For two years now, a group of DEHSHA health enthusiasts has been practicing wellness weekends through Tai Chi. It was an initiative of DEHSHA’s wellness group led by Dr. Cecilia Gan, Dr. Nina Zamora and Lilibeth Vasquez.

“We were looking for wellness activities for the community,” says Dr. Gan. “After trying nutrition, and introducing healthy juices and skincare, we thought of Tai Chi.” 

That initiative drew a following, and a crop of regular attendees eventually made Tai Chi Saturdays at the DEHSHA park a weekly habit.

“We started out with a group with an orchestra of ooohs, aaahs and arays,” says Lilibeth. ”Now wala na halos [You can hardly hear the groans from age-related aches and pains].”

Part of the credit goes to 56-year old gym instructor Coach Arnold “Anot” Manalo who has been leading the group, mostly made up of seniors, through essential tai chi moves just outside the Senior Citizen’s Lounge. From what started as a passion in his youth, watching people doing Tai Chi at the Luneta Park, today Coach Anot opens his classes with boxing or dance moves, before executing deliberate graceful movements, in time with modern music and normal breathing, and which are easy to follow. 

 “Sobrang slow moving ito pero malawak ang effect sa katawan,” Coach Anot says of the gentle, low-impact Chinese martial art, noting its far-reaching benefits to the joints and muscles, more so if supplemented with quality food and regular exercise. After doing Tai Chi professionally for 20 years, Coach Anot himself looks forward to the benefits of the practice to having a long and quality life. 

“The movements look easy but they are actually flexed,” Don de Jesus notes. “I’m still stiff but, now, my balance is better, a can move my arms better,” he adds. Tai Chi has become an important addition to his wellness routine, aside from regularly walking his dogs. Gigi Rondilla also attests to the increased flexibility and strength she gets from Tai Chi which she complements with her regular walks.

“Running is focused on speed,” explains Dr. Zamora, a geriatrician.  “With Tai Chi , the mental and physical aspects of movement go hand in hand, and it’s very safe, especially for the elderly.” She also points out Tai Chi’s positive impact on a person’s mood and mental well-being. “You see the change when you put your heart into something.” 

Ped Condeno experienced the difference since he picked up the weekly Tai Chi habit two years ago after suffering a stroke. “My memory was weak after my stroke but now it’s better. I used to take daily walks just inside our gate but my balance and coordination have since improved.” 

Ped’s caregiver, Helvi, has also observed a marked improvement in his balance and range of movement: “Magaling na po si Sir mag-balance. Dati hindi pa siya nakakasabay, ngayon nakakasabay na; nakakabend na.” Instead of staying close by to watch him, she now moves around with ease, confidently monitoring his steady movements from a distance as she takes pictures of the Tai Chi group’s sessions.

In their 80’s, Jake Ayson and Greg del Valle count Tai Chi as part of their Saturday exercise routine. So does Renato Agbayani, who not only looks forward to the health benefits of the group activity but also to the mental stimulation that comes after it.

“We have social engagement after Tai Chi,” volunteers Dr. Gan. “I love the interaction among participants,”Lilibeth adds. “That makes it holistic, it isn’t just about the exercise. And, there’s also Oxygen from the trees. What we would really like is to have more people join us because we would like this community to be more like a blue zone!”

All DEHSHA residents, seniors and non-seniors alike, are welcome to take part in this Saturday wellness habit in the community.

A diverse collection of art pieces, brought together by a shared desire to create, is at the heart of “Pigment of Imagination, an exhibit of contemporary visual artworks by DEHSHA residents. The exhibit is the result of three months of collaborative work at the studio of international contemporary artist Allanrey ‘Migz’ Salazar, which offers participants fertile ground to hone their art.

The  recently-concluded exhibit, the second of its kind for the Don Enrique Heights community, offered a blend of eye-catching and brooding pieces that invite another look.

Returning participants levelled-up their works, this year.

