News & Updates

Going Back To Our Roots: The CCS-Santugon Black Pencil Project

by CCS - Santugon

“Consultative, Proactive and Responsive.”

These are the three strongest words which form the foundations of the yellow-based political party that most students from De La Salle University hear during the annual University Student Government General Elections. It has become a university tradition where political parties will battle it out to get the votes of the students to be able to win an elected seat. Of course, winning entails a whole year of service rendered to the entire student body. It’s a tedious process, but the two political parties are guided by their own beliefs and principles. CPR which stands for Consultative, Proactive and Responsive are the brands of leadership that "Iisang Tugon sa Tawag ng Panahon", or Santugon where everyone is more familiar, emphasizes to their election candidates, their core members, and even their supporters. It’s the leadership style that caters to all the needs of each and every individual in the university and is the brand of leadership that their leaders have imbibed in responding to the call of the times, thus the political party’s name.

Santugon is also known for other values that are taught to their leaders. These are the concept of being one as a family, respecting individuality, practicing integrity in everything one does, always having faith in God and most importantly, no matter who you are and where you are, always having the passion for service. Furthermore, Santugon also coins itself as De La Salle University’s premier socio-political party, due to the fact that the party also advocates three important issues that also reflect those issues in the society. The Santugon Foundation is the socio-civic arm of the organization that intends to raise efforts for the education of impoverished children. Youth United Santugon aims to breed true Lasallian leadership through the holistic development and spiritual formation of students. Lastly, the Blue + Yellow Campaign, which is an ongoing environmental campaign, promotes student involvement through heightened awareness and action.

But after the general elections, students would just pamper themselves with the different activities provided by the University Student Government, regardless of the political party. So there is always that underlying question, are the political parties in DLSU only available during elections?

The way I saw it during the week, it was not the case. It came through an out-of-place color yellow table in the middle of a crowded lobby. Just recently, the political party worked hand in hand together with the Black Pencil Project, an organization advocating in the education and welfare of children. With the tagline, “Anong Mararating ng P20 mo?”, several mini coin banks in hand and a clear objective in mind, they wasted no time making full blast publicities in the all available social networking websites and spreading through by word of mouth. Along the out-of-place colored yellow table in the middle of the crowded lobby, their members would talk to their friends, to different individuals and even to their professors to spare a small amount that they know would mean big to its intended beneficiary. For one week, they continued doing the same thing, ask people for a fraction of their time, have them understand the advocacy and be able to have them spare some amount, some would even go beyond the walls of their colleges just to spread the good word, and by good word, I mean the idea of helping out people they don’t even know Yes, after one week, through the organization, the project was successfully able to give school supplies to 400 children. They, together with other countless faces they may or may not know were able to touch the lives of other people they know they will not meet in another day in their lifetime.

But before we end with what we saw, let’s play a little bit of the skeptic. Some people can question the motives; they can say the party’s campaigning a little bit too early or the party is just showing off so that people can see that they can do more. We can concede, but as far as I'm concerned, the party stayed true to their motives and just simply practiced what they have always been bragging during elections, that they are a socio-political party that also advocates on empowering children and showing them that there are people who are willing to help them exercise their right to proper education.

At the end of the day, the end can always be justified by the means. It's just a matter on how we look on perspectives and the countless number of lives who have been changed in the process.

CBCP Monitor Features Black Pencil Project

The Black Pencil Project
Changing the World One Pencil at a Time

By Ronalyn R. Regino

IF not candies, then what?

It was in June 2008 when hobbyists photographers Mon Corpuz, Edwin Karganilla, and Zer Cabanatuan visited a small community called Cambulo in Banaue, Ifugao.  Since Ifugao is one of the culturally sensitive communities, tourists are discouraged to give candies and worse, money to children therein.

Instead of candies, and with the permission of Banaue Tourism Office, the three photographers ought to bring a bag of pencils to be given to the children as they pass through the village. Humbled by the warm welcome of the kids, the photographers realized the shared value of social responsibility and promised to continue the effort in their own little way. There began “The Black Pencil Project.”

The Black Pencil Project is a collective initiative to provide pencils and other light school materials to public elementary schools in remote communities across the country through resource mobilization. It aims to encourage localized participation and individual commitment of goodwill, in support to government education programs in the countryside.

The Black Pencil Project is a hobby-based volunteer organization with core advocacies focused on children’s primary education. It promotes shared social responsibility throughvolunTourism and advenTourism.

Originally, the project was “Lapis Para Sa Batang Eskuwela.” Right from the start, it was set to address a particular segment of elementary education – the early learners. These children, particularly the incoming first graders, are the most excited to go to school despite of the circumstances such as a long travel by foot from home to school.

