open for partnerships with corporations. We also accept donations in cash and in kind. To know more about AHON, you may check out our FB page, AHON Foundation, and website, www.ahonfoundation.org. You may also call us at 990-0928 or send an e-mail at ahonfoundation@yahoo.com.

(Herbel Santiago works as the program officer of AHON Foundation.)

AHON brings hope to Leyte school children

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 04:26:00 -0500

AHON brings hope to Leyte school children

By HERBEL SANTIAGO (Contributor)
October 16, 2011, 8:00am
Sunday Times Magazine

In a place cradled by nature and surrounded by undulating waves, Southern Leyte looks just like the place of tranquility that is yet to be tainted by civilization. Unfortunately, the same picturesque mountains serve as a double-edged sword for its people as it also prevents the coming of basic services to the place.

Indeed, one cannot help but see the worse condition of the education in the province. Because of lack of teachers, public elementary schools form cluster schools. Principal and faculty members rotate around the cluster schools to teach. Furthermore, the schools employ the multigrade scheme where Grades 2 and 3; Grades 4 and 5 are combined, taught the same lessons in one classroom.

With no apparent mode of transportation, the poor children are forced to negotiate the rocky and rambling mountain slopes for hours just to go to school. Needless to say, the schools lack functional learning resource centers—not even a semblance of it.

With the recommendation of Marisa Lerias and her mother, former Gov. Rossette Lerias, both members of Kaya Natin! Movement for Good Governance and Ethical Leadership, and Acts of Hope for the Nation (AHON) crossed the seas to bring books and to open five new libraries in four municipalities of the province of Southern Leyte, that will serve more than 6,000 school children.

New libraries, new hope
Undermanned and underfunded, the five schools do what they can to improve their student’s literacy skills. AHON Foundation served as a beacon of hope for the educators with the books they brought, igniting their ingenuity and flaring up their resourcefulness. Harnessing the “bayanihan” spirit of the community, the principal and teachers worked hand in hand with the barangay and the parent-teacher association to refurbish the library.

On August 29 and 30, AHON Foundation delivered the hardbound, quality and interactive TimeLife reference books in English, Math and Sciences worth P500,000 each to the schools. Together with the parents, the barangay, and the school teachers, these were carefully set up on their newly refurbished library.

Being the biggest school in the whole of Southern Leyte, Sogod Central Elementary School regarded the opening of the new library as a much-welcome addition. Ibarra Elementary School and Mahayahay Elementary School managed to transform their previously dark and rambling libraries into a beautiful and colorful space, conducive for reading and learning. Meanwhile, Awayon Elementary School and Lonoy Multigrade School, a school atop the mountains of Maasin, were taken aback with tears at the sight of the bookshelves filled with brand-new books.

“Mapasalamaton mi og dako kay bisan og nia mi sa bukid, inyo gyud ming gianhi aron ihatod ang mga libro nga inyong gi grasya kanamo. [Our gratitude is overflowing because despite the fact that we are here in the mountains, you made your way here to bring the books and graces],” said an ecstatic Celestiono Laraga of Lonoy, the barangay captain who personally headed the refurbishment of the library.

Tranfee Grace Merro, principal of the cluster schools of Awayon Elementary School, promised, “what you have given aren’t the usual books that our students are used to, it is so much better. Kagwapa kaayo san mga libro ug makasulti pa. [The books are very beautiful, and can even speak.] The books come with a complimentary educational gadget that gives additional information, teaches proper pronunciation, etc. We promise that we are going to make the most out of these books.”

“We at the AHON Foundation believe that education is the great equalizer. If one is educated, then the chances of being mired in poverty are drastically reduced. We believe in all of you, that’s why we made it as far as here,” read Harvey Keh’s message, executive director and president of AHON Foundation.

In his speech read by program officer Herbel Santiago, Keh added “Perhaps, the best way to say thank you is to use the books and to read them.”

AHON Foundation is Filway Marketing Inc.’s social responsibility arm. To date, it has helped develop 53 public elementary schools all over the country benefitting more than 120,000 children.

To provide better services to partner schools, AHON is open for partnerships with corporations. They also accept donations in cash and in kind.

To know more about AHON, check out their website, www.ahonfoundation.org or their Facebook page, AHON Foundation, and. For more information call 990-0928 or e-mail ahonfoundation@yahoo.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

(Herbel Santiago works as the program officer of AHON Foundation.)

More books and good news!

Sun, 28 Aug 2011 04:15:00 -0500

August 28, 2011, 8:00am

MANILA, Philippines — The true measure of good education is when our students finally learn how to learn for themselves, even without the teacher’s supervision.

For this, a functional and well-equipped library is a must.

This was what Reynaldo F. San Diego, officer-in-charge on overseeing libraries of the Department of Education (DepEd) has said, echoing the belief of the educators, present during the inauguration of Mines Elementary School library last Aug. 9.

Months shy from AHON Foundation's sixth year anniversary, Mines Elementary School is the foundation's 47th adopted library. A day before, AHON also opened its 46th library at Francisco Legaspi Memorial Elementary School.

Spirit of volunteerism

Because their respective public schools are endowed with very little resources, Mrs. Vernalisa Libanan, principal of Mines ES, and Mr. Gregorio de los Santos, school head of F. Legaspi Memorial ES, have to be extra resourceful in mobilizing support from the teacher, parents, and the community.

“I employed division of labor. I assigned specific tasks and specific parts to be developed to teachers, under the supervision of their grade level chairperson. I also mobilized the parents to provide manual labor, etc. Since the tasks
has been divided, developing the library became easier,” Mrs. Libanan shares.

Indeed, the library that was once dust-streaked is now gleaming clean.

What was once dark and chaotic has been transformed into colorful and child-friendly learning resource centers. Equipped with bookshelves, reading niche and artistic murals, the library looks like a page torn from the book itself!

