Thank you donors!

The National Australia Bank through Sally A. de Guzman, (Filipina Information Control Officer, Trades Processing - National Asset Servicing) donated $1500 AUD to BASA! NAB allows its employees community grants, and Sally chose BASA as a beneficiary. Thank you to Kathrine Deakin for facilitating the transmittal.

Agnes Mendoza Padilla of Philamlife Insurance Co., pledged to support one street kid go to school with a transpo allowance of P500/monthly. Her donation covers an entire school year.

Thank you to our generous donors! We continue to accept monetary donations to BASA! and book donations for libraries affected by typhoon Ondoy.

Thank you donors!

Karangalan Library Update

In September 2009, Typhoon Ondoy ravaged Cainta, Rizal, and Karangalan Library was not spared. After 4 years of operation, Karangalan Library is officially closed as of October 1, 2009. Due to this development, we are no longer accepting door prizes for the reading point system for the kids. We are thankful to Marcy and Mitos Buenaventura, all the benefactors through the years, and all those who volunteered to serve the children in Cainta, Rizal.

Karangalan Library Update

Photos from the BASA workshop with Gawad Kalinga-Molave Sibol moms now up!

Here's something to cheer us up!

Photos from the BASA workshop with Gawad Kalinga-Molave Sibol (June 13, 2009) moms and volunteers are now up! Photos courtesy of Thom Banatao. Special thanks to Mai Ventura.

BASA workshop with Gawad Kalinga-Molave Sibol moms

Photos from the BASA workshop with Gawad Kalinga-Molave Sibol moms now up!

Libraries affected by Ondoy

Thank you to everyone wondering about the libraries affected by Ondoy.

If you feel called to donate books to those libraries, please send the books to:

BASA c/o Fr. Ted Gonzales, SJ (Ondoy-affected libraries)
Center for Family Ministries
Seminary Drive
Ateneo de Manila University
Loyola Heights, Quezon City
Philippines

Include a return address and name, and indicate whether you would like your donation acknowledged online.

Libraries affected by Ondoy

Comembo Elementary School, Makati, Sept 1-2, 2009

Thank you to the thirty elementary teachers [grades 2 to 6] who attended the 2-day BASA seminar/workshop! During these 2 days, your Principal, Dr. Elita T. Lopez, attended and participated in the seminar workshop. We greatly appreciated your participation and hospitality.

Thank you to the BASA volunteers Baby Timbol, Jayzl Nebre, Marifel Castriciones and the ICAM students: Jun Salcedo, Jo Ann Casenas, Mark Rivera, Tess Espino, Melvin Fernandez, Jean Morales, Lynn Panaligan & Victoria Reyes.

Thank you to Fr. Ted Gonzales, SJ.

Comembo Elementary School Makati Sept 1-2, 2009

If you wish to bring BASA to your school, outreach area, church, GK community - invite us over!

Comembo Elementary School, Makati, Sept 1-2, 2009

A testimony from Comembo Elementary School

Sa ngalan po ng buong paaralang elemetarya ng Comembo, ang aming taus-pusong pasasalamat sa pagbibigay ninyo ng inyong oras at panahon. Alam namin na di-matutumbasan ng kahit anong pasasalamat ang inyong mga sakripisyo upang maisakatuparan ang proyektong ito.... dalangin namin na patuloy kayong biyayaang ng Panginoong Maykapal nang kalakasan ng katawan upang patuloy kayong makapalingkod sa bayang kanyang ipinagkatiwala sa atin... patuloy nating gisingin ang malay ng mga kabataan at ng mga taong gumagabay sa kanila..... mabuhay ang BASA!!! mabuhay and Diyos na tunay na Dakila..... muli salamat

Ariel Sarmiento

A testimony from Comembo Elementary School

Filipino Authors/Translators Needed!

