On the Valentine’s card he made for me this year, it said (tucked in among the little things he’d listed), “Mommy… Thanks for…finding me the right school.” Turns out that, in this case, Mommy did manage to make the right choice.

As a parent, it is our wish and prayer to find a school that would be able to help us in the development of our child. I was lucky that Dr. Navarro, our Developmental Pediatrician, referred us to ILLC. It was summer when we enrolled Rhine in Augmentative Communication and Aqua Fun. I liked the way they delivered the lesson and motivated the kids, and most especially the patience of the teachers. With these observations I was convinced to enroll Rhine for SY 2012-2013. His social skills improved and helped him become more patient. He is very eager to see his classmates, teachers and even the other staff in school. School programs like the Valentine‘s Ball and Friendship Cup are very memorable as they make me a very proud parent. As this school year is about to end, I can say that I‘m very satisfied and happy with my son‘s progress. I‘m thankful that God has answered my prayer—I found a good school, with staff and teachers who are dedicated and competent. Thank you very much for nurturing my child and helping him develop his skills. I hope you‘ll continuously help us parents to make our children productive. May our good partnership continue in the school years to come.

After seven years of living outside the Philippines, Nina was very excited to see her new school, teachers and classmates. I still remember Nina telling me after her first day in school that she was glad to be in Manila. During the ILLC Foundation Day, Nina was chosen as the co-host of the program and we could not have been more proud of her. She has really adjusted to her new environment. And we felt that the whole school has truly embraced her. Each day, she gains effective skills that allow her to become more confident and independent. But it was during the Valentine‘s Day celebration that confirmed to me that ILLC was indeed the right school for Nina. As we entered the venue, I saw several of her classmates and teachers all dressed up in their Valentine‘s glitz and glitter. The teachers excitedly approached Nina and commented that she looked really pretty. And her matter of fact reply was ?Why, thank you?. As the program commenced, Nina and her friends slow danced to the foot tapping music and she even twirled with her partner. There was so much pure joy in the dance hall and so few trappings. This Valentine‘s event was totally unexpected. I told myself that this is something I never thought would happen—Nina‘s prom. I smiled like any proud father would but my heart was also touched with sadness. The sadness was not for Nina or her classmates. Their self-esteem did not need a makeover. My sadness was for those of us who fail to see our own beauty and for those who will never see it in our children. I watched as they demonstrated their innocence, kindness and tolerance to one another. As parents, we have no regrets. Our children are exactly what they are supposed to be and it is good enough. Thank you ILLC for developing and fostering this loving and caring community.

We moved to Manila from the US in November, 2009. Our son, Tejus, 15, who has autism, was being homeschooled using the Relationship Development Intervention (RDI) program because public schools in the United States didn’t offer the right educational environment. Things changed when we found out about ILLC. The ILLC website looked impressive. Their goals for students were in line with ours. We wanted Tejus to be employable and develop social relationships – something all of us strive for. I was skeptical – could ILLC really offer this, something the schools in the US could not? Tejus began attending ILLC with the assistance of a shadow teacher trained in RDI. During this time, Tejus’ goals were simple – to sit quietly (without stimming) and interact with his teachers. Such simple goals were challenging for Tejus, especially since he had been out of a classroom environment for almost four years. Over time, we watched Tejus slowly engage with his teachers. In October of 2010, Tejus no longer had a shadow teacher. Our concern was whether Tejus could cope in the classroom without her. But, with the help of his nurturing and dedicated teachers, Teacher Margot and Teacher Camille, Tejus is attending classes by himself. This is the first time in his life that he has been able to do so. Now, he is an active member of his classroom. He is able to follow the lessons in class over short periods of time. We are excited about Tejus’ prospects at ILLC as we look forward to the Job Readiness Programs next year. ILLC is a great home for our special children, with teachers and administrators who have the right attitude.

Since our daughter Mariel was diagnosed with autism, we have brought her to different special schools in Metro Manila. I was trying to look for the best environment for her. ILLC was God‘s answer to our prayers. We found in ILLC the perfect school for Mariel to continue the independent way of living that was introduced to her in St. Collete School in Wisconsin. Indeed, our Lord always shows us the way. Being a parent at ILLC is also very fulfilling. The PTA of the school is very active and is composed of dedicated and concerned parents. This is the reason why I accepted the position of head of the Ways and Means Committee. It was my way of sharing myself to the cause of the PTA which I find very notable and praiseworthy. Last November 30, 2007, we had our first fundraising project, the Bingo Extraordinaire, which was held at the Camp Crame Multipurpose Center. The preparations took less than two months but with the cooperation of the parents and school staff, we were able to meet our target of P200, 000 net income. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the students, parents, teachers and school staff who helped make this project a huge success. The activity served as a showcase also of the hidden talents of our parents and teachers. If we continue with the unity and cooperation everyone displayed in this activity, I‘m sure that we are headed to even greater heights as a PTA. Again, congratulations to everyone!