KEONI and Friends Kidzone

Helping Those In Need A Few At a Time. Oriental Mindoro Outreach - Mangyan Kids. The road to Safa is a winding, wet and wonderful experience to Keoni & Friends.

KEONI AND FRIENDS KIDZONE·MONDAY, JULY 2, 2018·
One summer, Keoni & Friends crossed a river 20 x to get to an elementary school of Mangyan population

Crossing a River 20 X for the Love of our Mangyan Brethren: The Safa Experience
August 6
From Bali Hotel at Gloria, Keoni & Friends took a 30 minute hilly ride by van to the Sabang Barrio Hall where we met the Barangay Chairman and his staff and

a handful of Senior Citizens doing gardening work. At Sabang, Keoni & Friends also met Michael Landicho, News anchor DJ, at Radyo Natin 105.3 with volunteers from Singles for Christ, and the Fire Brigade Chief. From the edge of Sabang, two jeepneys brought the company to Safa through a winding river which we crossed 20 times before finally reaching the elementary school grounds. Along the way we were able to pick up a few pupils; some kids were picking fruits, some were still taking baths along the river, while mothers did the laundry and menfolk gathered food with fishbaskets on their backs; passed under a hanging bridge; picked up a few more kids; took few more turns and a few more river crossing up the hill; amidst lush vegetation, from the twentieth river crossing, finally, we took the right turn to the elementary school. Safa Elementary School is located in Safa, Barangay Sabang, Pinamalayan, Oriental Mindoro. Safa Elementary is an indigenous minority school, home to 285 Mangyan pupils under the stewardship of Principal Elena Iniego. Michael Landicho led the pupils, teachers and volunteers in a number of games before the gift giving ceremonies. Pupils received biscuits, candies, chocolates and bread for starters. Keoni Murphy, with mom and dad, Evelyn and Kevin Murphy led the volunteers in distributing the hygiene materials and school supplies to the school children. The bulk of these were the materials donated by friends of Keoni back at the Naval base in Japan. Team Leader, Joy Andrade, saw to it that the distribution phase fell in order just as the packing the night before was as swift and as orderly. The volunteers were assigned a grade level to handle. With the help of the members of the Singles for Christ, and the teachers, the goods were distributed right on schedule. We didn’t speak Mangyan, yet we kept hearing “fade-fade”. Fade is a Mangyan word for “Thank you”. The volunteers from the Singles for Christ facilitated the feeding on time for lunch. After all the children have been fed, Michael’s team treated the volunteers to an enjoyable lunch of rice, humba, adobo and kilayin with fresh buko juice. We didn’t get to taste a Mangyan recipe but the humble rice went well with the all-time Filipino favorite adobo ( a pork stew simmered in soysauce and coconut vinegar), humba (meat cooked with soy, ginger, and muscovado) and kilayin ( innards stew with secret ingredients only a Pinamalayano can mix).Thank you for the food Michael and team! We also enjoyed watching our buko juice prepared from the coconut tree climbing ( you don’t get to see that everyday! ) to the nut slicing. Madam Iniego opened the buko for us like a true blue Pinamalayano with a slick bolo swag here and there. Fade-fade Mam Elena! In an interview with Principal Iniego, Keoni & Friends learned that Safang Elementary is not a recipient of the School based Feeding Program of Dep Ed since there are no severely wasted pupils. This means that the Safang school children are not malnourished. However, Principal Iniego is appealing to donors for the Safang Free Lunch Program. During the rainy season, when rain pours in the afternoon, school children usually do not come back to school anymore missing classes in an alarming frequency. The free lunch program is Principal Iniego’s answer to this problem. If school children are fed in school at lunch time, they complete the contact hours prescribed by Dep Ed pegged at 180 days this school year, consequently improving student achievement. Another thing we learned from Principal Iniego is that there are already 5 graduates of teacher education from this Mangyan Tribe. The sad thing is that they can’t apply for teaching positions at Dep Ed because they have not passed the Teacher Licensure Examinations yet. One good news from Safang, they now have internet connection powered by solar panels donated by Amore Inc. For donations, you may contact Elena Iniego, Principal at 921-5646049. After lunch, Principal Iniego, presented to Evelyn Murphy a wild flower picked from the hills of Safa as a token of gratitude and a symbol of friendship between the Safa Mangyan kids and Keoni & Friends. On the way back, the company decided to celebrate the success of this, yet another, Outreach by way of riding on top of the jeepney. And so we did! Half of the fun was enjoying the sudden downpour as the jeepney ride crossed the river 20 times again. One can’t help but contemplate how heroic Safang teachers are for enduring this trip everyday and back. Fade-fade Safang Elementary Teachers! The winding road back to the familiar rural scenes of Sabang after the sudden rain was long enough for the needed time to process all these little miracles unfolding right before our eyes. We didn’t see anymore school children. Instead, we saw teenagers, all male, with sharp- edged sticks fishing in one of the crossing points, and a few men with fish and fruits of the hills in their baskets. On one of the river crossings we met a couple of commuters on bike; and a mother, on foot, sheltering her baby with a banana leaf. We drove past the hanging bridge, and then the rain stopped. The clouds disappeared. Nearing the edge of the hills, we sat quietly up the jeepney roof listening to the gentle sound of rocks along the river while taking in, as much as one can, of the Pinamalayan mountain breeze, the scent of wild grass, roses and orchids in bloom, bananas ripening, and greening lanzones and rambutan; and the glorious beach. We didn’t speak to each other for sometime. Together, we basked in God’s glory under the sun. Half of the fun, we spent in silence. This silence comes from the joy of sharing this act of giving of self, time and resources with family and friends for our brothers in Pinamalayan, the Mangyan. On a personal note, being a central plain barrio bumpkin, the horror and dread of traveling by sea, is now past and behind (slept the whole time on the RORO journey back; knowing that I am in the company of Keoni & Friends and the Murphys) I realize that this little discomfort is nothing compared to Christ’s suffering on the Cross. Truly, this is how it means to give. Thank you Keoni. Fade-fade Safang!

