For Kuya Mond, to have experiences with compassion and advocacy is one thing an individual should obtain in life. He is one of the volunteers of the Play It Forward-On The Move in Marinduque.
Unilab Foundation’s Play It Forward-On The Move (PIF-OTM) program was designed to bring therapeutic play access to children in post-disaster areas. The program helps them cope with the distress they experienced during disasters. It also provides them an opportunity to play and learn. What I love about it is that it encourages children to participate, and teaches them how to handle and accept their emotions in disaster situations.
I had a great experience facilitating therapeutic play sessions for select children of Bonliw Elementary School in Torrijos, Marinduque, last February 2 to 5. I was part of a team of certified PIF-OTM facilitators, composed of youth from Malabon and parent volunteers from Valenzuela. We went to Marinduque for two days of play sessions in three public elementary schools. This was made possible through the support of the Department of Education-Marinduque.
PIF-OTM is very interesting, because it supports the vision of a healthier Philippines where every child has a sacred space to play. This is one innovative way to improve our children’s participation programs. PIF-OTM inspired our organization, the Sto. Niño Youth Council (SNYC), to continue advocating children’s rights through child participation.
Many youth want to travel, explore places, and do things for fun. I myself am always on the lookout for new and challenging experiences, especially those that provide an opportunity for self-fulfillment. However, I believe that it’s also good to have experiences with compassion and advocacy. I believe that each one of us should have our own advocacy, and we should care about the issues faced by our society.
As a volunteer, I am grateful for this opportunity to be part of ULF’s mission to build a healthier Philippines. I am happy that I spent my time and effort to help children rebuild themselves into healthier and happier individuals through play. I'm determined to teach them in a way that I’m good at, so I can serve my country.
Raymond “Kuya Mond” Chua is a certified Play It Forward-On The Move volunteer facilitator from Malabon. He teaches Humanities, Social Sciences, Social Work, and Organizational Management.