To complete the newly renovated libraries, AHON provided brand new reference books and set it up with the help of the faculty members and the parents.

“Ang gaganda ng mga libro. Aside from the books na talagang babasahin ng mga bata, AHON also donated other learning resource materials like activity books in Math and English, ‘yung Walter that talks, sings, provides additional information and teaches correct pronunciation, etc. We could use this as supplements in our classes, like in the speech lab. It’s a big help to us teachers,” quips a very grateful faculty member from F. Legaspi Memorial ES.

Book of hope

Last July 30, the first volume of The Kaya Natin! Champions:Inspiring stories of good governance and leadership in the Philippines was launched at Fully Booked. The book, a project of the Kaya Natin! Movement and the Ateneo School of Government, is a compilation of 10 stories of “champions” for good governance who have embodied the values of effective and empowering leadership with integrity.

Each chapter tells the story of one individual, from their background to their political career and their leadership lessons.

These former and incumbent officials are part of the roster of Champions of the Kaya Natin! Movement for Good Governance and Ethical Leadership, a movement that supports progressive-minded, effective, and ethical government officials and is dedicated to promoting the best practices of each champion to other local government units.

Among the hailed champions featured in this one-of–a-kind publication are Kaya Natin! co-founders Jesse Robredo, Grace Padaca, and Ed Panlilio; former Mayor Sonia Lorenzo (San Isidro, Nueva Ecija), Sen. Teofisto Guingona III, Rep. Teodoro Baguilat, Jr. (Lone District of Ifugao), Rep. Bolet Banal (Third District of Quezon City), former councilor Mabel Sunga-Acosta (First District of Davao City), Mayor Roque Verzosa, Jr. (Tagudin, Ilocos Sur) and Board Member Shirlyn Macasarte (North Cotabato).

Kaya Natin! lead convernor Harvey Keh said the corruption and other transgressions in the Philippine government can actually be alleviated through a rigorous advocacy on good governance.

That is why this leadership book not only targets those who are currently in the position, but also the youth, who will later succeed in governing the nation.

To get the youth more involved in this movement, students and young professionals were trained in good governance writing workshop and then tasked to be biographers of the book.

“The objective of this book is to highlight the positive and inspiring stories of political leaders who are doing good for the country, and how this can help bring about empowerment for ordinary Filipinos who also want to make a difference,” Keh says.

The Kaya Natin! Champions: Inspiring Stories of Good Governance and Leadership in the Philippines Volume 1 is only one of the few projects of Kaya Natin! movement.

A second installment of the book, featuring another set of inspiring good leaders, is set to be worked out soon.

The Kaya Natin! Champions book is available in Fully Booked nationwide or may be ordered via knmovement@gmail.com.

AHON Foundation, on the other hand, relies on donations and volunteerism. To help us continue the work that we are doing, we accept donations in cash or in kind. For more information, please e-mail ahonfoundation@yahoo.com and look for Ms. Herbel.

New School Year, New Libraries for Nueva Ecija students

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 16:44:00 -0500

Upon visiting Nueva Ecija, one will be greeted by the sprawling and never-ending sight of rice paddies. One of the top supplier of Filipino’s staple food, the rice, and other agricultural products, we cannot argue the importance of the province in our economy and society.

Notwithstanding the crucial role that our farmers play, it is with a heavy heart that we realized that much of their needs have been neglected. The education of their children remained askew, with the schools lacking a functional library and quality learning resource materials.

Responding to the overwhelming need, AHON (Acts of Hope for the Nation) Foundation decided to adopt not just one, but four, public elementary schools in Nueva Ecija. AHON, working hand in hand with the schools, is a non-profit, non-stock organization that labors to improve the literacy rate and quality of education in the country by helping public schools builds functional libraries.

Indeed, simultaneous with the opening of the new school year, we also inaugurated Mangino Elementary School and Malimba Elementary School libraries last June 6. We opened Pulo Elementary School and San Anton Elementary School libraries on the 7th of June. The libraries are greeted warmly and excitedly by the school principal, faculty, parents, community and DepEd officials and the students themselves.

En route to a new library

The procurement of the school library has been nothing short of challenging. Posed with the difficulties imposed by the lack of funds, each principal perseveres and dedicates the whole summer vacation into mobilizing its parents and teachers association as well as the community to put up and refurbish their libraries. They, as dedicated and passionate, contributed their time, effort and resourcefulness in order to make the library development project an astounding success.

The chaotic, dark and dingy rooms of Malimba ES and San Anton ES were transformed into beautiful and colorful spaces, conducive to learning and reading. The almost bare bookshelves of Mangino ES and Pulo ES were filled with highly-interactive and colorful Timelife reference books in English, Math and Sciences.

On June 1 and 2, we delivered the books worth almost half-a-million to each school. On hand to lend their help are the very supportive faculties, parents and barangay officials.

“Nakakatuwa na pinagtulong-tulungan ang pagbubuo ng library”, said former Mayor of San Isidro Sonia Lorenzo, “Isipin natin na ang AHON na kung tutuusin ay hindi naman tayo kilala pati ang ating mga anak, ay naglaan ng oras para mag-alay ng tulong sa atin. Tayo pa kaya ang hindi magmamalasakit sa ating bayan? At sa nakita ko, nakakatuwa na ang bawat isa ay may bahagi sa proyektong ito”

Former mayor Sonia Lorenzo, a Kaya Natin! Movement for Good Governance advocate personally recommended the four schools with the help of Mr. Louie Calison, DepEd District supervisor.

