Friday, March 27, 2009

One hot summer for volunteers


It’s been a very busy three months for CERV-Philippines in March, April and May.  Taking advantage of the country’s school summer break, volunteers rehabilitated two school buildings—one in Quezon City and another in San Agustin, Romblon.

CERV registered its biggest batch of volunteers with 28 MBA students from University of Chicago—Booth School of Business who practically rebuilt Area V Yakap Day Care Center in Barrio Commonwealth in Quezon City last March 21 and 22.

America’s future managers proved they could tackle backbreaking manual labor as they climbed roofs and crawled on all fours to get the job done.  What was once a run down school was given a new roof, ceiling, fans, paint job, fence, wash basins, plant boxes and school supplies.

The structure services 80 students everyday.  On weekdays and holidays, it also serves as a community health clinic, a community center, a feeding area and other purposes.  With repairs and enhancements expected to extend its serviceable life to another ten years, hundreds of children and thousands of poor residents are expected to benefit from the Illinois students’ gift.

In Romblon, a state college school building was totally rehabilitated by a succession of CERV volunteers.  Romblon State College is one of the poorest public colleges in an already poor country.  It wasn’t surprising that it hardly had money to spend on periodic paint jobs.

But thanks to Maria Cecilla Pereira (Brazil), Dagmar Gaber (Germany), Chelsea Tu (USA), Amber Marcinkoski (Canada), Lucas Frenz (Germany), Vittoria Offeddu (Italy), and Andrew Weiss (USA), the students would be greeted with a new painted school building with a new roof to boot.

It has been a hot summer in the Philippines the past months, but it was equalled by the warm feelings the volunteers get after completing a job meant to help communities in need.

Volunteer with and/or donate to CERV-Philippines for life-enriching programs and projects.  Send us a mail through cerv_philippines@yahoo.com.ph

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Top international school sends teacher, students to work as volunteers


Eleven students of Li Po Chun (LPC)-United World College (UWC) of Hong Kong served as the first batch of volunteers in CERV’s latest program—nurturing and planting native trees to rehabilitate Philippine biodiversity last March 7 to 13.

 Accompanied by their Physics teacher Magan Savant (India), David Kingman (Hong Kong/USA), Mathilda Destiny Shivute (Namibia), Jimmy Hu (Hong Kong), Diana Ainembabazi (Uganda), Nicholas Chow (Trinidad & Tobago), Ted Weber Gola (Brazil), Anu Noel (Estonia), Daniel Holy (Czech Republic), Michal Varga (Slovak Republic), Kayla Tam (Hong Kong), team leader Sara Estevez Cores (Spain) spent four days re-potting, watering and pruning thousands of native tree seedlings in Rodriguez, Rizal.  They also constructed additional sheds for the nursery and donated gardening to the facility operated by CERV’s environment partner Hortica Filipina Foundation, Inc.

 They also painted wooden play blocks and further enhanced the Busilak Day Care Center and Multi-Purpose Hall of Sitio Veterans in Quezon City.

 The students’ seven-day trip is a school-sanctioned activity in furtherance of UWC’s objective of exposing its international scholars to cultural diversity and giving them a chance to contribute to development programs.

 LPC is reputedly one of the top high schools in the world.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Formal Partnership formed between CERV Philippines and Meaningful Volunteer


Meaningful Volunteer and CERV Philippines are delighted to announce a formal partnership between the two organizations.  Raymund Villanueva signed on behalf of CERV and Malcolm Trevena signed on behalf of Meaningful Volunteer.

CERV Philippines has been placing volunteers in the Philippines since 2005 and has taken an active role in a wide range of educational, environmental and medicinal projects.

Meaningful Volunteer - formed in 2008 - will bring volunteers from all over the world to assist developing communities in the Philippines.

Meaningful Volunteer and CERV Philippines will work together on a number of projects including:


  1. The RYE School
    The RYE School will be a solar powered school initially offering English and Computer Science courses.  Children attending the school will participate in community cleanups to pay for their school fees.
  2. Project Lifecycle
    Project Lifecycle makes use of simple necklaces as a form of family planning.  The project attempts to reduce the average family size on the islands of Romblon.
  3. Project Mangrove
    Project Mangrove will replant mangrove trees around Tablas Island in the Romblon province.  Mangroves are a vital part of the eco-system, provides a place for fish to lay their eggs and forms a natural barrier against tsunamis and other environmental hazards.
  4. School Building
    Much of the infrastructure on Romblon was destroyed when Typhoon Frank hit.  The School Building project helps the community to rebuild.