Myrla Baldonado (far right standing) welcomes participants of the 'Pagbabalik' (Coming Home) workshop at the Clark Museum, Clark, Pampanga, Philippines
On January 21, 2012, the Bayanihan Foundation welcomed its partners and guests to its second annual ‘Pagbabalik’ (Coming Home) workshop at the Clark Museum, Clark, Pampanga, Philippines. The foundation especially welcomed its partner Rotarians from the Rotary Club of Chicago Far North.
During the workshop, the foundation also announced its six, successful partnerships for 2011:
1. Video and report on unexploded (UXO) ordnance in Clark and Subic highlighting the need to clean up the toxic wastes left behind from the former US bases in Clark and Subic. The Alliance for Bases Clean Up, Pilipino Workers Center (PWC) and the Philippine American Group for the Environment (PAGE) helped launch this education and outreach campaign (September 2011)
2. UXO and toxic waste victims cope and heal with Body Talk Access, in partnership with the Alliance for Bases Clean Up. The foundation provided Body Talk Access, a simple set of energy-based techniques, to hundreds of toxic waste victims and helped them cope and heal
3. Support for the creation of the United Philippine Amerasians (UPA), a grassroots group led and created by Filipino Amerasians. Their fathers are American military personnel and their mothers are assumed to be prostitutes; they’re America’s forgotten children. This organizing project was made in partnership with WeDpro and Buklod (July 2011)
4. Iligan Water Wells and Library Book Drive, in partnership the Rotary Club of Chicago Far North, built two water wells and sent books for two school libraries in Iligan City (December 2011)
5. Eid Ul Fitr and Udhiya Celebrations and Peace Building with Filipino Muslims, in partnership with the Zakat Foundation of America and the Rotary Club of Iligan South, fed over 600 needy Filipino Muslim families and children in Iligan City (August and November 2011). A peace building workshop among Filipino and Christian youth is also being planned (January 2012)
6. Youth educational trainings on environmental sustainability, in partnership with James Castillo and the Visayas Mindanao People’s Resource Center, provided training to hundreds of youth volunteers on environmental sustainability in Cebu (April 2011)
The Bayanihan Foundation is also exploring more partnerships including with Kanlungan in supporting returning migrant workers to the Philippines.
(from left to right): Dale Asis, Mryla Baldonado, Ramon Acoymo and Evelyn Castillo. Tenor Ramon Acoymo joined and serenaded the participants of the workshop.
During the workshop, Tenor Ramon Acoymo serenaded the participants of the workshop. Mr. Acoymo, a well-renowned tenor, also teaches at the University of the Philippines.
