GASFI Bataan celebrates 1st Founding Anniversary

GASFI-Bataan has celebrated its 1st founding anniversary at the academy last September 4, 2010.

146 children ages 2 – 12 year old, with their parents and guardians enjoyed listening to stories and learned the value of spending quality time with their family through reading.

Yishay Flores, a 2-year old girl from Mariveles, Bataan, enjoyed listening to the stories read by MAAP cadets while eating her ice cream.

Ms. Susan Murillo, GASFI-Bataan unit coordinator, presented how GASFI-Bataan was formed, what activities they have done and how it changed their lives.     She proudly announced they had accomplished many extension services thru book reading and book giving to few day care centers, primary school and few communities in Bataan and even to Pampanga.

She added that they have now 569 members (MAAP employees and cadets,; principals and teachers; seafarers and their families; and other members) since it was founded last year.

Ms. Marissa Oca-Robles, president and founder of GASFI, said that she was very happy and thankful that Bataan had accomplished many things through spreading of the reading virus. She informed that they have successfully published ten (10) GASFI books this year and the “Lost at Sea”, one of the GASFI books, was chosen to put on film and produced as a movie entitled “Laot” which was also shown in the said activity.

Ms. Oca has also provided ice creams (dirty ice cream with Mamang Sorbetero) as a treat to the children after the GASFI activity.

Apart from movie preview and Read Aloud program, distribution of books was also performed. The activity which starts at 9:00 o’clock in the morning lasted until 12:00 o’clock in the afternoon.  

Aside from the children, more than 200 people (MAAP employees, MAAP cadets and other guests) had attended the said event and also fall in line and enjoyed their ice creams. (sef)

GASFI

"God is good and God is great!”, a sentiment outburst by Ms. Marissa Oca-Robles everytime she will introduce GASFI to the public.

Gig and the Amazing Sampaguita Foundation, Inc. or simply GASFI is an organization that aims to promote strong family ties and create special bond between parents and their children through book reading.

It is founded in memory of her book-loving son, Gig. She has been roving around the country to promote the Read Aloud and the 20 Minutes at Bedtime programs, book readings of at least 20 minutes to children.

She said that reading, by far, has been the most nurturing activity she have shared with her children because they enjoyed how reading brought the three of them together to focus on one enjoyable journey of words and pictures. She added that reading, especially in a loud voice or aloud would help children develop their speech patterns, pronunciation, vocabulary, listening skills and comprehension.

In cooperation with the Associated Marine Officers’ and Seamen’s Union of the Philippines (AMOSUP) – Philippine Transport and General Workers Organization-International Transport Federation (PTGWO-ITF), the foundation has also spearheaded a reading advocacy for families of our seafarers, especially their children, to develop a strong reading habit that they will carry to their adulthood.

On September 4, 2009, she visited the Maritime Academy of Asia and the Pacific (MAAP) and the GASFI-Bataan was formed where she delegate Ms. Susan Murillo as the Bataan Unit Coordinator. Ms. Murillo has pledged to give her full support through extension service such as provision of books to day care centers, primary and secondary schools of Bataan.

In compliance with the objective of the foundation, MAAP employees and midshipmen’s English Club (members of GASFI) had already extended their services thru book reading and book giving to few day care centers and primary school in Mariveles.

Aside from Bataan, GASFI has established six more units all over the Philippines such as Manila, Iloilo, Cebu, Davao and Cavite.