Juliana Feria’s ‘Awakening’ and ‘Feast of Burden’ give a thought-provoking look at modern society’s gluttony and greed. Paolo Balao puts perspective and detail to the test in his conceptual piece ‘Lou in Pirouz’ drawn around the character Ferminet from the online game Genshin Impact. Caroline Howard’s latest acrylic pieces “Shout Out” and “Like Pulling Teeth” reflect on the theme of truth and the frustration that comes with speaking up and not being heard.

Aside from producing the portrait ‘Lingon o Sulyap: Diwata ng Lucban’, a token for his wife, this year, Melvin Guinto returned to the exhibit season with mixed media.  Inspired by Heraclitus’ “Dance of Opposites” Guinto’s piece by the same name explores the dynamic tension and interdependence of clashing elements while “Harmony – Nocte Ac Dei” pushes the relationship between opposing forces. Guinto’s daughter, Mischa’s “Sanctuary” renders an eye-catching landscape for this year’s exhibit. Amanda Cruz’s acrylic pieces reflect a more intentional artist in “Radiant Blooms, Temporary Beauty” as well as “The Young Conformist,” which shows the delicate balance between tradition and modernity.

The exhibit takes on added color with Katie Go Benedicto’s “World in an Eye”, Jeremy Go Benedicto’s “Jrue Holiday”, another portrait in his line of artistic tributes to American professional basketball, and Eason Go’s “The Court Jester”, a courtside glimpse into the unpredictable nature of the character of Joker.

New participants added thematic and technical range to the collection, with the likes of Angela Anastacio’s pooch portrait “Hero #1”, a first in a series;  Kobe Del Rosario’s tablescape “Toast to a Harvest”; and Reese Del Rosario’s  ‘purr-fect’ mood setting “Lazy Afternoon”. Other first-time mentees also brought in virtual conversation pieces, like Mary Joy Naval’s charcoal compositions “Bending Stereotypes”, her four-paneled interactive acrylic painting “Raising Aphrodite”, which depicts the woman’s journey through life, and her mixed media pieces “Unbreakable” and “Open Your Eyes”, which show a woman’s struggle and triumph in breaking free from familial pressures. Marie Sy also explores the possibilities of conceptual art in her acrylic pieces “Heaven’s Our Sin” and “Deadline” and offers a gripping look at the painful transition from blissful ignorance to paranoia in her charcoal and pastel series “Tainted”.

Several guest artists added the weight of experience to this year’s exhibit.

Victor Puruganan brought in mixed media and kinetic metal sculptures like “Lotus”, made from car parts and a steel drain; Rencie Padernal turned out fresh oil paintings featuring fighting cocks and birds;  while Jolly Naval-Tomas lent fresh perspectives to portraits and landscapes with her restful “lenticular” paintings.

It is said that “a man without art is a man without soul”. With their unique views and creations, under mentor Migz Salazar, DEHSHA’s budding artists have once more taken inspiration from the world outside as a window to the one within.

     There is a growing greenhouse on the upper deck of JACK AQUINO’s home.  It is a 30-square meter space producing a weekly harvest of leafy greens. Far from the farm of his youth in San Nicolas, Pangasinan, a modest piece of land behind his grandfather’s home, his own urban greenscape is a promising start.

      He first took an interest in planting while watching his grandfather harvest fresh produce — tomatoes, calamansi, kangkong, petchay, alugbati — for their consumption. In 2019, whether by sheer influence, genetic transfer or osmosis, Jack took a similar interest in growing edibles, specifically lettuce. He successfully grew leafy greens from a starter kit he ordered online that used soil and seed. But germination was not at 100%. At the cusp of the Covid-19 Pandemic, he attended seminars in Taytay, Rizal and Cainta and learned about the factors that affected fragile seedlings: germination, seed quality, medium quality, sterilization protocols, temperature, humidity. etc. and hydroponics technology.

      Familiar with the stresses that come with work, in his case, handling the programming of international channels in North America, Canada and the Middle East for TV5 (since 2011), Jack wanted to live and eat healthier.

