PINK PEPPER
Terracotta sculpting given boost
During the ribbon cutting left Darwin Flores, Atty.
Jane Paredes, Roy Firmezsa and Zoilo Rojo
Last Jan. 25, 2008, Pink Pepper witnessed the blessing of the terracotta training center at the Smart Gawad Kalinga site in Sooc, Mandurriao.
In this center, kids as young as 11 years old, were trained by renowned Ilonggo painter and sculptor PG Zoluaga.
Smart Telecommunications envisions the terracotta-training program to harness local talent and resources in creating alternative sources of livelihood.
According to Zoluaga, they started training last December. "It's as if we were playing. At first, it was hard to adjust and I don't want to force them. What I did was, I kept on working, until they realize they had to continue doing so, too," Zoluaga said.
Atty. Jane Paredes, Darwin Flores, PG Zoluaga,
Roy Firmeza, Zoilo Rojo with the kids
"I'm here to help these kids to enhance their creativity and to develop their artistic minds. I let them work on their own ideas and concepts," he added.
In order to motivate the children, he tells them stories.
Meanwhile, Darwin Flores, senior manager of the Community Partnership Public Affairs Group of Smart, said that he is happy for the project. We plan to market this at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP)."
"We are hoping that our next project is an oven. From clay, we could form beautiful shapes," he added.
Smart also gave stuff to the GK residents in line with their "Wish Ko sa Smart" project. The gifts came from the employees of Smart Mindanao.
The creative works of Children from GK So-oc
Rev. Fr. Jesuzimo Candado, parish priest of Sto. Ñino Parish, led the blessing. The people of Smart and PLDT came in full force. Some of them were Atty. Jane Paredes, Smart legal officer and Rene Lescano, manager, PLDT Iloilo.
Other cooperating agencies were the Iloilo City Task Force on Street Children, Western Visayas College of Science and Technology, Iloilo City Gawad Kalinga Coordinating and Devt. Council and Gawad Kalinga Caretaker Team (Couples for Christ). /RCS