29/11/2023

FYI: Scholarship program is current. We have five students with full scholarships and four Indigenous students with partial supports.
Full scholarships: Free housing, internet, utilities, food, gasul, school supplies, uniforms, personal use, transportation, basic medicine, dental, eye-check, etc.
Partial scholarship is determined by their priority needs.

22/11/2023

Christmas Outreach will be in Capas and Sta. Ignacia, Tarlac.

12/10/2023

GOOD LUCK SCHOLARS!

17/08/2023

CONGRATULATIONS to 5 scholars of this semester: Crestine Joy Paras, Erica Guinto, Jholan Biay, Marjorie Ganola, and Rose Ann Alberto.

27/06/2023

FYI: Last day ng interview today until 1:30pm.

26/06/2023

Open for Girls

26/06/2023

FYI:There are still 3 slots available for scholarship. Message this page for information.

13/06/2023

FYI! 2 slots are still available for 1st and 2nd year college only. This scholarship offer is for those studying at Tarlac State University only with four (4) year course, except for Nursing. Message this NGO FB page for more information.

06/06/2023

Scholarship interviews today! Good luck to all applicants!

05/06/2023

FYI: Sa mga nag apply ng scholarships, pede na kayong magpa interview bukas, June 6th. Message this page for more info. Yung nag apply lang ang dapat na pumunta for interview (NO friends or family allowed). We have few slots for the coming semester. Interview starts at 9 o'clock in the morning. Arrive at least 10 minutes early.

27/05/2023

FYI: Sa mga nag apply ng scholarship, pede na kayong magpa interview ng June 16 or earlier, basta nakuha nyo na yung final grades ninyo or pumasa na kayo sa TSU. Mag message kayo dito sa NGO Fb page for more detail.

23/05/2023

FYI: Last submission ng scholarship application ay na move sa June 15, 2023.

26/04/2023

As of March 10th, meron ng pito (7) na nag apply/inquire sa scholarship ng Keoni Kidzone. Lahat kayo (kung mabasa nyo ito) ay me chance na magpa interview sa June 6, 2023 ( First year TSU kung pumasa kayo sa exams). Reminder, second year college (1st sem.) ang cut off sa mga nakatapos na ng First year college.
This is a full scholarship offer at 4 year course lang ang available, excluding Nursing course. Deadline of scholarship application for the coming semester is May 31st. I will post an update by June 1st kung saan magpa interview.