One of our future projects is to use the BASA approach in telling Bible stories. We wish to meet up with volunteer writers to translate the stories in everyday Filipino. Do you feel called to use your abilities as author and/or translator to impact Filipino children's lives? If so, let us know!

Filipino Authors/Translators Needed!

MV Doulos Back in Manila! March 6-30

6-30 March 2009
Gate 1, South Harbor, Manila Pier 13 (Behind Manila Hotel)

MV Doulos is the World's Oldest Ocean-Going Passenger Ship still sailing. She was built in 1914, only 2 years after the Titanic. Staffed by 330 volunteers from 50 countries, Doulos seeks to bring Knowledge, Help and Hope to the Nations. In the past 30 years, Doulos has sailed to more than 100 countries, welcoming more than 21 million visitors onboard.

Book Shop
Doulos hosts the World's Largest Floating Book Shop. She carries half a million books for sale at affordable prices. On display titles of quality literature, covering subjects such as Educational, Business, Cookery, Sports, Christian Living, a great collection of Children's Books and more. Choices for the whole family!

Book Shop Opening Hours:
Tuesday-Saturday 10am-10pm
Sunday and Monday 2pm - 10pm
Entrance Fee: 10 Pesos

Travel around the world with Doulos (Open Day)
Saturday, Mar 07, 2pm-5pm Free
Sunday, Mar 15, 2pm-5pm Free
Come and see the different cultures onboard. Hear from the Doulos crew where they come and what they do on the ship! Enjoy a special afternoon for the whole family.

International Cafe
Sunday, Mar 08, 7-9pm P50.00
Enjoy a relaxed evening of music, drama and dance in a cafe setting. Meet the crew from this floating United Nations!

Infoline: 0908.6215362

Thank you to Nenuca for forwarding to us this announcement!
BASA is not affiliated with MV Doulos.

MV Doulos Back in Manila! March 6-30

Pambatang Katekesis - Updated Schedule!

How do you apply the BASA approach to Pambatang Katekesis/Children's Catechism?

Join the free seminar!

March 7, 2009
8 a.m. -12 n.n. (not 5pm, as previously posted!)
CEFAM, AVR, 3rd Floor
8 Seminary Drive
Ateneo de Manila

RSVP: friendsofbasa@gmail.com

Pambatang Katekesis - Updated Schedule!

Book donations

If you wish to donate books to BASA and its affiliate libraries, please contact friendsofbasa@gmail.com. Thank you to our most recent book donors, Roma Atabug and George Bodegon!

Book donations

BASA Seminar in Bayawan, Negros Oriental Feb 26-28

Bayawan is building a library, and BASA will be conducting a seminar to help them get started! Prayers needed for our team of volunteers for Feb 26-28! Thank you to everyone who made the trip possible!

BASA Seminar in Bayawan, Negros Oriental Feb 26-28

BASA Reading Seminar Participants: March 31st, St. Joseph's College

We have a couple of group photos taken at the BASA reading workshop sponsored by St. Joseph's College. (3/31/08) Enjoy!

March 31 Reading Workshop

BASA Reading Seminar Participants: March 31st, St. Joseph's College

Would you like to bring a reading workshop to your barangay so you could help promote a a culture of reading? Invite BASA! Here are some friends who recently requested reading seminars from us.

Welcome, Visitors!

Contact Marifel Castriciones at 0915-445-53-97.
You could also contact us at friendsofbasa@gmail.com.
Hope to hear from you!

Basura Monster and The Story of Christine author Christine Bersola-Babao shares books and much more with BASA!

Thank you to Christine Bersola-Babao for donating to BASA Basura Monster and The Story of Christine, books she authored. We are excited to have you on board and look forward to working with you in BASA!

(L-R Christine Bersola-Babao, Fr. Ted Gonzales, SJ, and Marifel Castriciones)

Basura Monster and The Story of Christine author Christine Bersola-Babao shares books and much more with BASA!

