If you have been following the Balikbayan Project journey thus far, you have probably realized that what started out as a trip that occurs every two years is now looking like a trip that occurs every year. The Balikbayan Project Team (although members may vary from year to year) has a core membership with Jon Jon Rivero (its Founder) and Paula Audrey Rivero (original member) since 2007. This 2018 Balikbayan Project Trip was a very special one as the team had a very special new member, Miss Lena Gloria Rivero, the beautiful baby daughter of Jon Jon and Paula. Lena Gloria was born in February 2018 and has become the newest Balikbayan Project team member to not only connect with its stakeholders in the Philippines but also meet her great grand titas, titos, titas, kuyas and ates in her lola Gloria’s hometown of San Pedro, Laguna. Both Jon Jon and Paula had a chance to visit their ancestral home and compound in San Pedro during the 2016 Balikbayan Trip and this time, they were able to bring along their sweet baby girl, Lena Gloria.
The Rivero family was able to visit the Agbulos ancestral home on their 2018 Balikbayan Project trip, which included visits to Metro Manila, Tacloban City, Baguio City, and San Pedro. Two years prior, Jon Jon and Paula were able to visit the ancestral home and this year, they were able to bring their 7 month old baby daughter Lena Gloria with them to visit with the lolas, titos, titas, kuyas, ates, and even some nieces and nephews.
At the beginning of the trip, Jon Jon & Paula reconnected with their good friend, Dr. Francis Dimalanta and provided lectures and keynotes for the Philippine Paediatric Society. The team was also able to share seminar workshops with the Philippine National Police force for the department that serves and protects women and children in Leyte Province. At the end of the trip, the Balikbayan Team finished the project off by providing workshops, seminars, and keynotes with Dr. Dimalanta’s special needs centre, A Child’s Dream, in Baguio City. It has been nine years ago since the team was last in Baguio serving this centre with the wonderful Dimalanta family and the team was honoured to be part of their anniversary celebration of changing the lives of so many children and families living with special needs.
