Our Work
Houses for Oguis
$6800/house
As typhoon season runs from May through December, the residents of Oguis live in never-ending fear of their shanties and their earthly possessions being lost or damaged. Because of this, we launched the Houses for Oguis campaign. This project is dedicated to funding the construction of stable concrete homes for the villagers of Oguis. With solid houses, they can now rest easier during typhoon season knowing their families and possessions will remain safe.
In 2021 we constructed six homes. Unfortunately, due to the lengthy rainy season, the construction has taken longer than expected. However, thanks to the impressive work ethic of the villagers, they have maintained steady progress. Now that funding has been secured, we have started the construction of two new duplexes for four families in the village. The property for the two duplexes had already been purchased by our organization. The duplexes are made possible through our partnership with the World Housing Organization and represent the first four of eighteen homes planned for 2022. Once complete, and when the families move in, they start to pay the mortgage on their home, with the revenue being redirected to the scholarship program for the needs of future students.
Educational Support
$1000/student + $750 + $300
While working to lift up those in Oguis, we quickly realized that the best escape from poverty for these villagers is through education. Because of this, we began a scholarship program for students in Oguis. Below, you can see some of the students we are actively sponsoring. While tuition at The State University of Catanduanes is free, students require laptops, books, internet data, and accommodations at a boarding house to progress through their program. All these necessities amount to $1000 for the first semester and $500 for each semester after that.
During 2020, all 79 students at the local school in Oguis were learning remotely from home, due to the pandemic. At the start of each week, teachers would print out the lessons for each student to complete at home. Unfortunately, the typhoons destroyed the printer which was being used to create these lesson plans. Because of this, we raised $750 to pay for a new printer, five boxes of ink, and 10 plastic utility boxes to keep the assignment sheets dry.
School supplies were also provided in September of 2022 and 2021 to all students from kindergarten to grade 12.
Students & Sponsors
Rhealyn Tevar
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE: BIOLOGY
Hobbies: Reading and writing songs/poetry
Future Career: Teacher
Joseph Aguilar Taper
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE: AGRICULTURE
Hobbies: Taking care of fish and planting
Future Career: Anything in agriculture that will support him and his family
Rommel O. Almanza
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE: NURSING
Hobbies: Volleyball, reading, movies, swimming
Future Career: Registered nurse
Reena Mae T. Teves
BACHELOR OF SECONDARY EDUCATION MAJOR IN FILIPINO
Hobbies: Reading, writing, farming
Future Career: Teacher
Ariel A. Tejerero
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE: FOOD TECHNOLOGY
Sponsors: Tom & Jane Hendrick
Hobbies: Basketball, working out, cooking, learning new languages
Future Career: Anything in the food industry and abroad
Champ T. Teves
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Hobbies: Spending time with his family, learning about technology
Future Career: Professional IT specialist
Johary Lachica
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Hobbies: Basketball and chess
Future Career: Anything to support his family
Rea Mira Ricafort
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE: ELEMENTARY EDUCATION
Sponsors: Mac Voisin & Marcela Bahar
Hobbies: Reading, poetry, music, and dancing
Future Career: Professional teacher
Casselle A. Tolentino
BACHELOR OF ELEMENTARY EDUCATION
Hobbies: Reading, writing stories, cooking, listening to music, and planting
Future Career: Teacher
Jericho Acasio
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE: INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY / MAJOR IN FOOD TECHNOLOGY
Sponsors: Peter & Joan Karstens
Hobbies: Volleyball and reading
Future Career: Chef or flight attendant
Rica Joy Camu
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE: BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
Hobbies: Badminton, volleyball, watching movies, gardening, and playing with her nieces and nephews
Future Career: Financial manager
Mary Joy C. Tapar
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
Hobbies: Cooking, singing, drawing, and reading books
Future Career: Office-related position or a chef
Joanne Teves Tañalas
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE: BIOLOGY
Hobbies: Reading books that capture her interests
Future Career: Something related to her degree in biology
Maica Eloisa T. Trevalles
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE: BIOLOGY
Hobbies: Eating, sleeping, listening to music, and reading romantic stories
Future Career: Registered nurse
Charlon T. Teves
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE: INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY / MAJOR IN ELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY
Hobbies: Hiking and basketball
Future Career: Anything that will provide him a steady and reliable job
Alleny Maevien Bagasina Teves
BACHELOR OF TECHNICAL- VOCATIONAL TEACHER EDUCATION
Hobbies: Dancing, cooking, watching TV
Future Career: Something related to her degree; wanting to live in another Country to pursue better opportunities in life.
Don Dexter Timajo
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE: in Computer Engineering
Hobbies: playing instruments, drawing and editing pictures.
Future Career: Computer Engineer
Kristine A. Maliñana
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE: Business Administration
Hobbies: reading, listening to music, Church activities
Future Career: Operate her own business, perhaps in the USA
Mariefiel A. Tolentino
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE: NURSING
Hobbies: Reading, photography
Future Career: Nurse, perhaps in Europe.
Michael Angelo Baylon
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE: INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY MAJOR IN ELECTRICAL
Hobbies: Playing basketball, playing guitar, drawing, listening to music, church activities
Future Career: build his own business, in the Philippine’s
Nykka Ysabel Teves
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE: BIOLOGY
Sponsors: Tom & Jane Hendrick
Hobbies: Reading, Watching TV, Listening to Music
Future Career: Doctor
Jean Grace D. Lachica
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE: Business Administration
Hobbies: Baking, Singing, Sewing, Selling Native Delicacies
Future Career: Marketing Manager
Marcelino P. Soriao Jr.
