Hiking on uneven terrain and crossing a wooden bridge are considered to be leisure activities for outdoor enthusiasts. But what if these activities are part of your daily life?

In a village tucked in the forest of Mt. Makiling, the children hike everyday on their way to school in Brgy. Bagong Silang, Los Banos, Laguna. Some are lucky to have good slippers but others don’t.

With the rough terrain that they have, slippers can easily wear out. And when it rains, one can easily slip on the muddy soil. Wearing boots during the rainy days can be a great help to these kids. This was what we learned from Mrs. Treasure Millera, one of the four teachers in the elementary school, during our ocular visit for our Christmas outreach.

“Natutuwa naman ako dahil napili nyo itong barangay namin. Marami na rin namang pumupunta dito at tumutulong simula nung sinalanta kami ng Milenyo (I’m very happy that you chose our village for your outreach activity. Many people have been visiting us and extending a hand since Typhoon Milenyo in 2006),” said Brgy. Councilor Ronnie Javier.

“Pero karamihan ng mga pumupunta dito, lagi nalang sa mga bata, wala bang para sa mga matatanda? (But most of the time, people only hold outreach for the kids. I hope there’s also an outreach for us adults.),” He jokingly asked.

“Pwede naman din po kayong sumali sa games (You can also join the games),” I answered.

If you want to share your blessings, then you can either donate in cash (through Paypal. See donate button bellow) or in kind (toys, slippers, boots for the rain). For donations in kind, kindly email author for details: hello [at] tripadora [dot] com.

Barangay Profile:

• Population: 146 families
• Livelihood: Agriculture (Copra, Bananas)
• 1 Elementary school for Purok 1-3 / 4 teachers (Only 1 of the 4 lives in the same barangay. The others live far from the school)
• School Children (age 7-12): 72
• No clinic in the barangay
• No electricity
• 3 sari-sari stores
• Lacks good roads
• Bridge is made of bamboo. Old bridge was destroyed during the typhoon in 2006. It was not repaired since then.
• Mode of travel: On foot from brgy. Kabulusan/ Ride a small horse (locals use small horses to carry their crops)

These were the information that we got during our meeting with the teacher and the official of the village. My friends and I planned to hold our outreach activity this coming December 15 (tentative date) in this remote village.

We’re not an organization but just a group of friends who wanted to give back to the community through this activity. This is our way of saying “Thank you Lord for all the blessings that you have showered us.”

You don’t need to be extremely rich just to extend a hand to the needy. You can make a difference and make kids happy this Christmas season.

Travel Notes:
How to get to Bagong Silang:

1. From the public market of Bay, Laguna, ride a jeepney with the route of Bitin. Fare is Php 20.00

2. Alight at Brgy. Kabulusan. You know you’re there when you see the Geothermal Powerplant sign. / Travel time from market to Kabulusan: 30 minutes.

3. Hike for about 35 minutes on rough road. Don’t forget to breathe fresh air from the mountain.

Here are other photos of Brgy. Bagong Silang:

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Special Thanks to Ms. Darlene Pagaduan for the assistance and for Kuya Jonas Llamas for being our guide in going to Brgy. Bagong Silang.