This event will be at no cost to the volunteer except for the transportation cost to and from the venue.
All Together in Dignity (ATD) Fourth World is an international non-governmental organization with no religious or political affiliation who works with individuals and institutions to find solutions to eradicate extreme poverty. Working in partnership with people in poverty, ATD Fourth World’s human rights-based approach focuses on supporting families and individuals through its grass-roots presence and involvement in disadvantaged communities, in both urban and rural areas. It creates public awareness of extreme poverty and influence policies to address it. (
https://www.facebook.com/ATD.Philippines/
Ate Lilian's Brigade-Sundo for a Day
ATD holds a basic literacy program in Manila North cemetery every Saturday. The 40 regular learners of Ang Galing lives in different places of the cemetery and the farthest point from the venue would be about 60 to 80 meters. Many children live near each other or are siblings or relatives so when you go to a mausoleum or a cluster of mausoleums, you may be coming out with more than one learner. Though the parents of our learners and the learners themselves know how to get to the venue, often because of things that the parents or the children themselves find hard to avoid, the children do not get to attend Ang Galing. We are doing this to ensure that we give each learner a chance to attend the Ang Galing session even if Ate Lilian is not around. ATD Fourth World is sending Ate Lilian as a participant to the Volunteer's Engagement Workshop which will coincide with Ang Galing.
She needs volunteers to help her attend this workshop to be conducted by iVolunteer on September 30, 2017. If you are free on this date, are 18 years old and above, and are willing to go on a hands-on activity with Ate Lilian as she goes about her task and are ready to take her place in the sunduan, you are also ready to go around tombs and mausoleums on sometimes sticky ground (you are not finicky) and in some cases may need to stand on top of tombs or go over them, then you are what we are looking for. You will take on Ate Lilian's role of going from one mausoleum to another to invite or remind parents and children that Ang Galing is about to start. You do not have to bring the children home, they know how.
What to Expect During Training
You will be oriented before the hands-on sundo training starts. You will be grouped in pairs or threes. You will be asked to go with Ate Lilian in the sunduan - go to mausoleums to be introduced at first to the parents and learners and then accompany the learners to the venue. For the training and on September 30, Tita Villarosa's alaga (mausoleum she takes care of) will be used as the regrouping place, where you can wait for your group or partner or for Ate Lilian during training. She will also help oversee your group on September 30 to make sure that you will not get lost inside the cemetery. You will be provided with all the aids you will need to ensure that you fulfill your task including names of learners assigned to you, maps, contact numbers of Ate Tita and Kuya Reymond (who will act as coordinator of Ang Galing for September 30). Please make sure to bring all these materials and keep the info with you every training day and on September 30. You will meet the people who regularly help in Ang Galing.
There will be three training days, September 2, 9 & 16. These are also Ang Galing Saturdays. You can choose to attend one or all of the training days to familiarize yourself with the vicinity.
What to Expect on September 30
Assemble at 8:45am for morning sessions and 1:15pm for afternoon. You will choose to do the sunduan for only the morning or the afternoon sessions or both. Let us know two weeks before the event what sessions you prefer. AM sessions will be from 10am-12pm and PM at 2:30-4:30pm. Make sure that you start the AM sunduan at 9am and the PM sunduan at 1:30pm. Gather the children at a specified corner outside the venue. Let them enter the venue at or after 10am and at or after 2:30pm. After the initial sunduan, coordinate with Kuya Reymond if you still need to do further sunduan. Your partner or groupmates will be the only persons who will go with you as you go to learners' places. No facilitator will be with you while you go make sundo. BUT if you get lost or disoriented, you can go to Ate Tita's alaga. You can regroup there. It is important to work with your partner or your group at all times. Community members will know that you are working with ATD through your nametag. Make sure you wear it at all times. We will inform you of a separate day for evaluation.
Reminders at All Times
Wear light clothing that will not easily snag when going through narrow spaces between tombs. Wear sturdy shoes. Please bring your notebook (for note-taking), pen, your water bottle and your own snack. Be sufficiently warned that the nearest comfort rooms are near the admin office by the gate and in Puregold across from the cemetery (which opens on or after 9am). Do not bring anything to give away directly to the parents and their children (we are not a charitable organization). Whatever donations we ask for are for use in our programs and activities.
In rainy season, the cemetery entrance may get flooded. Please wear adequate protection for your feet.
If you decide to take the tricycle at the cemetery gate, make sure that the driver knows the venue and agrees to the P20 fare before taking the tricycle.
Here are some directions to Manila North Cemetery:
From MANILA
1 From City Hall, take a Dapitan Blumentritt jeep. The jeep will turn left from Laong-Laan to Dimasalang, go straight and turn left at Blumentritt. (Dimasalang ends at Blumentritt where the cemetery main gate is). Get off at the main gate.
2 From Blumentritt, take a Munoz jeep. It will go straight along Blumentritt, turn right at Aurora Blvd., turn left at Dimasalang. Dimasalang ends right across the cemetery. Get off before the jeep turns right at the corner of Dimasalang and Blumentritt. Cross to the cemetery side.
3 From Bacood, Punta, Sta. Mesa, Legarda, take a jeep to Quiapo then take a Dapitan Blumentritt jeep. The jeep will turn left from Laong-Laan to Dimasalang, go straight and turn left at Blumentritt. (Dimasalang ends at Blumentritt where the cemetery main gate is). Get off at the main gate.
From NORTH EDSA
From North EDSA, take a jeep going to Quiapo España. Get off on the first intersection after Welcome Rotonda (Blumentritt). Take the Blumentritt-España jeep at the corner terminal. Fare is P7. The jeep will pass by Manila North Cemetery. Get off at the main gate about 10 meters after the jeep passes through A. Bonifacio.
From FAIRVIEW
From Commonwealth, take a Quiapo/Lawton bus or a Quiapo España jeep. Get off on the first intersection after Welcome Rotonda (Blumentritt). Take the Blumentritt-España jeep at the corner terminal. Fare is P7. The jeep will pass by Manila North Cemetery. Get off at the main gate about 10 meters after the jeep passes through A. Bonifacio.
From CALOOCAN NORTH:
From Quirino Highway, ride a jeep to Blumentritt. Before the jeep turns right to Blumentritt St., you will see Ping-Ping’s Lechon and Restaurant and the welcome arch of Brgy. Paang Bundok on your left. From the corner, the main gate is about 10 meters down the road. You may get off in front of the main gate of the cemetery where there are flower stands.
From CALOOCAN SOUTH:
From Rizal Avenue, Caloocan, ride a jeep to Blumentritt. Get off at Blumentritt. Take a Munoz jeep. The jeep will turn right to Blumentritt, go straight and turn right to Aurora Blvd., then turn left to Dimasalang. Dimasalang ends right across the cemetery. Get off at the corner of Blumentritt and Dimasalang then cross to the side of the cemetery.
INSIDE THE CEMETERY: There are only three streets that you will pass. The longest is Main Avenue from the gate to Rotonda. It's about 50 meters long. At Rotonda, turn right at 38 Street, near the orange public toilet. Walk until16th Street (about 25m.). You will see Limjap mausoleum on your left, De Guzman mausoleum right ahead of you, and a water pump on your upper right. Turn left at 16th. You will see two Tudla mausoleums on your left and an unmarked mausoleum. The alley next to this is where Ate Delia's alaga/kapilya is. You will see a vendor's stall across the entrance to the alley.
Come and join us! We are excited to see you there! :-)