      He first constructed a greenhouse on a 6-square meter space in his home, complete with UV shade to control exposure from the heat of the sun.  It offered him quiet time from his fast-paced work life and the greens he and his family needed for their dietary balance. Eventually, he expanded the greenhouse, started his day early and made the sacrifice to live a farmer’s lifestyle, devised a method to plant and sow every week, producing enough to meet the needs of a market within DEHSHA. Aside from being involved in his first seminar for the rooftop setup, his parents also got first dibs on any oversupply.

       What was a fulfilling hobby, at first, today offers not only added income but also an opportunity to learn more and make better use of his time.  He found mentors in former schoolmates who shared their best practices.  From a kilo of lettuce a week, Jack doubled his produce and, after upgrading his greenhouse, now sows four to five kilos of greens — including romaine — every week.

       But Jack is also realistic and ready to deal with sudden weather changes like the scorching conditions that hit the country before the rainy season, radically reducing any potential income for weeks.

     “Certain times of the year have a smaller harvest depending on the rain wind and sun. We can supplement that and be cost efficient during the normal season.”

     These days, he is looking to explore growing microgreens, including mustard and alfalfa, and hopes to invest in grow lights and humidity control for better germination.

     Today, if Jack had a starter kit for others who want to get into edible gardening it would be a lesson in patience and perseverance.

    “Everything is accessible. If you want to start something, go for it. Put your whole heart into it and don’t lose hope.”

    “If you give up the first few tries, you don’t accomplish much. Consider this: if others can do it, why can’t I.”

     And, what about technology transfer? For Jack, it should be as simple as picking up cues from nature, like he did at his grandfather’s farm.

       “I love watching something grow.  I apply it to myself. I involve my own son but I don’t force him. It’s enough for him to see me doing something I like.”#

     “When there was a water shortage in 2019, and we had water rationing, I couldn’t justify wasting water, that’s why I shifted to growing edibles.”

        Elizabeth bought dried seeds, tested herbs and vegetable or fruits with the right mix of medium, soil, sun and water. Her choices responded to the needs of the time:  tarragon, turmeric, calamansi, chili, and she simply picked up the condiment from her garden.

       Water scarcity aside, there was more reason to pursue growing edibles when the lockdowns hit during the Pandemic, which left many with so much free time and nothing much to do.

       “Laurel was an investment along with the curry leaf plant, tamarind and mulberry.” Elizabeth rattles off the names of the ingredients, their requirements and what their good for like a grocery list:  “Basil likes the sun.  We now have Thai basil for stir fry, sweet basil and holy basil. Kefir leaves are good for tea, as well as, soup including hot sour soup and sinigang.”

       “I feel challenged when the plant is hard to grow — like rosemary which dies when you give it too much water. Cilantro is hard but parsley is easy. Each plant has different requirements. If I wasn’t successful with tomatoes, I’d try something else. Every year, I would determine if I was successful with one crop and I would continue it.”

       For Elizabeth, planting fruiting trees is a fulfilling endeavor.  It was that way from her very first harvest of winter melon after a five month wait.  They were rare. She noted how they were served with soup in restaurants but farmers didn’t carry the fruit.  Today, a lush canopy of vines hangs over their driveway with an abundance of winter melon. It is the same case with the terrace, which also boasts of pink bulbs of dragon fruit (carefully grown from a friend’s cuttings), proof that her tireless efforts at research and discovery have paid off.

       But, perhaps, there is no better benefit from consuming a healthy variety of fruits and vegetables (with her vitamin supplements) than the positive development in Elizabeth’s own  journey dealing with hyperthyroidism caused by Graves Disease — toxic diffuse goiter, an autoimmune disease that affects the thyroid.

       “I have thyroid antibodies.  If the normal thyroid antibody level is 5, I have more than a thousand.  It is a chronic condition.”

        She credits her improved health on her productive edible garden and on listening to experienced gastroenterologists online who promote the benefits of having a probiotic diet.

       “Functional medicine is a new field now. U.S. doctors say, there’s a gut -brain axis. The gut affects the brain and the production of hormones, our biological sync. I used to have a leaky gut, and now it’s better. My last ultrasound showed there’s a reduction of 50% in the size (of my thyroid).”

