Tuloy Foundation

Fr. Rocky blesses the Tuloy Mobile School.

Skills on Wheels (SOW) is the latest endeavor of Tuloy Foundation to seek out the  youth in need.  A 40-foot  cube container van was donated to the foundation and was    converted into a mobile school  that will benefit a resettlement community in Calauan,   Laguna, in particular out-of-school youth  who are forced to work because     of    poverty.

Tuloy sa Don Bosco was founded by Fr. Rocky Evangelista, SDB in the Don Bosco     Parish Makati 18 years ago,      and since then, has continued its commitment to the   poor, abandoned and marginalized street children   through free education and work    skills training.

At present, Tuloy serves as a home to 250 boys and girls who are orphaned, abandoned, neglected and abused, and a school for 500 non-resident students. Over 10,000 students have graduated at Tuloy Foundation.

Teaching work skills

One of the problems at the Foundation is the growing number of students who drop out despite free education, especially our non-resident students, because of the cost of transportation and their need to work to be able to help their families. The challenge we face at the Foundation is to work harder and venture into different means of seeking out the youth who are in need. We need to equip them with practical skills they can use in their day to day life, as well as values to empower them and keep them grounded.

As a way of responding to this challenge, one of the foundation’s board members , John Kerr, shared his idea for a mobile school. Thus, SOW was born. As Kerr says, “SOW the seed of work skills, and watch as individuals and their community grow.”

The container van was given a fresh coat of paint, tiled, and fitted with lights, a generator set, a portalet, two air conditioners, a wall-mount desk, shelving, 10 computers, an LCD projector,

and whiteboard. Now a mobile school for up to 25 students, it will hold classes from Monday to Friday for four hours a day.

SOW will initially offer courses in Consumer Electronics and Motorcycle Repair.

The Consumer Electronics course will teach skills for troubleshooting and repair of electrical appliances such   as electric fans, TV, electrical outlets, circuits and wiring, and cell phone repair. Graduates will receive a TESDA-accredited National Certificate 2 (NC-2).

The Motorcycle Repair course has practical use for a community that uses tricycles as a common mode of transportation. The course will offer formal talks from a resource person from a motorcycle company.

We at the Tuloy Foundation hope that the successful SOW graduates will be equipped with knowledge and skills to start their own business right from their homes. The advocacy will continue as the van goes to different places and communities to reach out to more out of school youth.

(Note:  This article authored by Ryan Lorenzo Singson, faculty member of the Tuloy sa Don Bosco School, was published in the Manila Bulletin on July 21, 2011.  The mobile school was inaugurated on July 15, 2011.)

Eleven Tuloy kids received the sacrament of Baptism in the Chapel of the Forgiving Lord in Tuloy sa Don Bosco Street Children Village on May 24.  Seven of these eleven kids were also confirmed.  This special day coincided with the feast of Mary, Help of Christians whom Don Bosco had a great devotion to and who is the patroness of the Tuloy village.  Fr. Antonio “Beng” Molavin, SDB and Spiritual Director of Tuloy Foundation, Inc., solemnized the Baptism and Confirmation of these youngsters.  He shared that being baptized signifies the start of a new life since they have been freed from sin and are now children of God.  Those who were confirmed were anointed with chrism to symbolize that they have been sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit, strengthening and making them true soldiers of Christ.  Heads of house together with some people working closely with the Foundation stood as the kids’ godparents.

From Canon Law, when a person who is fourteen years old and above is baptized,  he or she can be confirmed by the same priest who baptized him/her.  In addition, Fr. Beng was granted permission by the Parish of St. Jerome (Alabang, Muntinlupa City) to administer the above-mentioned sacraments.

Fr. Beng used a popular line among the Tuloy kids these days to remind them that being members of God’s family, they can now say, “Today, my life begins.”

Fr. Rocky Evangelista, SDB, President and Founder of Tuloy Foundation, Inc., was speaker at the District Conference of Rotary International 3480 in Taipei, Taiwan on April 16 and 17, 2011.

Inspired by the challenge he posed in his speech at the Rotary International Convention in Montreal, Canada last year, Taiwanese Rotarians through DGN Computer invited him to share the challenge to the rest of the Taiwanese Rotarians: What are you, we, doing for the next generation?

Although Taiwan is a country boasting of having no street children, the interest shown by the Taiwanese community underlines the universality of the issue of street children and how their plight affects everyone.

In a simple letter of appreciation, DGN Computer assured Fr. Rocky that his added challenge to make “Service Above Self” a way of life will surely be followed by the attendees.

