Illustrado Magazine – Filipino Abroad

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My Pinoy Life in Xiamen, China

MELODY M. DIZON

Fujian, Xiamen, China

SINCE WHEN HAVE YOU BEEN STAYING THERE?

I have been staying here in Xiamen since 2011.

CAN YOU BRIEFLY RECOUNT WHY YOU MOVED THERE?

I was a pioneer employee of Saint Gabriel International School in Pasig City, Philippines that it began its operations in 2000, and I have been working there as a preschool teacher when it decided to open another location here in China in 2011. It was a few months before the high school graduation of my youngest son when our headmaster offered me a job here. This was an opportunity for me to step up my career and help my husband in providing for our family, especially for our sons’ college expenses. So I took the job and transferred here to Xiamen to teach at the Manila Xiamen International School (This is my Pinoy Life in Xiamen).

TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR PLACE

Xiamen, a province of China, is just a two-hour flight away from Manila. It has great scenery and highly developed infrastructure consists of malls, hotels, and commercial and industrial centers. The coastline is just a few miles away from the main roads, and the climate is friendly; the average daily temperature is 22 degrees Celsius. You will really enjoy the air because there is not much air pollution. It has a lot of hills and plenty of trees along the roads and beaches. There are also many tourist spots in Xiamen, and one of them is Gulangyu, an island that is only accessible via ferry. It has streets and storefronts that look like they came straight from the Victorian-era. We Filipinos visit the place every Sunday because that is where we go to hear the mass. Xiamen is already highly developed and is still growing, yet its culture is well preserved and the environment is well taken care of.

WHAT DO YOU DO FOR A LIVING?

I work as a preschool teacher in Manila Xiamen International School in Xiamen, China. My specialty is teaching young children as young as three years old read words, phrases, and simple sentences. After class hours, I accompany them back to their respective homes to ensure they get home safe. I also give tutorial services afterwards. My students come from different parts of the world with different cultures, but we all get along because I make sure that I share with them the good moral values that we were taught when we were raised back home in the Philippines.

IS THERE A FILIPINO COMMUNITY THERE?

In my place of work, my colleagues and I already consider ourselves a Filipino community since most of us are magkababayan. Even though the Filipino presence is not that large, we regularly get together and bond, especially during the Moon Cake Festival, Christmas and Chinese New Year. We like to keep the unity and happiness among us here.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR LIFE.

I attribute my personality and values to my parents back home in Batangas, and to the experiences that life has taught me so far. I have a very strong, family-oriented and prayerful life because of my background. I pursued teaching because I believe that if it were not for teachers, there would be no doctors, engineers, lawyers, and other professionals.

When I started teaching in SGIS in the Philippines, I considered it as a big blessing because our two sons could study and finish their high school there. Looking back, I always remember how my husband and I hurdled through all the hardships and challenges together.

When the time came that my career brought me here to Xiamen, my husband and I believed that it was the right time because our children are already in college and has gained enough maturity to understand why I had to work abroad and spend most of the year away from them. I am fortunate to be able to come home during summer breaks and during the Christmas holiday. Thanks to the Internet, I can check on them regularly and communicate from far away. I always thank God that He never failed us in raising our family.

Being an OFW and being away from my family is really difficult, so it feels especially good to see all our struggles pay off. Last year, my eldest son was ninth placer in the Aeronautical Engineering Board Exams and is now a professional aviation engineer. My youngest will be graduating from college this year to pursue his dream of entering law school and become a lawyer someday.

I still do not see myself retiring from teaching in the next several years, because this is what I love doing, and it is what actually keeps me young at heart.

WHAT CULTURAL PRACTICES AND BEHAVIORS HAVE YOU ACQUIRED FROM YOUR HOST COUNTRY?

Well, I could say that I benefited from the Chinese mentality of saving money. Usually, OFWs buy lots of pasalubongs for their family and friends in the Philippines. The first time I got back home from China, I brought lots of stuff that I almost went over my baggage allowance. Now, I don’t bring back home that much stuff anymore.

YOUR MESSAGE TO FILIPINOS ACROSS THE WORLD?

Keep working hard and remember the reason why you started in order for you to endure the struggles of working far away from the Philippines.

September 6, 2015
Filipino Schools Around The World

It is no surprise anymore to meet a kababayan when one travels abroad, be it in the vibrant city of New York, in the cobbled alleys of Florence, or in the thick jungles of Kota Kinabalu. In fact, a lot of Filipino communities are already thriving in many parts of the world, and some of them are big enough to establish Filipino-centered schools where parents send their children to invoke in them a strong sense of community that is truly Pinoy.

Here are some Filipino schools that are flourishing in different parts of the world.

AUSTRALIA

Name of the School: Philippine Language School of Victoria

Website: www.philippinelanguage.webs.com

Address: 42 Eleanor St., Footscray, VIC Australia 3011

Telephone: (03) 9317 9156

Mobile: (0413) 623 991

Email: phillang@bigpond.net.au

General Info

The Philippine Language School of Victoria was established and founded in 1993 to enable the Filipino children learn and understand the language and culture. The school is designed for non-speakers of Filipino language, or persons of Filipino parents who are Filipino-Australian born and who do not speak the language, children of mixed marriages, scholars, diplomats, business people and individuals who are interested to learn the language for better understanding of the Filipino cultural heritage, identity and tradition. The school uses the guidelines in the Victorian Essential Learning Standards (VELS) provided by VCAA to attain specific objective.

