Augusinian Mirror 2009 Issue H

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2009 Calendar 35Colegio San Agustin, Makati

released a 2009 CommemorativeCalendar in celebration of its 40thFounding Anniversary. The calendar,

donning the colors of the school,featured Augustinian values beingfocused on for each month of the year.

Released in both wall and desk calendar formats, it featured thewinning masterpiece of talented

Augustinians who participated in an artcontest for the said commemorativecalendar held earlier on. Sayings of thegreat Doctor of the Church, St.

Augustine, is set at the bottom of eachcalendar page sharing to us a piece of his

wisdom.Calendars existed even in the oldtimes. It kept on changing over the yearsuntil it finally settled on one. Today, weuse calendars to keep track of days anddates. It is so that we would be able totalk about deadlines, meetings andevents without trouble or confusion.

36 C o f f e e T a b l e B oo k

by Lara Andrea R. Montales

by Manuel Suplic

To celebrate the school's 40thanniversary, Colegio San Agustin, Makatiwill launch a Coffee Table Book entitled"Augustinian Glimpses" on August. The book will showcase essays and poetry from thePreschool Department up to the High SchoolDepartment.

The edition will also present literaryarticles written by personnel, alumni, and

Augustinian priests. The issue will also

feature 40 ways on how to practice theschool's core values, namely: simplicity,concern for the common good, friendship,respect and concern for God's creation,service to the Church, search for truth,interiority, humility, justice and peace, andleadership and commitment.

AUGUST IN IAN

GLIMPSES



March 19,2009

Dear Fr. Rodriguez,

Greetings on the 4Oth foundation anniversary of Colegio San Agustin! From Bible times to

now, the number 40 has held significance in many events and stories. Here is another story.Today is my 4Oth birthday and I have many, many reasons to thank the Lord for all the

blessings He has given me and all my answered prayers. I have a loving husband (you married us9 years ago) and four beautiful children. I have always dreamed of building a house we can callour own and now I can say that God has answered this prayer too — in the most wonderful waythat humbles me. I believe that the CSA - Gawad Kalinga Village project is God's way of saying,"Yes, you can build a house...for a family who needs it."

So from our family, especially my four sisters (who are fellow alumnae) and theirhusbands, and our mother who taught us charity and love for neighbor through her example, tothat family in Taguig, whose prayers for a house will soon be answered, we humbly offer this giftin thanksgiving to God.

Now my 4Oth year has special significance.

Yours in St. Augustine,

Isang Kaibigan

37C S A - G K P r o j e c t

G K P R O J E

C T

Colegio San Agustin's High School Batch '85

stormed back into campus with good news to givehomes to our poor brothers and sisters last September

2009.

In celebration of the forty years of CSA, the school

partnered and signed a memorandum of agreement with Gawad Kalinga — a nation

developing movement that builds homes for the poor aiming to stop poverty, last February 6, 2009. CS

broke ground at the GK site last February 16, 2009 in Purok 5, Barangay Napindan, Taguig City. From i

original goal of building forty houses, the school takes pride in saying that it has raised enough money t

construct more than forty homes with community facilities for about 176 families. The GK Build is ongoin

with different sectors of the school – students, teachers, parents, alumni, and other volunteers – visiting th

site every weekend. As one family, we proclaim “Bawat Agustino, Bayaning Totoo.”

Gawad Kalinga (GK - “to give care”) is an ambitious movement aiming to address poverty

Philippine urban and rural slums through building houses for the homeless. GK promotes family values an

cooperation, initiates economic productivity and sufficiency, environmental values and programs, and seek

to improve education, values and changing the nature of politics in the country.

Last 2003, GK initiated the GK777 to build 700,000 homes in 7,000 communities, in 7 years by sharin

time and resources and voluntary work. Since then, it has built over 30,000 homes in over 2,000 communitie

of varying stages of development for the poorest the poor and initiated activities in several other countrie

with intentions of going global. The core strategy of GK is to build beautiful, healthy and productiv

communities where the poorest of the poor will live in dignity and can begin building a better future fo

themselves and their children.

by Cassandra Ysabel P. Reyes



It was my first time in the Philippines, and Iwas very nervous because I had never been in acountry where I could not speak the language.However, the moment I landed, my heart began to relaxfor there were friendly people everywhere. People at theairport were smiling, and Mrs. Milagros S. Contreras, CSA'sStudent Activity Coordinator, welcomed us enthusiastically atthe airport. When we arrived as CSA, my home stay family - the Luz

family, were already waiting welcoming me so warmly. My nervousnesswas going away already. People in the Philippines are so warm andwelcoming!

