Old Toys to Become Immortal: Filipinos Called to Build a Toy Center in the Former Leprosarium

Published on 07/29/14

Sendong Survivors Rise to Address Children’s Therapy and Healing

Palawan, Philippines – The movie, Toy Story, rings true. Old toys from closets would be used again and bring joy to the new generation of Filipino children. PTL is partnering with the Jesuit Volunteers Philippines and Cartwheel Foundation to build a toy center in the Palawan island. Culion is a 4th class municipality in the province; once a leprosarium, the area is now a vibrant community eager to develop and progress…

“When I talked to Ma’am Nene Mariano, the pre-school teacher of Libis Day Care Center about a possibility of bringing in old toys, her face lighted up,” JVP Volunteer and Cartwheel Foundation Program Associate Camille Tacastacas recounts her encounter. “The teacher was on the verge of tears imagining having more toys for her students.”

“I was crying with the Toy Story franchise,” PTL President Edsel Ramirez embarrassingly shares. “Consider toys becoming immortal and transcending lives as they are played by children from one generation to another.”

The Philippine Toy Library is currently calling for donations of toys and children’s books. Clear out closets and start helping in the building toy centers in Porac and Sasmuan, Pampanga, Dapdap, Quezon, Palawan, Cagayan de Oro, Zamboanga Sibugay and Zamboanga del Sur.

Drop off points are in Quezon City (KIDS AHOY, PTL and Jesuit Volunteers Philippines offices), Pampanga (Orchid Bookstore), Baguio, Bacolod and Zamboanga City (ADZU, Tzu Chi Foundation and YSP offices).

JESUIT VOLUNTEERS PHILIPPINES-JVP is one of the country’s longest-running local volunteer programs, recruiting, training, and sending highly-skilled college graduates and young professionals to work in under-resourced areas all over the country. This year, they have two volunteers assigned to Cartwheel Foundation working for the education of the Tagbanua in Culion. Website: http://www.jvpfi.org/

CARTWHEEL FOUNDATION-Cartwheel seeks to give indigenous youth and communities the chance to enjoy their right to quality and culturally relevant education. Website: http://cartwheelfoundation.org/