Sun.Star and Tsinelas visited Colonia Central School in Barangay Colonia, Tuburan last Monday to distribute the first batch of books Sun.Star and Tsinelas gathered for the project.

The books were donated by Sun.Star editor-in-chief Pachico Seares (who gave an initial amount of P5,000) and Sun.Star columnist Melanie Lim (who donated six boxes).

Sun.Star chief photographer Alex Badayos took pictures of the visit. The photos will be used for a series of house ads that Sun.Star will run to invite more donations.

Aside from books, the project will also spend for the library’s bookshelves, tables and chairs.

Highlights (initial agreements):

1. Ayala Center Cebu agreed to lend Tsinelas a space for the “Their Books” event for 2 or 3 days, tentatively set on first weekend after All Souls’ Day 2008.

2. Cebu Holdings will fund a year-long educational program (particularly on environmental awareness) of Tsinelas for upland barangays in Cebu City.

For more fotos of the meeting, click here.

After Asturias, Tsinelas proceeded to another school, this time in Tuburan. Tsinelas met with teachers of Colonia Central School and agreed to help them own computers for the students. (more fotos here)

Campus activities where Tsinelas volunteers rocked recently:

1. CSCST – first place, softball, intramurals ’08

2. UP – grand slam, cheer dance competition (humanities department)

3. USJR – first place, GMA 7′s iWitness documentary competition (batang tambol entry)

4. SWU – second place, bible quiz, organizations night

Tsinelas Volunteers from Saint Theresa’s College (STC) and Cebu State College of Science and Technology (CSCST) met with the Aboitiz Group Foundation, Inc. (AGFI) last Sept. 12 for an orientation on their role as facilitators in the annual Children’s Festival sponsored by the Dolores Aboitiz Children’s Fund (DACF)), a member foundation of AGFI.

Carmel Loise Matus, president of STC-Tsinelas, and Mark Joseph Yagonia, president of CSCST-Tsinelas led the volunteers and assured the organizers of Tsinelas’ support.

Through various fun activities, the Children’s Festival aims to widen the experience of children about life and to instill in them hope for the future.

This year, the Children’s Festival will be held on October 18-19 at the Don Bosco Technology Center.

Officials from 5 Cities Optimist Club this morning met with Tsinelas officers at the Saint Theresa’s College, where Tsinelas holds office, to discuss future linkages.

5 Cities Optimist Club has been giving books to Tsinelas since last year. Tsinelas distributes the books to school beneficiaries in the mountain barangays of Asturias, Pinamungajan and Sibonga to help them build their own libraries. Tsinelas is also linking up with the Dolores Aboitiz Children’s Fund in building a library in Mangabon Elementary School in Barangay Tagbao, Cebu City, along the boundary with Balamban town.

The seminar is needed for USC-Tsinelas to know what training to give to the beneficiaries in the area, in line with Tsinelas’ thrust of helping the school provide a holistic formation to its students.

USC-Tsinelas also handed out two boxes of encyclopedia and other reading materials to Mangyan and another school, the Ocaña National High School in Carcar City. The books were donated by 5 Cities Optimist Club, a US-based organization.

It works this way: we ask book donations from columnists, writers, poets, editors, artists, musicians and other prominent personalities in cebu’s art and literary scene. it doesn’t mean books they wrote themselves, but books by authors they read. these are books that influence them in their craft, books that define their personalities and by authors who have helped them become who they are now.

Then we put these books on sale. if you love melanie lim, for example, you would not want to miss the event if books from her collection are on display. you’d love to own a part of her. that’s the idea. plus, the books are much cheaper, of course. and while you’re at it, you’re helping poor but talented children get free art education for two months (proceeds will go to tsinelas art school).

The following is a tentative list (and it’s growing as we speak). some have already donated:

1. Januar Yap

2. Mayet Tabada

3. Michelle So

4. Erma Cuizon

5. Raymund Fernandez

6. Bambi Beltran

7. Isolde Amante

8. Ritchie Quijano

9. Vince Cinches

10. Josua Cabrera

11. Publio Briones

12. Tonton Kintanar

13. Karla Quimsing

14. Noel Villaflor

15. Lorenzo Niñal

16. Chai Fonacier

17. Greg Fernandez

18. Vera Leigh Lasam

19. Jeremiah Bondoc

20. Haide Acuña

21. Leo Lastimosa

22. Karl Roque

23. Women in Literary Arts (WILA)-Cebu

24. Alex Badayos

25. Alex Uypuangco

26. Jayvee Villacin

27. Linette Ramos

28. Budoy

29. Orven “Bisoy” Enoveso

30. Jude Bacalso

31. Radel Paredes

32. Niza Mariñas

33. Rose Versoza

34. Ian Manticajon

35. Sio Montera

36. Lyn Deutsch

37. Bong Francisco

38. Hope Yu

39. Orly Cajegas

40. Dee Nicolas

41. Kara Mae Noveda

42. Trizer Dale Mansueto

43. Cerge Remonde

44. Dr. Louie Nacorda

45. Boboi Costas

46. Tonee Despojo

47. Queenie Bronce

48. Clint Normandia

49. Bong Francisco

50. Chicoy Tomol III

51. Simeon Dumdum

52. Linda Alburo

53. Frank Malilong

For your book donations, send email to insoymada@gmail.com

SEPTEMBER 12, FRIDAY.

3:30 P.M.

Gigi Ruiz, of the Cebu City Council for the Welfare of Persons with Disabilities, calls to tell the group more boxes of books are arriving from US. The books are for elementary school children. On the 23rd, she says, members of the Pinoy community that is sending the books from US will meet with Execom to discuss future donations.

(Early this year, the group sent us six large boxes of books, including sets of encyclopedia. some of the books, those that couldn’t be used by the beneficiaries, we put on sale to raise funds for the art school project.)

4:00 P.M.

Jess and volunteers from STC and CSCST meet with Aboitiz regarding Children’s Month Celebration in October.