In preparation for an upcoming accreditation, Community Outreach and Extension Office (COE) representatives from SDCA’s four schoolsgathered to discuss vital agenda for that year.

The gathering concerned the PACUCOA (Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities Commission on Accreditation) Level II Accreditation. Gaining this accreditation would provideSDCA an edge because the process of accreditation will hone its teaching skills.

GawadKalinga led the Hope Conference to conclude the 2016 Bayani Challengeat the Muntinlupa Complex, Muntinlupa City. The presence and support of the mayor of Muntinlupa, GK volunteers, and the GK beneficiaries, hyped up the ‘hope’ of ending poverty. SDCA’s Community Outreach Extension Officer Ronald Tomines also gave a heartfelt message in front of the audience.

EntrePinoy, a one-word combination of Pinoy Entrepreneur, is an initiative that started at SDCA in 2013. On its second year, the program is going strong.

Products such as banana chips and cassava chips were made by the trained residents of Brgy. Talipusngo and Brgy. LayongMabilog in Maragondon, Cavite. These delicacies are delivered to St. Dominic College of Asia to be sold at the basic education canteen. The profit all goes to the makers from both barangays; the school only serves as a venue of trade to help and ensure that the residents will earn.

In partnership with theBacoor Alliance of Pinagbuklod 2015, St. Dominic College of Asia conducted a yearly commencement activity for scholars at the SDCA-BAP Kindergarten School inTalaba II,Bacoor.

Supported by SDCA, 50 pupils of the school are being given free tuition for a whole year. As graduates of this program, their diplomas and class cards will be issued by SDCA as well. SDCA-BAP Kindergarten School is a recipient of different programs and activities that will be implemented during this school year.

The Community Outreach and Extension Office (COE) presented a report at SDCA’s Faculty Development activity for the year 2016, June 8, at the Doña Dominga Andaman Hall.

Showing its activities for the whole academic year and its new COE representatives for each school, the COEO and its head, COE Officer Ronald Tominespresented the activities planned to fortify the students’ service, dynamism, competence, and accountability.

The Community Outreach and Extension Office annually gives special awards to faculty and staff, graduating students, non-graduating students, and student organizations who contributed to the outreach efforts of St. Dominic College of Asia.

These accolades are the SDCA Award for Excellence in Community Service, the Dominga Ramirez Anico Andaman Community Service Award, the Community Service Award, and the Most Outstanding Student Organization in Community Service Award.

An environment that is clean, smells great, and feels great will surely hype any students for studying. According to Jeffrey Campbell, author of Cleanliness and Learning in Higher Education, cleanliness ranked as the fourth most important building element to impact the students’ personal learning.

With that, SDCA annually extends its hand to a school who needs an extra one in providing clean, fresh, and comfortable study zones for the upcoming new school year. This is why SDCA joined “BrigadaEskwela”, the yearly initiative to clean up public schools all over the country.

With the proceeds collected from the Christmas Chorale Competition on December 17, the “Kusinang Barangay” has now come to life.Two kitchens were installed in SDCA’s adopted communities—one in Barangay LayongMabilog and another one in Barangay Talipusngo. The kitchensare fully equipped with kitchenware useful in everyday cooking and even the production of banana and cassava chips.

Central College Student Council (CCSC) and employees from St. Dominic College of Asia came together for an annual BrigadaEskwela event, June 4, 2016. This year, the school visited Sangley Point National High School in Cavite City.

As part of their community outreach activities, third year students from SDCA’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program conducted an annual Health Assessment for the children attending their chosen beneficiary, LayongMabilog Elementary School,in Maragondon, Cavite.

A total of 102 students from grades 1 to 6 were put under physical assessment. The BSN students found out the top five major health concerns of the children—Poor personal hygiene, poor oral health, head lice, white spots or “an-an”, and scabies or the “Itch mite” were prevalent among the children.

St. Dominic College of Asia and the Bacoor Alliance of Pinagbuklod (BAP) started a partnership in 2013. In the span of almost three years, that bond between the two became a vital aspect of the Community Outreach and Extension Office (COEO).

Their relationship rapidly made a project to institute a pre-elementary school. It was named the SDCA-BAP Kindergarten School, and in the same year the two organizations have partnered, the kindergarten’s first batch was made.

St. Dominic College of Asia, in cooperation with the Bacoor Historical Society, recently published the book “Bacoor Community Life”.

Spearheaded by SDCA President Gregorio A. Andaman, Dr. Carolina P. Danao, and other members of the Bacoor Historical Society, the book talks at length about the olden times and culture of Bacoor City.

St. Dominic College of Asia has planted 1,500 propagules. With that number, we have already occupied 1.5 hectares of allotted land given by the Government Office of Bacoor and supervised by the Department of Agriculture.

Mangrove planting is very beneficial because it attracts coastal fishes and at the same time reduces soil erosion, which provides a higher rate of stability when land and water movements occur.