Since pencils are not as expensive as other materials, economically, the founders found the cause favorable to commit for it does not require donations from other people.

According to one of the founders, Mon Corpuz, “We can buy pencils ourselves, what we intent our friends to do, is to follow what we are doing. Start a cause no matter how small it is.”

The Black Pencil Project’s vision is to change the world one pencil at a time. But aside from providing pencils and material support that reportedly helped to increase the number of enrollees in schools visited, it also contributes psychosocial support to communities, particularly teachers in public schools devoting a lifetime profession teaching in remote areas.

The project taps Filipinos with passionate professions and hobbies to take part in the advocacy of being instruments of hope to the early learners by harnessing their passions, interest and preferred activity.

Three-pronged programs

The Black Pencil Project has three programs: Back-to-School, Immersion and Awareness Programs which runs all year through.

Back-to-School is executed during May to July, just in time for the opening of the classes. The idea is to bring the school supplies on or before enrollment period. With this, parents do not have to worry with the school supplies; hence, more children are enrolled.

Children are given basic study kit. These materials are cascaded into schools through organized simultaneous treks called “Pencil Treks.”

Immersion program happens from August to April. Invited volunteers and donors are invited to join immersion treks and conduct art workshops with the children. Interactive activities and exercises are encouraged during this time in order to build a bond between the volunteer and the community since there is a time limit during treks.

Lastly, Awareness program is carried out. As an organization, the project offers unique travel opportunities, self-empowerment, experience countryside back-packing and facilitate expansion of volunteer’s off-line social network.

It is no secret that Filipinos are willing to advocate on helping the ones in need, which is why The Black Pencil Project has been supported by a number of people. It started from three people and ended up growing and growing as days pass by.

“The small advocacy evolved from a personal project to a full blown collective initiative, garnering support from private individuals and various organizations,” said Corpuz.

The project provides alternate windows to private companies and organizations to maximize their social responsiveness programs. Mountaineering groups and photography clubs as well as foreign tourists and overseas Filipinos abroad have supported the cause.

Due to the size of and limited resources, The Black Pencil Project only goes to remote and indigenous communities as their area of focus.  Remote since it is only accessible by foot or has decent seaport such as Babuyan Islands. More than anywhere else in the Philippines, the public schools in the remote communities are important in promoting education as universal equalizer.

The project’s target communities normally comprise from 50 to 250 of school population.

Spirit of volunteerism

The Black Pencil Project is beneficial not only to the children and their parents alike but also the volunteers joining their treks. These volunteers are exposed to the project areas, immersing them to communities and experience unique travels. They also get to realize their significance to instill change or make change happen.

At the minimum, the project is only supported by local government or district levels of public schools. In Banaue, Ifugao, the project has worked with the local tourism office.

“This way we can also help contribute to the government programs in the countryside by becoming more of a proactive civic organization rather than a visitor to the community,” Corpuz said.

The Black Pencil Project is not yet recognized by the Department of Social Welfare and Development, yet the project recognizes DSWD-run day care centers with their programs. They have helped in rebuilding a day care school in Talim Islands, which is located at the center of the Laguna de Bay lake under the municipality of Binangonan, Rizal.

The compensation of the project is the least thing they think of.

“Perhaps if we are to think of it, we could not have last even for a year. But luckily, our limited resources are ample enough to mold our programs and be successful,” said Corpuz.

In a way, this challenges the Project to focus on its key competence as a volunteer organization and effective models to sustain the programs.

The Black Pencil Project was named after the type of pencil the founders first brought to Cambulo, Ifugao in 2008. Coincidentally, the black pencil is the prescribed writing instrument for students in Kinder and Grades 1 – 3 in public schools because of the size and grip.

This is how the project grew to what it is today – from initial pencils, ideas poured in from friends as if each and everyone is putting school materials inside a bag, and another bring the bag to the mountains to hand it to a child.

As said earlier, The Black Pencil Project adheres to the spirit of volunteerism and individual commitment of goodwill, thus the organization does not run a list of membership, sign-ups and membership fees.

According to Corpuz, everyone who believes in The Black Pencil Project is welcomed to volunteer. A simple gesture of telling The Black Pencil Project exists is considered as help.

Corpuz said, “Sama-sama nating abutin ang lahat ng mga bata sa pinakaliblib na pook sa Pilipinas, abutan sila ng lapis, hikayatin at turuan silang gumuhit at sumulat ng magagandang pangarap.”

For more information on their advocacy, visit their websitewww.blackpencilproject.org or email at info@blackpencilproject.org.