Center Operation
Contact Wimwim!
Director of Operations
Helena Claire A. Canayong, fondly known as Wimwim, is a graduate of the University of the Philippines in the Visayans with a Bachelors of Arts in Social Sciences major in Economics, and she 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 and also worked as an Administrative and Finance Officer.
Wimwim served as VFV’s Community Program Coordinator for seven years and oversaw all programs and offerings in both the local community and outreach projects. Wimwim is best known for initiating one of VFV’s most successful welfare projects that rehabilitates youths at the garbage dump site north of Tacloban. In February 2013, Wimwim became the Director of Operations for Volunteer for the Visayans; she is now tasked with leading Volunteer for the Visayans and directing their services, while she promotes the organization’s primary mission and vision.
Administrative Officer
Laila Uyvico is a graduate of AMA Computer University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Science. Laila joined Volunteer for the Visayans in 2012 after working previously as an Accounting Assistant and Administrative Registrar for other companies. Today Laila undergoes the busy task of ensuring that all of the organization’s financial and administrative tasks are processed – a crucial role in the life cycle of an NGO. Aside from this, Laila provides cross-program support by assisting VFV’s Volunteer, Sponsorship, and Community Programs as needed.
Utility
Salvacion Noquera started last 2007 as a local volunteer assisting with the Community Feeding here in our Bliss community center. She is also one of the first member of the Mothers Club and later chosen as a member of the Laura’s Craft. Together, with the help of her fellow members they made different kinds of crafts like flowers made from paper, ladies bags, school bags of our sponsored children were most importantly they also help with the environment by recycling. Currently, she is now responsible for the preparation of the Nutrition Project for our sponsored children residing here in Bliss and in the surrounding communities and also helps with the beautification and cleanliness of our community center. She also provides cross program support by assisting VFV’s Volunteer, Sponsorship and Community Program when needed.
Volunteer Program
Lead Volunteer Program Coordinator
Ester Costim is a graduate of the University of the Philippines Tacloban College with Bachelor of Science in Biology degree. Ester previously worked as a research assistant for a Fisheries professor at a state university. Being a government scholar in her secondary and tertiary education, Ester felt privileged to be able to give back by working in a non profit organization that supports education, child welfare, and community development. Ester is responsible for looking after international and local volunteers alike. She assists in the program orientation, city tour, placement orientation and basic waray-waray lessons for volunteers. She is also partly responsible for looking after over a hundred sponsored children under the Sponsorship Program.
Assistant Volunteer Program Coordinator
Rico Alvarez is a former child under VFV’s Dumpsite Project, who studied Hotel Restaurant Services but was unable to finish. He later volunteered with some construction projects before he joined as a staff. He started with VFV as an Assistant Community Program Coordinator in 2015, assisting with the Nutrition Project, Dumpsite Project, Build-A-Home Project, and other related activities of the Community Program. The pandemic affected his employment in 2020. He returned as the Assistant Volunteer Program Coordinator in September 2022. He assists in the program orientation, city tour, placement orientation and basic waray-waray lessons for volunteers. He also perform tasks from other program.
Sponsorship Program
Lead Sponsorship Program Coordinator
Crisel Macabare is a graduate from Leyte Normal University with a Bachelors Degree in Elementary Education major in General Education. She had her license as Professional Teacher on year 2008 after passing the Teachers Board Exam. Prior to being appointed as a Sponsorship Coordinator, Crisel was a local volunteer for VFV, working on both the Volunteer and Child Sponsorship Programs. Today, Crisel assists the Sponsorship Program in providing social welfare services for over 170 disadvantaged children. Aside from this she is also responsible for coordinating weekend tutorials for sponsored children in Bliss and assisting with communication with international child sponsors, as well as conducting interviews and updating sponsor child profile.
Assistant Sponsorship Program Coordinator
Cristino Fornillos started as a caretaker of Cangumbang Center in Palo, Leyte in 2016. He maintains the cleanliness of the center, assist the Sponsorship Program Coordinators during feeding or any organized activities of the organization. He started working in Volunteer for the Visayans year 2019 as Assistant Sponsorship Program Coordinator. He is assisting the Lead Sponsorship Program Coordinator providing social welfares, feeding, subsidy distribution, other organized activities, and concerns to our over 277 sponsored children in Tacloban City and nearby municipalities.
Community Program
Community Program Coordinator
John Balanlay is a former die-hard local volunteer who conveniently lives next door to our community center in Bliss, Sagkahan. Today he is responsible for working as the Community Program Coordinator and helps oversee and assist operations for the Dumpsite Project, the Nutrition Project, and several of VFV’s Local Community Clubs. John regularly works alongside international volunteers and helps to spread awareness and understanding of VFV’s projects amongst volunteer participants. In his spare time John likes to sit back, reflect on philosophy, and drink a big mug of coffee.