      “New medicine says, having a poor gut can lead to cancer and diabetes. And diabetes is reversible. You just have to improve your gut microbiome.”

      “Each vegetable has its own  microbiome.  By fermenting kefir grains you produce tea. The fizz is caused by fermentation. As a probiotic, the microbes in the drink enable our bodies to produce serotonin and melatonin. When I drink half a glass, I get very good sleep.”

      Anyone who has seen the improvement in Elizabeth’s mood and health, these days, surrounded by the fruit of her labors, can also drink to that.#

On January 12, the DEHSHA Animal Concerns Committee cleared the way for an intimate gathering of residents and friends at the Dog Park for a “plein air” art immersion or experiencing art in nature.

“This is not just a place to bring your dogs,” says Committee Head Arlene de Castro-Anonuevo.  “This is also a place where you can appreciate nature and get inspiration. You capture the moment when you work outdoors, you capture life on canvas,”  adds Arlene, a figurative artist who specializes in women in relation to nature.

Today, the Dog Park stands on unpaved ground and features a hodge podge of donations: a cement table and chair set from Edison Catienza, pre-loved steel chairs from Arlene and Vice-President Jomil Encabo, solar lights from Jo Jhocson, etc. The venue may not be much, for now, but it offers fertile ground for creativity.

At the first-ever art event at the Dog Park, two guest artists generously walked participants through the building blocks of art technique and gave an analysis of the works based on color choices and imagery.

Benild Abigan or BENVOZZ  is a Filipino contemporary surreal artist and architect in the Philippines and Melbourne, Australia who grew his love for art in Sta Cruz, Manila before moving to Australia in 1994.

Ding Royales, a licensed nurse, has been doing murals after dedicating 20 years to the nursing profession.  From taking his first steps as an artist with pens and crayons at 12, joining art workshops and winning art grants, he has taken part in designing murals. These include: the Nagtahan Flyover, the North Cemetery (with the Pinto Art Museum), and one in Marikina with Team Birks (Birkenstock) for Vice-President Leni Robredo’s campaign.

Abigan and Royales invited participants to use pencils for “hatching” or using short strokes and building on them to form an image on the page.

Abigan himself advocates an artistic technique he calls ” automatism” — in the same free style tradition of American abstract expressionist Jackson Pollock — but is an adaptation of transitive art or the transformation of images from one form to another. 

“Immersing in nature offers a relaxing environment and the ideal creative energy for beginning artists,” Abigan says.  It is the same environment, he says, that inspired everything from the landscapes of Fernando Amorsolo, as well as indigenous art here in the Philippines and in Australia. 

“We are surrounded by art in nature and replicate it on canvas,” Royales says. “We should strive to conserve what nature has given us because one day it may no longer be there for us to enjoy. Mountains that have been carved out will disappear.  Once extinct, rare species will cease to exist.”

Arlene and the guest artists hope the event will be a first step towards encouraging more art in the community for the young and old alike.  They say, art can make a difference especially for senior citizens, stimulate their brain, exercise the mind and memory, and improve mental health and cognitive development.

Given the potential benefits of outdoor artistic exercise, Arlene says, they hope to make the art jam a regular community event.  The Committee is also exploring prospects for a poetry reading event aside from DEHSHA’s annual dog parade.

A number of residents responded to the call to spend artistic afternoons at the House of Migz (now on Don Pio Street).  What started with a few kids in 2021, has since grown into a bigger crop of students, all of whom were eager to learn visual arts and dabble in artistic expression and experimentation.  Migz’s motivation: to introduce visual artistry within the Community and promote discipline, dedication among a new generation of visual contemporary artists, while encouraging creativity away from the usual apps and gadgets.  The long-term goal: to make his free art workshops and art exhibits an annual tradition.

