Tuesday, May 21, 2013

PUSONG PINOY HONORED AS
2013 TOP-RATED NONPROFIT


Pusong Pinoy is honored to received the prestigious 2013 Top-Rated Award by GreatNonprofits, the leading provider of user reviews about nonprofit organizations.
“We are excited to be named a Top-Rated 2013 Nonprofit,” says Donna Bernardo Rosario, Founder/CEO of Pusong Pinoy.Org. “We are proud of our accomplishments the past four years.”
The Top-Rated Nonprofit award was based on the large number of positive reviews that Pusong Pinoy received – reviews written by volunteers, donors and recipients. People posted their personal experience with the nonprofit. For example, Heidi Santos, a donor, wrote, “Pusong Pinoy is one honest to goodness non-profit organization. Your donations whether in-kind or money will reach the needy directly. I love to get involved with their projects because in my own little way I can give back to the community and I know I made a difference.”
While the Top-Rated Awards run through the end of October, Pusong Pinoy was part of the inaugural group to qualify for the year.
“Savvy donors want to see the impact of their donations more than ever,” said Perla Ni, CEO of GreatNonprofits, “People with direct experience with Pusong Pinoy have voted that the organization is making a real difference.”
Being on the Top-Rated list gives donors and volunteers more confidence that this is a credible organization. The reviews by volunteers, clients and other donors show the on-the-ground results of this nonprofit. This award is a form of recognition by the community.
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Thanks to all our HEROES!  We appreciate all of your reviews!
Read our great reviews and add your story -
http://greatnonprofits.org/org/pusong-pinoy-heart-of-a-filipino

 
GreatNonProfits is the leading site for donors and volunteers to find reviews and ratings of nonprofits. Reviews on the site influence 30 million donation decisions a year. www.greatnonprofits.org


Saturday, May 18, 2013

PUSONG PINOY & DAGUPAN MASONS
VISITS BESONG SADDLE PRIMARY SCHOOL


On May 4, 2013, a group of inspiring men drove to the mountain of Kabuyao in Sto. Tomas, Tuba, Benguet, to deliver much-needed school supplies and activity books to the children of Besong Saddle Primary School.

Members of the ALFONSO LEE SIN MEMORIAL LODGE NO. 158 (FREE MASONS OF DAGUPAN) are not new to this.  Last school year, the same group in partnership with Pusong Pinoy visited and distributed backpacks containing school supplies and toiletries to the students of two schools in Tuba-Kabuyao Elementary School and Besong Saddle Primary School.  During that visit, they experienced the gratitude of the school teachers, parents and pupils. They were so inspired that they decided to return this school year.

Led by MASTER GUANSON LO of the Free Masons of Dagupan City and COO JOSEPH LO, the group delivered activity books and school kits to all 63 students of Besong Saddle Primary School. Each student received a school kit containing:

1 Plastic envelope
3 Notebooks
2 Pad papers
2 sets of crayons
3 Pens or 3 Pencils
1 Ruler
1 water tumbler
1 raincoat
1 baseball cap
1 umbrella

Master Joseph Lo is the Chief Operating Officer of the automobile-cellular phone trading giant, the Guanzon Group of Companies. His father founded the charitable organization, LGK Guanzon Foundation, Inc.   During this visit, Joseph Lo announced that the LGK Guanzon Foundation will provide funding for the materials needed to build a concrete surface for the playground and fence around the school’s playground.  The parents, teachers and children were ecstatic when they learned about the funding.  As a contribution from the community, the parents will provide the labor necessary to complete the project.

The playground area was created by parents during the summer of 2012.  They carved out a portion of the hill near the school to provide a flat play area.  However, due to a lack of funds, the area remained open to a dangerous cliff edge on one side and a rough wall of rocks on the other.  During the rainy season, the play area gets muddy, slippery and very dangerous.  Indeed, God works in mysterious ways. The long-held dream of the community to have a safe space for their children to play is about to come true. The HEROES of the Alfonso Lee Sin Memorial Lodge Lodge No. 158 (Free Masons of Dagupan) and the LGK Guanzon Foundation, Inc. stepped up to address the need of the school.

Amazing HEROES!  You have indeed poured so much blessings to the children of Besong Saddle Primary School!  Thank you so much! 

Friday, May 17, 2013

PUSONG PINOY BRINGS 500 BOOKS TO THE
YOUNG READERS OF PINALPAL ELEM SCHOOL

BY PP TEAM LEADER FLORENCE O. TEMPORAL



It is a match made in heaven. The Storytelling Project’s (TSP) mission is to help Filipino children create a reading habit by conducting storytelling sessions and by giving them storybooks. Pusong Pinoy, on the other hand, aims to promote literacy and eradicate poverty by giving out books to poor schools and communities that need them.  So on November 24, 2012, Pusong Pinoy volunteers Ningning Doble, Joanne Suyam, Florence O. Temporal and Marty Goitia joined forces with TSP Founder Rey Bufi, his supportive partner, Mary Grace Soriano, and their friends, Cynthia Santos and Jeena Balagtas, as Rey Bufi made his return trip to Sitio Pinalpal in Pozzorubio, Pangasinan.

