News
MHSS students bring cheer to Manila children during its outreach activity
Tuesday, February 5, 2013By Melissa Quing and Kim Selorio, Whizzy Works
The children from Pamayanan, a community in Pandacan, Manila, are all smiles as they wait for the exciting activities during the annual outreach program of Malayan High School of Science last December 18.
Malayan High School of Science (MHSS) capped off 2012 with its annual outreach program last December 18, making the yuletide season even merrier for 140 children in two communities in Manila.
The first and fourth year students together with the officers of the Supreme Student Government (SSG) went to treat the kids from the nearby community Pamayanan in Pandacan, Manila, to a day of fun and learning. Serving as big brothers and sisters to Pamayanan’s kids, who were 5 to 8 years old, Malayans gave a lecture on proper hygiene and basic English lessons and facilitated a coloring activity and some games for the kids to participate in and enjoy. The first year students also showcased their talents through several song and dance presentations to the delight of the kids.
"It is my last year in Malayan, and what better way to make it memorable than to bond and teach children. At first, I had a few problems interacting with the kids because I'm not very fluent in Tagalog, but that didn't stop me from enjoying the activity. The children were very eager to learn during our English lesson. It was truly amazing. Although I taught the children, I felt as if I was the one who was taught an important lesson: Language barrier isn't an obstacle to help and teach people and to enjoy their company." – Jana Joson, MHSS Supreme Student Government fourth year representative
MHSS senior students together with Supreme Student Government adviser Ms. Genevieve Hilario (center) and faculty members Mr. Gerlyn Francisco (back, third from right) and Mr. Jezreel Lastra (far left).
Meanwhile, the juniors chose to spend their day with the kids of Bahay Tuluyan, an orphanage in Malate, Manila, where they had a story-telling activity, played various games, and engaged in singing and dancing.
Both groups ended the day with a salu-salo.
The children of Pamayanan and Bahay Tuluyan were grateful to MHSS for giving them an early Christmas gift.
“We really enjoyed spending a day with our older brothers and sisters from MHSS, as they were really generous with their blessings and talents,” seven-year-old Brian from Pamayanan said in Filipino.
For Jana Joson, SSG fourth year representative, outreach activities are not just about helping but about learning and growing as well.
Among the activities that kids participated in was a coloring activity, which the children enjoyed.
“It is my last year in Malayan, and what better way to make it memorable than to bond and teach children. At first, I had a few problems interacting with the kids because I'm not very fluent in Tagalog, but that didn't stop me from enjoying the activity. The children were very eager to learn during our English lesson. It was truly amazing. Although I taught the children, I felt as if I was the one who was taught an important lesson: Language barrier isn't an obstacle to help and teach people and to enjoy their company,” she shared.
The school’s outreach program started in 2007, serving as a practical application of the lessons students learned from their social studies and values education subjects.
“The outreach program is part of our curriculum, intended for the holistic development of the students. At MHSS, we do not only focus on the cognitive and psychomotor development. We give equal emphasis on the affective domain, where students acquire and apply the school’s core values explicitly particularly Responsibility. The exposure of students to outreach programs makes them realize their social responsibility of sharing their talents and blessings to the least fortunate members of the society,” said principal Dr. Efren B. Mateo.
MHSS has been conducting the activity through the help of various organizations and families who support the cause. Apart from gift giving, it also collects and distributes relief goods to victims of calamities.
Serving as big brothers and sisters, Malayans had fun playing with the kids of Pamayanan during the parlor games.