Students only needed to bring a fresh canvas, choose their subject, and discover the process of creativity.  By the time last-minute students joined the art sessions, there was no formal instruction from Migz, an international multi-awarded contemporary artist based in Paris and Manila.  His teaching-style seemed mostly experiential and intuitive, culled from over two decades of art studies in Europe, competitions, and successful exhibitions promoting Philippine art and culture here and abroad.  Migz mentored and guided as he moved from one canvas to the next, dishing out anecdotes on art and the world’s renowned artists, their work and their work ethic. Migz, who admits to being color-blind would call out the precise shade of black, blue, red, yellow or sienna one needed from the acrylics laid out on his working table.

“Unlike architecture or design, art on canvas evolves, surprising the artist,” he says, “there is no blueprint.”

True enough, many of us ended up laying out our sketches only to change or build on them as we went, layer after paint layer. We learned to trust our creative instincts, develop a keener sense of focus and the patience to fix mistakes on canvas, knowing that nothing is ever perfect.

“Creativity is like a fountain of water. There is no end to a work but you have to know when to stop,” Migz says, adding that the artist’s signature officially seals it. 

All the hours Migz’s wards spent in front of their canvases have since paid off with ‘CANVAS FOR CHRISTMAS’. This maiden art exhibition invites guests to enter the world imagined by DEHSHA’s budding contemporary artists. It is open for viewing until the end of the month at the second floor of the Multi-Purpose Hall Building I.

Cleanliness is next to godliness.  So goes a popular adage. It is only fitting that the immediate perimeter of the Our Lady of Remedies Chapel has taken on a more welcoming atmosphere in recent weeks, thanks to new landscaping completed in time for the OLR Feast.  Today, two new features — the Gazebo Garden and the Rosary Garden — offer parishioners and DEHSHA residents a more meditative appeal around the chapel grounds.

Having a clean space around the chapel became a nagging concern when everything came to a virtual standstill during the pandemic. After the rectory fire last year, Pat Ayson decided to help the restoration effort in her own way by making the landscape venture around the chapel a personal passion project.

The fresh makeover of the chapel’s surrounding spaces is an expression of the Ayson family’s gratitude for blessings they received and their contribution to the DEHSHA community.

Landscaping was not going to be cheap but Pat and her husband Jake trusted that the needed resources would come.  And it did. The family tapped into one moment of providence after another, sharing from the graces they received despite the pandemic, whether from the accounting firm they own or the El Jose Catering the Ayson family has come to be known for.

The landscaping project began on one side, using plants grown at the back of the chapel and others purchased for the purpose.  Completed in time for Holy Week, it later featured a short walkway to a cross, a feature suggested by their daughter Joy and a small metal sculpture for the bell rope designed by Joy’s husband, an artist. Eventually, the other side made way of the Rosary Garden, upon the initiative of the Legion of Mary.  Plants that had grown from the first landscape project on the side of the chapel, and old concrete benches around the chapel that were repainted, completed the Gazebo Garden.

“God is good, God provides,” Pat says, recalling how their family and staff were spared during the pandemic.  Grateful that his wife’s health issues have been manageable, Jake adds, the service they are doing is ‘for the community and for the Lord’. 

Another Ayson offspring, Gerry — a former choir member, who has been attending to decorating the chapel interiors for about 20 years — oversaw the landscaping work, with only two to three hired hands. He credits the late Fr. Danny Perales for mentoring him and guiding him with executing a vision for the community and chapel’s events and milestones. Practicality in practice, 60% of the plants — from bromeliads, papuas, irises, tea plants, elephant ears and vines — were sourced from those cared for by the chapel’s longtime caretaker Bernie.  When word of the landscaping effort spread, other neighbors stepped in to help: Mrs. Apostol donated orchids; while Mrs. Go who owns the Vilgo Hardware outside the subdivision, also donated cement, gravel and sand to the project.

Today, the landscaping effort around the chapel is proof, not only of one family’s act of service but also of the community’s cooperative spirit. With everyone’s help in maintaining the OLR chapel and its spaces, churchgoers, DEHSHA residents and visitors alike can continue to enjoy an ideal environment for gathering in prayer and praise.

From a procession of the image of Our Lady of Remedies through DEHSHA’s streets, to mass with floral offerings, a blessing of newly-landscaped chapel grounds, a food fair to a bingo social.  That’s how DEHSHA capped off celebrations for the feast of the Our Lady of Remedies this month.

