Soccer sparks hope for kids

MANILA, Philippines - From the crowded confines of Pandacan to the vast expanses of Clark Freeport took only two hours, but to the kids of ERDA Tech, the difference may have been a voyage to another planet.

All 40 high schoolers, ages 13-17, aside from seeing hot air balloons for the first time during 16th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta, also got to kick their first soccer ball. Even for just a day, the kids felt like one of the heroes from Supa Strikas, a popular soccer comics and animation series.

Chevron Philippines hosted the students from ERDA (Educational Research and Development Assistance) Tech, which helps disadvantaged children stay in school and equip them with technical knowledge and skills that would enable them to pull themselves out of poverty.

One of the students was second year high schooler Joselito Marlon Baisa, 17, who was abandoned as a child. “This trip helped me motivate myself to reach for my dreams, especially since I aspire to be a pilot someday. When I saw the hot air balloons and the airplanes, I felt as if I were already flying in the clouds while looking down the beautiful and vast scenery below.”

Marlon and the rest of students tested their soccer skills in “Big Bo’s Penalty Shoot Out” by trying to score against Strikas Entertainment CEO Richard Grenville and business development manager Sean Flanagan.

Grenville says that Supa Strikas is about building dreams and reaching goals, which can be related to the situation of the kids in Pandacan. “It is very important that the children be exposed to the environment, let them play and have fun because these memories will serve as an inspiration for them to do better in school and in life.”

Marc Magsalin, assistant principal of ERDA Tech, said, “Meeting the Strikas creators and watching hot air balloons is a privilege our students would never have given their current circumstances. We appreciate what Chevron has done – they opened our children’s eyes not just to the wonders they experienced but also to realize that there are bigger and better things waiting for them in life through education.”