The next day, we trekked some villages that the Gawad Kalingabuilt. We entered into the slum areas, and I was so surprised. I had neverseen anything like this before. Believe it or not, in Japan, we do not haveslum areas. However, I was surprised not only about the environment,but the children there as well. Despite the squalor, they were all smilingand coming up to us. They spoke with us through hand gestures, for wedid not understand Tagalog. But it was enough. They brightened our day,especially after a long hot day of walking.

We started work at the site on the very first day. That day wasvery hot, and we were not used to working in such hot weather. Also, wediscovered that there weren't many tools available for us to use. Therewere no drills, proper ladders, cement mixers, and pulleys. It was a verydangerous working site, and we were all worried for our safety.However, again, with warm, welcoming people working alongside us, wewere motivated to work hard. We spent six days at the site. Each dayseemed very long. We would work for the whole day in the sun and someof us would get exhausted, but after a brief rest, we would get up rightaway and get back to work. We had come here to build houses—not restin the sun and get a tan.

Even after the six days of work with fifteen students working, wecould not finish the house completely. In Japan, you could finish thatkind of house in one day with only about five workers. I think we could

have finished it if we had the equipment. We all felt that it would alsohelp if we sent Gawad Kalinga not only workers and money, butmachinery and equipment to make the work more efficient. That wouldbe our next project in school—to raise money for equipment to purchasethese.

On the last day of work, it was time for us to say our goodbyes. Wedid not know when we would see each other again. It was a veryemotional time for us. That was when that I realized that we did not onlybuild homes—we built friendship as well. It was supposed to be avolunteer trip in which we gave to the people in need, but they gave us apriceless souvenir of loving memories to take home with us. I,personally, gained not only knowledge about the outside world, butfeelings of affection to the people in need. They gave me love and

friendship. I had the opportunity to feel and experiencesomething that I would never have been able to back home.

The 2009 Spring Break that I spent in the Philippineswas worth much more than a week spent at Louis Vuitton andChanel stores back in Japan. I will carry this treasure that Igained in the Philippines for the rest of my life. This trip hasmotivated me to do more service around the world—to seemore smiles on more people's faces. Thank you CSA for thisopportunity, and I hope to go back there soon and work withGawad Kalinga again.

G K P R O J E C T

3 8

c s a - m a r i s t g k e x

p e r i e n c

e

by Reina Shintani

28



39

Level 3

The eagles soar higher asthe Phil ippine Accredit ing

Association of Schools Collegesand Universities (PAASCU)observed Colegio San Agustin lastNovember 19-20, 2008. It wassaid that "...Colegio San Agustin isvery comport when coming toschool policies..." -Ms. MayleneMallari,PAASCU board member,librarian, Assumption Antipolo,

stating that it is one of thereasons why Colegio San Agustindeserved to receive a level threeaccreditation status for the gradeschool department.

The breaking news wasannounced last December 15,2008, although the granting of the highest accreditation for thegrade school department waseffectively taken last January 3,2009, and the title will remainvalid until November 2012. For

the past years Colegio San A g us t in has b e e n h ig h lyaccredited four times since 1983and in lieu with this we canproudly say that fruitfully we'llcelebrate the upcoming 40thanniversary of CSA this comingJuly 2009.

This esteemed status willnot have been granted withoutthe e f forts o f Fr .Horac ioRodriguez, O.S.A., Rector and GSPrincipal; Dr. Amelia G. Ronquillo,GS Assistant Principal; and therest of the dynamic GS Faculty.

They are the prime reasonfor the department’s notablesuccess, a proud testament of their effort and perseverance.

PAASCU ACCREDITATIOn by Cassandra F. Soriano

29



40

30

th Anniversary Celebrations Academic Year 2009-

2010 officially marks the4 0 t h F o u n d i n g Anniversary of ColegioSan Agustin.

It is in this year that

we commemorate andcelebrate four decadeso f e n d e a v o r s , o f

continuous progress, and of unparalleled triumphs!