20/04/2023

FYI: Ang isa sa mga mahalagang layunin ng Keoni Kidzone scholarship ay ang makatulong sa mga magulang at studyante na nangangailangan ng pinansyal na suporta upang makatapos ng kolehyo. Kaya isa sa mga requirements ay ang pagtira sa provided housing upang hindi na gumastos ang magulang sa pang araw araw na pamasahe. Ang isang dahilan ng mga nag aaply ng scholarship sa Keoni Kidzone ay ang kakulangan sa pamasahe. Yung mga nag-i inquire na gustong umuwi araw-araw sa kanilang tahanan, hindi namin tinatanggap infairness sa ibang scholars na nakatira sa NGO housing.

19/04/2023

FYI: 2023 Summer Outreach -
Dueg, San Clemente, Tarlac.
Maliwalo, Tarlac City.

19/04/2023

FYI: Yung mga gustong mag apply ng scholarship for the coming semester, mag message lang kayo dito sa NGO FB page. Groundwork and interview ay sa July 17-22, 2023.

27/03/2023

Our NGO's Scholars has new residence.💖

09/03/2023

FYI: Full scholarship will be offered to college students starting Semester August 2023. That is, all inclusive -living quarters, food/ulam/bigas, personal hygiene products, cleaning products, school projects allowance, miryendang baun, cash baun (padagdag na lang sa parents kung kaya), gasul, internet, computers, at iba pa. Ang inaasahang kapalit: Mag-aral ng mabuti at walang babagsak sa final grades, walang Incomplete na marka, malinis at maayos sa sarili at sa provided na tirahan. Walang kasintahan sa edad na 20 at pababa. In short, marunong sumunod sa rules ng NGO at hindi pasaway. Maari na kayong mag message kung me katanungan. Groundwork at personal interview sa May-June. NOTE: First and second year college lang ang tinatanggap namin at kursong umaabot lamang ng 4 na taon. Hindi po kami tumatanggap ng kursong Nursing. In fairness sa lahat, hindi po kami tumatanggap ng me mga magulang o kamag-anak na sumusuporta mula sa ibang bansa. Bawal din po ang me double or more grants. At para sa karagdagang kaalaman ng lahat, hindi po kami tumatanggap ng kamag-anak ng sinumang Adviser or Board Member or Founder ng NGO na ito.

28/02/2023

In celebration of 8th anniversary of KEONI and Friends Kidzone (August), mamimigay po kami ng school items sa mga elementary school children. Comment lang po ninyo dito yung school ninyo (Public schools only sa outside ng Tarlac City School District/Division. Raffle month sa July.💖💝

22/02/2023

FYI: Sa mga nag-i-inquire about college scholarship, closed na po ang application nitong ongoing semester. Next semester's application will be posted on this FB page sometime in June, 2023.

18/01/2023

As stated in their contract, at the end of every semester, each scholar can earn cash incentives for good grades. Likewise, they are given a choice whether to renew (or decline) our NGO's scholarship offer. At this point, since all of them passed their finals, they chose to renew for another semester. Congratulations and Good luck!

Photos from KEONI and Friends Kidzone's post

11/01/2023

Although they're still on vacation, they got together to make lumpia, skinless longanisa, and tocino and freeze them. This is part of their frozen stock food supply.
A part of Keoni Kidzone mission is to have our scholars learn practical way of living.

09/01/2023

FYI: First semester of SY/AY 2023 college scholars:
De Guzman, Lichelle (BSE Mathematics)
Ganola, Marjorie (BSE Mathematics)
Guinto, Erica (BS IT)
Madriaga, Christian Kyle (BSE Sciences)
Millado, Cristine (BSEEd)
Patangui, Lorna (BSEEd)
Quibuyen, Veronica (BSE Sciences)
Rivera, Mervin (BS Civil Engineering)
CONGRATULATIONS!
All scholars are awarded with free board and lodging, free internet, free utilities, monthly basic medicine (in case they get sick), monthly personal allowance, monthly food (ulam) allowance, monthly gasul and bigas, school supply, one-time only (every semester) allowance for their school needs, one-time only uniform allowance, free dental and eye check-ups, and end-of-semester cash incentive for getting good grades. Likewise, Keoni and Friends Kidzone offers full scholarship which includes monthly travel expenses (daily pamasahe from tirahan to school).
What is the catch?! HUWAG PASAWAY!

29/12/2022

FYI: College scholars will be posted here on the second week of January, 2023.

