News Reporter: In many ways, the problems here reflect the inadequacies in the Philippines public education system–lack of books, lack of classrooms, lack of teachers and the deteriorating quality of education.
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Voice-over: Growing up, Dyron has seen how poverty has affected children in schools.
Dyron Castulo: It’s really hard–we [are] having [a] hard time in our life. I think even when I’m still a little kid, it’s just a matter of like, I feel like I’m so fortunate. So when I see these kids that don’t have this and I have it–so it’s kind of like, wow. There are different things, especially things that they really need–like children from different schools, the remote schools.
Voice-over: Noticing that there is a great need for school supplies in remote schools where access to materials may not be always readily available, he decided to do something about it.
Dyron: We have started [to collect] different books and different materials here in Hawaii, and when we donated it to all these different schools, some of the teachers, they even set up what you [would] call [a] “mini library” in each of those different grades.
Voice-over: He didn’t limit himself from reaching out to even the smallest places.
Dyron: Actually the first District that we adopted is the Northern Zambales and Southern Zambales. And we picked those different schools that they really needed the books. So we end up [with] at least four different schools and a total of at least 475-500 students.
Voice-over: Collecting books that were then donated to schools in provinces like Northern and Southern Zambales, Eva, Batu-Palawig and Leyte, Dyron then inspired other volunteers from the Church Of Christ, of which he is a member, to take part in his cause.
Dyron: When the local heard about it, the local of Waipahu and they said that, “Hey, why can’t we pilot that project and let’s involve the brethren to help out getting all these books?” and that’s how we went full on with the support and with the help of the brethren.
Voice-over: Members continued to go above and beyond to help children and schools in need.
Dyron: Everytime they go [on] vacation, they’re the one[s] distributing all the different books in the different school[s] that really needed those books.
Voice-over: It wasn’t just books that were given to schools, but children and families were given something extra.
Dyron: Other things are things like their hygiene, so we brought all these toothbrush[es], toothpaste and most especially their slippers because we found some that, some of the children, they’re walking a couple miles and they’re just bare foot. So we decided, ok let’s get the sizes of their feet, and we start[ed] buying all those slippers and start[ed] giving it to all the children. We did the repacking and then we send it to all the different districts, up to the point that we even sent at least 8 boxes, the balikbayan boxes, to the District of Leyte.
Voice-over: Inspired by INC Giving activities launched by the Church Administration of the Church Of Christ, Dyron and others reached out to communities to help.
Dyron: We’re kind of like, of course, following the doctrine to really help out. Not in a big way but a simple thing that we can do to help out. It’s a big thing for other people. You can see the happiness in their faces when they switch their old slippers from a new slipper and wow, like you know, you can see the excitement in their faces. They have a toothbrush, they have all these things and it kind of like, melt[s] your heart in a way, like wow, it’s a simple thing. Actually anybody can buy slipper, anybody can buy a toothbrush and a toothpaste. But the matter of you go out there and give it to them personally, it’s different. You can really feel it, that wow, it’s actually different. It’s happy. It’s very happy.
Voice-over: He understood that giving wholeheartedly to those in need can have a positive affect towards others.
Dyron: So you don’t need to be rich to help out. It’s just coming from here. We can do simple things, small things and we can make other people happy also.
Voice-over: Seeing how he can play a positive role in other people’s lives, he also eagerly shares, something he values most, to them.
Dyron:We tell them we are also a member of the Church Of Christ and most of the time we already have the Pasugo handy and also some flyers and we give it to them.
Voice-over: For Dyron, sharing his faith has not only inspired others to learn about the true words of God found in the Church Of Christ, but has also given him a new perspective.
Dyron:We’re so thankful to our Almighty God that everything that we have in this life a small thing we can share to other people, and it’s a blessing.
