Dion Ignacio Brought Joy, Celebrates Birthday in Bagong Silangan Elementary School

Kapuso hunk Dion Ignacio together with his sponsors and GMA Artist Center spent an afternoon with kids at Bagong Silangan Elementary School. It's one of the most densely populated public schools in Quezon City and most of the students here come from nearby depressed areas. Dion and the rest of the guys wanted to not only bring joy to these kids but also reach out to them as a way of giving thanks for their support to GMA Artists all these years.

 Though they are not that well off, the school administration made it a point to teach them worthwhile skills that would hone their talents as they grow older. I'll update this post later with a video so you get to see their drum and lyre band.

The kids waited so eagerly on the sidelines for Dion Ignacio. When he got there the kids erupted with joy! But he had to change clothes first as required by his sponsors, now where's mine Petrol?! LOL

Tess Bomb hosted the show. As usual, she was really hilarious! I felt they are not just here to promote themselves but to become closer to their audience... The masses. They have 1500++ students who will graduate this January. They invited us also for that occasion.

Then he came in! :)

And because it's his birthday, he's going to be the one to give gifts to these kids! :)

Dion gave them spanking brand new band instruments for the school's Drum and Lyre corps.  Dion Ignacio would like to thank his sponsors Sweet Escape, Petrol, YSA Skin Care, Afficionado, Barbie and Elle, Sundance, Jockeylina Food Services Co. for the catering, and Cihris-Carl Stuffed Toys for the gifts they gave to the kids.

Doin Ignacio also appears in afternoon show INAMORATA so if you want to spend the afternoon with him, you can easily do that!

When I asked him about the time he went a little out of the radar, he didn't answer me with workshop reasons as a silly excuse for that. He proudly came back to me and says that he goes to church regularly and came to believe in God. That was the time he says that he truly felt he knew God. That really made him busy during those days. He says he's really blessed and so thankful that he let himself be guided by him when he needed help.

Has insecurities but always stays true. Sometimes he wants to be showbiz but he can't. He apprieciates spending time with the kids and says he understand where they are coming from. Being also the bread winner of the family, he knows how hard it is to make a living. He's also helping his kins to finish their studies. He's so humble, and even talked to me when I was a little nervous when I was beside him. He even talked about my headphones and told me about a cheaper one that works quite the same :)

They had fun, they had the time of their life. I really like these events that Artist Center put up. They get their stars exposed to the public schools where kids like me (lol) would both get entertained, happy and get inspired. Thanks for inviting me to these outreach projects! You guys have the coolest ideas to celebrate birthdays!

Ciao!

KUMAGCOW

Men's Lifestyle Redefined!

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Something Good for the Heart

I am in a lot of stress lately and I wanted to have a day out with office mates but neither one of us wanted to sacrifice our schedules. I wanted to spend a day go back to BAHAY KALINGA (House of Charities), a local orphanage in the outskirts of Manila. It is managed by a couple of Christian Fellowship communities that have ties with non governmental organizations in the US. A lot of the kids came from less fortunate families that could not take care of them anymore and a few were from the long list of abandoned children in the Philippines.

I never knew what an outreach program meant when I was in college, but when we went to this one I felt that I have a lot to thank for in this world. You feel for the kids that stayed there, a simple meal we prepared that comprised of Asian Noodles, Sandwiches and packs of juice made them oblivious of their condition. It felt like for that moment alone they forgot they did not have a mother or a father to take care of them. There was this one kid that did cling on me in my whole stay there, he was asking for seconds in the meal and some of the few things we bought for them. School supplies, books and toys were there but I guess the most important one they called for was attention. The simple talks in between was priceless. I miss doing this and I guess if ever there was ample amount of time, I would recommend this to be our department's next activity.

Their place was not that posh but they have their own swimming pool where the kids could spend some time under the sweltering heat of the sun. I would have wished they could have monogrammed towel wraps so it would be easier to get to and from their sleeping quarters, but they used ordinary ones instead. It was harder for them to walk that far and share with other kids but I guess it is quite normal for them to do that. Logically it was a little hard to complain about the amenities because they barely have money for food. The big part of their funds comes from the US and with the recession it was doubly hard for them to get that. They sleep on bunk beds that evidently are old enough to be the next sparrow nests from fauna that came from their own back yard. I wish people could get them their own kids nap mats so they could at least get a nice place to sleep. If only we could afford it too.

Their dirty kitchen was a little eyesore too but some of the volunteer mothers try their best to keep the place clean and tidy. I wish there was some way we could get that into a show like Extreme Make Over so they could get the guys an industrial grade kitchen which they obviously need. I want them to have their own personalized children's plates so they would not spread disease if ever someone has it. The spoon, fork and plates they had were a little overused seen evidently from the fading designs on it. If I had the money I would really want to get a lot of stuff for them but I barely have some to take a vacation. I will have time for them sometime soon; I will try my best to get my peers involved too so they would feel the same fulfillment I get whenever I do this kind of extra curricular work. I'm trying to leave this world a little better when I found it, so when my turn comes to die I would have a happy feeling that I have not wasted my time but have done my best.