Two years ago, Rey Bufi joined Grace when she volunteered to visit Pinalpal. The visit was providential and by his second visit, he decided to conduct the pilot run of TSP in this community. “I saw in the community elements that I was looking for. The parents are actively participating in school activities, the teachers are supportive and the whole community is like one big family. So I went back to Manila, I started looking for sponsors and by January (2012), I was there already.” He stayed and read stories to the children for 21 days. His target group was the lowest performing children in their formative years (Grades 1-3) with the aim that these children will learn how to read and develop a reading habit.

According to Bufi, developing this habit “would help them become critical thinkers, increase their self-esteem, develop interpersonal skills, thus, help them be more active in their studies.” After the successful completion of the first phase of TSP, Bufi’s next task was to gather books so that the community could put up their own library. He learned about Pusong Pinoy through TSP co-founder, Manny Vazquez, who had the chance to tell PP Charter Team Leader Ningning Doble about TSP. Thinking that Pusong Pinoy was the perfect partner for the Pinalpal library project, Bufi asked for the much needed books during Pusong Pinoy's Summit held in July this year.

On the 24th of November, Pusong Pinoy's team came laden not only with 500 storybooks, but 85 pairs of slippers for the children as well. Transporting the books and slippers to Sitio Pinalpal was no mean feat. Luckily, volunteer Alvin Sabado, his father Dominador and cousin Melvin brought along their sturdy and reliable 4x4 Land Cruiser. While some of the volunteers trekked through rice paddies and crossed a narrow hanging bridge, the others rode along with the Sabados passing through a riverbed fraught with rocks and boulders.

The long and arduous journey to the sitio was made all worth it when the volunteers saw how happy the children were to receive the books, their very own books! Their eyes widened and their jaws dropped in excitement as the boxes were opened, revealing the beautifully-colored story books. From that point on, as the children browsed through the numerous books on hand, they were transported to a world of their own. As the day progressed, the volunteers along with the parents of the community, took the time to sort out the books, categorize and label them in color codes accordingly. This color-coding system will help the teachers and parents guide the children in choosing the appropriate books for their level and at the same time, allow the children to maintain the order of books with the minimum of adult assistance.

The day ended with a simple lunch and a heartfelt prayer of thanks offered by one of the community members. The bayanihan spirit is a trait that is almost second nature to Filipinos. In the days of old, Filipinos would literally carry bamboo houses on their shoulders in order to help a neighbor relocate. Pusong Pinoy is an organization that thrives on team work and so it is proud to be a partner to The Story Telling Project. It is the Filipino child that we now carry on our shoulders and we will not stop until we safely bring them to a better place.

*** Our deepest gratitude goes out to the selfless Pastora Connie Ragado of Faith Fellowship Pozorrubio and the wonderful community members who welcomed the volunteers with open arms and who believe that their children will have a better future if they develop the habit of reading and are committed to make sure that the simple library system and reading program in Sitio Pinalpal will be implemented. Special thanks to "Swannderwoman" of Melbourne, Australia for donating 45 pairs of slippers and to Pusong Pinoy's Fairfield Team Leader, Arnel Francisco and Vice Team Leader, Chinky Francisco for donating 40 pairs of slippers.

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

AYR ACADEMY DONATES BOOKS TO PUSONG PINOY

by PP Scotland Team Leader Douglas Iness


Thank you to the numerous pupils who donated books. Every book you donate will bring enjoyment to other children. Haley Milne, the School Librarian, supervised the storage of books in the school’s library. She also donated books. Thank you for your support, Haley. Staff also collected and donated books. 

Thank you to- Kevin Boyd, Pauline Shearlaw, Morag Adams and Audrey McLeod, and Adele Guazelli, along with other staff who donated and collected books or supported the “book drive” in any way. Adele bought 48 books especially for her donation. The books were in great condition- ideal for keen readers. Just perfect! This was a wonderful team effort- staff and pupils working together to support other children. 

It was a real pleasure to visit Ayr Academy again. Hopefully, the relationship between Ayr Academy and Pusong Pinoy will grow! Thank you to the Head Teacher, Mrs K. MacDonald, for affording Pusong Pinoy the opportunity visit the school, meet staff and pupils and collect the books. It is great that others share the idea that, together, we can make a difference. On behalf of children in the Philippines who will enjoy these books, thank you to the all of the staff and pupils of Ayr Academy. Really, we cannot thank you enough...

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

OUR JUNIOR PP HEROES IN SCOTLAND

Take a look at Pusong Pinoy's latest volunteers - a group of junior heroes with big hearts got busy packing 420 books for the disadavantaged children of the Philippines. This is volunteerism work at the DALMILLING PRIMARY SCHOOL at Ayr, Scotland. These kids not only did a lot of work - they did it with happy hearts! You are great examples for the youth of today, little HEROES!


Thank you, Ms Jacqueline Coulter, Head Teacher and Ken O’Hara, Assistant Head for heading this effort. And a great big thanks to Agnes Dones, a long time supporter of Pusong Pinoy, for making this possible!   Lastly, thanks to our Scotland Team Leader Douglas Inness for his volunteer work and dedication to the disadvantaged children of the Philippines.  MABUHAY!