On Friday, April 8, 2011, three hundred seven (307) students of Tuloy sa Don Bosco School received their certificates during the 14th Commencement Exercises. The event started with a Mass at the Chapel of the Forgiving Lord at 8:30 A.M. followed by the graduation ceremony at 10:00 A.M. in the Tuloy Gym.

Rancelyn Briones (Level 3A), Nicolien Romero (Level 5A) and Lemuel D. Luna (Automotive Servicing NCII) were this year’s valedictorians.

Thirty students received Academic and Conduct Excellence Awards in the Basic Education (elementary and high school levels) and Vocational Technical (VocTech) courses while five VocTech students were given “Best in Shop” awards.  A total of 22 gold, 8 silver, and 10 bronze medals were given to these graduates for their exemplary performance throughout the school year.

The guest speaker was Mr. Edmond T. Aguilar, Member of the Board of Trustees of Tuloy Foundation, Inc. and Rotary Club of Chinatown-Manila President from 2004-2005.  He told the graduates that they are luckier compared to those who graduate from other schools because Tuloy assists in deploying them to different companies for on-the-job training (OJT) where they can eventually be hired if they work well. After requesting the graduates to rise and read Rotary’s Four-Way Test, he advised them to use these as their guide in life.

Rancelyn Briones, valedictorian from Level 3A (elementary school level), gave the Welcome Address.

Nicolien Romero, valedictorian from Level 5A (high school level), delivered his Speech of Gratitude where he thanked God and all the people who were instrumental in the achievement of his goals—Fr. Rocky, benefactors, teachers, Tuloy staff and heads of house, and his family.

Lemuel D. Luna from the Automotive class gave the Valedictory Address. In his speech, he shared that the values he learned from Tuloy led him to succeed in his studies.  These are excellence, hard work, perseverance, and being close to God.

Fr. Rocky G. Evangelista,SDB, President and Project Director of Tuloy Foundation, Inc., gave his closing remarks.  He addressed all the graduates and reminded them that they are important, they can succeed, and that they are a product of man’s best effort and God’s grace.

Organizers of the recently-held Chefs on Parade 2011 (COP 2011), the culinary event organized by the Hotel and Restaurant Association of the Philippines (HRAP) last February 10-12, turned over their check donation to Tuloy Foundation, Inc., the event’s sole charity beneficiary.  The event was held at the Culinary Arts Center of Tuloy sa Don Bosco Streetchildren Village last April 2, 2011.  The organizing committee was headed by Mr. Richard Masselin, General Manager of The Pan Pacific Manila.  Fr. Rocky G. Evangelista, SDB, President and Project Director of Tuloy, accepted the check.

Lunch in their honor was prepared by the Tuloy chefs under the supervision of Chef JP Migné, chef consultant of Tuloy Culinary Arts School, instructors Chef Clara and Chef Juday.  The student chefs served fried lumpia with smoked bangus filling and mango salad for appetizer, Malay Chicken Rice served with three superb sauces for entrée, and a platter of Pinoy delicacies for dessert.

As the guests were having lunch, the Tuloy chefs expressed their gratitude by reciting an original poem and singing “Glowing Inside.”

Mr. JM Tanalgo, Ways and Means / PR & Publicity Committee Chairman of COP 2011, also gave the chef uniforms which the judges used during the COP competition.

The guests visited the Chapel of the Forgiving Lord before they left.  They expressed awe and amazement of the village because of its cleanliness and beauty.

As has been a tradition in Tuloy before the end of every school year, students prepared a program last March 30 as their way of saying “thank you” to their mentors and other members of the Tuloy staff who have patiently taught and guided them throughout the school year. The students paid tribute to their teachers and mentors through songs, dances, and an audio-visual presentation.

Before the program ended, Fr. Rocky Evangelista, SDB reminded the kids that it is not enough to just say “thank you” because things are easier said than done. The true measure of a grateful Tuloy kid, he explained, is a changed life. The grateful Tuloy kid transforms himself into a successful, God-fearing person.

To wrap up the event, the Interactors and Rotaractors (student members of the Rotary Club of Alabang) gave each teacher a certificate of appreciation and a gift.

According to Wikipedia, the first International Women’s Day (IWD) was observed on March 18, 1911 by over a million people in Austria,Denmark, Germany and Switzerland.  After 1977, the UN General Assembly invited members to proclaim March 8 as the UN Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace.