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE: MATHEMATICS
Hobbies: Basketball, Sepak-takraw, Watching Movies, Playing Guitar
Future Career: Teacher
Ravhen P Bermas
Roann Zurita
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE: COMPUTER SCIENCE
Jherlyn Kylie Tañalas
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE: MATHEMATICS
Hobbies: Art, Riddles, Writing Poems or Stories, Board Games
Future Career: Unknown
Please Read About Completed Projects Below
Campaign for Immediate Needs
Goods + $1750 to ship
After the typhoons hit Catanduanes in November of 2020, everyone on the island were thrown into a state of disarray. Many people were without a roof over their head, running water, or electricity due to the damage caused by these severe weather events. After hearing about these horrific living conditions, we began working to contribute help in any way possible. We started asking all of our friends and family members for donations. Thankfully, many were able to provide items like clothing, bed linens, towels, pots, pans, and kitchen utensils.
Joan’s art studio quickly became a convenient drop-off location for these essential items. Hermie then vacuum-sealed all of the supplies into boxes to be safely transported to Oguis. The villagers were extremely happy and thankful to receive these donations during such a trying time. With these supplies, we were able to give the village of Oguis a helping hand. We would like to thank all of our friends and family, as well as Arc Angels, Blessings, and Goodwill for their plentiful donations.
Christmas Dinner
$1394
After the typhoons hit Oguis in November 2020, Christmas was just around the corner. With so much work required to return to basic living, a Christmas dinner was not even considered possible for most villagers. When Hermie realized this, she reached out to her coworkers at the long-term care facility she worked at, and they were able to raise $1394 towards feeding the villagers a basic Christmas dinner. With this generous donation, each family received a food package. No one should have to miss out on valuable holiday traditions and thanks to Hermie and her coworkers, the villagers of Oguis did not miss their Christmas meal.
In addition, Hermie’s co-workers raised $300 to replace the damaged door on the local church. Another $1000 was raised to provide a Christmas dinners in 2021.
New Steel Roofing for Shanties
$3350
When the first typhoon hit, villagers saw wind speeds up to 315 km per hour, the strongest typhoon globally during 2020. The second typhoon, which hit just ten days later, had speeds up to 150 km per hour and rainfall that flooded the village. With such extreme weather, the majority of homes were severely damaged and many were completely destroyed. Most villagers were living in shanties, which are makeshift homes built out of materials like metal sheeting and salvaged pieces of wood with dirt floors. As expected, these shanties were wiped out during the storm, forcing people to rebuild the homes they lost. When we heard about this, we began raising money to pay for new steel roofing to cover the sleeping area of 55 homes in Oguis. In just 34 days, we were able to raise $3350 which was entirely dedicated to helping those in need. Now, all 55 homes have a steel roof covering over the sleeping areas, so the villagers can stay comfortable and dry.
T-shirt donation
The villagers of Oguis appreciate any type of donation, including clothing. At the beginning of this year, Mac Voisin and Marcela Bahar discovered they had 845 brand new t-shirts they no longer needed, due to a business name change. They decided to donate these, and the villagers loved them. Each man, woman, and child in Oguis received a brand-new t-shirt, and residents in the neighbouring villages of Tilis, Aroyao, and Balongbong also received shirts that were distributed during Christmas 2021.
New Kindergarten Roof
$2000 + $2500 for phase 2
Thankfully, the Philippines government announced they would be repairing all elementary and secondary schools that were damaged by the typhoons. However, the kindergarten school in Oguis did not qualify for this initiative, so we knew something had to be done. With the Covid-19 pandemic still heavily impacting the village, all students were learning from home with print-outs created by the teachers each week. With no roof above, the head teacher – Marck John Eustaquio – would carry the printer to and from school each day to avoid getting it wet from the rainy weather. Now, a new roof over the kindergarten room means he can store the printer and supplies there each day.
Thanks to the Grand Bend Rotary Club and their generous donation of $2000, we were able to purchase the materials for the villagers to fully repair the roof. After the concrete was poured for the roof, we realized the school required increased structural support, a new door, three new windows, three new fans, and a new set of chairs. We quickly raised another $2500 to fund this portion of the project. The school now has a room where they can keep all supplies and equipment dry, enabling students to continue their education.
Water for Oguis
$18,000
Before the typhoons hit, the water system in Oguis had already required repairs, since there were multiple damaged areas that inhibited effective delivery. When the extreme winds ripped through the village, these pipes were completely uprooted and the system was destroyed. This forced all villagers to use the nearby river water for all cooking, cleaning, and drinking.
Clean water is a basic necessity that should be available to everyone, which is why we began the Water for Oguis campaign. We purchased all of the necessary materials to install a new delivery system from the mountain, across the river, and into the village. The villagers were quick to act, and began clearing a path to lay all the new piping. Once the materials were delivered, the entire village offered a helping hand to set up the new system. Even those who were not able to assist directly with labour, helped by preparing meals for all of the volunteers. With everyone contributing, the new system was installed quickly, and each house now has an outdoor water hookup. With a clean water supply, all the villagers can now safely wash, bathe, and drink from the comfort of their own homes.