BAHRAIN

Name of the School: Philippine School Bahrain

Website: www.philschool-bh.com

Address: Bldg. 989 Road 3222, Blk. 732, A’Ali, Manama, Bahrain

Telephone: +973-176-45451

Fax: +973-176-44101

Email: gerriesalem2006@yahoo.com / psbahrain@yahoo.com

Number of Students: 896 Students

General Info

The Philippine School Bahrain (PSB) was established in 1994 through the initiative and cooperative efforts of 27 Filipinos who became its founders. The school provides pre-elementary, elementary and secondary education to Filipino children in the Kingdom of Bahrain. It uses the Philippine curriculum to facilitate the smooth integration of home-bound children in the mainstream of Philippine education system. The PSB has become an institution that promotes not only academic excellence but also Filipino values and cultural heritage among Filipino children in Bahrain.

CHINA

Name of the School: International Philippine School of Shanghai

Address: 699 Hu Qing Ping Gong Lu, Zhai Dong Ju Wei Hui, Quingpu District, Shanghai, PRC

Telephone: (86-21) 59765857

Fax: (86) 187 21283104

Email: lgdngb@yahoo.com / gnickel_ipss@ymail.com

Number of Students: 30 students

General Info

The International Philippine School of Shanghai (IPSS) is the first Philippine school in Shanghai. It is a Philippine-European privately-owned institution intended for the Filipino community living in Shanghai. The school provides secure quality education for all students with affordable fees.

It offers a curriculum that is Philippine-based, but with the integration of international standards and approaches in teaching that would make every child academically inclined and globally competitive, thus able to respond actively and positively to the growing changes of the future.

EAST TIMOR

Name of the School: Maharlika International School

Website: http://dedc-pise.blogspot.ae/

Address: Fatuhada, Comoro, Dili, Timor-Leste

Telephone: (670) 730 2300 / (670) 331 3053

Email: maharlikainternationalschool@yahoo.com

General Info

The school was established on February 16, 2008 through the dedication and commitment of the Managing Director of Haksolok Consultancy & General Services Lda. to focus mainly on its education services being offered to the public. He wished to provide affordable, enriched and stable learning environment primarily to dependents of overseas Filipinos in East Timor where at the same time his children can study. With MIS-DEDC, foreign nationals can also bring their kids in East Timor to study while they are working.

GREECE

Name of the School: Philippine School in Greece

Address: 15 Thimaton Polemou, Kareas Vyronas, Athens, Greece

Telephone: (211) 0149970

Mobile: (30) 693 9329060

Email: katipunan_psg@yahoo.com / teacherluz14@yahoo.com

Number of Students: 185 students

General Info

The Katipunan Philippines Cultural Academy (KAPHILCA) was inspired by the idea that young Filipinos overseas must never become alienated from their native land; they must know about their Filipino identity and culture, and must be given the best opportunity to learn about the Philippines and its people.

It was accredited by the Department of Education of the Philippines in October 1999. Since the school follows the curriculum prescribed by the DepEd, it enables students to be readily integrated into the Philippine school system on their return to the country, and to cultivate in them their Filipino identity and character.

KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA

Name of the School: Al Taj International School

Address (): P.O. Box 85130, Riyadh 1169, KSA

Telephone: (966-11) 4788237/ 2920450

Fax: (966-11) 4788237

Mobile: (96650) 8210584 / (96654) 0246355

Email: irene0012004@yahoo.com

Number of Students: 1,140 students

General Info

The Al Taj International School envisions a school that shall be the center for language teaching utilizing the English language as the primary medium of instruction. It shall make available a conducive atmosphere for the development of the three domains of learning namely: cognitive, affective, and psychomotor.

Having the English language as the primary medium of instruction, the Al Taj International School, moreover intends to provide its pupils and students the advantage of being at the edge in utilizing the language in all forms of communication.

Name of the School: Philippine International School in Assir

Address: Khamis Mushayt, Abha, KSA

Telephone: (966-17) 2377674

Mobile: (96653) 3082055

Email: sherelsan@yahoo.com

Number of Students: 85 students

General Info

It envisions providing quality education to Filipino children abroad, teaching them to learn and cultivate the Philippines’ cultural and historical background while upholding excellence.

Name of the School: Al Shorouq International School

Address: #9 and 11 Maashi St., Maashi District, Taif, KSA

Telephone: (96612) 732 9494 loc 209

Fax: (96612) 731 9191

Mobile: (96650) 892 6427

Email: asis_taif@yahoo.com

Number of Students: 254 students

General Info

As a Philippine curriculum-based school, the ASIS aims to provide, in a legal and stable environment, the educational needs of around 300 Filipino students. Through the unceasing prayers and help of friends, the legalization of this school was realized. The school is now flourishing, with two (2) huge buildings for the boys section and for the girls section, licensed and competent teachers and staff, and a Parent Teacher’s Association all dedicated to the formation of positive human values and attainment of academic excellence among the children of Taif.

Name of the School: International Philippine School in Al-Khobar

Website: www.ipsa.edu.sa/

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/belovedIPSA

Address: P.O. Box 4839, Al-Khobar 31952, KSA

Telephone: (966-13) 889 1487; 899 3849

Fax: (966-13) 899 3698

Mobile: (966-53) 630 4350

Email: principal@ipsalink.com; simper_fideles2003@yahoo.com; registrar@ipsalink.com

Number of Students: 922 students

General Info

The International Philippine School in Al-Khobar (IPSA) was organized in September 1988 by a group of Filipino expatriates on family status and living in the vicinity of Al Khobar. It started its academic operation in June 1989.

It is dedicated to providing affordable and quality education with exceptional value-focused formation to Filipino children by employing a dedicated, professional and competent faculty and staff and through the establishment of standard school facilities and an environment conducive for both learning and teaching. Moreover, it conscientiously tries to attain the objectives set by the Philippine Department of Education.