Mr. Hector Tagaysay, chairman of AHON Foundation, had said during the inauguration, “What we have given, hindi naman galing sa amin ‘yan. Galing ang lahat ng iyan sa Diyos. Ako at si Harvey (Keh), AHON’s executive director, we are just stewards. Nabuo ang silid-aklatang ito sa pagsisikap nating lahat”

Keh added that, “In AHON Foundation, isa lang ang hinihiling namin sa mga paaralan, ang masira ang mga libro sa kakabasa at kakagamit. Ang libro ay nariyan para basahin at hindi dekorasyon lang. Wala ring dapat na ipag-alala dahil papalitan ng AHON Foundation ang mga librong nasira”

AHON Foundation is the corporate social responsibility arm of Filway Marketing, Inc that exclusively distributes TimeLife books in the Philippines. To date, it has formally adopted 45 public elementary schools and donated books to marginalized and far-flung places in the country like Guimaras provinces, Aklan, Zamboanga etc.

AHON seeks to help more schools. Be part of us! You may help us by sending your donations in cash or in kind. You may also contribute your time as volunteers. For more information, please call (63 2) 545-5249, e-mail ahonfoundation@yahoo.com or follow us on our Twitter and FB page, AHON Foundation.

AHON, Ateneo Rizal Library train librarians

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 16:33:00 -0500

May 21, 2011, 2:06pm

MANILA, Philippines — Teachers also need to continually grow in their profession to be able to do their teaching duties efficiently and effectively.

It is a good thing that there are organizations, such as Acts of Hope for the Nation (AHON) Foundation, that help keep the flame of education alive.

AHON Foundation is the corporate social foundation of Filway Marketing, aiming to help promote genuine love of reading among Filipino children by helping refurbishing libraries. AHON donates almost half a million worth of Time-Life books and other instructional reading materials. To date, it has adopted 41 public schools all over the country. It also supports training activities for librarians and teachers.

Recently, AHON held a two-day basic librarianship training seminar in partnership with the Rizal Library of Ateneo de Manila University. The seminar trained public school teacher-librarians on the proper organization and management of information services and materials in their libraries.

Among the topics discussed were “The Working Library at Your School,” and “Reading Promotion in School Libraries” where teacher-librarians are urged to promote books and reading to students.

Proactive

Pamela Albania, Ateneo de Manila grade school coordinator, said that a teacher-librarian must be a proactive professional dedicated to generating community of lifelong learners. “They ought to work with others to carry out the goals of the school library program. The librarian also has to increase constructive relationships, whether developing instruction with teachers or buying decisions with the principal, to produce long-term results,’’ Albania said.

By training the trainers and initiating enrichment activities for students, AHON envisions that its efforts would translate to promotion of reading habits and improvement of children’s performance in school.

Harvey Keh, AHON Foundation executive director, steadily believes that the dreams of the children should be egged on within the protection of excellent education. Hence, developing meaningful libraries with the help of competent teacher-librarians is necessary.

Keh also encouraged the teacher-librarians to make the most of what they have acquired during the two-day seminar by implementing it in their respective school libraries.

(AHON accepts donations in kind and cash. All proceeds go into buying books for public elementary schools. It also accepts volunteers. For more information, check AHON Foundation’s facebook page or e-mail ahonfoundation@yahoo.com.)

Inspiring stories in public education

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 16:30:00 -0500

MANILA, Philippines — We have heard of many sad stories about the current plight of our public education system, where out of 10 students, only four manage to finish high school and only two are able to finish a four-year college degree.

It is no wonder then that our country continues to lag behind in terms of economic development compared to our other Southeast Asian neighbors who have invested heavily in uplifting the quality of their basic education system.

Yet, as the slogan of The Manila Bulletin says, there is also good news coming out in our public schools as more and more private institutions have committed to work together with the Department of Education (DepEd) in its effort to help improve access and quality of education for every Filipino child.

AHON continues to bring books to public schools

Last March 1, the Acts of Hope for the Nation (AHON) Foundation, formally opened its 41st adopted library at Project 6 Elementary School in Quezon City. This library will benefit more than 4,000 students in this school. AHON Foundation is the corporate foundation of Filway Marketing Inc., the exclusive Philippine distributor of Time Life books. The foundation has already adopted other public elementary school libraries in Marikina City, Pampanga, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, La Union and Pangasinan.

Continuing in its endeavor to improve the quality of our basic education system through the enhancement of reading skills and literacy rate of public school children, AHON Foundation chose Project 6
elementary school to help in upgrading and refurbishing its school library.

As part of his inspirational message to the students, Hector Tagaysay, chairman of AHON Foundation, said: “Ang mensahe ko lang sa mga bata, gamitin niyo ng maigi ang mga libro. Hindi baleng
maluma, papalitan na lang natin. Everyday, magbasa kayo. Teachers, let us encourage the children to read. Dahil sa library magkakadream ang mga bata. And someday, magiging successful sila sa buhay.”

Teachers of the school assured AHON Foundation that they will make sure that the library will be used by the students by regularly holding their classes inside the library so students can easily make use of the brand new books. More importantly, the teachers said that they will benefit from the books as they can also use them to upgrade their lesson plans.

AHON Foundation accepts donations in kind and in cash, it is also constantly looking for volunteers and interns. For information, call 545 5249 and 990 0928 and check out AHON Foundation, on Facebook.

Target partners with AHON for public schools

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 02:25:00 -0500

Manila Bulletin
February 6, 2011, 11:27am

MANILA, Philippines – Heralding the new year, AHON (Acts of Hope for the Nation) Foundation adopted yet another public school library that will benefit more than a thousand elementary school students.

AHON Foundation inaugurated its 40th school library at Ponciano Bernardo Elementary School in Quezon City last January 19, 2011, to the delight of the schoolchildren, parents, and faculty.

Target, one of the biggest retailing companies in the United States of America, shares in the vision of AHON Foundation as it generously gave a grant of US$5, 40 or approximately Php 225,000.

Although they do not have a branch here in the Philippines, Target has a sourcing services operation in the country that looks for innovative Filipino products that they can export and sell in all their stores. The grant is in line with their corporation's social responsibility program which aims to help more children learn how to read.

