20th Year at Quinat-uyan ES

 

Finally! We have a sunny day. The kids at Quinat-uyan Elem School in Maayon enjoyed the outdoors with us even more so when they received some school supplies. Thank you Diane Acas for the backpacks. BalayniCharie is now on its 20th year of giving school supplies to the children in Capiz.

Images from TravelswithCharie

Balay ni Charie is now on its 19th year

It seems only yesterday when we started giving school supplies to the children in Capiz. In the beginning, we gave school supplies to 20 children at Conrado Barrios Elementary School in Roxas City. The following year we gave the entire first grade class and then both the first and second grades the succeeding year until we finally had the funds to give the entire school. Big thanks to our donors who have made this journey possible. Now we’re on the eve of our 20th anniversary. How exciting is that! 

In early 2025, we visited six schools and here they are: 

Catmon Elementary School, Panitan, Capiz, February 12, 2025

Donor: Leda Albar

Cabungahan Elementary School, Maayon, Capiz, February 18, 2025

Donor: Connie Collo, Odette Aquitania Ricasa

Culasi Elementary School, Sapian, Capiz, February 26, 2025

Donor: Florence Barredo Panes

Balaring Elementary School, Ivisan, Capiz, March 11, 2025

Donor: Smiley and Kai Shies Program

Nipa Day Care, Roxas City, March 12, 2025

Donor: Nieva Q. Burdick

Tugas Elementary School, Mambusao, Capiz, March 18, 2025

Donor: Selma Templanza, Rose Driscoll (Rose Driscoll made a special quilt and donated it as a prize to raise funds for BalayniCharie).

Big thanks to Diane Acas for the special backpacks she donated which we gave to a few of the children whose names were drawn from a hat by their teachers. The winners were so pleased with the backpacks. We are grateful to all our donors who made the children very happy and well prepared to tackle their schoolwork.

If you would like to donate to our school supplies program or would like your school to receive school supplies, please contact balaynicharie@gmail.com. The elementary school must be located in Capiz, Philippines.

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Images by TravelswithCharie

At Duluan Integrated School

It was a pleasure to give school supplies once again to the students of Duluan Elementary School. They are always so warm and welcoming that the long trip to their school is well worth it. Many thanks to the Gary Steele Family Foundation for making this happen. (This school supplies distribution took place on March 13, 2024.)

We also gave new shoes to some of the children who didn't have shoes to wear to school. We are grateful to the Smiley and Kai Shoes Project for their generosity.

Thanks to the concerted efforts of UNIFFIED teachers of New York and Nieva Burdick we were able to give children's books to the school's library. 

Duluan has designated a small area in the Teachers Room to store their library materials. Hopefully they'll have the resources to build a library for their students in the near future.

These are the notes and cards the children gave me. It's heartwarming. Thank you so much.

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Images by TravelswithCharie

Update on the Book Donations by UNIFFIED, New York Chapter

Here’s an update on where the books sent by United Federation of FilAm Educators, New York Chapter and Nieva Q. Burdick were donated:

Tabuc Norte Elementary School, Panitan, February 5, 2024

Lawaan Integrated School and Basa Barangay, Roxas City, February 7, 2024

Capiz State Univ (CAPSU)

Capiz State University (CAPSU) Library, February 8, 2024. Photo courtesy of Christian George Acevedo.

St. Mary’s Academy, Roxas City, February 13, 2024

Colegio de la Purisima Concepcion, Roxas City, February 14, 2024

Anatolia Arcenas Memorial School, Roxas City, February 15, 2024

Panitan High School, Panitan, February 19, 2024 

Balay Mapanag, Cuartero, February 20, 2024

Duluan Elementary School, Maayon, March 13, 2024

Handing of books to Maayon Ladies' Library through Ma'am Noemi Unating. March 18, 2024

Thank you UNIFFIED, New York Chapter and Nieva Q. Burdick for your generous donation.

