The freshmen sailed through the south china sea and landed in China—choosing the theme Chinese New Year. Just like the colorful fireworks showcased every Chinese New Year, the activities that the freshmen prepared were all about the such. The children were all given printed sheets and a variety of crayons for them to color and delve into their artistic side. 

On the other hand, the third-year students decided to showcase one of our country’s many traditions—the Imabayah Festival, celebrated by those who live in the Banawe Rice Terraces. The class prepared two activities for the children and divided themselves into two groups to manage the manpower. The activity of the first group was also about arts & crafts—specifically headdress making. Materials such as feathers, stitches, and coloring materials were given to the children for them to create their own headdress. For the second group, their activity was more active and required the children to do actions. It included two roulettes, one with action words that the child needs to follow before moving onto the next roulette—which contains the description of the object that the child will use to break the cups that are standing. 

Last but definitely not the least, the fourth-year students chose a traditional Mexican Holiday—the Day of the Dead, celebrated to pray and remember friends and relatives who have passed away. As dark as it may seem, the festival actually makes use of colorful skeleton masks or face paint and flowers—which were evident in the class’ booth. Three activities were prepared: shooting balls and making it land on hats that had prizes in them; mask making; and pin the tail. As unique as it sounds, pin the tail is an activity with animals pinned on a board, the children blindfolded and the tasked to pin the tail on each animal. 

Different themes with different activities-- yet there was a still a sense of unity among the batches. It was not only a day dedicated to children, it was a day for the students as well. Being able to interact with the children, mingling with them and socializing with other batches were also one of the many highlights in the event. Hearing the children laugh, squealing and seeing them run around and mingle with one another gives a sense of peace into each student’s heart.

SLP Laboratory--- While the kids were playing with the students, their parents were invited to a seminar held by the program’s very own Mara Jo Bondoc where she facilitated a discussion on parent education and the importance of home activities. The parents also got a chance to share their own ways of teaching their kids through play and everyday activities. 

AMV Multi-Purpose Hall---After spending the day with the kids, the students were invited to a seminar that showcased different guests that overcame their disabilities and succeeded in achieving their dreams. 

One guest was Karl Paolo Pingol who was the leading man of the movie Star na si Van Damme Stallone. His family also shared with the audience the importance of having a good support system. 

Another star, Thara Marie Santiago, serenaded the audience with different songs such as The Climb despite having autism spectrum disorder. Her mother, Geeta Santiago, shared the hardships their family endured throughout their journey of taking care of Thara. However, she expressed how proud she is now with all the success Thara has achieved and the happiness that she brings to all of their hearts. 

Another brave soul, Brian Julain Borlea, shared how he is able to work amidst the battle with autism spectrum disorder. One line from Brian that stuck with the audience was “I’m not normal, I’m special. But I’m as normal as special people go.”