Event Geek

DENR Assistant Secretary Marlo D. Mendoza (right) talks about the importance of the government’s National Greening Program during the contract signing between Globe and FPE.  Main signatories to the MoA are Globe CSR Head Rob I. Nazal (2nd from left) and FPE CEO Atty. Danny Valenzuela (2ndfrom right). ASEC Mendoza and Globe Corporate Communications Head Yoly C. Crisanto (left) witnessed the signing.

Globe and SingTel volunteers painstakingly build a house for impoverished families in Bantayan Island, Cebu through the Gawad Kalinga Bayani Challenge 2011

Unmindful of the fatigue and scorching heat, volunteers from Globe Telecom and its shareholder Singapore Telecommunication Limited (SingTel) willingly mixed cement, stacked hollow blocks, made steel and wall frames, and did a host of other construction jobs just to provide a home for one of Bantayan Island’s marginalized families.

Ten volunteers from Globe, 12 from SingTel and another 10 from the Globe Gawad Kalinga sponsored village in Bagong Silang, Caloocan, traveled to far-flung Bantayan to participate in the Gawad Kalinga Bayani Challenge 2011 in Madridejos town. They joined over 1,700 volunteers from 27 provinces and three countries – USA, Australia, and Singapore, in giving a better life to residents of the island.

With its pristine shores and crystal clear blue waters, Bantayan has become one of the most popular vacation spots in Cebu province. However, behind its beauty is a backdrop of poverty where people, mostly fisher folks, continue to live a hand-to-mouth existence. This prompted GK to hold the annual Bayani Challenge in Bantayan.

For the GK Bayani Challenge 2011, 32 teams engaged in various activities such as building of homes, schools and farms; island greening; health mission; and feeding program and sports clinic for children.

Billy Tan, head of the SingTel delegation, remained undaunted by the task despite the bruises he received while clearing the area and building the house. Although Billy was a first time GK volunteer without any construction experience, the 35-year old consultant expects to join future Bayani Challenges which he said gave him not only a sense of fulfillment but also a feeling of camaraderie with other volunteers.

Team Globe leader and civil engineer Dante Rosello, on the other hand, is a regular volunteer. Rosello is always willing to help the less fortunate, having experienced financial difficulties himself during his growing up years.

Even Rommel Alido, a resident of Globe GK Village in Bagong Silang, makes it a point to volunteer every time his help is needed as a way of giving back to the organization which helped him and his family acquire a new home after their house was burned in 1985.

This was the fifth time for Globe employees to join the GK Bayani Challenge, believing that doing volunteer work for the needy is a way to achieve a work-life balance.

Two of the biggest public Special Education (SPED) Centers in Metro Manila have been awarded desktop computers with special software and free one-year internet connection by Autism Society of the Philippines and Globe Telecom, respectively, to aid children with special learning and communication needs.

P. Gomez Elementary School in Sta. Cruz, Manila and P. Villanueva Elementary School in Pasay City were chosen to pilot-test the VizZle visual learning software which will be implemented beginning the incoming school year. An initial batch of 12 teachers, seven from P. Gomez and five from P. Villanueva, already started undergoing training.

P. Gomez SPED Center has 28 teachers taking care of over 400 pupils, about 25 of which have autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Prior to the entry of Globe and ASP, the school has no computer laboratory. On the other hand, P. Villanueva has 24 SPED teachers handling less than 300 pupils. Its eight PCs were also donated by ASP.

The turnover ceremonies were held as a contribution of Globe and ASP to the fourth annual World Autism Awareness Day which encourages activities that will help increase and develop people’s knowledge of autism and impart information on the importance of its early diagnosis and early intervention.

“I think the next frontier for Globe is providing connectivity for social inclusion. We can begin with special children and later on, maybe also persons with disabilities. The challenge is in finding a way for internet connectivity to be more relevant to special children. That’s why we are glad to work with ASP. We believe that the key to utilizing technology in the school set-up is getting help in delivering the use of technology. Without a systematic or organized way of using the Internet in social institutions like schools, we may not be as successful,” said Jeffrey O. Tarayao, Head of Globe Corporate Social Responsibility.

There are currently only 231 public SPED centers in the country with an alarming 25:1 student-teacher ratio. The figure leaves no room for dedicated attention for the unique needs of students which have a mixed host of disabilities such as autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, hearing/speech/visual/physical impairment, among others. Moreover, most of them have outdated, non-functioning computers and non-existent internet connection.

Cristina Estampador, ASP Program Director and Board of Trustees member, said that while VizZle is primarily designed for children with ASD, it can also be customized to fit those with mental and physical disabilities. Through VizZle, she said learning can be made easier and fun since the software delivers the visuals, the auditory and the kinesthetic experience to the students.

ASP, being a national, non-profit organization dedicated to the well-being of persons with ASD, was able to acquire a technical grant of two full licenses of VizZle, a multi-awarded visual learning software that has the capability to add video and audio and share lessons across a web-based library. It was created through collaborations with the Monarch Center for Autism and Children’s Hospital Boston/Harvard Medical School.