Name of the School: Al – Andalus International School

Website: www.aaiskhobar.com/

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/AAISKSA

Address: P.O. Box 79307, Al Shobar North, KSA

Telephone: (966-13) 857 0097

Fax: (966-13) 857 0075

Mobile: (96650) 680 2972

Email: dr_malagapo@yahoo.com / dredpmalagapo@gmail.com / andalus.school@gmail.com

Number of Students: 291 students

General Info

The Al-Andalus International School Al-Khobar (AAIS) was organized in April 1995, and has gone a long way from its humble beginnings. It now prides itself as a school where children learn in a fun, loving, family environment; where each child is seen as a special gift from the Almighty and therefore treated with love and respect; where parents are considered as partners with the school in their children’s education; where teachers are selflessly dedicated in their noble task of shaping young minds; and where the school stands as an avenue where children can express themselves as individuals and, in the process, grow up to be contributing members of society.

Name of the School: Philippine Sunrise International School

Address: P.O. Box 56634, Jeddah 21452, KSA

Telephone: (9662) 664 6369

Fax: (9662) 663 5718

Email: ophielaguardia@yahoo.com

Number of Students: 239 students

General Info

The Philippine Sunrise International School (PSIS) is an educational institution catering to the needs of young Filipinos in the Western part of Saudi Arabia. The PSIS is the fastest growing Philippine school abroad under the management of the Overseas Family Cooperative (OFC). It is the first Philippine school in Saudi Arabia to adopt the E-Learning System (ICT) and is proud to offer advanced educational facilities in the field of sciences, mathematics, English (both language and literature) and computer technology.

Name of the School: Durat Al Sharq (Pearl of the Orient) International School

Address: P.O. Box 34550 Jeddah 21478, KSA

Telephone: (9662) 6673244

Fax: (9662) 664 5126

Number of Students: 392 students

General Info

The school offers a Philippine-based curriculum with english as medium of instruction. Arabic and Islam subjects are also offered in all levels. Full facilities are provided for all grade levels from pre-school through secondary. The POIS, aims to meet a child’s specific needs and learning capabilities incorporating principles of wisdom and character-building.

Name of the School: International Philippine School in Jeddah

Website: www.ipsj.tripod.com

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/InternationalPhilippineSchoolinJeddah?rf=115079011870113

Address: P.O. Box 112696, Jeddah, KSA

Telephone: (966-12) 671 6582

Fax: (966-12) 671-6582

Email: ipsj_ksa@yahoo.com

Number of Students: 508 students

General Info

The PPSA was considered as one of the Embassy’s education and cultural activities, and as such was under the Embassy’s supervision through the Philippine Consulate in Jeddah.

To date, the IPSJ has produced graduates who now hold prominent positions such as diplomats, lawyers, engineers, doctors, teachers, etc. around the globe, and who render actual services in their respective fields. They are the living witnesses of the school’s commitment to provide world class and quality education to Filipinos and non-Filipino children in Jeddah.

Name of the School: Al Dura (GEMS) International School

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ADGemsInternationalSchool

Address: P.O. Box 51477, Jeddah, KSA

Telephone: (9662) 674 8483

Fax: (9662) 674 8381

Email: adisregistrar2005@yahoo.com

Number of Students: 1,761 students

General Info

The Gems International School (GIS) was established and founded in May 2005. The school aims to provide an affordable world-class quality education to the children of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) based in Jeddah. The GIS offers preschool, elementary and secondary education and it follows the Philippine curriculum. The school includes Arabic Language, Saudi History, Geography and Culture as additional subjects to be taught.

Name of the School: Second Philippine International School

Website: www.spis.edu.sa/

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/International-Philippine-School-in-Riyadh/279780845394064?rf=114509721894759

Address: P.O. Box 729 Riyadh 11372, KSA

Telephone: (966-11) 217 1905 ext 104

Fax: (966-11) 465 4257

Mobile: (96650) 024 4803; (95559) 855 3600

Email: anthonymesina@yahoo.com

Number of Students: 641 students

General Info

SPIS as an institution of learning provides better quality education for the dependents of all expatriates in Riyadh giving more priority to Filipino children. It envisions to make every learner a disciplined, God-loving, nationalistic, enlightened, self-reliant, and productive citizen that can be of value in the global community and to the society where he belongs when he goes back home to the Philippines. Thus, the SPIS’ thrust is “Quality education for a world-class generation.”

Name of the School: Riyadh International School

Website: www.iisriyadh.com/

Address: P.O. Box 27586, Riyadh 11427, KSA

Telephone: (966-11) 293 6019; 293 5926

Fax: (966-11) 293 5895

Mobile: (96650) 204 7984; (966-54) 026 8542

Email: ris98ksa@yahoo.com

Number of Students: 635 students

General Info

The Riyadh International School (RIS) is a value-oriented school that aims to provide quality education with values formation. Established by private individuals in April 1998 as a stock corporation, the school falls under the Category 4 of educational institutions.

The RIS endeavors to direct students towards a commendable conduct of behavior in consonance with the objectives for which the institution firmly stands for the development of a total person. It is committed to provide the students a well-rounded education that maximizes their potentials, and to help establish a solid foundation for their total personality development.

Name of the School: Palm Crest International School

Website: www.pcis-r.com/index.php

Address: 48 Al Amariyah St., Sulaymaniah District, Riyadh, KSA

Telephone: (966-11) 464 2474

Fax: (966-11) 464 6608

Mobile: (96650) 946 1802

Email: palmcrest_04@yahoo.com / kits_dguzman@yahoo.com

Number of Students: 612 students

General Info

The PCIS formally opened its door to expatriates’ children, on 3 April 2004 by virtue of a Saudi Ministry of Education License and Ministry of Commerce and Industry Certificate of Registration. After acquiring permits from the host country, the PCIS was given a provisional permit by the Philippine Department of Education in 2005.

The PCIS also envisions, as part of its five-year development program, the opening of a tertiary program with initial courses in BS Computer Science, BS Computer Engineering and Graduate School programs in collaboration with accredited universities in the Philippines to cater to the professional needs of teachers in Saudi Arabia.

