To promote volunteerism, Tarlac State University (TSU), through the International Affairs and Linkages Office (IALO), TSU Faculty and Personnel Union (TSUFPU), and the TSU-Non-Academic Staff Association (TSU-NASA), partnered with the non-government organization Agapito-Milla-Camba-Ogame (AMCO) Advocaies, LTD towards the fruition of a strengthened extension service to Maruglo Elementary School (MES), its adopted community.
Project K3: Kaakbay ng Kabataan tungo sa Karunungan is a university-wide extension program. The activities under this outreach program were held on November 3-4, 2022.
The project catered to 484 pupils of MES through AMCO’s Lingguhang-Lakbay Aral (LLA): Teaching Reading Literacy Program. This was complemented by the generosity of the TSU community with the distribution of education packs to individual learners that were prepared by the TSUFPU and TSU-NASA officers and members.
“Mahal natin ang mga batang ito. Bibigyan namin kayo ng materyales para matuto kayo at para maging maayos ang pagpasok ninyo sa paaralan. Ang una naming handog sa inyo ay kahit paano ay matulungan namin kayo sa abot ng aming makakaya para kayo ay matutong magbasa,” a TSU official said to the MES learners prior to the distribution.
Meanwhile, to realize the objectives of the two-day activity, volunteer students from the League of Prospective English Educators (LPEE), Pre-school Education Society (PES), and Linguistic Society (LingSoc) spearheaded the reading activities during the breakout sessions.
“As soon as I arrived, I fell in love with the place and the people. I helped in the school for two days and I was able to get to know young kids who are very much eager to learn. It is truly a heartwarming experience to have shared and inspired the young learners during the literacy program. Maruglu (MES) is filled with beautiful children who have dreams and I would like to thank TSU and AMCO for this opportunity,” LPEE president Alrianne Katrina A. Hulipas shared about her experience.
Moreover, one of the activities during the breakout sessions was the writing of wishes on holiday cards in line with the upcoming Christmas season.
“Pinagsulat namin sila ng mga mensahe at kung ano ba ang Christmas wishes nila sa Christmas cards. Nagtatanong-tanong si teacher sa ibang mga estudyante kung ano nga ba ang wish nila. Hindi mo mapipigilang hindi maantig ang puso mo dahil sa mga simpleng hiling ng mga bata,” one of the PES students mentioned.
The students’ humble wishes for this upcoming 'season of giving' were not material possessions.
One learner remarked, “Ang gusto ko lang po sa Pasko ay ang matutong magbasa,” while another said, “Pangarap ko pong matutong makapagsulat.”
With these remarks, AMCO, through Ms. Patrycia Mhae Agapito, mentioned that their organization, along with TSU, will plan to come back in December for another outreach program aimed to fulfill the simple hopes of the Maruglo learners.