Joselle Buencamino, one of the representatives of Target, said: “Target has been supporting people by selling quality merchandise, but the company is also involved in charity and community-giving. We are not satisfied in ensuring the peace and order of the community in the US, we decided to extend our help to the Philippines.

Since 2003, we had been supporting several very select, qualified organizations through local grant making. Target, like AHON Foundation, supports education. Quality education for every Filipino child is a current need of our community.”

Like Target, AHON Foundation is the corporate social responsibility program of Filway Marketing Inc, the sole distributor of Time Life books in the Philippines. Being in the book business for a long time now, Filway also shares the fruits of their success to the underprivileged by giving them access to quality books.

The principal of the school, Maricris Suarez-Santos, said, “We had been wanting to improve our library but given the lack of funds, we don’t know how we could do that. The angel came when the division office called and said that they had recommended the school to be a partner and beneficiary school of AHON Foundation. The library we have are for older school children and there were very few books catering to the young learners. We strived to meet the requirements set by AHON and we are happy to inaugurate the newest AHON Library”.

The new library which was refurbished through the efforts of volunteers, teachers, students and parents boast of several low shelves, chairs and tables that would ensure the small school children would have no problem getting the reference books. Colorful murals also decorate the wall to entice them to spend time in the library reading and learning.

Mario S. Domingo, the GPTA president, told students: “Sana hindi maging monumento or ornamento lang ang library, kundi maging behikulo para sa karunungan ng kabataan. Love knowledge because knowledge will cloak you. Bumili ka ng libro at iyon ang gamitin mong pamasahe para makaahon ka sa buhay. Education is the solution to poverty. Poverty breeds all kinds of social evils. Now, all of you will be triumphant because meron na kayong katulong.”

Valerie Valeña, vice-president of Filway Marketing, Inc, and Harvey Keh, executive director and president of Ahon Foundation, are also present in the said event.

Like Target, you can also partner with us in bringing more books and learning materials to public elementary school libraries.

For more information, please contact us at (+63-2) 545 5249 or send us an e-mail at ahonfoundation@yahoo.com.

Early Christmas gift to public school for special children

Tue, 14 Dec 2010 13:28:00 -0600

Early Christmas gift to public school for special children
The Manila Bulletin
By Herbel Santiago
http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/292377/early-christmas-gift-public-school-special-children
MANILA, Philippines â€“ Gifts become even more significant when they last a lifetime and are geared towards the upliftment of the lives of a community or an individual.

This is the kind of gift that AHON (Acts of Hope for the Nation) Foundation gives by helping build fully-functional libraries our public elementary schools not just during the Christmas season but all year round. Due to limited budget allocated to develop libraries, public elementary schools are not able to maintain a library that can serve as a haven of reading, critical thinking and learning.

Batino Elementary School (BES) in Quezon City also serves as a public school for special children. It received an early Christmas gift with the opening of their newly-renovated library complete with Science, English, Mathematics and History reference books last Nov. 24. The 39th chosen beneficiary school of AHON Foundation caters not only to the mainstream children but also to kids with learning disabilities. BES struggles to provide quality education to special needs children while promoting equal opportunities.

In her inaugural speech, Dr. Grace Parungao, the principal, remembers quite vividly that three years ago the library was nothing but a dream.

â€œThis is a dream come true for me. It took us three years para maging functional ito. Dati, sobrang dilim. This is a welcome development. Kaya naman, mahalin ang mga aklat na pagkagaganda. Tangkilikin ang ating library. Magbasa ng magbasa. Doon kayo makakakuha ng maraming ideas.â€

The school is chosen as AHON beneficiary through the recommendation made by Quezon City Representative Bolet Banal.

AHON Foundation generously delivered half a million pesos worth of books to BES and together with its teachers, AHON set up the package composed of highly interactive and graphic set of reference books suitable for enhancing the skills of early learners. The success of the AHON Library at BES is also due to the bayanihan spirit employed by the principal, hardworking teachers, and the unwavering support of the parents. Vicente Rescobar, vice-president of Parents-Teachers Association and himself a blind man, expressed their heartfelt gratitude towards AHON Foundation.

Harvey Keh, the president and executive director of Ahon Foundation, good-naturedly said â€œKapag hindi niyo ginamit ang mga libro, babalikan namin kayo.â€ Turning serious, he added
â€œKami sa AHON Foundation ay naniniwala sa kabataang Pilipino, at naniniwala kami na edukasyon ang susi sa kahirapan. Kaisa ng DepEd, ng mga guro at ng mga magulang na itaguyod ang kalidad ng edukasyon para sa bawat isa sa inyo (students). Ang mga libro ay narito para basahin, ang mga libro ay narito para gamitin.â€

As part of its effort to reach more public elementary school libraries all over the country, AHON is currently raising funds by selling AHON Christmas cards. Each set of three Christmas cards cost only P300. Proceeds will help the foundation provide more books to public elementary schools.

The author is currently the program officer of AHON Foundation. To volunteer or donate, contact us at 355-1567 or visit our website at http://www.ahonfoundation.com.

Araw ng Pagbasa: Reading towards nation building

Fri, 10 Dec 2010 23:24:00 -0600

Araw ng Pagbasa: Reading towards nation building
By: Herbel Santiago
Manila Bulletin
http://mb.com.ph/articles/291025/flexaraw-ng-pagbasa-reading-towards-nation-building
MANILA, Philippines â€“ One of the most fascinating and enriching things I have discovered when I was still young was learning how to read.

Being able to read is indispensable in navigating our everyday lives â€” we read the signages on the road, at restaurants and shopping malls. We read instructions on how to cook the most delicious dishes, or to install the newest applications in our computers.

But more than that, reading is a sublime activity that takes us beyond what we see in our physical surroundings. It inspires us to reach our goals and the seemingly unimaginable. In reading, ideas cease to become intangible. Abstract notions such as values, aspirations and creativity become concrete in the pages of our books.

