Staff Blog
Ninoy Aquino Day is held every 21 August to commemorate the life and 
death of Senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr. Senator Aquino and his wife, Corazon, were major contributors to modern Philippine democracy.
In 1972, the Philippines was placed under martial law by President Ferdinand Marcos. During this time, any person who publicly opposed Marcos was imprisoned by the military, and many public institutions were closed down. The military committed human rights abuses and the Philippine economy suffered massive losses.
Senator Aquino was a vocal opponent of Marcos and was consequently imprisoned. In 1980, Aquino suffered a heart attack and was allowed to move to the United States to receive medical treatment. While in the U.S. he continued to advocate for the Philippine people's freedom.
To challenge Marcos in the 1984 elections, Aquino decided to return to the Philippines in August of 1983. He knew that it could lead to his death. On the 21st of the month he landed in Manila where he was assassinated, many believe, under the orders of Marcos. It was this event that led to the eventual downfall of Marcos and the presidency of Aquino's wife, Corazon. Since that time their son, Benigno Jr. served a term as President of the Philippines, continuing the influence of the family in Philippine politics.
Truly, Benigno Aquino came along at the right time in the right place and made a big difference for this country. It is hard to imagine where the Philippines would be today without his contribution to the nation through his dedication and heroism.
I am aware of the role that individuals have made throughout CSC's history that have helped move us along, overcome hurdles and break new ground as a ministry. Some of these folks were like shooting stars, flashing bright for a time and then moving on to something else. Others gave us steady light that lasted for years.
- Harry and Marlene Schmidt came along in 1991 to build our Shelter homes in Banawa. They hadn't known anything about CSC until a friend shared the ministry with them at church one Sunday. The rest is history, and our beautiful facilities are the result of the Schmidt's incredible gift. I also think about the man who told them about us and the huge role he played in our history just by sharing.
- Many people came here for a short term assignment, to help out when we were short staffed. They gave of their time and talent to meet a pressing need for leadership here in Cebu, if even for a few months or a couple years.
- Some were staff members or taught in our school. Some had specific areas of expertise that they shared with our staff or our children like curriculum planning, speech therapy, IT, organizational development, administration or media expertise. These people produced videos, gave seminars and workshops, helped us formulate policies, offered encouragement and brought over materials that made us a better organization.
- Some friends, led by the Holy Spirit, made significant contributions that helped us at just the right time, when CSC was in need of a shot in the arm financially. Others have been steady and faithful, helping provide a bedrock of support on which we have built this ministry.
Like the Philippines, CSC has had many heroes who made us what we are today. People chose to give of their time, talent and treasure to make this a better place for children who need us so badly. Without them we would not be here today.
A Special Friend
You guys all know Wilmar. You see him playing basketball, riding a bike, holding a toy lion, crocodile or a dinosaur or you see him just sitting and singing a song or two. Wilmar receives a lot of support at the school and shelter.
At school, Wilmar has three different teachers and one physical therapist. Yup, we make sure these kids get what they need. So yeah, Wilmar has teachers supporting him, but what about a friend? Who plays with him at the shelter? Who helps him line up? Who holds his hand during school programs?
Well, there is one special friend and classmate who assists Wilmar in all of these. This girl sang a duet with Wilmar in the last music recital. She holds Wilmar’s hand when going up and down to the stage; she walks with him to the next class and works on classroom activities with him. Even her classmates know who Wilmar should sit with. And she is very happy to do all of this. No complaints.
This girl is also close to the rest of the special needs kids/adults in her house. She sees them as equal. She has a big heart for them. Now, that’s one special friend!
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Sportsfest 2016
Sportsfest 2016 is officially over. A great day of fun, athleticism, and sportsmanship was had by all! The day started off with a parade,cheers from each team, reciting of the sportsmanship pledge and the lighting of the torch. Then the games began!
Enjoy some fun photos of the day! 
The Torch
Getting Ready
Hula Hoop
Sack Race
Hurdles
The Aqua Blue Team
The Green Team
The Royal Blue Team
The Gray Team
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Yesterday and today
I have been finishing up my book on the history of CSC. It has been a great experience to look back on the earlier years of the ministry and see how many times God has seen us through difficulties and helped us meet challenges. We have faced financial hardships, political uncertainties, sickness, natural disasters, death and a fire. And one year we faced all of these. Except the fire.
1990 was quite a year for CSC. Our board had approved a budget that was significantly more than the previous year. But income was down significantly and our reserves were being depleted. What's more, CSC's Executive Director had to resign for health reasons. There were lots of political uncertainties in the country. Many of our children were sick and one, little Sonny Boy, died after a 72 hour battle in the ICU. Three of our staff were on furlough during the year, leaving us short-handed in Cebu. And, in November we got hit by super typhoon Ruping which cause lots of damage in Cebu, though nothing major at CSC. We were inconvenienced by power outage and lack of sufficient water.
Not a great year. But one where we learned a lot about God's sustaining power, his heart, and our ability, with his help, to withstand lots of challenges. We also learned a lot about CSC's supporters, and how they rally around us during difficult times. People stepped up, pitched in with the fund raising, gave sacrificially, prayed for us and help pull us through 1990. And every year since.
Some of you have been around CSC since 1990. If so, thanks for then and for now. If you were a part of our stupendous December giving rally in 2015, or have been praying for CSC or our family, BIG thanks. We have needed you so much. We take on the challenges of today and in the future because of what you have meant to us in the past. Bless you all.
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Playing with Dominoes in Science Class
If you walked by our science class on any given day, it might resemble play time. In fact, we are having so much fun, things are falling over fast! One of the science classes recently finished a unit on speed. They learned how distance, time, and speed are related. To further illustrate this relationship, they had the opportunity to play with dominoes. The class was divided into two teams. The teams had to line up 25 dominoes that were equally spaced in such a way that their dominoes would fall faster than the other team. This led to a lot of discussion about concepts related to speed, and we had fun in the process!
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A Wonderful Surprise!
Happy New Year!
God is GREAT! He has been so faithful to Cebu Children of Hope School during the past year. His protection and provision were so evident in the lives of each one of us at school. A number of kids were given forever families and are now starting new chapters in their lives in new families, homes, and schools.
This year already God has given us a wonderful surprise at school. Seven lovable students joined classes after the Christmas break, three preschoolers and four elementary students. Their coming has made the school merrier because each one of them is a bundle of joy. They are gifts from God that enrich everyone’s lives at school.
New Preschoolers
New Elementary students
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