Name of the School: Millennium International School

Website: www.pcis-r.com /

Address: P.O. Box 54746, Riyadh, KSA

Telephone: (966-11) 478 9313 / 478 9720

Fax: (966-11) 478 9470 / 291 8952

Email: miss.edu@gmail.com

Number of Students: 328 students

General Info

The Millennium International School (MIS) was founded in 2001 and is one of the educational institutions offering basic education to children of overseas Filipino workers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). It was founded by Mr. Marwan Kwaider, who had the noble mission of providing quality education for the Filipino children in the KSA.

Today, the MIS has established linkages and tie-ups with other well-known schools in the Philippines to serve its students better.

Name of the School: Future Generation Philippine International School

Website: www.alexsmix.wix.com/fgpis

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Future-Generation-Philippine-International-School-FGPIS/232886330097367

Address: Al-Baljourashi St. Suleimaniah District, Riyadh, KSA

Telephone: (966-11) 465 6298

Fax: (966-11) 465 4539

Mobile: (96650) 097 5829

Email: fugen.riyadh@gmail.com

Number of Students: 1,128 students

General Info

The school was established in April 2006 and adopts the Enriched Basic Education Curriculum program of the Philippine Department of Education with additional courses in Mathematics, Science, and English. It has opened the opportunity for learners to undergo a basic education of international standards where everyone experiences a close-knit academic community, where pupils/students, faculty members, parents and administrators are like friends, yet where respect, responsibility and other values remain intact.

Name of the School: Fawaq International School

Address: No. 23 Prince Turki Bin Abdul Aziz, Maather District, Riyadh, KSA

Telephone: (966-11) 212 0833; 483 1828

Fax: (966-11) 441 2220; 217 6124

Email: jppcatapang@gmail.com / hernabautista@yahoo.com/ fawaqintl@yahoo.com

Number of Students: 283 students

General Info

The Fawaq International School (FIS) was established in April 2006. It envisions every learner to be functionally educated, equipped with intellectual, social, moral, physical, and practical life skills to achieve one’s goals in life and become responsive and productive citizens in a challenging world.

Name of the School: Elite International School

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Elite-International-School/106314506072368

Address: Olaya District, P.O. Box 60949 Riyadh 11555, KSA

Telephone: (966-11) 462 7224

Fax: (966-11) 462 4655

Mobile: (96656) 460 2997

Email: agaperance@rocketmail.com

Number of Students: 578 students

General Info

The Elite International School (EIS) was founded in February 1999 and has a curriculum that is self-renewing and responsive to the needs and opportunities of all types of learners in rapidly changing and technologically-oriented global community. It is raising tomorrow’s leaders through quality education. It takes into consideration the individual differences and preferences of the children. It uses sensory-based activities that are interrelated to harness the multiple intelligence of the learner. It also generates environmental awareness and finally, the curriculum stresses functional learning.

Name of the School: Al Jazeera International School Dammam

Facebook Page: www.ajisd.weebly.com/index.html

Address: P.O. Box 76240, Rakah, Al-Khobar 31952, KSA

Telephone: (9663) 858 0383 ext 12; 859 0677; 858 0380

Fax: (9663) 859 0677; 858 0383 ext 19

Email: magtanel@yahoo.com; ajrsgr1@yahoo.com

Number of Students: 509 students

General Info

The Al Jazeera International School Dammam was established in 1995 to cater to the educational needs of the children of Filipino expatriates in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. It offers complete Philippine educational curriculum from nursery to high school.

Name of the School: Al Danah International School

Address: P.O. Box 58409 Riyadh 11594, KSA

Telephone: (9661) 473 9030

Fax: (9661) 476 3718

Mobile: (96650) 476 3718; (96611) 473 9030

Email: pazbea@hotmail.com; adis_sa95@yahoo.com; leonilastuico@yahoo.com

Number of Students: 543 students

General Info

The Al Danah International School (ADIS) started in 1995 as a nursery school. The increasing demand of parents for the education of their children led to the establishment of the kindergarten, preparatory, elementary and high school levels.

KUWAIT

Name of the School: The New Kuwait Philippine International School

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/NKPIS

Address: Jleeb Al Shuyoukh, State of Kuwait

Telephone: (965) 22277254

Fax: (965) 24315647

Mobile: (9656) 6348225

Email: jcvp_25@yahoo.com

Number of Students: 517 Students

General Info

The New Kuwait Philippine International School (NKPIS), a private school owned by the Om Al-Qura Education Est., was established as a commitment to provide affordable and quality education that is basically Filipino in its content and that responds to the desire to develop Filipino children and youth into a wholly integrated person.

Name of the School: Philippine International English School

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Philippine-International-English-School-Fahaheel-Kuwait/110521152293611

Address: Seaside Road, Fahaheel, Kuwait

Telephone: (9652) 3922713

Fax: (9652) 3915253

Mobile: (9656) 6605813

Email: philkuwschool@yahoo.com / tony_cass14@yahoo.com

Number of Students: 903 students

General Info

The Philippine International English School (PIES) in Fahaheel, Kuwait was an offshoot of the state visit of President Fidel V. Ramos to Kuwait in September 1997. It envisions intellectually equipped, morally upright, physically fit, disciplined, technologically competent, and service-oriented individuals living in a competitive local and global environment.

OMAN

Name of the School: Philippine School

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Philippine-School-Sultanate-of-Oman/186173268229274?ref=br_rs

Address: P.O. Box 563, P.C. 133 Al Khuwair, Sultanate of Oman

Telephone: (968) 24697636

Fax: (968) 24698656

Mobile: (968) 99430837

Email: pevwarti@yahoo.com / philippineschoolman@gmail.com

Number of Students: 443 Students

General Info

The Philippine School was conceived in 1989 by Filipino overseas contract workers under the auspices and support of His Excellency Essa bin Mohammed Al Zedjali, the Philippine Honorary Consul General, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Department of Education (DepEd).