28/12/2022

27/12/2022

We love to see happy customers! Thank you, Evelyn Murphy for sharing how beautiful your Fontanini Nativity set looks in your home. Merry Christmas🙏

Currently we are celebrating the 12 Days of Christmas with a 25% discount on all Christmas items in our store🎄.

25/12/2022

Merry Christmas!

01/12/2022

C.A.T ES pick-up day of hygiene products for the school children.

20/11/2022

CONGRATULATIONS CRIZHIA N. GONZALES.💖

01/11/2022

ISO: Sa Kinder at Grade 1 Teacher/s ng Suizo Resettlement ES, p**i message po ako para sa hygiene products donation.

06/10/2022

YOU GOT THIS! Crizhia and Glaiza. Keoni and Friends Kidzone are🙏for you.

06/09/2022

Keoni Kidzone's scholars tending their veggie gardens.💞

24/08/2022

UPDATE! Final list of 10 College scholars this semester-August-Dec., 2022:
Cunanan, Joan
De Guzman, Lichelle
Galapon, Cyrene Joy C.
Ganola, Marjorie D.
Guinto, Erica C.
Madriaga, Christian Kyle
Millado, Cristine
Patangui, Lorna C.
Quibuyen, Veronica
Rivera, Mervin C.
Allowances are provided for uniforms, school supplies, personal use, basic medicine, food, rice, and gasul. Supplies such as cleaning products, school projects, free lodging, free internet, and computers are provided. Prior to start of this semester, all scholars got their dental check-ups, et al. CONGRATULATIONS and GOOD LUCK!
If you have inquiry and concerns about our NGO's scholars, message this FB page.

21/08/2022

HAPPY 7th BIRTHDAY Keoni and Friends Kidzone!

08/08/2022

FYI: Sa pagbabalik ng face-to-face classes, madami po ang naghahangad na matulungan na mga studyante na nasa kolehiyo. Bagamat 9 lamang ang pinagkalooban ng scholarship ngayong darating na semester, mayroon pa din pagkakataon na makatanggap ng konting tulong ang ibang mga college students ng Tarlac province na naka enroll sa tuition free schools. Subaybayan lamang ang giveaway program ng NGO page na ito.

05/08/2022

Shout out to Ms. Cherry L. Fabianes (TSU's Director of Facilities Development and Management Office). Thank you so much for your support.

29/07/2022

Congratulations to our NGO's ALS student, Jenny C. Bitun. We are all proud of you. Isa kang inspirasyon sa mga nagnanasang makatapos sa pag-aaral sa kabila ng pagsubok sa buhay. Ang Keoni and Friends Kidzone ay patuloy na aagapay hanggang makamit mo ang iyong adhikain na makamtan ang mataas na edukasyon... one step at a time.

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Oriental Mindoro Outreach - Mangyan Kids.

One summer, Keoni & Friends crossed a river 20 x to get to an elementary school of Mangyan population

Crossing a River 20 X for the Love of our Mangyan Brethren: The Safa Experience

August 6

From Bali Hotel at Gloria, Keoni & Friends took a 30 minute hilly ride by van to the Sabang Barrio Hall where we met the Barangay Chairman and his staff and a handful of Senior Citizens doing gardening work. At Sabang, Keoni & Friends also met Michael Landicho, News anchor DJ, at Radyo Natin 105.3 with volunteers from Singles for Christ, and the Fire Brigade Chief.

The road to Safa is a winding, wet and wonderful experience to Keoni & Friends. From the edge of Sabang, two jeepneys brought the company to Safa through a winding river which we crossed 20 times before finally reaching the elementary school grounds. Along the way we were able to pick up a few pupils; some kids were picking fruits, some were still taking baths along the river, while mothers did the laundry and menfolk gathered food with fishbaskets on their backs; passed under a hanging bridge; picked up a few more kids; took few more turns and a few more river crossing up the hill; amidst lush vegetation, from the twentieth river crossing, finally, we took the right turn to the elementary school.

Safa Elementary School is located in Safa, Barangay Sabang, Pinamalayan, Oriental Mindoro. Safa Elementary is an indigenous minority school, home to 285 Mangyan pupils under the stewardship of Principal Elena Iniego.