In this Ruby Anniversary of the school, animpressive line-up of activities is in store for the year

– among which include a grand exhibit of the school'sremarkable achievements both as an institution andas an academic body – an arm of society that moldsthe minds of this country's future leaders and prime

movers.In addition, a grand parade that promises to

show a spectacle of the school's significant events isin the offing - a rare opportunity to glimpse the past.

These and a number of other well-plannedactivities are bound to make CSA’s 40th Founding

Anniversary year a true celebration of the preciousgem that it is.

Welcome to CSA’s “Treasures of Yesteryears,Presents of Today!”



Last summer of 2008, My momand I went to Ilocos Norte. We went tothe old St. Augustine Church. We triedto go up to the bell tower for fun but wefailed. As we walked away from thetower, we saw a little bird maybe whohad fallen from its nest. We took itto the hotel where we stayed andconsidered it as a member of ourfamily. We named it “Chirpy”. Day byday, it hopped, it chirped and ate a lot -

it made our summer vacation moremeaningful.

We decided to bring it home toMakati. On our way, I put it on my lapwith a cage but when I woke up in themorning, I found out Chirpy was dead!My mom and I were very sad. It brokeour hearts. I cried for my pet. I’ll neversee my Chirpy again.

But after two weeks, believe itor not, a stray bird bigger than Chirpy

entered my room! I thought Chirpycame back. We took care of Chirpy “Damulag”, but of unknown reason,after five days, it was dead.

Again I was sad but not so sadbecause I know someone will take careof my first little Chirpy up there inHeaven!

Thank you, Chirpy “Damulag”!

A fledgling Augustinian tale... Featured Story

Inset:Gabriel’s original story set on artwork

Gabriel posing in front of St. Augustine Churchin Paoay where he found “Little Chirpy”

Gabriel, cuddling “Little Chirpy”

Ou r y o u n g A u g u s t i n i a n ,

L e o n a r d o G a b r i e l A s e j o o f 5wa s i n G r a d e 4 wh e n h e w r o t e

t h i s a c c o u n t a b o u t h i sm e m o r a b l e e n c o u n t e r s w i t h

L i t t l e C h i r p y a n d C h i r p y“D a m u l a g ” - a p t l y e n t i t l e d “M y

C h i r p y ”, t h i s s i m p l e y e t

i n s p i r i n g s t o r y e x e mp l i f i e sh o w o u r l i t t l e A u g u s t i n i a n s

l i v e b y t h e c o d e o f o n e o ft h e A u g u s t i n i a n C o r e Va l u e

- R e s p e c t a n d C o n c e r n f o rG o d ’s c r e at i o n .



M y d o g g y a t e m y h o m e wo r k . . .by Luigi Abcede

T WO M UL E ST WO M UL E ST WO M UL E S

cartoons Just a little fun and games. Are you one of them?

DOOD L E S :

C a n y o u t e l l wh a t e a c h

d o o d l e r e p r e s e n t s ?

1 2 3

4 5 6

7 8 9

Find your way through the ma

D o n ’t b e a T U R K E YT h e r e ’s a b i r di n m y w o r d !

Find the bird words

hidden in these words

eternally

hyphenationbowlingcrowdedgulliblestealingbeagle

regretted

cravenprobing

T h e r e ’ s a b i r d i n m y w o r d ! 1 . t e r n

2 . h e n

3 . o w l

4 . c r o w 5 . g u l l

6 . t e a l 7 . e a g l e

8 . e g r e t 9 . r a v e n

1 0 . r o b i n

D o n ’ t b e a T u r k e y ! ! !

A n s w e r s : D o o d l e s

1 . a f e a t h e r t h r o u g h a

k e y h o l e 2 . t w o b u g s f i g h t i n g 3 . c a t e r p i l l a r c r a w l i n g u p a

w i l l o w p l a n t 4 . t w o f r i e d e g g s 5 . m o n e y t a l k s 6 . n u m b e r 2 l o o k i n g i n

a m i r r o r

7 . a c e n t i p e d e o u t o f s t e p

8 . t w o s a i l b o a t s a n d a s t e a m e r

s h i p o n t h e h o r i z o n

9 . a s n a k e p l a y i n g w i t h a

h u l a - h o o p

G a m e s w e r e l i f t e d f r o m t h e “ B r a i n G a m e s ” & “ D i d y o u k n o w t h a t ? ” s e r i e s

Augusinian Mirror 2009 Issue H

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