Our Story
The Bahay Pag-Asa Youth Center function as a transformational facility exclusively for CICL and CAR from Negros Occidental. Mostly composed of 15-18 years old young male, they engage in art activities that involve kneading, shaping, and constructing earthen clay. The socially and economically disadvantaged backgrounds of the juveniles under reformation, had low levels of art engagement, and Project HeART gave them the opportunities to learn new skills, develop new talents, and express thoughts and ideas in creative and expressive ways. These are in the form of earthen work sculpture, painting and mixed media projects.
The visceral interaction with the medium, and shared experience of creating a clay sculpture for the very first time, contributes to the development of their positive social and emotional behaviors, including sharing, and mood control. Through the freeform mini sculpture project, Bahay Pag Asa social workers were able to determine if specific CICL students needed additional intervention.
The forms they have created using clay were considered signs of progress/reformation, or their innermost thoughts. However, the facilitator’s and case workers aren’t psychologists thus, they were not asked to read the works via clinical lens. Bahay Pag Asa’s resident social worker, its director, and our own case worker’s provided both group and one-on-one processing at closed doors. This activity is not available for the Project HeART team, to respect Bahay Pag-Asa’s protocol and the privacy of the residents who are temporarily housed there.
Creating art can strengthen a youth’s problem-solving skills, autonomy, sense of purpose, and social competence. Moreover, based on the gathered survey response, it shows that art was helpful in bringing forth positive emotions and strength, allowing youths to view themselves as a person who can still develop and become a productive member of society.
Testimonial
“Ang art workshop isa ka daku nga bulig para sa akon kon magbalik ako sa akon komunidad.”
(The art workshop is a big help for me when I return back to my community.)
Kilua
Resident of Bahay Pag Asa
How can you help Bahay Pag Asa?
USLS – Granada Campus,
Brgy. Granada, Bacolod City,
Negros Occidental, Philippines 6100