In a nation deep in poverty, social injustice and discrimination, we cannot afford to be contented with our present condition. The reality could be so much better and we only need to read to realize that. We deserve to aspire for progress and greatness for ourselves and for our country. Yet, this will all remain a pipe dream if Filipinos decide to sit idly and not do something concrete to resolve the resource gap and illiteracy rate in our education system.

WHY KIDS SKIP SCHOOL

Aside from obvious reasons such as lack of resources and poverty, the 2008 Functional Literacy, Education and Mass Media Survey (FLEMMS) results also cite lack of personal interest as among the reasons why children skip school.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) thus recommended â€œnon-conventional and flexible approachesâ€ to improve access to primary education as well as public-private sector partnerships for related programs, activities and projects.

Realizing that need, the Quezon City government is helping push for House Bill No. 1457, authored by Quezon City 3rd district Rep. Jorge â€œBoletâ€ Banal, Jr.

This bill calls for the declaration of November 27 as â€œAraw ng Pagbasaâ€, a regular working holiday geared towards promoting reading and literacy. This will be celebrated in all public elementary and secondary schools in the country as it also commemorates the late Senator Benigno â€œNinoyâ€ Aquinoâ€™s birth anniversary.

Even when he was still a councilor, Rep. Banal enjoined schools in Quezon City to conduct storytelling sessions in the subjects Araling Panlipunan, Filipino and English while sharing about Ninoyâ€™s life. Excerpts of Ninoyâ€™s speeches as a senator, including â€œthe most famous undelivered speech in Philippine historyâ€ and a book for children about Ninoyâ€™s life written by Rep. Banal himself, entitled The Magic Arrow, were read.

Araw ng Pagbasa advocates reading for enjoyment and learning and illustrates it as a shared physical experience aimed at inspiring a sense of civic duty and unity among Filipinos.

AHON (Acts of Hope for the Nation) Foundation is a partner in this advocacy. In the last two years, AHON Foundation, which serves as the corporate foundation of Filway Marketing, Inc. has helped provide functional libraries to 10 public elementary schools in Quezon City.

Similarly, AHON Foundation aims to help increase literacy levels in the Philippines and to promote a culture of reading and learning among our public school children by partnering with local communities in developing public elementary school libraries.

Public officials part of the Kaya Natin! Movement for Good Governance and Ethical Leadership like Mayor Roque Verzosa, Jr. of Tagudin, Ilocos Sur have also adopted activities of Araw ng Pagbasa for their own constituencies, illustrating its effectiveness as a worthwhile campaign meriting national interest and support.
Guest readers have included Ramon Magsaysay Awardee and former Isabela Governor Grace Padaca, movie and television personalities, QC councilors and iamninoy volunteers.

Araw ng Pagbasa also celebrates continuing community-based interventions such as the Summer English Reinforcement Classes (SERC) in all public elementary schools, the nutrition and reading program Feed the Mind and the literacy campaign iLove2Read.

Through Araw ng Pagbasa, we realize that reading is a strategic step towards nation-building and poverty alleviation. Rep. Banal says, â€œNovember 27 need not be another day in the calendar because it stands for both history and opportunity. We collectively look back and find lessons in what Ninoy has done. We also look ahead. For the youth, each story becomes a window to another way of seeing the world.â€ Wise words from a true champion of reading, literacy and public education reform in our country.

The author is a recent AB Literature in English graduate of the Ateneo de Manila University and is now working at AHON Foundation. For those who want to learn more about Araw ng Pagbasa and its other programs, call 02-9315989.

Children of soldiers get new library

Fri, 12 Nov 2010 10:30:00 -0600

http://mb.com.ph/articles/288598/children-soldiers-get-new-library
MANILA, Philippines â€” Even bad weather was not enough to dampen the spirits of Fort Aguinaldo Elementary School (FAES) as they welcomed the launching of their newly-refurbished library with much joy and enthusiasm last Nov. 10. As one of the teachers said, â€œThe rain is but another blessing pouring unto usâ€.

The newly-adopted library of the Acts of Hope for the Nation (AHON) Foundation is located at the heart of Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City. This is the foundationâ€™s 38th adopted public elementary school library since it began as the corporate foundation of Filway Marketing, Inc. in 2006. The students of the school are mostly children of our hard-working soldiers and military personnel who are tasked to even sacrifice their own lives for the sake of our country.

The school boasts of a secure and scenic environment, albeit lacking in educational resources. Mrs. Wilma Masigan, the FAES principal, says of the situation of the library, â€œThe books we had are already old and outdated. We were really glad that AHON Foundation decided to help us. Tuwang-tuwa ang mga bata sa mga libro, ang gaganda. I really hope to make Fort Aguinaldo Elementary School as a center of learning inside the camp.â€

Last Oct. 27, AHON Foundation delivered P500,000 worth of Time-Life books to FAES. Together with its teachers and some parent volunteers, AHON set up the package that is composed of highly interactive and graphic set of reference books. These books consist of Science books, English learning books, and Math books suitably designed for grade school pupils to enhance their reading competencies and skills.

Quezon City Representative Bolet Banal personally endorsed the school to AHON Foundation, the representatives of the Parent-Teacher Association, and the community.

Harvey Keh, president and executive director of AHON Foundation said: â€œWe only have one wish for our partner schools, what our chairman, Mr. Hector Tagaysay constantly says, na makita naming nasisira ang libro dahil nangangahulugan na ginagamit at binabasa ang mga itoâ€. Keh added that AHON would be more than willing to replace books that are worn-out due to being used extensively by the students.

The newest library of FAES is beautifully painted with colorful murals, making it conducive to reading and learning. To express their appreciation, the young pupils serenaded the audience who witnessed the launching. The pupils also brought a smile to everyone as their faces glowed with wonder and awe, flipping through the books of possibilities and learning.

As part of its effort to reach more public elementary school libraries all over the country, AHON is currently raising funds by selling AHON Christmas cards. Each set of three Christmas cards cost only P300.00. Proceeds will help the foundation provide more books to public elementary schools.

