New Center Staff

by Crislyn Portia Garcia

With the growth of the Volunteer for the Visayans comes the need - and most welcome addition - of some people to the family of the Volunteer for the Visayans.

Ethel Mae A. Arce, Assistant Director of the VFV, is a graduate of the University of the Philippines in the Visayas, with a degree in Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences major in Economics. She is also currently a second year law student and had the opportunity to work both in the private and government sectors. Since high school she has been involved with social welfare related activities such as medical mission and outreach programs for the indigent. Having a high-spirited personality, she has good rapport with children and the local people. Further on, she also directs the volunteer placements.

Helena Claire F. Arong, fondly called as Wimwim, is the director of the community center at Bliss. She supervises the new project of working with the youth at the garbage dump site, north of Tacloban. She is also a graduate of the University of the Philippines in the Visayas with a degree in Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences major in Economics, and earned her Masters in Business Administration at the International Academy for Economics and Management. During her final year in college, she volunteered as a research and training assistant for an NGO and after graduation served as the Research and Training Specialist for Micro-Enterprise Development while working as their Administrative and Finance Officer for the same NGO.

Jenette T. Fariola, a Communication Arts graduate of the University of the Philippines in the Visayas, manages the children sponsorship programs. After graduation, she worked for the Department of Social Welfare and Development Regional Office before she started at the Volunteer for the Visayans. She has been involved in various social welfare activities. Jenette is also a news correspondent to one of the local papers in the city. Currently, the Volunteer for the Visayans maintains sponsorship programs with needy children in Bliss Housing project, Tanauan and Santa Fe. Jenette coordinates all activities from feeding, medical aid, tutorials, home projects and the big brother/sister (Kuya/Ate) program. She also coordinates the screening of families and facilitates the communications with the sponsors.

Mark Anthony A. Hoseña, otherwise known as Tonton, is active in promoting community development awareness. He has also managed many of the recent construction projects initiated by the Volunteer for the Visayans. Tonton lives in the accommodations at the community center providing 24-hour contact for volunteers and community members. He is a working student and is currently taking up Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences major in Social Welfare & Community Development.

Carina C. Mardo, a working student, is currently involved in various activities facilitated by the organization. She is an assistant coordinator and is mainly involved with the program of the organization focusing on the needs of the kids in Bliss. Among the other things she adds to the organization, she also facilitates playtime programs (i.e. coloring and drawing) and eskwele-eskwela sessions on Mathematics. She also manages to share her time to the Adopt-a-School program of VFV as well as coordinate with the City Health for the other projects of VFV.