Its general goal is to develop learners by providing them basic competencies in literacy and numeracy, critical thinking and learning skills, and desirable values to become caring, self-reliant, productive, socially-aware, patriotic, and responsive citizens.

LIBYA

Name of the School: Philippine Community School in Tripoli

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/PCSbenghazi?fref=ts

Address: Siyahiya, Ghot Alsha’al, P.O. Box 245, Tripoli, Libya

Telephone: (218-21) 7249939

Mobile: (218-21) 925006056

Email: philsch.tripoli@yahoo.com / ardlette9695@yahoo.com

Number of Students: 366 students

General Info

The PCS was opened in April 1991. It envisions becoming a premier Philippine educational institution in Libya. It provides a venue for the pursuit of excellence in academics, arts, sciences, and technology, through community partnership.

Name of the School: Philippine Community School (Benghazi)

Website – Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/PCSbenghazi/info?tab=page_info

Address: PCS Compound, Hawari Village, Bengazi, Libya

Telephone: (218-91) 3578522

Mobile: (218-91) 3578522

Email: sarah_trabolsi2002@yahoo.com / jeffrey_aranez@yahoo.com

Number of Students: 54 students

General Info

The Philippine Community School (PCS) in Benghazi, Libya was established in 1997. The school was the result of the combined efforts and determination of the Philippine Embassy and a handful of pioneering members of the Filipino community.

Name of the School: Philippine Centennial Academy International

Address: New Shebna, Benghazi, Libya

Telephone: (218-92) 3019660

Fax: (219-92) 5494991

E-mail: josiegadrinab@yahoo.com/ regie007laurel@yahoo.com/ doris_battad2005@yahoo.com

Number of Students: 81 students

General Info

The Philippine Centennial Academy, International (PCAI) was founded in 1998 to provide a healthy and sound school environment that can assure the highest standards of education for the children of Filipinos in the City of Benghazi.

QATAR

Name of the School: Philippine International School in Qatar

Address: Ain Khalid, P.O. Box 9875, Doha, Qatar

Mobile: (974) 66025251

Email: luisakmendoza@yahoo.com/ villainguillo@yahoo.com.ph/ mendozaluisa_48@yahoo.com

Number of Students: 1,567 students

General Info

The Philippine International School in Qatar (PISQ) was founded in March 2000. It adopts the Montessori curriculum for preschool, and the Philippine curriculum for elementary and secondary education for children of Filipino expatriates. The school’s ultimate goal is to promote the total development of the individual student so that he/she may become a useful and responsible citizen of the society.

Name of the School: Philippine School Doha

Website: www.psdqatar.com

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Philippine-School-Doha-Grade-1-DAISY-Class-SY-2015-2016/912697262109413

Address: No. 52, Saad Bin Surara Old Murror, Al Messilah Area, State Of Qatar

Telephone: (974) 418 1587/ 4418 1596

Fax: (974) 421 7718

Mobile: (974) 5581 9367 / 5526 8976

Email: xanderacts@yahoo.com / psdasec@gmail.com/ cs_psdbot@yahoo.com

Number of Students: 2,035 students

General Info

Philippine School Doha (PSD) was established in October 1992 to serve the educational needs of the children of the Filipino community in the State of Qatar. Its birth was the result of the determination of pioneering members of the Filipino community in Doha under the auspices of the Philippine Embassy.

Guided by the dictum “knowledge begets wisdom,” the PSD envisions itself to be the center of academic excellence as the first Philippine Science High School in the Middle East abreast with the dynamics and development of society, culture, science and technology, and the arts. It also aspires to produce competent graduates with inherent values of honesty and propriety tempered with prudence and divine wisdom.

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Name of the School: The Philippine School

Website: www.thephilippineschooldubai.com

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/tpsdubai?fref=ts

Address: P.O. Box 126621, Al Twar 3, Dubai, UAE

Telephone: (971) 284 4465 loc 202/208

Fax: (971) 284 4460

Mobile: (97156) 6097730/ 6872128

Email: info@thephilippineschool.com/ principal@thephilippineschooldubai.com

Number of Students: 816 students

General Info

The school, aptly named The Philippine School, intends to fill the needs of the local market. The school aims to prepare its students to excel as young leaders of tomorrow (global leaders being trained and brought up abroad) offering advanced technology programs, values-based education, parent-friendly policy and activities such as arts and crafts, music, dance and sports.

Name of the School: United International Private School

Website: www.uips.ae

Address: P.O. Box 60817, Al Qusais, Muhaisna 4, Dubai, UAE

Telephone: (9714) 254 3888

Fax: (9714) 254 3889 / 264 6850

Email: uips-info@uips.ae / niceorzame@uips.ae

Number of Students: 1,348 students

General Info

The United International Private School (UIPS) is a pioneer Philippine School in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It was founded in September 1992 with a vision of providing quality education for the burgeoning Filipino community in Dubai, and the neighboring emirate, Sharjah.

The school’s best features are its socio-cultural activities, spacious classrooms, wide playground, sports area, school canteen, audio-visual room, library, computer laboratory, and air-conditioned buses. The UIPS uses computers and an updated Filipino curriculum that is compatible with the American system of education.

Name of the School: Far Eastern Private School

Website: www.fareasternprivateschool.ae

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/FEPSUAE?fref=ts

Address: P.O. Box 29047, Solaiman R/A Al Shahba Area, Sharjah, UAE

Telephone: (9716) 538 9556

Fax: (9716) 538 9556/57

Mobile: (97150) 978 5392

Email: acanonoy_feps@yahoo.com

Number of Students: 1,060 students

General Info

The Far Eastern Private School (FEPS) initially began its operations in August 2000 as “Love and Care” with a total strength of 170 students from kindergarten to high school.