If you believe in providing hope to every Filipino child, you can partner with us in bringing more books and resources to public elementary school libraries all throughout the country. AHON aims to increase literacy among Filipino elementary school students through libraries and books. For more information, contact (+63-2) 434-1458 or visit website at http://www.ahonfoundation.com.

The author is currently the program officer of AHON Foundation.

PAG(B)ASA

Fri, 21 May 2010 01:37:00 -0500

I start my day with a cup of coffee and a newspaper that comes very handy. As I browse through the pages, I canâ€™t help but get disappointed with the news about corruption, crimes, and other inhumane activities that have seemingly become a common scenario here in the Philippines. As I walk to the bus station, everything seemed ordinary except for the poster on top of the waiting shed that I normally walk pass through. For some strange reason, today was different because as I saw the sign that says â€œPagbasaâ€ (the letter B has a lighter color, making the word appear more like PAG ASA). I was enticed to stare at it for a good whole 10 minutes and just ponder on what this piece of word wants to convey. I mean, is there really hope in reading when all you read in the newspaper is a bunch of negative events that happen in the society, and when you step out into the streets of the metro you see kids living in extremely inhumane conditions and homeless people begging for a coin or two? Indeed, seeing such can only remind a person that perhaps there is no hope lying in the corner, so whatâ€™s with all these inspiring quotes when reality shows you otherwise?

However, as I spent more time standing in front of that sign, I thought to myself, maybe there is hope and it could start in reading a plain and simple book. I remember how, when I was a child, I would open this fairytale book and I would pretend as if I were the princess in it and travel as far as my imagination could take me. Then I realize that there is hope in reading because no matter how hard reality pulls us down, we as humans can always strive harder in order to bring ourselves up and fight for our right to live a good life. With every word we read and every page we flip, we push ourselves to dream, to realize that we can do more, and to discover that our limits are boundless.

Reading can do wonders. Reading led thousands of Filipinos to overthrow the Spanish government in the 19th century. Reading informed the Filipinos that they, too, could impose freedom in their own land. If it werenâ€™t for the publications the Ilustrados wrote that time, I doubt if anyone would contrive a revolt against the Spanish regime. This is the reason why the Spaniards initially prohibited most of the natives not to be educated, because being able to read empowers people to gain information as much as they want, and doing so can awaken the spirit of nationalism among the Indios. Reading gave hope to the Filipino people.

And now, we are at this point in time where Filipinos are being enslaved, not anymore by colonizers, but a worse one, POVERTY. During the election period, a number of aspiring leaders brought in their propositions to eliminate the worsening condition of the masses. One of them posits the eradication of corruption. The other strongly suggests providing job opportunities for the poor. Another recommends enhancing the moral fiber of the society. The list of prescriptions just goes on. Every one of them approaches the problem of poverty in several different perspectives.

Thanks to that waiting shed signage, I realized what we basically need. It is EDUCATION. I believe that all of the questions about corruption, employment, morality, etc. can only be resolved if all the stakeholders in the community are educated enough to make informed decisions. And it will all start by teaching a child how to READ. Reading a good book can do a lot of miracles for a child. It can take a kid to places, to worlds unknown to humanity. From there, a child grows hoping that someday, our world could be just as she imagined it to be, a happy place. And as she develops the love for reading, she exposes herself to possibilities that the world can be. Reading not only gives her hope, but empowers her to make things happen and to translate her thoughts into reality.

This is the power of reading. It sheds some light to people, that someday, everything would just go well for a person, for a family, and for the entire community. It enables people to still dream amidst the harshness of reality. It teaches a person that there is more to it than condemning poverty, than slacking off, saying â€œitâ€™s hopelessâ€ because, hey thereâ€™s HOPE! There is hope in reading.

***

Camille Chuaquico, 19 years old, is currently an intern for AHON Foundation. She is an incoming senior at the Ateneo de Manila University (AB Development Studies).

The Manila Bulletin: Pampanga students get new Libraries

Mon, 17 May 2010 09:41:00 -0500

Ceremonial turnover of books by AHON's Chairman of the Board, Mr. Hector Tagaysay at Sto. Tomas Elementary School.

Pampanga students get new Libraries
By: Harvey S. Keh
The Manila Bulletin
May 16,2010 (Sunday)

Now that the elections are over, many of our public schools can now focus on preparing for the upcoming school year. As we all know, one of the major problem areas in our country continues to be the lack of quality education in our public schools where more than 90% of our young Filipinos currently study. In some areas, we continue to have students who reach high school but whose reading comprehension skills are that of a Grade 3 student. Sadly, the growth of non-readers in our country is further compounded by the fact that unlike their private school counterparts, our public elementary schools do not often have functional and up to the date school libraries. Libraries are essential in a childâ€™s education since this is the place where he or she will discover new things that can allow him to dream and open his or her imagination to a wider horizon. Hopefully, the next administration led by President-elect, Senator Benigno â€œNoynoyâ€ Aquino III will be able to make the improvement of our public schools as one of his major priorities.

Fortunately, public elementary school students in the towns of Sto. Tomas and Minalin in Pampanga no longer have to wait until Aquino takes office because when they enter their schools this coming June, they will be greeted with a brand new school library complete with books and reference materials. Not many people know that the library in Sto. Tomas was badly damaged during the Mt. Pinatubo eruption in 1991 and since then their students never had the chance to have a fully functional library. These libraries were donated in part by the Acts of Hope for the Nation (AHON) Foundation, the corporate social responsibility arm of Filway Marketing Inc., which is the countryâ€™s lone distributor of Time Life Books. While the whole country was busy with the campaign, AHON worked with the teachers and parents from these two towns to refurbish their school libraries. Teachers helped raise funds to buy paint that will be used to make the library more attractive to students while the parents did their share to help set up new shelves wherein the new books can be placed. After a month of working together, AHON then donates P 500,000 worth of brand new books to each school. In addition to this, AHON also works with the Rizal Library at the Ateneo de Manila University to provide free librarianship training to the teachers who will be assigned to take care of the library.

