Eskwelahang Munti students practice conversational Tagalog

Eskuwelahang Munti successfully ends 1st semester

by Dr. Nini RB Bautista

THE Eskuwelahang Munti (Little Schoolhouse) concluded the first semester of its first school year with a series of activities last Jan. 26.

The students engaged in a Tagalog conversational exchange with their teachers  Dell F, Guia V, Grace B, Luz T and Dr. N, specifically on how one introduces himself or herself in the Filipino language.

Certificates of Attendance were given out  by EM Co-Director Dell Fallar, to the following: Matthew Dennis, Marco Sloan, Gracen and Ruby Kearn, Joel Holder, James and Jacob Kocak,  Harrison and Hannah Hubbard, Nathan and Gabriela Pinon, Yizmyel and Zamir McKoy, Rannie Barrientos, Giovanni and Gianni Allen, RJ Siplon. 

(EM Director Gloria Grifenhagen is currently in Bohol on a mission to help build houses for the earthquake victims).

The kids and parents were then treated to a slide show of some of the major  fiestas in the Philippines with photos taken by Alex Romero, soil scientist and award winning photographer.

These fiesta photos consist of the Sinulog in Cebu held in January and the Ati-atihan in Kalibo, Aklan. Both fiestas or feast days honoring the Santo Nino  or Infant Jesus of Cebu whose image wwas gifted by the discoverer of the Philippines, Ferdinand Magellan in 1521 to the wife of the chieftain of Cebu upon their conversion to Catholicism. 

It antedates the famous Santo Nino de Praga image of the Czech Republic, a gift of Santa Teresa de Jesus to the religious order.

Also featured was the Black Nazarene procession in Quiapo, an event held in fulfillment of a vow, or to petition a favor by thousands of devotees crowding the Quiapo district around the church.

This was followed by the Pahiyas in Lucena held in May in honor of San Isidro Labrador, patron saint of workers and farmers and also the patron saint of Madrid, Spain. 

Malette Oliveros-Aquino, president of the Filipino-American Community of the Carolinas (FACC) said they plan to hold a Santacruzan in May this year as part of their efforts to promote Filipino culture. 

The Santacruzan is part of the celebratiob of Flores de Mayo or the Mayflower Festival  in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary. 

It features the Santacruzan procession which commemorates the discovery of the Holy Cross by Queen Helene who is accompanied by young ladies in beautiful dresses representing characters in the Bible and the personification of the Virgin Mary. 

The Eskwelahang Munti held at the Asian Library at 2 to 4 p.m. every Sunday won't meet on February 2 because of the annual Super Bowl. It wil resume on Feb. 9, when students will visit the seniors homes at Brookdale Place on Rea Road and Legacy Heights on Ballantyne Trace. 

They will perform a short choreographed song “Kamusta, Kamusta" ( How do you do?) and present Valentine cards and flowers to the seniors.

Registration is now open for the second semester beginning Feb 16. New students  Mya Ivey and Christopher Salinas participated in class last Sunday.

For inquiries, call Dell Fallar at 704 536 1804/email adelia.fallar @yahoo.com or Dr. Nini 704 408 9513/email ninibau8@gmail.com. Visit  also their Facebook page at Eskuwelahang Munti sa Charlotte.