Saturday, October 18, 2008

Mano Amiga Academy's first day



MANILA, SEPTEMBER 22, 2008- Lovely Villar, 4, lives in Western Bicutan, in a district with more than 5,000 informal settlers who live in shanties and live on a monthly salary of P5, 000- P7-000. When asked what she wants to be when she grows up, Lovely smiled brightly and said, “a doctor, or a doctor AND a teacher.” For many of those living in the impoverished area, this idea may seem far-fetched; but Lovely’s parents are confident that her scholarship in Mano Amiga Academy has helped make this dream within her reach.

Mano Amiga Academy finally opened its doors last September 22 to kindergarten students in Taguig City.

The 60 Filipino scholars were chosen from poor communities surrounding the Habitat for Humanity Housing at the FTI complex where the school is temporarily holding classes. The project is being actively supported by the Taguig City government who has provided the organization with a 5,000-square meter lot where a permanent campus will be erected.

Mano Amiga Academy is run by Altius Foundation, an international NGO founded by the Legionaries of Christ, that provides education, health and development services in over thirteen countries.The international curriculum is always complemented by a formation program that targets the whole family, school staff and the surrounding community.

Mano Amiga schools are known for producing alumni who are outstanding academic achievers with national scores on par with the best schools of their country. Over 90% of the students complete their high school education and go on to University or technical school. The students are also formed to become socially responsible citizens, capable of seeing and responding to the needs of others.

Altius Foundation President Rene Lankenau attributed the success to Mano Amiga´s approach, which demands that families not only contribute financially towards their children´s education – usually P100-P200 for Filipinos– but that parents also participate in personal and economic development programs sponsored by the schools.

“The Mano Amiga model is not just a school, but a system for radically transforming the life of a family in poverty,” he said. Truly, with the help of Mano Amiga Academy, Lovely’s dreams do not seem impossible anymore.

Saturday, August 2, 2008

Calendar of Activties: August 2008

AUGUST 23:
THANK YOU MASS FOR VOLUNTEERS
Everest Academy, 4:00 pm
*snacks and an optional Mano Amiga site visit will follow after

AUGUST 30:
PAINTING DAY
Mano Amiga, 2:00pm
*please bring 70 pesos to cover the painting cost

SEPTEMBER 6:
PAINTING DAY
Mano Amiga, 2:00pm

*please bring 70 pesos to cover the painting cost

Friday, July 11, 2008

Improving Kids’ Lives in the Philippines



The Philippines’ Taguig City recently entered into a joint venture with the Everest School in Fort Bonifacio, to build a Mano Amiga (Helping Hands) school by the year 2009.


The proposed school is one of several elements in a city-wide effort to improve conditions for children in Taguig. These elements together, including the proposed Mano Amiga school, earned the city an award granted by the President’s Council for the Welfare of Children, which recognizes the role of local government units in promoting and protecting the rights of children.
Taguig City’s mayor, Freddie Tinga, envisions the planned Mano Amiga school as the best socialized elementary school in its class.


His expectations are on the mark. In Central and South America, Mano Amiga schools are a proven way to break the vicious cycle of poverty and illiteracy. Since Mano Amiga schools work with the whole family, they enable children with promise to rise above their circumstances and use their success to give back to their communities later on.


Complete version of the article can be viewed at:


Off to a good start

After a year of waiting, the first Mano Amiga Academy in the Philippines will now officially start this September 2008 in Taguig City. Mayor Freddie Tinga and his wife, Kaye, graciously lent us a temporary building while we're raising funds for the construction of the campus. For the first three years, we'll be using a steel frame building built by Habitat for Humanity in the Rotaryville Family Townhomes (located in FTI). In preparation for the school opening, Mano Amiga volunteers recently painted the classrooms and helped transform the building's bare walls into the perfect learning environment. :)