On November 8, 2022, the Open Heart team went to Boac, Marinduque, and had a chance to meet and know the President of the Marinduque State College named President Diosdado P. Zulueta, the meeting proceeded to get to know each other, give him ideas on what the mission, vision, programs, and Services of the foundation and how can the foundation and the school can work together.
After the meeting with the president the team proceed to the Culture and Arts AVR to meet the 8 OHF beneficiaries at Marinduque. To get to know more about the beneficiaries the assigned coordinator started to give them a short activity “Blob Tree” this activity is a tool that can be used to help students articulate their feelings and help facilitate their development. The beneficiaries first share basic information about themselves, and how the foundation helps them individually, and their family. Most of them express their feelings and attitude as they did the activity some shared their struggles in life. It feels the strong emotions in the room as they started to share, but the Executive Director shared an inspirational message with them and help them to ease the heaviness in their heart.
To cheer them up, since the VANS donated the shoes to the Open Heart Foundation it was decided to give 2 pairs of shoes to every beneficiary of the foundation. All of the 8 Beneficiaries in the Marinduque area and also the Volunteer coordinator received 1 pair of shoes at the same time set of Loreal makeup kits. Then followed by the distribution of allowance.
As the Meeting Adjourned, the Volunteer Coordinator Sir Arnel told us to stay and watched the performance they prepared called “PUTONG” a ceremony occasionally performed in the Province of Marinduque, Philippines, in which visitors are honored and welcomed. The ceremony takes the form of the eponymous song which is a call for “thanksgiving, hope, and prayer for a long, blessed life”
Before we went back to Manila on November 9, 2022 at 11:00 AM we had a chance to conduct a courtesy call with the Mayor of Boac, Marinduque. The Executive Director informed the Mayor that the partnership with Boac, Marinduque would be more binding if there will be an MOU, where the responsibility of each stakeholder will be specified. The Mayor agreed and very much willing to do a Memorandum of Agreement.
Prepared by: Maejorie U. Ortega, RSW, Program Area Coordinator 1
