BIG DREAMS AT BAHAY BULILIT
STRENGTHENING ITS COMMITMENT TO HELP
Filipino children, McDonald’s Philippines through Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) turned over a new Ronald McDonald Bahay Bulilit Learning Center to the residents of Barangay Mintal, the first in Davao City.
In partnership with the City Social Services Development Office (CSSDO) and the local government unit, RMHC provides communities a safe and fun place where young children can learn and play. In Mintal, Davao City, the Ronald McDonald Bahay Bulilit will be open to about 70 chil- dren aged two to five – with two sessions taking place per day accommodating up to 35 children each.
“We are happy to have the first Ronald McDonald Bahay Bulilit in Davao. We hope that inside the learning center, the young children of Barangay Mintal will get a head start in learning the basics, preparing them for formal schooling. RMHC has always been an advocate of children’s education, and the Ronald McDonald Bahay Bulilit is one of our programs that supports this,” says Margot Torres, RMHC vice president and McDonald’s Philippines EVP and deputy managing director. With every Ronald McDonald Bahay Bulilit, RMHC Philippines closely works with local government units to be able to identify priority communities in need of a learning center for children. The land where each Bahay Bulilit is built is donated by the LGUs, with RMHC building the structure of the learning center.
CSSDO then provides social workers who lead in the day-to-day operations, where they are able to engage the children in educational activities as each Bahay Bulilit is given Ronald McDonald Read to Learn kits. Each kit includes big illustrated books fit for storytelling and activity workbooks for children to practice reading and writing to aid in enhancing their literacy.
The Ronald McDonald Bahay Bulilit in Barangay Mintal is the 28th in the country, and the first in Davao City.
Established in 1995, RMHC is driven to make a difference in the lives of Filipino children in education, shelter and happiness. Its flagship programs include the Ronald McDonald Read to Learn program in partnership with the Department of Education, Ronald McDonald Bahay Bulilit in partnership with the Department of Social Welfare and Development and local government units, and Ronald McDonald Bigay Tulong.