During the month of November, the Philippine Consulate General dedicated much of their time to supporting the efforts of
BOOKS for the BARRIOS (BftB). On Thursday the 6th,
BftB's Vice President, Ephraim Toche, gave a powerful presentation to encourage the Filipino-American community to take a stand for the barrio children of their homeland. Consul General Marciano Paynor also put forth a strong call to action and said that he will do all he can to support the global education development efforts of
BOOKS for the BARRIOS.
Later that week, a large group from the Philippine Consulate and their families came to the
BftB facility in Concord, CA to learn, get involved, and help those without a quality education opportunity. The children who attended learned about their counterparts in the Philippines. Then, everyone worked together to pack books and write messages to the children in the remote, under-served barrio schools. In addition, the Officers took part in BftB's first P.E.S.O (Philippine Education System Omnibus) Conference. Here, a discussion was held regarding the Philippine government, challenges in education development, and networking strategies. The group also brainstormed ways the Consulate can get involved and who they can contact to support this ...
project of the heart. This was the first of many future meetings to come.
BftB program officers and volunteers would like to thank those from the Philippine Consulate for their efforts, service, and support.
During the month of November, the Philippine Consulate General dedicated much of their time to supporting the efforts of BOOKS for the BARRIOS (BftB). On Thursday the 6th, BftB's Vice President, Ephraim Toche, gave a powerful presentation to encourage the Filipino-American community to take a stand for the barrio children of their homeland. Consul General Marciano Paynor also put forth a strong call to action and said that he will do all he can to support the global education development efforts of BOOKS for the BARRIOS.
Later that week, a large group from the Philippine Consulate and their families came to the BftB facility in Concord, CA to learn, get involved, and help those without a quality education opportunity. The children who attended learned about their counterparts in the Philippines. Then, everyone worked together to pack books and write messages to the children in the remote, under-served barrio schools. In addition, the Officers took part in BftB's first P.E.S.O (Philippine Education System Omnibus) Conference. Here, a discussion was held regarding the Philippine government, challenges in education development, and networking strategies. The group also brainstormed ways the Consulate can get involved and who they can contact to support this ...project of the heart. This was the first of many future meetings to come. BftB program officers and volunteers would like to thank those from the Philippine Consulate for their efforts, service, and support.
His passion, positive attitude, and insight on BftB's work is inspiring. Mr. Toche offers a rare opportunity to truly learn about this organization's impact from someone who sees it every day- from distributing books nation-wide to training teachers year-round to working with the U.S. Special Forces. While visiting, he has assisted with operations in the Concord facility, helped out with many field trips, conducted speaking engagements throughout the state, and of course, has been on many sight-seeing adventures. BftB staff and volunteers are very grateful for his visit as we learn from him every day. Come visit us in Concord, California and say hi to Ephraim!
