Project Lakbay Aral Brings BMDK Students to Las Farolas

VIDES kids with Project Lakbay Aral donors and volunteers

Last December 1, Project Lakbay Aral*,brought a busload of VIDES Philippines' Busina Mo, Dunong Ko underprivileged students to Las Farolas, a freshwater aquarium facility located in Frontera Verde, Ugong, Pasig City. 

Sixty-two students from NIA Road, Quezon City and Pasay City went on a guided tour of the 2-storey living museum which features 117 giant aquariums and 34 giant biotopes. They certainly enjoyed their face-to-face encounter with rare and exotic freshwater species from different parts of the world.

After exploring the facility, the students were asked to share their insights and write their personal commitment to help ensure the protection and conservation of our freshwater ecosystem and our environment. 

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After the tour, everyone trooped to a nearby fastfood restaurant for lunch and some bonding time. 

Thanks so much to the generous and well-meaning people behind Project Lakbay Aral for letting VIDES students experience a fun voyage of discovery of the freshwater world. More power to all of you! 

Please visit Project Lakbay Aral FB Page for more photos.

*Project Lakbay Aral, an education and literacy advocacy initiative, is the brainchild of the blogger behind Happy Blue Thoughts.  It aims to give underprivileged students and out-of-school youth the opportunity to experience the fun and interactive voyage of learning and discovery through visits to museums and other places of historical and cultural significance. 

VIDES Youth Attend Seminar Workshop on Modern Heroism and Leadership

Participants of the Busina Mo, Dunong Ko Mobile Education Project attended the Seminar Workshop on Heroism and Leadership organized by the Philippine Women's University last May 6, 2013.

The youth gained positive insights and inspiration from the stories and experiences shared by the speakers led by 2009 CNN Hero of the Year, Efren Peñaflorida.  

They learned that anyone can be a hero in his or her own right, that being a hero does not entail wearing a red cape or having superpowers. Anyone can be a hero by being a good citizen and by striving to make even a small difference in his/her community.

VIDES aims to empower the youth through skill-building and leadership training to develop and strengthen the needed competencies so they can become agents of change in their communities. 

100% of VIDES BMDK ALS Participants Pass National Exam

Last March, the Department of Education's Bureau of Alternative Learning System released the list of students who passed the ALS Assessment and Equivalency (A&E) Examination, a national non-formal achievement affirmation examination.  

VIDES is proud to announce that 16 out of 16 (or 100%) of the Busina Mo, Dunong Ko participants who took the said national exam last year passed and successfully hurdled the challenge.  Of this number, 11 come from Brgy. 143, Pasay and 5 are from Brgy. 286 in Delpan, Manila.  They attended daily ALS classes at the Don Bosco School Sta. Mesa

from June to October 2012.

The learners  received their High School diplomas signed by Education Secretary Bro. Armin Luistro during the graduation rites held last March 7, 2013 at the Folk Arts Theatre.    

VIDES launched the ALS Program in October 2010 with the end in view of breaking the cycle of illiteracy among the out-of-school youth attending the mobile education project, Busina Mo, Dunong Ko. 

In May 2011, the best practices of the BMDK Mobile Education Project was presented during the Bureau International Catholique L'Enfance (BICE) Congress in Paris, France.