The FEPS has through the years proven its meaningful existence as a haven of academic excellence as indicated by a steady growth of the school population every year. The management and administration continues to address the needs of times, thus, with the commendable growth of Filipino students, the school was granted the use of Filipino curriculum. True to its vision-mission, the FEPS continues to uphold its name in the UAE.

Name of the School: The New Filipino Private School

Website: www.luznfps.tripod.com

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/NewFilipinoPrivateSchoolNFPS?fref=ts

Address: P.O. Box 6234, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

Telephone: (9716) 5661331

Fax: (9716) 5660570

Mobile: (97150) 5490757

Email: nfps_luzcorpuz@yahoo.com/ nfps@emirates.net.ae

Number of Students: 890 students

General Info

The New Filipino Private School (NFPS) is the very first Filipino school in the United Arab Emirates to be given license to operate using the Filipino curriculum by the Philippine Department of Education and the UAE Ministry of Education.

With the effective implementation of the Philippine curriculum, emphasizing on major subjects including mathematics, science, English, Filipino and MAKABAYAN, the NFPS has produced students who fared well in qualifying examinations in the different universities in the Philippines.

Name of the School: PISCO Private School

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/PISCO-PRIVATE-SCHOOL-3/316918153654?fref=ts

Address: P.O. Box 29317, Abu Dhabi, UAE

Telephone: (9712) 6415761 / 6419611

Fax: (9712) 6415761

Mobile: (97150) 4178105

Email: rosetabucal@gmail.com

Number of Students: 781 students

General Info

The PISCO Private School (PPS) is a Filipino-owned private school, dedicated to the realization of an effective delivery of service to the Filipino community.

By authority of the Department of Education, all pupils/ students of PPS were no longer required to take the validation exams when transferring to other schools. Graduating pupils/ students were administered with the National Elementary Achievement Test and the National Secondary Achievement Test. The PPS students had been excelling in the said tests ever since these were initially administered.

Name of the School: Philippine National School

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Philippine-National-School/146817505382043?fref=ts

Address: P.O. Box 31874, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Telephone: (9712) 6419291 / 6418747

Fax: (9712) 6424852

Mobile: (97150) 6134465

Email: of_padilla@hotmail.com

Number of Students: 1,200

General Info

The Philippine National School (PNS) was formerly an Indian School. In August 1998, the founders of the school decided to shift to a Filipino curriculum. The PNS formally started its operation in September 1998 with 103 students. Shortly after, some investors withdrew their support from the school but were replaced by new ones. Meanwhile, the school enrollment increased to 212. In consideration of feedbacks from parents that the school is far from the city of Abu Dhabi, the PNS eventually transferred to the Passport Road.

The school has since produced top-notch achievers, winning inter-school and national contests, and successfully passing the entrance examinations of MAPUA, UP, College of St. Benilde, UST and St. Jude. Presently, the school boasts of its 1,200 – strong enrollment, a clear proof of the school’s prestige.

Name of the School: 21^st Century Private Academy

Website: www.acmginternational.com/21cpa

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/21CPA

Address: Muroor Road, Abu Dhabi, UAE

Telephone: (9712) 4413077

Fax: (9712) 4413078

Email: 21cpa@acmginternational.com

Number of Students: 1000 students

General Info

The 21^st Century Private Academy will guide learners to become confident and inspired individuals in a Philippine Curriculum that reaches across the disciplines, cultures and age levels developing the whole person.

United States of America

Name of the School: The Filipino School

Website: www.thefilipinoschool.com

Address: 9845 Erma Road Suite 200, San Diego, CA 92131

Telephone: (888) 691 0799 ext 1

Email: info@TheFilipinoSchool.com

General Info

The Filipino School examines the beauty of the interwoven relationship of Filipino history, culture and language, and takes students on a journey that starts with their current level of knowledge, and building upon that base level of understanding and self-awareness of being a Filipino. Students will discover where they are rooted through a series of guided interactive conversations, and will have a better understanding of where they are going.

It offers an entry-level course for all ages, the Filipino 101, whose goal is to bridge generational and cultural gaps, allowing graduates to have workability for future needs of local community and country.

Name of the School: Eskwela Natin: Our Filipino School

Website: http://EskwelaNatin.org/

Address: 2450 Florin Road, Sacramento, California, USA

E-mail: EskwelaNatin@gmail.com

General Info

Eskwela Natin introduces and shares the Filipino traditions, language, arts, cuisine, history and geography to students through a fun, safe and interactive group and classroom-learning environment. Relying on the volunteer efforts of first generation Filipino-Americans—parents, grandparents and other members of local Filipino organizations—to pass on their first-hand knowledge to students who will leave each class with ways to easily adapt etiquette, language and general information about the Filipino heritage into their everyday living. Eskwela Natin helps preserve the Filipino culture to Filipino-Americans for generations to come.

August 27, 2015
Filipino Leadership Around The World

Excel V. Dyquiangco

Around the world Filipinos are making a name for themselves. In the field of government, arts and culture, technology, educations, sports, youth organizations, entertainment, and business and enterprise, they lead, manage and influence. Faye Corcuera, Vice President for Human Resources of the Bank of Philippine Islands once said that this is all about serving the Filipino people and their families. “Ultimately, this is the best way we can promote these values – to remember that we exist not only for ourselves, but to fulfill the needs of a larger community.”

Here are five Filipinos who are able to rise above the ranks in their respective spheres to show to the world what true and genuine Filipino leadership looks like – wherever they may be.

