CITY OF SAN JOSE DEL MONTE—One hundred fifty children including orphans and members of the Dumagat minority tribe experienced Taiwan’s folk games, culture, food and other surprise gifts in this year’s second “Project Ligaya” of Taiwanese communities in the Philippines here on Friday.
The children are kinder to grade 6 pupils of St. Joseph Religious Missionaries of the Divine Savior (RMDS) Colleges Inc. Located in the boundary of Barangay Sto. Cristo in this city and Barangay Macabud, Montalban, Rizal.
Volunteer Taiwanese residents and businessmen in the Philippines introduced the children to their lantern making tradition and Taiwan folk games—Lunar New Year Calligraphy, chopstick and pinball games, windmill, bamboo cicada, daruma doll, kendama, tangram and kaleidoscope.
Abegail Kate Meca, grade 4, wrote and wished for happiness and luck in the Spring Couplet Experience game where one can write their wishes to be happy, to be lucky or to have money in a colored red paper using Calligraphy brush and ink. “I want a cellphone that will make me lucky and happy. I can also use that in research in my studies,” she told NEWSCORE.
Grade 1 pupil Meriden Mariano wished for a pet cat in her encounter with Lunar New Year Calligraphy.
Faculty member of RMDS Colleges Fatima Canon said Project Ligaya is a wonderful experience for all of them because it familiarized them with Taiwan’s culture which is not far different from that of the Filipino culture.
For one, Shirleen Hsieh, awarded as the 2024 Overseas Goodwill Ambassador of the Republic of China (R.O.C., Taiwan) who also leads the event and the program, shared with the children that milk tea which every Filipino enjoy today is an originated in Taiwan.
Tom Lin, president of Taiwan Association Philippines said Project Ligaya in San Jose del Monte, the second of its kind, is a testament of their dedication and commitment in strengthening the bonds between the Taiwanese and Philippine government and its people.
The Project Ligaya began last year in Bustos town and had benefited some 200 orphans in Bahay at Yaman ni San Martin de Porres Inc. Orphanage in Bonga Menor.
On Saturday, (Feb. 22), 40 orphans under the care of Rose of Sharon Center in Barangay Puypuy in the town of Bay in Laguna also experienced the same games, fun, excitement and treats.
Lin said, scholarships in Taiwan for Filipino students also continue today since it was launched years ago.
According to Hsieh, Project Ligaya 2025 which is also the Taiwan Day in the Philippines where it brings to life the vibrant cultural and charitable initiatives of the Taiwanese government and its people in bringing joy and meaningful cultural exchange to underprivileged children in the Philippines.
Hsieh, whose family has been engaged in business in Bulacan for years said that Project Ligaya is promoting Taiwan’s culture through charitable projects to the most needy.
Director of the school, Mother Suzette Tomlos, said among the 150 students, 20 are from Dumagat minority tribe families living in the City of San Jose del Monte and Montalban and ten are abandoned children.
RMDS is a former convent and an orphanage founded by Tomlos and her congregation members. It was converted into a school in 2021 after St. Joseph Christian Academy of Macabod was closed down due to the pandemic.
Each child took home gift bags with school supplies, personal hygiene pouches and snacks. The school and the Voice of Hope (VOH) Christian Church were given electric fans, lap top, projector, speaker, mosquito zapper, rice, laundry detergent. The VOH was also given support cash.
Hsieh told NEWSCORE that Project Ligaya was made possible through the inspiration provided by the VOH which requested for an in person learning of Taiwan’s culture after it experienced during the pandemic in 2021 the country’s fun folk games through online.
The Taiwanese volunteers who shared with the children Taiwan’s culture also funded the Project Ligaya.
Hsieh said that her next goal is to provide Tomlos’s request for a water system. The mountainous topography of the school makes it hard to be reached with water supply. Water is fetched by going down in the lower part of the mountain, she said.