Students from SDCA’s School of International Hospitality and Tourism Management (SIHTM) celebrated Child Appreciation Day in Layong Mabilog Elementary School (LMES), September 15, 2016 in Maragondon, Cavite.

Two sections of Tourism and Hotel Management students, along with HM and TM advisers Christian Sidiangco and Greg Magtulis, spent most of the day administering activitiesfor children in LMES’ first to third grades.

Students from the School of International Hospitality and Tourism Management (SIHTM) engaged in the Department of Education’s annual “BrigadaEskwela” at Ligas II Elementary School.

The students came from the Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management (BSHM) and Bachelor of Tourism Management programs to extend help in providing a clean school environment for the young pupils of Ligas II.

The School of Health, Sciences, and Professions (SHSP) had acommunity outreach activity in Taguig,Usuan,November 12, 2016.

In partnership with a Christian church, the SHSPcommunity outreach is a humanitarian service that helps not only those from theindigent areas of the country but also to help SHSP students gain more knowledge in their course.

“Building a nation empowered by people with faith and patriotism; a nation made up of caring and sharing communities, dedicated to eradicate poverty and restore human dignity….”

The above quote came from GawadKalinga’s vision. It looks like GK and SDCA is on the same page.

On September 25, 2016, the GawadKalinga Community Development Foundation, Inc (GK) partnered with St. Dominic College of Asia (SDCA) to help building communities for the poor. SDCA President Dr. Gregorio A. Andaman, Jr and GK Movement Team Leader Jose Emilio Oquinena signed the memorandum agreement that officially tied the knot

In the spirit of good-heartedness, high school students from SDCA carried out “BalikEskwela”, SDCA’s gift-giving program. The students cameon the morning of June 1 to LayongMabilog Elementary School in Marogondon, Cavite to bring an estimated 100 gifts in total to the children there.

“BalikEskwela” is a community experience for the students of St. Dominicthat helps them experience community leadership and service, plus gain insight in the rural lifestyle of Maragondon.

Information and Technology (IT) literacy in the world of the new K-12 curriculum is indeed highly essential. Adding the fact that we already live in the cyber age, you don't want to be left out, especially if you are a teacher.

A teacher who faces sprouting gadgets everywhere really needs to become IT-literate to give the best learning methods to their growing students. How can someone be IT-literate anyway?

St. Dominic College of Asia had visited the SDCA-BAP Kindergarten School in TalabaII Bacoor for their annual SDCA-BAP opening event. Officers from the Community Outreach Extension Office (COEO) distributed uniforms alongside theBacoor Alliance of Pinagbuklod officers and members. The COE officers were also able to see the different livelihood programs the BAP was doing for the community—including projects where they made a variety of items ranging from pot holders to baskets intricately designed with shells.

At one of the GawadKalinga construction sites in Parañaque, the Community Outreach Extension Office and the Central College Student Council engaged in a house repainting drive.

“It is called ‘Bayani Challenge’,” according to Community Outreach Extension Officer Ron Tomines,“because it is a challenge to become a bayani, to make an extraordinary thing for your countrymen.”

Community Outreach Extension Officer Ronald Tomines, togetherwith students from the Central College Student Council (CCSC),participated in GawadKalinga’s building project in Dasmarinas, Cavite, Jan. 10. With the mission, “Ending poverty for 5 million families by 2024,” GK and SDCA helped in aiding the less fortunate through building houses.

Eight days before Christmas, Dominicans heard angelic tunes of carols as the Community and Outreach Extension Office (COEO), Research Development Office (RDO), and the Department of Student Affairs and Services (DSAS) conducted a chorale competition.

Through the selling of Christmas Chorale tickets, SDCA raised funds for“KusinangBaranagay” for the benefit of Brgy. LayongMabilog and Brgy. Talipusngoin Maragondon, Cavite.

The newly appointed Community Outreach and Extension (COE) Officer, Ronald Tomines, kicked off AY 2015-2016 with a meeting to lay things accordingly.

Attended by all Community Outreach (CO) Coordinatorsfrom all departments, agenda and other matters were treated properly asTomines presented the Annual Plan of Activities for theacademic year. The COE officer also appointed students as CO co-coordinatorsfor each department, who would disseminate and guide their fellow students whenever the COEO does an activity.

Though Philippines is internationally known by its ecosystem, they are being destroyed by our hands. It is becoming a victim of our own heedlessness… And so comes the birth of this drive.

To expose the 16 first-year Global Tourism delegates from Nagasaki University to SDCA’s core values, the Community Outreach and Extension Office (COEO) spearheaded a tree-planting activity for them at Brgy. LayongMabilog, Maragondon, Cavite.

Officers from SDCA’s Community Outreach Extension Office, in partnership with CAPSU,went to Maragondon, Cavite for their first harvest of mushroom oysters.

A product of training sessions conducted last April 2016,the mushroom oyster harvesting event is a program that will make the growing of mushroom oysters one of the top livelihoods in the community of Maragdondon.