BLESSED GARDENS

After the fiesta community mass, Fr. Rey blessed the Rosary Garden and the Gazebo Garden, additional features of the OLR grounds. The new greenery, featuring manicured lawns and landscaping around the gazebo and both sides of the chapel, are part of the Ayson family’s humble offering to the DEHSHA community and symbol of gratitude for their answered prayers especially during the pandemic season. (https://dehcommunity.wordpress.com/2023/10/31/the-olr-gardens/)

FIESTA PALARO

Just like previous years, OLR parishioners and visitors from neighboring communities who attended the liturgical service were treated to food and snacks outside the chapel after mass. Under straw buntings of the new gazebo park, they lined up for their servings of puto’t dinuguan as well as taho and dirty ice cream straight from vendors who come to DEHSHA daily to ply their goods, while children lined up for toys and special treats from Ollie de Jesus.

A ROUND OF BINGO

At the DEHSHA Clubhouse, packed lunches and cash prizes also waited for those who purchased bingo tickets and took part in the OLR’s second fundraising effort for the year.  An animated host kept participants awake and on their feet, eager to block the numbers being called on bingo cards.

Cash prizes awaited lucky winners, including a P10,000 peso donation from the office of a young member of congress and DEHSHA neighbor.  Yeng Encabo took home the biggest prize.

The fun-filled event raised P38,000 along with calls for another round of Bingo to help with the fundraising efforts for the ongoing chapel rectory renovation.

On July 29, 2023, monsoon rains threatened the scheduled fundraising concert for the renovation of the Our Lady of Remedies Chapel’s fire-hit rectory.  But the downpour failed to dampen not just the store of singing talent but also the DEHSHA community spirit

Everything was on hand for “Celebrating Love: a Concert for a Cause”, the first in a series of fundraising efforts.  Tickets were sold, the rented sound system was in place, prizes ready along with savoury and sweet snacks for all attendees.  But as Tropical Storm Falcon (Khanun) hovered over Philippine territory the monsoon rains poured, showing no signs of letting up. By late afternoon, during the anticipated mass, strong winds downed a tree, setting off explosions, tripping a power line and causing a power outage in half of the Subdivision.  With no clear idea of how soon electricity would be restored, a cancellation seemed inevitable.

“Our faith was tested,” says DEHSHA Vice-President Jomil Encabo, recalling the unpredictable turn of events that stormy Saturday. “It was nerve-wracking,” Rose Reyes adds.  “There was so much to consider but eventually things just fell into place. We made do with what was available.”

By some stroke of luck, and with the help of some connections in Meralco, help arrived. They estimated they could get the main line back up by 7pm or so.  With a better sense of the situation, organizers decided the show would go on. Unfazed by the inclement weather, DEHSHA residents and performers streamed into the Clubhouse, with a modest but eager audience occupying the 300-seater venue.

Organizers agree, the feedback of the community to the photo-finish call to proceed with the concert came as a heartwarming surprise. “We did not expect the turnout,” Reyes says.  “I think that’s what brought the spirit of the event.”

More than 300 of 400 tickets printed were sold. The Clubhouse was fully-decked for the event: colorful balloons, left over from a prior event scheduled earlier that day, added a generous touch of fun and fab to the venue and at no extra cost. 

“Everything cost us nearly P67,000. We netted P240,000 in July with additional income shortly after,”  OLRC Treasurer Angel Felipe. “The excess food we bought ourselves.” Event organizers admit, raising funds for the OLRC rectory renovation has been tedious and remains a challenge, but the Community’s response has also been encouraging.

Following the success of July’s concert for a cause, DEHSHA officials say, a Bingo event is slated after a community lunch on October 8th, the Feast of the Our Lady of Remedies. A Christmas street concert is also being planned for November. “We envision setting up a tent in strategic locations for the 14 streets, to be handled by coordinators,” Reyes says. “From the concert at the Clubhouse, with caroling, we want to take the fundraising effort to the street-level. It will also be a venue for neighbors to work together,” Encabo adds.