Michael Landicho led the pupils, teachers and volunteers in a number of games before the gift giving ceremonies. Pupils received biscuits, candies, chocolates and bread for starters. Keoni Murphy, with mom and dad, Evelyn and Kevin Murphy led the volunteers in distributing the hygiene materials and school supplies to the school children. The bulk of these were the materials donated by friends of Keoni back at the Naval base in Japan. Team Leader, Joy Andrade, saw to it that the distribution phase fell in order just as the packing the night before was as swift and as orderly. The volunteers were assigned a grade level to handle. With the help of the members of the Singles for Christ, and the teachers, the goods were distributed right on schedule. We didn’t speak Mangyan, yet we kept hearing “fade-fade”. Fade is a Mangyan word for “Thank you”.

The volunteers from the Singles for Christ facilitated the feeding on time for lunch. After all the children have been fed, Michael’s team treated the volunteers to an enjoyable lunch of rice, humba, adobo and kilayin with fresh buko juice. We didn’t get to taste a Mangyan recipe but the humble rice went well with the all-time Filipino favorite adobo ( a pork stew simmered in soysauce and coconut vinegar), humba (meat cooked with soy, ginger, and muscovado) and kilayin ( innards stew with secret ingredients only a Pinamalayano can mix).Thank you for the food Michael and team! We also enjoyed watching our buko juice prepared from the coconut tree climbing ( you don’t get to see that everyday! ) to the nut slicing. Madam Iniego opened the buko for us like a true blue Pinamalayano with a slick bolo swag here and there. Fade-fade Mam Elena!

In an interview with Principal Iniego, Keoni & Friends learned that Safang Elementary is not a recipient of the School based Feeding Program of Dep Ed since there are no severely wasted pupils. This means that the Safang school children are not malnourished. However, Principal Iniego is appealing to donors for the Safang Free Lunch Program. During the rainy season, when rain pours in the afternoon, school children usually do not come back to school anymore missing classes in an alarming frequency. The free lunch program is Principal Iniego’s answer to this problem. If school children are fed in school at lunch time, they complete the contact hours prescribed by Dep Ed pegged at 180 days this school year, consequently improving student achievement. Another thing we learned from Principal Iniego is that there are already 5 graduates of teacher education from this Mangyan Tribe. The sad thing is that they can’t apply for teaching positions at Dep Ed because they have not passed the Teacher Licensure Examinations yet. One good news from Safang, they now have internet connection powered by solar panels donated by Amore Inc. For donations, you may contact Elena Iniego, Principal at 921-5646049.

After lunch, Principal Iniego, presented to Evelyn Murphy a wild flower picked from the hills of Safa as a token of gratitude and a symbol of friendship between the Safa Mangyan kids and Keoni & Friends.

On the way back, the company decided to celebrate the success of this, yet another, Outreach by way of riding on top of the jeepney. And so we did! Half of the fun was enjoying the sudden downpour as the jeepney ride crossed the river 20 times again. One can’t help but contemplate how heroic Safang teachers are for enduring this trip everyday and back. Fade-fade Safang Elementary Teachers!

The winding road back to the familiar rural scenes of Sabang after the sudden rain was long enough for the needed time to process all these little miracles unfolding right before our eyes. We didn’t see anymore school children. Instead, we saw teenagers, all male, with sharp- edged sticks fishing in one of the crossing points, and a few men with fish and fruits of the hills in their baskets. On one of the river crossings we met a couple of commuters on bike; and a mother, on foot, sheltering her baby with a banana leaf. We drove past the hanging bridge, and then the rain stopped.

The clouds disappeared. Nearing the edge of the hills, we sat quietly up the jeepney roof listening to the gentle sound of rocks along the river while taking in, as much as one can, of the Pinamalayan mountain breeze, the scent of wild grass, roses and orchids in bloom, bananas ripening, and greening lanzones and rambutan; and the glorious beach. We didn’t speak to each other for sometime. Together, we basked in God’s glory under the sun. Half of the fun, we spent in silence. This silence comes from the joy of sharing this act of giving of self, time and resources with family and friends for our brothers in Pinamalayan, the Mangyan.

On a personal note, being a central plain barrio bumpkin, the horror and dread of traveling by sea, is now past and behind (slept the whole time on the RORO journey back; knowing that I am in the company of Keoni & Friends and the Murphys) I realize that this little discomfort is nothing compared to Christ’s suffering on the Cross.

Truly, this is how it means to give.

Thank you Keoni. Fade-fade Safang!

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