10 August 2015 -Philippine Ambassador Petronila P. Garcia welcomed nearly 20 children of Filipino descent to the official residence on 8 August 2015 for the annual ABAKADA ATBP., a cultural and educational program initiated by the Philippine Embassy in Ottawa.
Now on its fourth year, the program opened with a flag-raising ceremony under the guidance of Dr. Omega Garibay, wife of Deputy Chief of Mission Uriel Norman Garibay, following which the children were prompted to greet Ambassador Garcia with the traditional mano.
Ms. Maria Gloria Mendillo, a certified teacher both in the Philippines and the U.S., introduced to her class the Pilipino alphabet, basic words and phrases as well as colors in the native language. To create a compelling learning environment, Ms. Mendillo engaged the children in an interactive lesson that rewarded active participation.
Ms. Ma. Teresa Benitez-Bragais, the Embassy's cultural attaché, familiarized the children with Filipino icons such as the jeepney, trycicle, sari-sari stores and other national Philippine symbols such as sampaguita, carabao, and arnis.
ABS-CBN correspondent Vanessa Merjudio-David taught the classic Filipino children songs Paa, Tuhod, Balikat, Ulo and Sampung mga Daliri to the young participants' delight.
Ms. Joanne Domingo, a former member of the Philippine Dance Troupe of Ottawa (PDTO) and Ms. Joyce Tamayo, wife of Consul General Eric Tamayo, demonstrated Tiklos, a Visayan folk dance that instills a spirit of bayanihan among rural folk.
Playing the role of Lola Basyang, Ms. Maura David narrated the popular folktale Ibong Adarna with costume-clad children of Embassy personnel performing parts of the epic's principal characters under the direction of Dr. Garibay. Teacher Mendillo, who is also a soprano, stole the show with her improvised rendition of the mythical bird that dropped nuggets of practical wisdom by way of song.
The children also enjoyed playing the games luksong tinik, luksong baka, patintero and tumbang preso led by Mr. Miguel Luis Moreno, the Embassy's Protocol Officer.
At the end of the program, the children presented themselves to their parents in Pilipino and performed the songs and dances they learned during the day.
Ambassador Garcia awarded each child a Certificate of Participation and rewarded them with goodies from program sponsors Betty Obas, Mila Mucha and Minda Santos. She likewise presented a Certificate of Appreciation to the teachers who volunteered to recreate for each participant the experience of Filipino childhood. END