Aldersgate College: Establishing a Secure and Stable Community

Through the Pangkalusugan- Pangkabuhayan Outreach Program Bidding Villa Adriano Adieu After five momentous years of helping attain community needs, and address livelihood and health care concerns of the people of Villa Adriano (Busilac, Nueva Vizcaya), Aldersgate College is now sending off this partner-barangay which has slowly evolved into a self -sustained, independent and self -reliant community through the VAPPOP -Villa Adriano Pangkalusugan Pangkabuhayan Outreach Program. This program as the brainchild of Aldersgate College served as an awakening for a remarkable improvement in social relations, community involvement and services as well as the struggle of the people of the barangay for educational reformation. In turn, the trust of Villa Adriano people to AC has put up a strong bond between the college and its adopted community that enabled the school to set, implement, and achieve goals which truly have brought forth sustainable development and enthusiasm of the people to have meaningful lives.

Welcome Barangay Bonifacio!

Aldersgate College which continually sets its aspirations and high hopes of reaching out to other communities that pose enormous needs for community development, has conducted a probe of the next community to be adopted and developed. The School of Medical Sciences known for its advocacies in health and society building will extend its mission program this year to its new partner community. The following are the pre-set categories used as bases in choosing a partner community.

1. The community should have at least a minimum of 50 family heads as residents.

2. The community is considered underdeveloped as to technology and underserved as to various services and programs of the government.

3. The community possesses natural and social resources which can be utilized to enhance a healthy and progressive life.

4. The community offers opportunities for students’ effective learning experiences in their development and preparation to become competent health professionals.

5. The community residents should be able to extend their cooperation for active involvement in the achievement of implemented programs for the welfare of everybody.

6. Community leaders should be able to demonstrate effective leadership roles for sustainability of programs implemented for the interest of the public.

An ocular survey of one of the candidate communities was done at Barangay Bonifacio, Quezon Nueva Vizcaya after the courtesy call on February 4, 2009, at the municipal hall of Quezon. It was participated by the new set of student officers and volunteers who were organized to lead the school’s extension program. Consequentially, the following characteristics of Brgy. Bonifacio, Quezon, Nueva Vizcaya, were unveiled to make them qualify as the next beneficiary of the school’s extension program:

1. Population: Brgy. Bonifacio Quezon has 150 households with a total population of 612 (Source: Barangay Nutrition Scholar Form. 1A of 2006.)

2. Electricity: Only one sitio out of 8 has electricity provided by NUVELCO thus majority of the households depend on gas and kerosene lamps for their lighting needs.

3. Transportation: The road going to the 7 other sitios, which do not have electricity, is poorly developed. The place can only be reached by hiking, carabao-back riding or riding a sled pulled by a carabao. During rainy seasons, the roads are muddy making it inaccessible to the public.

4. Agriculture: Corn, one of the major crops in Bonifacio, is planted twice a year. It has yield ranging from 35 to 55 cavans per hectare. Another crop is rice, planted twice a year yielding an average of 70 to 76 cavans per hectare.

5. Land Area: Brgy. Bonifacio has an approximate total land area of 1,950 hectares. 72% or 1,400 hectares are used mainly for agricultural purposes, while 28% or 550 hectares are open spaces which account for unfilled land. Land proportion is complimentary for profit depending on the communication with the land owners of the place.

6. Community Thrusts:

6.1. The barangay people aiming at boosting up their health and economic status proffered their neighborhood for partnership to Aldersgate College through the School of Medical Sciences as the school’s frontliner in quality nursing practice highlighting the following important points: *the goal which is promotion and preservation of health of the population; and *the enhancement of students’ acquired knowledge, skills and positive attitudes in providing health care services to become competent health care professionals in the future

6.2. Willingness and acceptance of every opportunity for learning and programs geared to improve their lifestyle were demonstrated by the community residents.

6.3. The residents of the area through the Barangay officials led by Brgy. Captain Pepito Ballagan made their way beyond cynicism in expressing their readiness in continuing and maintaining the program’s activities and plans. The School of Medical Sciences, the student volunteers, together with the help and assistance of the instructors in-charge and advisers are still in the process of formulating specific programs for the adopted community. Family health survey forms were already prepared and are now available. As soon as the team has completed gathering, compiling and interpreting data from the ongoing family health assessment survey in the community, formal programs will be made that will address the needs of the next partner community.#