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MANILA, Philippines – It all started on Facebook. Now the Philippine Toy Library (PTL) has bigger dreams for Filipino children in other parts of the country.
The PTL is calling for donations of old toys and children’s books to build toy libraries in Quezon City, Palawan, Cagayan de Oro, Maguindanao and Zamboanga.
On a vacation abroad with the family, PTL President Edsel Ramirez, 38, was struck with the availability of parks and playgrounds for children in their communities. “When we were younger, we used to play games and catch fireflies every afternoon,” Ramirez told. “My friends and I had a lot of fun. These childhood memories were important as I grew up. Now, I wonder how come our major cities in the Philippines didn’t bother to allocate space for play and leisure.”
Thus, he decided to provide the same experience he had when he was a kid to children of Barangay Loyola Heights, Quezon City, where his family lives.
Last February 2011, he posted a status on his Facebook page that he was asking for donations of old toys, children’s books, and materials for building the first Philippine Toy Library.
“My objective was that this library would be a play center built by the community,” Ramirez, a long time-entrepreneur and environment advocate, emphasized. “Everybody had to chip in – local community, village residents, local government and they did.”
The barangay captain committed a space in the barangay hall; the nanays (mothers) of the beneficiaries organized themselves to schedule play time and stewarding the children.
Power of social media
Through the power of social media, village friends were informed and donated old toys, books and art materials that they took out from their own closets. Some committed to build shelves and repaint the space. Youth organizations ran educative and early childhood development programs during the weekends.
“My children’s toys were just taking up space in our rooms. Edsel’s idea was a good one that we were able to help other children through the toys that we bought a long time ago,” Ateneo professor and village neighbor Bobby Guevara shared.
“After operating the PTL Loyola Heights for one year, we could see some changes in the children,” Ramirez told. “The mothers used the PTL time as incentive for their children. They became more disciplined, looked forward to learning and fun, and I guess, appreciated life a little better.”
Ramirez, together with some volunteer-friends, decided that the model could work nationwide.
Last month, they launched their fan page online and only after a few hours, they had close to 50 requests to build toy libraries from Luzon to Mindanao.
“There are thousand barangays, day care centers, public elementary schools and religious centers all over the country that we can build toy libraries for the children,” Ramirez reiterated. “If communities will gather and synergize their efforts locally, we will perhaps have a happier culture.”
The Philippine Toy Library is currently calling for donations to replenish PTL Loyola Heights and to build in Project 4 and Payatas in Quezon City, Culion in Palawan, Cagayan de Oro, Maguindanao and Layag-Layag in Zamboanga.
Clear out closets and PTL is open to accepting old toys, children’s books, art materials, shelves, tables and chairs, rubber matting, paint, etc. Drop off points are in Quezon City, Makati City, Baguio, Bacolod and Zamboanga. – Rappler.com
(Visit http://philippinetoylibrary.wordpress.com/ for more details. Share their story. Like them at Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/PhilippineToyLibrary and email them at info@toylibraryph.com. The article above is courtesy of the Philippine Toy Library.)
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