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Images by BalayniCharie

Activities November 14, 2022 - November 30, 2022

Cabungahan Elementary School, Maayon November 14, 2022

215 students

Sponsored by Diane and Mon Acas and L & M Fun Channel

Shoes donated by Selma Templanza and Smiley and Kai Shoes Program

Books donated by Jazmin Gaite, L & M Fun Channel and Diane Acas

Culasi Elem School, Sapian

November 17, 2022

133 students

Sponsored by Odette Aquitania Ricasa

Shoes donated by Selma Templanza and Smiley and Kai Shoes Program 

Gabuc School, Pontevedra

November 21, 2022

41 students

Sponsored by Gary and Nancy Steele

Image by Jofelyn Rosales

Cabugao School, Pontevedra

November 21, 2022

26 students

Sponsored by Gary and Nancy Steele

Agcabugao Elementary School, Cuartero

November 22, 2022

103 students

Sponsored by Gary and Nancy Steele Charitable Trust

Shoes donated by Smiley and Kai Shoes Program

Antonio Belo Integrated School, Panitan

193 students, Grades 4-6

Sponsored by Gary and Nancy Steele

Shoes donated by Smiley and Kai Shoes Program

Ameligan Elementary School, Pontevedra

Kindergarten students, 24 students

Sponsored by Gary and Nancy Steele

Books donated by L & M Fun Channel and Nieva Burdick

Images by Rhea Bolina

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Images by BalayniCharie 

Books and Bond Paper Donations in 2021

 

Our work continues in Capiz in spite of the pandemic. BalayniCharie gave 20 reams of bond paper to Duluan Elementary School in November 2021 to be used for printing self-learning materials which will be distributed to schoolchildren enrolled at the school. There are few face-to-face classes in the Philippines due to the pandemic. Children are learning through modules given to them by the school. This distribution was made possible through the generous support of Odette Aquitania Ricasa from California, USA.

We also gave children’s books to Gawad Kalinga Capiz Chapter through Dolly Buday and to Jessiemar Diaz, Principal of Cabugao Elementary School in Panitan for their school library. BalayniCharie has worked with Mr. Diaz in the past to get more books for their library and with Miss Buday through their reading program in Dinginan. Thanks to Jazmin Gaite and Diane Acas of California for their generous donation of books which were distributed in December 2021. We have more books to give in the near future. 

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Photo courtesy of Abner Damsani

BalayniCharie Report for June 2019 - Sept. 2019

Canuto Fuentes Elementary School

The start of the 2019-2020 school year in the Philippines was a frenzy of preparations for BalayniCharie. We reached out to 15 schools and communities in Capiz beginning in June. BalayniCharie is celebrating its 14th year of giving school supplies to elementary school students in Capiz, thanks to our generous sponsors. We are excited to celebrate our 15th year of service to the Capiz community in 2020. 

Panfilo Mendoza Elementary School

These were the schools we visited:

1. Balaring Elementary School - Ivisan - June 4, 2019
2. Sinandigan Elem School - Sigma - June 7, 2019
3. Cabugao Elem School - Panitan - June 10, 2019
4. Agbatuan Elem School - Dumarao - June 13, 2019
5. Alipaciawan Elem School - Dumarao - June 13, 2019
6. Madulano Elem School - President Roxas - June 20, 2019
7. Valentin Punsalan Elem School - Pilar - July 1, 2019
8. Canuto Fuentes Elem School - Sibaguan - July 12, 2019
9. Panfilo Mendoza Elem School - Ivisan - August 6, 2019
10. Culasi Day Care Center - August 7, 2019
11. Carida Elem School - Tapaz - August 15, 2019

Culasi Day Care Center

List of communities we visited:

Story telling at Gawad Kalinga with Christian George Francisco Acevedo

1. Gawad Kalinga (GK) - Dinginan - June 23, 2019
2. Ati and Panay Bukidnon Communities - Dumarao - July 6,  2019
3. Juvenile Crisis Center - Roxas City - Sept. 5, 2019

Books from Amy and Nathan of California 
(photo courtesy of Abner Abs)

Book Donation:

1. Duluan Elementary School - Maayon - June 22, 2019

Shoes from Smiley and Kai Rice and Shoes Program

Many thanks to all our sponsors who made these school supplies distribution possible: Gary and Nancy Steele, Dr. Lilia Chung, Diane and Mon Acas, Smiley and Kai Rice and Shoes Program, Amy and Nathan for the book donation, and all our event coordinators especially Clara Salame, TinTin Alvarez, Dolly Buday, Quitty Gadian, Christian George Francisco Acevedo, Ryan de la Luna and all the principals and teachers for the smooth operation of these distributions. 

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Images by  BalayniCharie Foundation