‘Puno ng Pangarap’

I am a determined believer that the kindness of people builds dreams. When people gather to help, it is an assurance that one’s dream is being engineered.

Last Thursday, at the Christmas Tree lighting event of Dusit Thani Hotel in Makati City, Ma. Isabel Fundales, 12 and Nikki Lou Nicomedes, 13, both Grade 6 pupils of the Divine Healer Academy in Cabid-an, Sorsogon, expressed their resolute will that the generosity and compassion of the human spirit towards them would help them achieve their dreams. 

From Sorsogon, they took the 12-hour bus ride to Manila to attend the ceremonies because their school is participating in the yearly Christmas tree contest of the hotel. If their tree wins in the contest, they will bring home the prize money, which will help in ensuring the education of the 365 underprivileged but deserving students of the Divine Healer Academy for another school year. 

Their Christmas tree is titled Puno ng Pangarap — which can either mean Tree of Dreams or Full of Dreams, depending on where you put the stress in “Puno.” Their tree is made of bamboo poles and twigs and filled with 365 bamboo stars and Christmas balls wrapped in rice paper. It’s very interesting and heartwarming to read the wishes of the children that they wrote on the Christmas balls — “to have a simple umbrella,” “to have something for Noche Buena,” “to see Manila,” “for our benefactors to have good health,” “for our parents to continue to love us,” “for Santa to take care of Papa Jesus.” Others are not wishes but simple notes of gratitude — for the simple food that they have on the table, for their health, for their education, for the people who believe so much in them, even for their classmates who share their lunchbox to those who don’t have food during lunchtime in school.

Bamboo is their inspiration for their tree because the grass grows abundantly in the thickets of Cabid-an. Every day, they cross makeshift bamboo footbridges to go to school. They even cross rivers when they walk several kilometers to and from school, sometimes unmindful of the overflow.

Puno ng Pangarap is painted in flaming red, perhaps the color that they chose for people to stop and ogle at its beauty. Or probably it was painted red because the students want to bring to the consciousness of the people in Manila that their school needs every possible help it can gather because every single act of kindness will translate into the materialization of a student’s dream.

The students’ tree is design-inspired by Rachy Cuna, the only floral architect of the Philippines and a long-time supporter of the school. Rachy delivered a lecture to some students and teachers of the school and made the students create the Christmas tree of their dream. The students gathered the bamboo poles themselves in the open fields of Cabid-an. The male students made the bamboo lanterns while the female students painted them red using their hands. The making of the tree is captured on video and is now playing beside their Christmas tree at Dusit Thani.

“All our school mates wanted to be at the Christmas tree lighting but it is impossible for all of us to be here. So, we prepared a video presentation to represent each one who helped in making our tree possible,” said Nikki Lou and Isabel. 

The Divine Healer Academy is the only school outside Metro Manila that joined the Christmas tree contest of Dusit. It is also the only school whose chosen beneficiary is itself. Other schools that joined are Singapore School Manila, German European School Manila, MGC New Life Christian Academy, Miriam College Grade School, Paref Southridge School, De La Salle Zobel, Everest School Manila and Mahatma Ghandi International School.

The Divine Healer Academy was founded by a healing priest named Fr. Gerard Deveza in 2003. What started as a small classroom fashioned from the old convent of the nuns of the Sisters Servant of the Divine Healer congregation in Sorsogon has now become a lush one-hectare, multi-structured academy with 365 students from Kinder to third year high school. Through the Healing Servants’ Foundation, the non-profit organization put up by Fr. Gerard to help in gathering funds for the school, all these students get a free quality education from the 22 teaching staff of the school. They also get for free their school supplies, bags, shoes, uniform, among others.

***

Isabel and Nikki Lou were blushing red when a GMA-7 news reporter interviewed them during the Christmas tree lighting. It was their first time to be interviewed on TV. The lady reporter asked them for their Christmas wishes.

“I want for my family to be complete on Christmas Day and to have a simple Noche Buena,” answered Nikki Lou, who dreams to become a doctor one day.

“I also want for my family to experience what Noche Buena is like. And more school supplies,” said Isabel, whose ambition is to become a teacher.

The lady reporter asked why their Christmas wishes seemed to be simple.

“That’s all we need to make our Christmas happy and meaningful,” said Isabel.

“Hindi naman po importante ang bonggang bagay. Importante po kumpleto ang pamilya, nagmamahalan (It is not important to receive expensive gifts. What is important is a complete family with members who love each other),” said Nikki Lou.

During the cocktails at the lobby of Dusit, Isabel and Nikki Lou, together with their teachers Thelma Engay and Lito Dominguez and other members of the Healing Servants’ Foundation, enjoyed the food fare. The two girls relished with joy the California maki and were even thrilled to announce to the group that it was their first time to eat sushi.

While they were enjoying the sumptuous fare that Dusit prepared for everyone, Lucy Lee, a member of the foundation, told the two girls to send a text message to their parents in Sorsogon to watch the news that night because their TV interview would be aired.

“Wala po kaming TV sa bahay (We don’t have a TV set at home),” said Isabel with a smile. Her smile was so sincere, devoid of sadness. There was no longing in her tone for her family to own a TV set. Even without it, Isabel said she feels complete.

***

The completion of the dreams of Isabel and Nikki Lou and the other 363 students of the Divine Healer Academy is partly dependent on the kindness of people. This early, Fr. Gerard dreams of increasing the enrolment next year to 500 students. He also dreams of offering vocational courses, and perhaps a future college so the fruition of the children’s dreams can be realized all the more. Father believes in miracles. The children believe that they will be blessed with more people willing to help.

It is true that the kindness of people heals. The kindness of people also builds dreams. The Divine Healer Academy is a testament to the unwavering spirit of kind-hearted souls and the infinite love of God.

(To vote for your favorite Christmas tree, click LIKE on the Facebook fan page of Dusit Thani Manila then LIKE on the photo of your choice. Another way of voting is through ballot boxes available at all the food outlets of Dusit Thani Manila.)

(If you wish to help, please call Fr. Gerard Deveza at 0917-538-2033. E-mail me at bumbaki@yahoo.com or follow me on Twitter @bum_tenorio. Have a blessed Sunday!)