Christmas Photos

Please check out newly-uploaded videos of the Christmas party for the children of Karangalan library held at Castriciones Law Office (Cainta). =). I heard it was a lovely program, complete with acting awards for the reenactment of the first Christmas! Thank you so much to everyone involved: Marifel, Fely, Virgie, Marcy and Mitos, Juliet and Fr. Ted, SJ and also to all friends of basa who keep the books and door prizes coming in!

"and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn." - Luke 2:7

Christmas Photos

Karangalan Library Christmas Party!

Maligayang Pasko!
Celebrate with the kids from Karangalan library on Dec. 9 (Sunday)!
Contact Marifel <0915-445-53-97> for details.

Karangalan Library Christmas Party!

BASA's Seminar Workshop at Servants of Charity

Rev. Charlton Viray invited BASA to host a reading seminar at Servants of Charity. Thank you for your invitation!

BASA's Seminar Workshop at Servants of Charity

Thanks to our friends in Hawaii!

Long overdue thanks go out to my uncle and aunt in Hawaii, Yong and Vickie Bunye, who regularly donate to BASA books, educational materials, and giveaways for the point system in Karangalan Library.

We are equally indebted to their friends, the Trinidad and the Amore families.

Quite a while back, Corky and Hana Trinidad donated mint-condition comic books. Their sons Manny and Larry built their comics collection as an investment, but saw fit to donate and have BASA resell them and keep the profit to benefit BASA programs.

Mike and Tess Amore, and their children Lucia and Matthew donated children's books.

More donated items from my uncle and aunt and their friends, Tom and Willa Papandrew, and their niece, Chelsie, were shipped recently. Tom, Willa, and Chelsie donated books, toys, and stuffed animals. I have seen part of this shipment in Honolulu before I left for the Philippines in June. The children are going to love them!

Thank you, thank you, thank you, from the bottom of our hearts!

Thanks to our friends in Hawaii!

To BASA from Australia, with Love

Students from Our Lady of the Pines Primary School in Australia put together boxes of supplies for the children of Karangalan library!














Notebooks, padpapers, clipboards, sharpeners, markers ballpens, pentel pens, crayons, color pencils, children’s storybooks, pencil cases, were neatly packed in 3 boxes shipped to the Philippines kindness of Gilda Guillermo last December 2006. The 3^rd ballikbayan box arrived in Philippines in mid-January 2007, shipment fee of which was paid for by Don Bosco Australia through Thor Brizuela. Inside were more children’s books, school supplies and clothes donated by the families of de Guzmans, Abellas, Parels and Chambers; lunch boxes were courtesy of the Harbinsons through Ollie.



Very special thanks go out to Principal Judy Abbott, Theresa Platt and teachers Karen Craven, Frank Piccione and Guilla Costa! A million thanks to Meg Belmonte, who has been instrumental in coordinating efforts in Australia to keep the help efforts to help BASA from their side of the world sustainable.

Meg, a parent in Our Lady of the Pines heard about BASA via email, and got in touch with the Manila-based volunteers and offered to help by coordinating with friends in the Philippines to regularly donate supplies and juice to the children of Karangalan library, as well as her daughter's class who generously gave of their time and resources to put together these donations. It is so exciting to hear about how people who never meet face to face can come together in such a special way for a special cause! I hope to meet you someday, Meg!

To read more about the project and view more pictures, come and visit Enzo's blog.

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,the fruit
of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children
of one's youth.
-Psalm 127:3-4

To find out how you can help BASA, please contact:

friendsofbasa@gmail.com

To BASA from Australia, with Love

Free Workshop! Creating a Culture of Reading

Creating a Culture of Reading

(Facilitators workshop)

Sunday, June 24, 2007, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

3rd flr., AVR Room, CEFAM

Fees and materials: free!

Bring a sack lunch/snacks or eat out at Katipunan!

For more info, contact : Marifel 09154455397

Free Workshop! Creating a Culture of Reading