Reading Advocacy: Tabang Kariton (2 of 2)

Here is part 2 of the feature on Tabang Kariton's reading advocacy in Masbate City where you will get to know its programs and projects.

DAGDAG DUNONG PROGRAM

Academic Enhancement

Academic Enhancement is part of Dagdag Dunong Program of Tabang Kariton. It aims to develop Mathematical and Communication Skills of its recipients. It has been observed that elementary pupils and high school students face difficulty in Mathematics, English and Filipino. Most of the recipients of the said program had lower grades in the subjects which prompted Tabang Kariton to conduct sessions and remedial classes during weekends to help them perform well in school.

The outcome of the program has made a tremendous effect in the performance of the recipients because not only have they acquired good grades in school but also they became more confident young individuals.

Christian Values Formation

Since the project initiator is a devoted Catholic and an active member of his church, it has been his advocacy to influence the youth to nurture their spirituality. He believes that the key to a progressive community is the moral and spiritual conscience of its citizens. If an individual fulfills his moral obligations to his fellowmen and his spiritual responsibility to his church, he definitely becomes a better member of the society.




Health Education

“The health of the people is the wealth of the nation.”

It is for this adage that Tabang Kariton initiated the program, Health Education. Through this program people are made aware of the importance of health in achieving a quality life style.  It is also a health campaign program which aims to educate the community of the danger of certain diseases that threaten the lives of many.

Activities such as Dental missions, Story Telling and Health Talks and Advocacy Campaigns are parts of Health Education program. Initiators of the said program are composed of individuals from different sectors.

Blood Donation Campaign (Tabang ko, Dugo ko)

Blood donors were often scarce in a small town like Masbate. It was due to the fact that many were misinformed of the necessity of donating blood.

Tabang Kariton, in partnership with Philippine Red Cross initiated a Blood Donation Campaign which is held twice in a year to help people specifically those who are in critical condition and in need of blood transfusion. The campaign advocates the benefits of donating blood with the aid of the local media.

Road Safety Education

Accidents can be avoided if people are educated of proper road safety measures. This program aims to impose discipline among motorists and vehicle owners since for the past years it was proven that many road accidents occurred due to reckless driving, and oftentimes, the man on the wheels is not old enough to acquire a driver’s license.

Tabang Kariton ensured that even parents of these teenagers were present during the conduct of the program to inform them that they bear responsibility on their children’s actions and behaviors. The said program imposed to the public that everyone has the duty to follow traffic rules.

It may be impossible to achieve a zero percent on vehicular accidents but the program at least helped lessen the rate.

Gender and Development

Considered as one of the most talked about issues today, Gender Equality, recognizes the rights of women and children. Tabang Kariton also advocates gender awareness and educates the people on the importance of everyone in achieving national solidarity.

Cultural Heritage Education

Masbate is rich in culture and tradition and from among the many attractions of the Province, the Lapay Bantigue Festival is its most unique offering because of its lively dance steps that capture the hearts of both local and international tourists.

In promoting Masbate Culture, Tabang Kariton has featured the story of the creator of Lapay Bantigue. Through its Story Telling Sessions, children were educated of the importance of Lola Felisa’s works in the history of Masbate and how should the Lapay Bantigue Festival be promoted to attract tourists and at the same time investors in the province. Through the program, recipients have also discovered their pride for their hometown and encouraged to promote Masbate in their own little ways.

 Tabang Kariton sa DYME TV Radyo

Part of the Tabang Kariton’s project is the information dissemination through radio and television broadcast. Because this project believes that informing the public about certain social issues must become everyone’s duty. Through the broadcast, activities of Tabang kariton are brought directly to the people so that they will have a full understanding of the project visions and at the same time, they will be also encouraged to extend help to the needy.

TABANG KARITON sa DYME TV RADYO has its live broadcast via DYME Radyo Masbate 783 and Masbate Cable, Inc. Channel 5 every Sunday wherein guests are invited to talk about certain issues currently happening locally and nationally. Young broadcasters of Masbate National Comprehensive High School, the Ranch and Ang Rantso Radio Broadcasting team are also often invited as News Partner and also part of training for Division and Regional Press Conference.

Reading Advocacy: Masbate’s Tabang Kariton

The blog is featuring Tabang Kariton’s reading advocacy and book campaign programs in Masbate. Thank you to Mr. Jonathan Morano, teacher and radio show host, for agreeing to do this feature and guest post. Read on and discover the history and initiatives of Mr. Morano in building a community of reades in Masbate. 

Inspired by Efren Peńaflorida’s advocacy to offer alternative education to street children through his pushcart, Jonathan Morano launched his own project “Kariton Edukasyon” when he was still working as the principal of Liceo de Masbate in 2010. During that time, the Citizens’ Army Training was abolished, and instead of military instructions, he proposed that the students should render service through teaching good values to children of poor communities. They adopted Espinosa Elementary School at Brgy. Espinosa, Masbate City for their outreach program and the result was overwhelming since Mr. Morano had seen that both the volunteer students and the community benefitted from the different activities they organized.

Liceo de Masbate is a Catholic School and needless to say that the spiritual being of an individual is the school’s primary goal and this was indeed achieved when students realized that helping others was a way for them to become good Christians. It was also observed that they became socially aware of the fact that poverty affected the lives of young children such as of those who were recipients of the program.  But the realization that it made a big difference to children and the community was what really caught the attention of Mr. Morano. While watching how eager those children were, how the thought that someone cared for them made them smile, he had come to a realization that if only people would give time to help and somehow touch the lives of others, the world would become a better place to live in.

From then on, Mr. Morano envisioned a dream that to others might had been too large to fulfill. As a teacher, he realized that he was not building edifices of stone and cement but he was molding lives. As an individual, he started to believe that he had a responsibility to the society and be part of its desire to change for the better. As a Masbateńo, he should care. And so, instead of complying with a mere requirement of a syllabus, his ‘kariton’ continued its journey…

On August 18, 2012, he initiated “Tabang Kariton”- a community service project which its purpose was to reach out to the core of a person’s need to be assisted in terms of knowledge skills, moral and social consciousness. By then, he was already a teacher of Masbate National Comprehensive High School. He decided to change the project’s name since he wanted to bring it closer to the hearts of his fellow Masbateńos. ‘Tabang’ is a local term for help and up to this day the community service project offers programs such as; Dagdag Dunong for literacy, skills, health education and  values formation and Sumpay Kapalibutan for environmental awareness.

What makes “Tabang Kariton” stand out from among other known community service projects is it is initiated with the help of various partners both from government and private sectors.

The initiator believes in the goodness of a man’s heart and he has learned that everyone has his desire to help others but sometimes there are factors that prevent him from trying. For this, the initiator offers that person his chance. If the person has resources, particularly with financial capacity, yet has no time to organize an activity to share his good fortune, Mr. Morano would willingly step in and offer him a chance to become a partner of “Tabang Kariton”. On the other hand, if a person has without funds but is willing to offer his service to people, “Tabang Kariton” is always open for volunteers.

Tabang Kariton is a community service which offers the programs Dagdag Dunong (Literacy, Skills and Values Formation) and Sumpay Kapalibutan (Environmental Awareness)