Growing the young

No one has the luxury of time, especially not the children of the marginalized Filipino.

"They just have six years, from age 0 to 6, to have a complete development. Otherwise, children will grow up to be substandard." This lack of preparation diminishes their chances to compete for jobs and opportunities later in life. Expectedly, they drop out of schools before they could even reach grade six. So stressed DSWD Region 7 regional director, Teodulo Romo, during turnover ceremonies for the Casili Day Care and Training Center in Cambiohan, Casili, Consolacion, Cebu.

To arrest the downward spiral, Republic Act 6972 was enacted to establish, maintain and operate day care centers in all barangays. And in her State of the Nation Address before Congress in July, last year, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo appealed: "I ask Congress to legislate an extra year of studies not by adding a fifth year of high school, but by standardizing what is taught in barangay day care centers."

In 1993, pre-school classes were organized to benefit initially 19 divisions covered by the Social Reform Agenda (SRA). Their aims were to provide 5-year-old children in the disadvantaged areas the stimulating experiences needed to develop their social, motor and readiness skills.

But Government can only do so much, and its funds are too meager to spread among its close to 90 million people. Where lies the country's hope in the race against time and catastrophe? Presently, only 4 out of 10 school children undergo day care education. A joint study, Romo says, between the University of San Carlos and the Asian Development Bank revealed a stark reality - children without day care education were less sociable, less school-ready, and performed less. Necessarily, Romo's battle cry is: Construct more day care centers.

The battle cry finds resonance in the Aboitiz Group's passion to lead, to excel and to serve. Steadfast and unwavering in its mission to help people help themselves, its corporate foundation, the Aboitiz Group Foundation, Inc. (AGFI) focuses assistance in the areas of education, primary health and child care, and enterprise development.

For its education thrust, AGFI assistance spells support for 1,200 students via scholarship grants or financial assistance grants, 420 refurbished computer laboratories, 511 brand-new computer units, printers, software licenses, and school supplies. Donated schoolbuildings and classrooms have totaled close to 100.

For the very young ones, AGFI has donated 14 day care centers, the latest of which were turned over last Tuesday to barangays in Banilad, this city, and in Casili in Consolacion, Cebu. Costing over P 800,000, the Casili project began construction in October last year. The combo building has the day care center on the ground floor, and the livelihood-training center on the second floor. Both children and parents study: the children about the basics of reading, writing and 'rithmetic; the parents about livelihood skills for augmenting their family income.

Unstinting in its use of colors bright and alive, the Casili day care centers warmly welcome two to three sessions of 30 students each. That in Banilad is wider, its second floor easily taking in 40 students. But wherever they are, there's a distinct style to the look and design. Paintings and murals on the walls are both aesthetic and educative, showing acceptable from unacceptable behavior. The wall paintings are almost life-size, and themselves are the teacher's visual aids. There's how not to behave in church while the priest gives his homily. There's where not to fly a kite on a windy day. There's what not to do with a slingshot. There's why one must say prayers before meals. Or when not to cross the street. And a lot more pictures to start the young minds with the right values.

In Casili, turnover ceremonies drew in the attendance of AGFI's Stephen Paradies, member of the Board of Trustees; Sonny Carpio, Executive Vice-President and Managing Trustee; and project officer Wilfredo Bayking. Feeling no less the accomplishment were AGFI's partners in development Consolacion Mayor Avelino Gungob Sr., Casili barangay captain Analee Gungob-Fernandez, and regional directors Teodolo Romo of DSWD Region 7 and Engr. Ernesto Beltran of TESDA Region 7.

Over in Banilad, barangay captain Lea Ouano-Jopson enthused, "I'm the happiest barangay captain in the whole Philippines." With her at the turnover ceremonies were the AGFI board chairman himself, Jon Ramon Aboitiz, and Sonny Carpio.

Where the young go, so goes the future. And when efforts pour to grow the young, expect feelings to run high and hopeful.