Maganday Nobokah School

Maganday Nobokah Aeta School

Sitio Monicayo Calumpang, Mabalacat, Pampanga

News 2012: BSM School Visit, Thursday, February 16, 2012

The British School of Manila (BSM) reached out to the EVA Charity Foundation to coordinate a visit to one of the Traditional Origins Ethnic Education Schools (TOE2S) where they plan to do an outreach trip for its students. Teachers Brian Platts and Talib Mandan represented BSM. They hope to organize a trip that revolves around community service in teh future.

Prior to visiting the selected TOE2S School, Maganday Nobokah, EVA Charity Foundation accompanied BSM teachers to the National Commission for Indigenous People (NCIP). Mr. Guillermo Kaldar (NCIP, Acting Director) briefed BSM on the Aeta community and the Maganday Nobokah School. BSM then presented their project, expressing their goal to make the service meaningful for both BSM students and the Aeta community. Ms. Jennifer Wallum (EVACF, Founder) suggested that BSM should consult the community itself on what the project should be. EVACF added that it should be done in a way that is engaging and educational on both sides. Everyone agreed that the project should build a strong and sustainable relationship between BSM and Maganday Nobokah School.

NCIP staff, led by Ms. Regina Panlillio, then took the group to Sitio Monicay, Pampanga, where Maganday Nobokah School is located. The students of the school warmly welcomed the group with a song and a traditional Aeta dance performed as an expression of gratitude to their guests. They gave fresh fruit and flowers as gifts to BSM teachers. EVACF returned the community’s kindness with more gifts (toys and school supplies) for the students.

During the visit, BSM teachers had the opportunity to directly engage in the school’s environment. Headmaster Imelda Tadayo, along with a few Maganday Nobokah teachers, introduced and gave a tour of the school to BSM. Together they discussed possible activities that students of both schools could do. The discussion reiterated the significance of mutual learning. The teachers will consider having both students do activities side by side to learn together and from one another. One possible activity is to renovate a fence surrounding the school. The fence has been inadequate in keeping out wild animals such as goats and dogs from school grounds, which contaminate the school and make it slightly unsafe for the students.

News 2011: Due to the success of this school the Philippines Air Force donated two additional classrooms, thereby advancing this school into a full elementary facility.

News January 26th 2010: EVACF volunteers with Dr. Catherine Ramos of NCIP visited the school to distribute school supplies and gardening tools donated with the help of British Chamber of Commerce (Philipinnes) and Elks Club Manila. They found that there were now THREE teachers, including one Aeta. These are supplied by the Dept. of Education. The school is still in good condition. The play area in front of the school has been concreted through cooperation with another NGO. This will help in the wet weather. All three teachers were crying out for two new classrooms to be constructed as soon as possible.

News January 29th 2009: Dr. Catherine Ramos and the NCIP outreach team visited the school to distribute generous gifts and school supplies to the staff and children resulting in huge smiles everywhere. They found that there was a new teacher, the Dept. of Education having rotated the lowland teacher but retained the AETA teacher - the policy being to have one of each wherever possible. The school is in good condition and the middle room has been properly organised into a teacher facility. The children are thriving and the village is growning in pride of its TOES facility. Their TV which we supplied earlier, stopped working last year but is now being repaired by the community. We have visited this school many times in the last two years but don't always take our camera.


News September 27th 2007: EVACF volunteers and a British School Manila (BSM guest) visited the school which BSM helped fund. The generous guest had baked banana cup cakes which were enjoyed by 50 pupils plu s teachers plus visiting nursing students from Angeles and the staff of NCIP RIII. Happy tummies and happy TOES. News September 6th 2007: A group of EVACF members visited the school on September 6th. They met the new teacher (who is AETA and from Sitio Monicayo itself and shown on the right). We were informed that next year the middle room, currently a teacher office/rest/store room will be needed for a classroom. Good News. As the school has been given new school furniture the excess tables and chairs will be removed by NCIP RIII to be placed in other TOES schools.

During the visit in September 2007 the garden was clearly providing a good place for learning about the environment and providing for oneself. Inside there were many children going about their school business and occasionally posing for a photograph for our school history.

Maganday Nobokah School was funded with the help of children of The British School, Manila (philippines) and is the first TOES facility with electricity. It is also only the second to feature teacher accomodation. It is a multigrade school but concentrates on the younger grades, with older children walking up to a larger school not too far away. Other charity groups and medical missions also use the school facilities. The school officially opened in June 2005.

September 2006:On Wednesday, 20 September, Dr. Ramos of NCIP visited our schools in Bataan. The wonderful photographs show Teacher Ms DeLeon & Children at the School trying on their very special T shirts donated by British School Manila. The school has recently been given a wonderful coat of new paint by Unilever.