AHON Volunteer conducts story-telling sessions with some of the students.

Since it started in 2006, AHON has already helped build 36 public elementary school libraries that are currently being used by more than 80,000 students throughout the country.

In his inauguration speech, AHONâ€™s Chairman Hector Tagaysay shares that this is his companyâ€™s commitment to the Filipino youth and he hopes that AHON can continue to reach more public schools in the country. More importantly, Tagaysay stressed that the books that were donated shouldnâ€™t be locked up in cabinets but it should always be made very accessible to the students. In his words, â€œOkay lang kahit masira ang mga libro dahil sa kakagamit ng mga estudyante dahil siguradong papalitan naming ang mga librong yan.â€

AHONâ€™s passion and commitment to helping improve our public schools goes to show that we cannot just leave the government to worry about and address our countryâ€™s social problems. Private individuals and organizations should also do their own share in helping rebuild our nation. The bayanihan spirit fostered in building AHONâ€™s public elementary school libraries should teach us that if government and the private sector work together, great things can happen in our nation.

To volunteer or donate to our public elementary schools, you can contact AHON Foundation at (02) 683-0262 local 109. You can also visit AHON's website at http://www.ahonfoundation.com .

Comments are welcome at harveykeh@gmail.com

Harvey S. Keh is currently the Executive Director and President of AHON Foundation.

AHON Donates to Pampanga for the Second Time Around

Fri, 07 May 2010 02:20:00 -0500

There is absolutely no stopping AHON Foundation from reaching out provincial public elementary schools across the country! A week after it launched a fully refurbished library at Sto. Tomas Elementary School, AHON Foundation set forth once again to Pampanga on May 5 and 7, 2010, to set-up and inaugurate the newest library in the town of Minalin.

Known as the â€œEgg Basket of Luzonâ€, the small town of Minalin prides itself not only for being one of the largest producer of eggs and chicken in Northern Luzon, but as well as having its popular festivities annually. In this peaceful town resides one of the beneficiaries of AHON Foundation â€“ Minalin Central Elementary School (MCES). Aside from Sto. Tomas Elemenary School, Gov. Among Ed Panlilio personally endorsed MCES to AHON Foundation to be granted PHP 500,000 worth of Time Life books.

On May 5, 2010, AHON Foundation delivered the books to MCES. The package is composed of highly interactive and graphic sets of books, suitably designed for grade school pupils to enhance their reading competencies. The books consist of reference Science books, English learning books, and Math books.

Mr. Elizer M. Dimarucut, MCES Principal, tells in brief the previous situation of their library and the lack of books in it as he goes on to say â€œThe only missing thing in our library were new books.â€ Mr. Dimarucut expresses his deepest gratitude to AHON Foundation as he joyously speaks on the inauguration of the library on May 7. â€œBlessing sa amin ang bagong library na itoâ€¦ We will surely treasure this!â€ he candidly says.

The newest library of MCES is beautifully painted with colorful murals through the combined efforts of the faculty, the parents-teachers-community association, and the young pupils themselves. Simply put, the entire Minalin community contribute in making the library launch a complete success! More than anything, the exemplified bayanihan spirit of the people of MCES teaches us the importance of HOPE. As Mr. Hector O. Tagaysay, Chairman and Treasurer of AHON Foundation says, â€œAHONâ€™s advocacy is to inspire communities to never stop hoping. Our kids are our hope. And our future depends on the education of our children.â€

If you believe that there is still hope, you can partner with us, AHON Foundation, in bringing more books to public elementary school libraries. Our Foundation is a non-stock, non-profit organization that aims to increase literacy among Filipino elementary school students through libraries and quality books. For more information, please contact us at (+63-2) 683 0262 local 106 or visit our website at http://www.ahonfoundation.com.

Job Opening: Program Officer

Tue, 04 May 2010 03:36:00 -0500

AHON (Acts of Hope for the Nation) Foundation,
the corporate social responsibility initiative of Filway Marketing, Inc.,
is a non-stock, non-profit organization with a mission of promoting quality basic education by developing public elementary school libraries all over the Philippines.

We are currently looking for a full-time Project Officer whose main functions will be to assist the Executive Director in implementing projects relating to our
library development projects & resource mobilization/marketing programs.

These activities will include identifying beneficiary public schools, monitoring library build & development activities, creating awareness for the foundation, and mobilizing all necessary resources (funds, books, human resources, etc) to help the organization achieve its primary mission of bringing more quality books and Filipino children together, as we contribute to a better culture of reading and learning in our country.

Minimum Requirements for the position are as follows:

a.) Graduate of a reputable college or university; fresh graduates may apply (majors in business, marketing, communications, IT-related courses, development studies, psychology, library science, preferred)

b.) Must have excellent oral and written communication skills in English and Filipino; & good interpersonal skills

c.) Must be proficient in basic computer skills (documents, spreadsheets, presentations/publication tools) & some background experience in managing blogs, websites, etc.

d) Must be organized, efficient and systematic in maintaining project documentation materials/files and correspondence

e.) Must be flexible and willing to travel

f.) Must be able to work with minimal supervision while producing quality and timely results

g) Must be willing to learn, be creative & analytical, and open to new ideas

h) Must possess the belief, conviction or commitment in working towards positive changes in our Philippine public school educational system

Interested applicants may send their resume with picture and a copy of their transcript of records to harveykeh@gmail.com on or before May 18,2010.

For more information about AHON Foundation, please visit http://www.ahonfoundation.com/

AHON Donates to Pampanga Elementary School

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 06:18:00 -0500

Situated in the youngest and smallest municipality of Pampanga, Santo Tomas Elementary School (STES) caters to a grade school population a little more than 300 pupils only. The school is blessed with a vast piece of land on which its school buildings and a basketball court are built. However, with a limited budget allocated for library functions, the said elementary school is not able to develop if not maintain a library that can stimulate the love for reading among the students.