IRENE NATIVIDAD

Women Empowerment – USA

She describes herself as not just a dreamer but as a doer and a visionary, a persistent, determined and passionate individual who wants only the best for women – in their careers, in their homes and in their relationships. In the many years that Irene Natividad has been serving and seeking the welfare of women around the world as President of the Global Summit of Women, an annual international gathering of women leaders, she conveys a knowledge-sharing not quantifiable but gives inspiration and encouragement to be bigger and better in whatever their spheres of influences are. “Women’s careers are not a direct line to achievement. Instead, careers go up and down, with their highs and lows,” she says during an interview. “If you are not passionate about what you do, you cannot get through the lows. Don’t be a backseat driver in your life! Keep looking forward.”

Born and raised in the Philippines and exposed to different cultures and traditions earlier on, she hopes that in the next five years more women steps up in the community. “I hope my health continues to be good so that I can make this global forum available to more parts of the world,” she adds. “It takes persistence and commitment — it’s not like a dress you can just take off and put on the bed.”

RYAN LETADA

Social Innovator – USA

He wants to make a difference in the world. As Chief Builder and CEO of Next Day Better, an organization that links diaspora communities to create positive social change, Ryan Letada spreads ideas in action that produce a better future – actions that are Filipino in flavour and that are rooted in innovation, design and entrepreneurship. In fact in answer to the recent typhoon Yolanda that ravaged some parts of the country sometime ago, his organization brought together both Filipino and non-Filipino disaster relief experts, technologists, strategists and designers to build resilient and flexible communities. “I see a role for anyone to make a difference in the social entrepreneurial route,” he says. “I think this as a great opportunity, not just a generational thing but where anyone can get involved.”

An alumnus of Wheaton College and winner of the Ainslie Alumni Achievement Award last 2014 in recognition of the changes he brings about in the community through social change, he continues to exemplify Filipino leadership and make the whole world know about it. “We all have a strong call to action to use the gift that has been given to us – this scholarship, this community, this moment – to make our mark in the world,” he says.

LOIDA NICOLAS-LEWIS

Business Leader and Philanthropist – USA

Her love for classical plays and stories started it all. Loida Nicolas-Lewis who grew up in the quaint province of Sorsogon loving civic duty exemplifies a thought-provoking leader bent on promoting what the Philippines has to offer to foreigners and other to nations. In fact just last year she decided to stage Jose Rizal’s novel Noli Me Tangere to prove that Filipinos are indeed world-class – and she claims, bringing it all together was indeed a challenge. “I also wanted Filipinos to enhance their love for the art, literature and country,” she says.

Now in her 70s and named one of the richest women in the USA, Lewis who is also a lawyer is also an advocate of the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) which would allow Filipinos to stay and work in the United States without a permanent residence status for some time. She is an active supporter of the following organizations: Asian American Arts Alliance, Asian American Foundation, Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, and others. “We are all equal in the eyes of God,” she says. “What is important is what we do as stewards and manage what we have to do. I think that’s the most important.”

DIOSDADO BANATAO

Engineering Visionary – USA

Known as the Father of Semi-Conductors, Diosdado Banato or Dado as he is fondly called by his peers is no stranger to difficulties. While growing up in the sleepy town of Cagayan Valley he walked barefoot to school and experienced studying without the help of electricity. His father who was a farmer always inculcated in his heart the importance of finishing school – and the values he taught him paid off. After graduating Cum Laude with a degree in Electrical Engineering from Mapua Institute of Technology, he moved to the United States to take his Masters at Stanford University. The first company he put up failed and he tried and tried again – this time he succeeded. Presently he is the co-founder of Mostron, Chips and Technologies, and S3 Graphics, and designed the first chip being used in all personal computers nowadays.

Earlier this year during a forum he gives this advice to those who want to make it big in the industry: “Challenges lie everywhere – from starting the product to raising the money. The problem is big and you can divide it to chunks but those chunks contribute to everything. It’s a massive amount of problem. It has to be a burning desire because you will really be put to the test. If a person quits, he was really not meant for that. You will have to continue despite worse conditions. Everybody will be successful if it’s not easy.”

RIA REYES

Technological Pacesetter – Japan

The first time she stepped foot in Japan, her only thoughts were studying and finishing the language course she planned to take. But after a year of staying in this part of the world, Ria Reyes found herself enamored with its people and its sites and decided to pursue her working relations there. At first it was challenging to look for a job because she didn’t speak the language that much but after constantly trying, she landed a break – a Google Japan break, that is. “As part of the staffing team, I am in charge mainly of the entire hiring process for people (mostly Japanese nationals) who are applying in Google Japan – from initial screening stage until job offer acceptance,” she says. “I work closely with various sales and marketing teams in our company on hiring the best candidates for Google Japan. Aside from Japan, I also work on some roles to be filled in other APAC countries such as Korea, Singapore, China and Hong Kong.”

Ria armed with a degree in Business Administration at the University of the Philippines in Diliman believes that proper education is still the key to a long and successful career and life. “Proper education will definitely bring you places,” she says. “Let me say though that it is not about the scientific or technical terms we learned, thick books we read, nor Math problems we solved in school. It is more about the way we dealt with daily challenges and the decisions we make at each and every task that will help determine how we face life as adults.”

Source:

http://www.pmap.org.ph/content/research/challenging-the-filipino-leadership-an-interview-with-faye-corcuera/

http://www.philstar.com/business-features/2015/02/28/1428644/five-business-lessons-dado-banatao-pinoy-bill-gates

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/anne-ravanona/trailblazing-women-irene-_b_7101464.html

http://pinoygazetteofficial.blogspot.com/2014/01/ria-reyes-only-pinay-working-in-google.html

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/loida-nicolas-lewis-an-advocate-of-all-things-correct-and-filipino/

https://www.possefoundation.org/ryan-letada/

http://makilalatv.com/post/60175718827/episode-1-social-good-guest-ryan-letada

August 10, 2015
Pinoy Pride: 5 Things Filipinos Need to Get Rid Of to be Truly Free

THE NEW LIBERATED: How to be a Filipino, truly free

By Nicholo Jallores

Just what does it mean when a Filipino is referred to as “liberated?”