March 8, 2011 marked the 100th year of International Women’s Day (IWD) to honor and celebrate the achievements of women all around the world.  It was celebrated globally by featuring different simultaneous events online in over 170 countries including the Philippines.

On March 8, the Tuloy family joined the world in celebrating International Women’s Day (IWD) 2011 for the first time.  This was done as a public declaration that Tuloy supports and respects the rights of women.  Fr. Rocky, together with the different department heads, their staff, students, their friends and relatives, gathered at the Tuloy gym at 3:00 P.M.  to view slide presentations about the history of IWD, rights of women, and different social issues about women.  Afterwards, everyone joined a parade led by students carrying colorful placards with slogans in support of women. With the band playing and every person cheering, a festive mood prevailed as they marched to the streets and back to Tuloy.  Finally at Tuloy’s football field, selected students as well as Sir Jojo, the Principal, took turns in reading their pledges of support to women.  These pledges were then tied to balloons and released into the air.

Tuloy looks forward to participating in the next IWD event as it continues to support, respect, and appreciate women and celebrate their accomplishments in whatever fields of endeavor they set their hearts and mind on.

As first-time participant in the Chefs on Parade 2011, Tuloy sa Don Bosco Culinary Arts School needed a logo for its flag in the opening ceremony. Thus, the official logo was born.

The logo was created by Ms. Ma. Lorna M. Sanchez, a creative artist based in North Carolina, USA and sister of Tuloy’s marketing officer, Ms. Loida Oliveros. It consists of the gear and the olive leaf design (originally from the Tuloy Foundation logo) with a slanted toque (chef’s hat). The toque has a star symbolizing excellence. Of the four colors of the emblem, grey and white represent the colors of the Tuloy chefs’ uniform, while orange is the symbol of fire, an important element in cooking. Lastly, blue stands for the official color of Tuloy.

Students of Tuloy sa Don Bosco Culinary Arts School, popularly known to schoolmates as the Tuloy chefs, participated in the Chefs on Parade 2011: Ultimate Asian Showdown at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City from February 10-12, 2011. Six culinary students joined two team competitions: Creative Cake Decorating On the Spot on February 11 where they won a silver and Market Basket Filipino on February 12 where they received a diploma for placing fifth among twelve finalists. Prior to its final showdown on February 12, the Market Basket competition had an elimination round at the Culinary Institute of Aristocrat in Manila last January 24. The rest of the Tuloy chefs manned the different cooking demo booths and workshops during this three-day event.

Tuloy sa Don Bosco School opened a Culinary Arts course last June, 2010 with 24 students under chef consultant, Jean Pierre Migné, a few months after the inauguration of the Culinary Arts Center (CAC) in March, 2010.

Chefs on Parade (COP) is known to be the longest-running culinary competition in the country. Its objective is to showcase and recognize the creative talents and skills of both students and professionals as chefs. But COP is not only about competitions. Through its different demos, workshops, and booths, every visitor gets a chance to enjoy good food, learn new recipes, and know the latest products and services in the hotel and restaurant industry.

This year’s COP had Tuloy Foundation, Inc. as its beneficiary.

In COP 2011, the Tuloy chefs had a taste of how it feels to be in a competition…and to win.

Photos

Barely two months after receiving the Gusi Peace Prize Award, Fr. Marciano “Rocky” G. Evangelista, SDB was honored once again, this time by People Asia Magazine as one of the 2010 People of the Year awardees along with 11 other exceptional individuals ”whose lives and achievements have contributed to society in a positive way.” This award was given to Fr. Rocky in recognition of his continuous commitment to serve street children.

The awarding ceremony was held last January 10 at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza in Pasay City.

President Benigno ‘Noynoy’ Aquino III delivered the keynote speech. In his message, he called upon the awardees “to join him in his vision of a better Philippines by excelling in their respective fields of expertise.”

Besides Fr. Rocky, the other 2010 People of the Year awardees include Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, Miss Universe 4th runner-up Venus Raj, fashion designer Josie Cruz Natori, broadcast journalist Mike Enriquez, furniture designer Kenneth Cobonpue, floral architect Rachy Cuna, fashion designer Rhett Eala, actor Dingdong Dantes, musician Ryan Cayabyab, architect Felino Palafox, Jr., and PAL President and CEO Jaime Bautista. Special awards were given to Law student and bomb blast survivor Raissa Laurel and Thierry Tea, president and CEO of Eurocopter Phils., who mobilized his helicopters for rescue missions during typhoon Ondoy.

Photo taken from http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=647396&publicationSubCategoryId=68