San Pablo City, Laguna Projects

Sampaloc Lake, Laguna

San Pablo City Shoemart (http://www.sanpablocity.com.ph)

From Wikipedia

Check out this other community service project IP Rondalla will be taking on in San Pablo City, Laguna, Philippines!

There will be three (3) beneficiaries for the San Pablo project:

1) The San Pablo City Central School Rondalla Group to raise funds to renovate their music room for their rondalla practice session which right now  the students make use of a dilapidated room that leaks during the rainy season.

2) The Paaralang Pagibig at Pagasa (School of Love and Hope) is a public school for differently abled Filipinos.  In the Philippines, children with disabilities have limited access to education and productive employment opportunities. Unlike in the U.S., they have to depend on generous donors for the needed financial and moral support. The school does not have sufficient funds to buy rondalla instruments, textbooks, and -other school supplies. 

3) The Division of City of San Pablo also plans to headstart a public school for gifted children.  This will be housed in the School of Love and Hope, and so the fundraising will be for supporting this gifted program (supplies, textbooks, and materials )

We are so excited to perform with the local talents including the kids from the Shool of Love and Hope.   My aunt mentioned to my mother a while ago that this rondalla group, although comprised of special needed children, is the best of the three rondalla groups in San Pablo. Of the 35 members, most suffer from hearing impairment; others are blind or with learning disabilities. Nonetheless, these kids follow the music by swaying to each pluck. I recommend all of you the article below. It's really an inspiring story of dedication and perseverance.
Click here for links:
http://verafiles.org/deaf-kids-make-music-in-school-of-love-and-hope/
http://www.schoolofloveandhopesped.com/christmas-letter-201

Music in Sign Language. Members of the rondalla of Paaralang Pag-ibig at 
Pag-asa, mostly deaf, play by following what their trainer, Lina Mercado, 
gestures to them. From the article by Patria

What IP Rondalla Will Do

Together with SPED and San Pablo Central School Rondallas, the IP Rondalla ensemble will showcase their signature rondalla music and dance routines as part of the gala performance to the general public. The occasion also provides a great opportunity for SPED and the San Pablo Central School Rondalla Ensembles to hold a gala public concert to demonstrate their talent, raise awareness to the plight of  differently abled children, and generate funds to support their pressing needs and for starting the gifted program in the city.

 

An IP Rondalla parent, who is a practicing professional architect in the U.S., will provide the architectural design and plans for the San Pablo Central School  music room.

All proceeds from this benefit concert will be donated to the three (3) local beneficiaries. Some of the money will be used to purchase additional rondalla instruments, pay for rondalla instructions, and seed the fund raising effort to build the music room at the school, and the gifted program.Our own IP director, Cristina Castro, who is a retired principal of Boston's Perkins School for the Blind, will also hold a round-table workshop with the teachers and administrators to share her own expertise and experience. 

Sierra Jamir