Used to be that the word “liberated” carried a sinister connotation amongst Filipinos. Before, to be “liberated” suggested promiscuity and wobbly morals; a degradation of the traditional social values that were associated with the Filipino family archetype. To be “liberated” was to be hyper-Westernized, to shed one’s conservative upbringing in favor of the more open sensibilities of the US and Europe. But things have changed. The world has been made smaller by great strides in digital communication, and cultural transference happens in seconds over the Internet. The Western world is not the exotic and tantalizing frontier it once was. It’s just another website address, or a page to like on Facebook. “Liberated” is no longer synonymous with “loose.” In fact, it has become a benchmark.

Whether the Filipino is truly free can be a matter of fierce and often divisive debate. Some pundits say that we do not truly deserve the independence and democracy that we have fought for, implying that we would have been better off if we had just settled on being an American colony. The Filipino, – in every sense of the word – is free, but knowing what to do with that freedom can sometimes be tricky. Unless we understand just what we can be free of, we will never know what it is like to be truly free.

Liberty is not just a state of political independence. First and foremost, it is a state of mind, and then it is a daily practice. To be free, you have to think and act as a free man. Unburden thyself with the usual trifles that plague the Filipino worldview. Here are some measures that you can take now, right this instant, to assert your independence.

1) Free yourself from Indio Mentality

We have not been referred to as indio’s for more than a hundred years, and yet a lot of Filipinos insist on thinking and behaving like second class citizens – that is, operating with a slave’s mindset of having less opportunities by virtue of race, nationality, and social standing. This can affect us in two ways: 1.) We think we are less worthy of having the same success as other nationalities, so we lower our standards and limit our expectations, and/or 2.) We think there aren’t enough opportunities around for Filipinos, so we become crab-minded and knock each other down for scraps. This is a travesty because not only does it cripple our chances of succeeding as individuals, it inhibits us from coming together as a community.

Free yourself from the lie that you deserve less and have less because you are a Filipino.

You have a shot at good life, just like everybody else.

2) Free yourself from Regionalism and Clannishness

Filipinos uphold the traditional family and barrio archetype to such dizzying heights that they tend to work in silos and operate very insularly even in the workplace or community setting, i.e. tayo-tayo lang. Throw in the Filipinos’ knack for being hyper-competitive and you have a recipe for a social disaster. We cannot put up a united front because we are segregated in groups, each with their own exclusive interests and self-centered agenda. While there is nothing wrong with finding your own support group of like-minded individuals, we must take care not to inadvertently turn our sense of community into regionalism and clannishness. Otherwise, we will limit our opportunities for learning insights and fostering productive relations with other networks.

Free yourself from the belief that you can only be in one group.

You are a dynamic individual with a diverse and multifaceted character. You don’t have to be just one thing for one group. You can be many different things.

Pinoy Pride: 5 Things Filipinos Need to Get Rid Of to be Truly Free

3) Free yourself from Financial Anxiety

If in this day and age, your financial strategy still revolves around the medieval concept of “Isang Kahig, Isang Tuka,” then you are not only mismanaging your money: you are also culling your chances of securing a brighter future for yourself and your family. There are plenty of resources online that you can check out and on-ground seminars that you can attend to improve the way you manage your finances, but most of them will teach you these two fundamental tenets: 1.) Review and increase your income streams, and 2.) Save first, and then spend. Your money does not have to come in from just one source. You can take on freelance jobs, accept consultancy projects, invest in a small enterprise or even try your knack for the stock market to diversify your income portfolio. And please: before you go for a mad dash towards the new iPhone, make sure that you have taken due care of your savings first. Redirect some of your disposable income towards your savings account.

Free yourself from the notion you are a slave to your money.

You need control your finances, and not the other way around. And remember: you don’t need “stuff,” as much as you need a stable future.

4) Free yourself from Celebrity and Media Worship

It’s one thing to admire the way actors look or the way singers sound, but to hold him them high on a pedestal and think that they can do no wrong? Ridiculous. For far too long, celebrity worship has been used as a tool to addle the intellect of the masses to great and devastating effect. Artista’s dictate what we buy in the grocery, how we raise our kids, and what we write on our ballots. Show business has permeated every aspect of our daily life, and it bears questioning just how much control we are willing to relinquish to our Kapuso’s and Kapamila’s.

Free yourself from the illusion that celebrities are better than us.

Fame is not a virtue. It’s an occupation, just like any other. Just because your favorite telenovela starlet endorses a certain brand of toothpaste doesn’t mean that it really is the best in the market. Do your research and make up your own mind, as any wise and prudent person would do.

5) Free yourself from Lynch Mob Mentality

Filipinos tend to be so inordinately self-conscious about the opinions of others that they tend to opt the consensus, instead of forming and standing up for their own choices. We have a “follower mentality;” a real propensity for just jumping into the nearest available bandwagon for the sake of convenience and fitting in, instead of treading our own direction. This is why Filipinos are such fierce brand loyalists and trendsetters. It’s also why they are susceptible to mass media manipulation.

Free yourself from the misconception that because everyone believes it, you should believe it too.

In argumentation theory, it’s called “Argumentum Ad Populum:” a logical fallacy that concludes that a proposition is true simply because many believe it to be true. Being different doesn’t automatically make you a deviant. Don’t be afraid to stand out and have your own unique voice.

Filipino, take your freedom!

The freedom that we enjoy today stems from the blood, toil, and strife of our forefathers. We must never take it for granted. We must appreciate it, enact it, and keep it alive by thought and by deed. Take your liberty, dear kabayan. Take it and run with it.

July 12, 2015