This kind of inadequacy of school facilities is not a new issue for most of the public elementary schools across the country. Thatâ€™s why AHON (Acts of Hope for the Nation) Foundation takes action by generously donating half a million worth of brand new Time Life books for the schoolâ€™s newly renovated library. The school was chosen to be one of the beneficiaries of AHON Foundation as persistently requested by the current governor of Pamapanga, Among Ed Panlilio.

On April 28, 2010, AHON Foundation delivered the books to STES, two hours away from Metro Manila. The package is composed of highly interactive and graphic sets of books, suitably designed for grade school pupils to enhance their reading competencies. The books consist of reference Science books, English learning books, and Math books.

The Parents-Teachers Association (PTA) President of the school, Mr. Mario M. Pangilinan, was deeply gratified during the inauguration of the new library, April 30, as he goes on to say, â€œTaus-puso po kaming nagpapasalamat sa AHON Foundation sa pagkakaloob ng mga bagong aklat para sa aming mga mag-aaral.â€ He strongly affirms that the new library will be used to its utmost function to help their young students. â€œHindi po mananatiling naka-lock ang library namin. Sisiguruhin po naming magagamit ang library ng mga estudyante.â€ he adds.

Truly, the faculty of the school is not the only one responsible for honing a sense of love for reading among the students. The parents, as well, contribute to their childrenâ€™s learning process. As Mr. Hector O. Tagaysay, chairman of AHON Foundation, indomitably says â€œParents should encourage their children to spend time in the library for it is a place where creativity and imagination live.â€ Through educational books, children can explore different worlds and broaden their horizons. Indeed, reading is one effective way towards good quality of education.

â€œThe future of our country depends on our pubic school students for 90% of Filipino elementary students go to public schoolsâ€¦ the best thing we can do is to provide for our public schoolsâ€ Mr. Tagaysay adds.

AHON Foundation helps bring more books to public elementary school libraries. Our Foundation is a non-stock, non-profit organization that aims to increase literacy among Filipino elementary school students through libraries and quality books. For more information, please contact us at (+63-2) 683 0262 local 106 or visit our website at http://www.ahonfoundation.com.

An Afternoon of Sweet Treats

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 03:53:00 -0500

What first comes to mind when one is faced with the word â€œcharityâ€? You say outreach, fun and games, extending help, beneficial and giving back. But we say gelato, ringing bells, education, kids, books, fun-filled and sweet! Our group, Top of Your Head, formed from an Events Management class at the Ateneo, was tasked to organize a charity event as a project finale. We decided to stray from a run-of-the-mill sort of affair and eventually came up with the simplest enterprise that could help numerous kids and could be achieved in less than a day. And thus, â€˜Sweet Treatâ€™, a benefit event for AHON Foundation, where every scoop of gelato adds one Adarna book to the foundation, was held at Gelatone! last Saturday, March 13, 2010 from 12nn-4pm.

As the Adarna and AHON booths were already set-up, the Gelatone apron dangling across our hips, the ice cream bell and coin bank in hand, we were ready to go on our four-hour mission: to sell a whopping 200 scoops of delectably-flavored gelato to raise more than a hundred books. During the first hour, we felt the slight dreary time of the store as not a lot of people were passing by. Our constant greeting and the delightful dinging sound of the ice cream bell, however, magnetized the interest of spectators. From the participation of enthusiastic customers, we were able to raise 226 scoops in total, which equated to 204 Adarna books. A handful also directly bought books from Adarnaâ€™s booth to likewise be donated, which all summed up to 215 storybooks donated to AHON Foundation! The exhaustion from standing for hours to encourage people to buy was negated by the huge grins on peoplesâ€™ faces after having a gelato and thinking of the books that weâ€™ve all earned for the kids. It feels great to know that during those couple of hours, we have contributed something helpful and significant for well-deserving youngsters. Indeed, helping out has never been this filling!

Sweet Treat: A Benefit Event for AHON Foundation

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 19:11:00 -0600

AHON Donates to First Provincial School in 2010

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 06:19:00 -0600

Located at the foot of Mount Banoy, the small Talumpok Proper Elementary School is far from the Batangas City's noise and pollution. It is covered by several trees and the normal day for the students and teachers would be one filled with a cool breeze. Unfortunately, because the school of 400 students is far from the city proper of Batangas, donations and assistance from different institutions rarely reach them.

Teachers from Talumpok Proper ES try out the new books from AHON

That's why it was very unexpected for the teachers, students, and parents when they received the news that AHON (Acts of Hope for the Nation) Foundation would be donating half a million worth of brand new Time Life books for their library as a response to their principal's request. Talumpok Proper ES is the first provincial school to receive AHON Foundation's book donations this year.

On March 9, 2010, AHON Foundation delivered the books to Talumpok Proper ES, three hours away from Metro Manila. The books were composed of reference Science books, English learning books, and Math books.

Parents and teachers of Talumpok Proper ES

The Principal, Mrs. Angelina Peradilla, who had previously taught in a private school, said that the noticeable difference between the private school and public school students are the quality of books they read. While the private schools have all the access to good, relevant and timely books, facilities, and materials, the public schools struggle in such aspect. This was why it was very important for her to secure her students with quality books.

The District Supervisor, Mrs. Miguela De Chavez, was also very grateful to AHON Foundation for the book donations, saying that she did not expect that one of the schools under her district would get such wonderful books.

AHON Foundation is a non-stock, non-profit organization that aims to increase literacy among Filipino elementary school students through libraries and quality books. For those who want to hep AHON Foundation bring more books to public elementary school libraries, please contact us at (+63-2) 683 0262 local 106 or visit our website at http://www.ahonfoundation.com.