Organizers are also exploring the possibility of tapping musical talents within and outside the community for another fundraising concert. Artists in the community are also responding by putting in some of their own art pieces to help the fundraising effort.  (https://dehcommunity.wordpress.com/2023/03/10/a-passion-for-pieta/)

St. Benedict Parish’s Fr. Ray Tano, MGL encourages the DEHSHA community, as one big family, to take part in the upcoming fundraising events. “We hope to see the community actively participate in the shared effort to rebuild the Chapel rectory.” (https://dehcommunity.wordpress.com/2023/03/05/after-the-blaze/)

_{“Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy,}

_{do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret.}

_{Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” — Matthew 6:1-4}

To whom much is given, much is expected goes an old wisdom. We are responsible for the blessings and talents we receive. But while charity begins at home, and one’s responsibility is to one’s own family and friends first, the Bible also encourages the faithful to share their blessings with those in need.

We only have to open our eyes to see how many people need our help within and outside our community. The Catholic Church invites us to open our hearts and hands, especially in the season of Lent.

There are a number of ways to share our blessings. There’s the Fast2Feed Program of the Pondo ng Pinoy Community Foundation which invites donors to sponsor the meals of children in poor and marginalized communities.  It entails sponsoring one nutritious meal of a hungry child per day for 120 days so they can have a better chance at life. (https://dehcommunity.wordpress.com/2023/02/22/ashes-to-ashes/)

The Missionaries of God’s Love (MGL) conducts several forms of missionary work for the benefit of poor and marginalized. They run a community kitchen in the Saint Benedict Parish, which involves a feeding program for 2 to 12 year-old undernourished children. Twice a week for twelve weeks, volunteer mothers cook the food, feed the children and monitor their weight. “Our goal is to share warm lunch meals for the children and the elderly once a week, prepared by mothers in the communities,” says Fr. Alex Nolasco, MGL. The feeding program has had several runs.

Fr. Alex says, their evangelization work also takes them to poor communities in some remote villages outside Metro Manila. They bring food, pray, work and lived with the indigenous people of the Bako and Nauhan villages in Oriental Mindoro, where the resident Mangyans only experience mass and communion once a year. It’s an eight-hour trip: a two-and-a-half hour drive to Batangas, about the same time on a Roll on-Roll off vessel, and another one-and-a-half hour drive to the village. Joining these immersion efforts are youths from the poor communities of Barangay Kasiyahan who underwent training for two to three years before reaching their 18th year.  Some 200 youths have taken part in the outreach program in the last ten years. This year, for the safety and comfort of youth missionaries, Fr. Alex says, they have tapped donor contributions as a down-payment for a roadworthy camper.

And there is no price for the gifts of generosity — whether for these communities or the youths who help bring joy to them.

“Transformation is the best gift of charitable work,” Fr. Alex says. “Relief is made up of basic needs–food and drink, emotional support, but what we need is social transformation. MGL runs the Balik Handog Program, a scholarship program for young people.  We train some of them to be leaders in their families. It’s a transformation of the heart, mind and body to make good choices. Education is a way out of poverty but so is a transformation of the mind.”

Fr. Alex personally knows the value of transformation especially for the underprivileged youth.  He was born in San, Rafael Bulacan, the youngest of four children. His father was a farmer. When his mother found work in Quezon City, they moved to Nitang, Novaliches where its slums offered a new home in his growing up years. Through his parents’ and his own industry (working part-time jobs in the fast food industry when he was in high school), he and his siblings managed to attend university. His parents dreamt of seeing them all finish school saying it was the best possible opportunity they could give their children.

Today, Fr. Alex prays for generous hearts and the spirit of charity: “It isn’t the amount but the heart for the poor that matters. Jesus is close to the poor and the brokenhearted. We are a living body. Jesus said, whatever we do to the least of our brethren we do it unto Him. My invitation is for people to be generous with their time, resources and strength especially in the season of Lent and Holy Week. Ask the Lord what kind of generosity you can share, be it financial resources, prayer or even just being with them.”