Squadron Features:
The Wing hosted its 1st
Parenting Workshop
The Wing hosted the 1st Parenting Workshop spearheaded by the Chairman, GAD Committee, the Deputy Wing Commander, 205THW, COL RAOUL ROMMEL DC HONASAN PAF(GSC) last 10 February 2018. Prior to the event, the Chairman and board members conducted a series of GAD Meetings and conferences to plan the projected activity including the coordination of the availability of the resource speakers. Finally, coordination was made and scheduled the said activity on the 10th day of February which was participated by married couples and their immediate sons and daughters ages 10-19 years old.
On or about 10 0730H February 2018, registration among personnel were initiated and properly accounted. Through the combined efforts of GAD members and personnel, appropriate needs among participants were addressed and provided.
The program was formally opened and welcomed by the Deputy Wing Commander, 205THW. During his speech, he shared his lifestory when he experienced hopelessness in life. In his prayer he once said, “Lord deprive me of everything sa buhay, just don’t deprive me of being a parent.” He also added the strong principle of LTGEN MISON when he shared that Life is a continuous juggling of five balls such as (1) Work, (2) Relationship with God, (3) Family, (4) Friends, and (5) Peers. He relates the last three balls as crystal balls wherein if these balls were broken you cannot afford to repair it and be of the same figure. As he concludes his speech, he shared a wisdom to married couples that is to allow their children to do things for themselves, let them be a better person.
The workshop started with an Animal Test as part of the lecture in Getting-to-Know-You. Participants had the chance to share animals they like and what personality it represents. The Chairman himself joined the said opening activity and chose the dog since according to him, it is friendly and loyal as well as the protector of our respective houses.
During the activity, the lecturers from POPCOM gave information about the programs/services they offered and shared the current status of the Philippines particularly in Cebu regarding the Young Adult Fertility Study. Study shows that the teenage pregnancy rate is very high in Cebu. Lack of sex education among parents and teenagers is the main reason of unwanted pregnancy for adolescents. Also, it is alarming to note that there is an increase rating of females who watch X-rated movies. They also emphasized that in the new administration, there is a need to recognize the relevance of population interventions with regards to the platform of national development. They are showing a strong political will to fully implement the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health (RPRH) Law and execute the issued Executive Order No. 12 which is to urgently attain zero unmet need for modern family planning as one of the legacies of the Philippine Health Agenda.
A breakout session was done wherein the couples and their children
were separated into two (2) groups.For the Children, a series of activities were given in order to determine the dominance of the child’s brain, whether the child is left brained or right brained. The House-Tree-Person Test was also conducted wherein the children were tasked to draw a house, a tree and a person to determine the child’s personality. A series of short films relating to child issues were also presented by the lecturer. Finally, the children were asked to write letters for their parents.
During the couple’s hour, the lecturer talked about forgiveness, wherein it is not considered forgiveness if they are shutting their eyes on the reality, overlooking, looking for justice, forgetting the offense done, and being passive. Instead, forgiveness is the freedom from hatred (forgiveness diminishes the pain of the harm, frees the heart, mind and soul), learning to consider their limits and weaknesses, a superglue of life, an act of will, no justification and most importantly it is a Gift.
The couples were also given opportunities to remember and reminisce their experiences during their adolescent period as they participated in the activity,Understanding Adolescence, through sharing and justifying the four posted pictures they can relate to. The titles of the pictures are as follows: (1) going a long, dark tunnel, (2) walking on a hanging bamboo bridge, (3) riding a roller coaster and (4) climbing a mountain. They were also given the activity on identifying parts of the body and give emphasis on the sensitive parts of male and female body.
The activity was concluded with the reading of cards and messages of parents and their children as well as giving of roses of husbands to their wives. They were able to express their love and were also very grateful that they had asked for forgiveness and made quality time for each other. They were asked to carry parents’ responsibility to handle their children and explain to them how crucial the adolescent period is and tell them that it must be a healthy transition from childhood to adulthood.
With the success, positive response and request from our participants, DP recommends the conduct of another batch of this GAD Workshop to our personnel, not only married couples, but would be open also to all personnel.
