Girl Scouts of the Philippines - Bulacan Council 3.38

Home of the Women of Malolos during Philippine Revolution against Spain which had started to hone “women power in our society” and which was exemplified by our national hero Dr. Jose Rizal, Bulacan did not take it long to establish its own Girl Scout of the Philippines (GSP) Bulacan Council. Just like the symbolic eight rays of the sun in our flag, Bulacan was one of the eight provinces near our country’s capital, the Manila area that followed suit in putting up its very own league of young woman and girl scouts.

On August 20, Bulacan GSP Council will mark its 65th year after its front runners, Mrs. Maria M. Navarro together with Supt. Vitaliano Bernardino and their fellows and colleagues created the province counterpart on August 20, 1949. Mrs. Navarro was Council Executive from 1926-1983 while Supt. Bernardino became the Council President from 1949-1953.

Not surprisingly enough, even reputable men in the community became vigorously active as they have shared their parts as the next presidents and which had kept the Council alive. With then just a naive office and still reeling to have its own respective decent center of operations and management among its then becoming a magnitude of leaders and members in the province, Bulacan Council have continue to hold projects that harnessed the capabilities of elementary and high school students in taking part in community building by being trained and competent leaders while even at a very young age.

Camping activities that developed discipline and readiness in times of need have been inculcated among the teachers, trainers and the young scouts. Who would have forgotten the, “Laging Handa” generation to generation verbal association to success of all the woman achievers inside their homes and respective field of endeavours and careers that was indoctrinated to them by the GSP through its slogan and motto: “Be Prepared,” and “Do a good turn daily”.

In 1971-1975, another woman president was elected as the Council President in the person of Ms. Felicita Bernardino.

All these years, the GSP nationwide then have further made successful penetrations within schools, villages and communities and Ms. Bernardino had made it certain, Bulacan had made its share. Twinkle Star then was established as the youngest among the Girl Scouts with ages 4 to 6 years old together with intensifying and strengthening of the Star, Junior and Senior scouts.

A woman power in the person of then Mayor of Malolos, Purificacion “Cancion” Reyes became the 11th Council President. Reyes is a brood among the descendants of the Women of Malolos. Her leadership and clout in the society had further elevated the Girl Scout of the Philippines in Bulacan to prominence and excellence as young girls graduated from elementary with additional self-achieved and fulfilled characters true to the words of Rizal as the “hope” of our nation”. Because of outstanding works and performances, Reyes held the position for quite a number of years.

Membership had continued to soar high as older and young scouts experience themselves the maternal caring of a mother scout of P5,000 worth of burial benefit assistance, P2,000 worth medical assistance and P2,000 worth similar financial support for cases of natural death out of their meager worth P50.00 contribution payment to the Mutual Assistance Fund.

At this point, the Council had nowhere to go than to finally be rewarded of the fruit of all its contribution to Bulacan’s youth, to the province as well and to the country.

Through the hard work of Mrs. Aurea Capiral-Ferrer from Bulakan, Bulacan during her incumbency as Council Executive in 1995 and with the help and support of her husband, Ireneo Ferrer who was then a board member in the first district of the province, the perpetual acquisition of the office and its location site within the provincial capitol grounds has been successfully attained. Supported by known philanthropist and benefactor to various socio-civic groups in Bulacan particularly that of the plight of women, Atty. Lourdes Lontok-Cruz from Hagonoy town and who is also a genuine GSP leader in Bulacan, Gov. Roberto M. Pagdanganan signed the said agreement and allowed perpetual usage of its location and structure.

It is located just beside the Department of Education building and the Bulacan State University at the back of the Bulacan Provincial Capitol Building and is in the corner of the road leading to the Bulacan Medical Center and the Camp Alejo Santos Provincial Police Headquarters.

Continuing to carry on the ideals of girl scouting, the Bulacan GSP Council office then had served as the temporary office of the originally Tarlac-based regional headquarters operation center from 1993 to 2003 under the management of Regional Executive Director Emelinda Q. Caparos. The then need to transfer came following devastations caused by lahar flows brought by the 1991 Mt. Pinatubo eruption that had destroyed the regional operation center.

Still in the time of Mrs. Ferrer and before she ended her term in 2003 while she had also served as Regional Chairman for Central Luzon, the proceeds of her own initiative project “Search for Ms. and Mrs. Girl Scouts” in 1996 had been used in further strengthening the core values of the GSP through the conducts of multiple outdoor activities among the members such as camping and other training.

Finally, that same year in 2003 when now First District Rep. Maria Victoria Reyes Sy-Alvarado, already known that time as a very active civic and community woman leader in many towns in the first district of Bulacan and wife of now Bulacan Governor Wilhelmino M. Sy-Alvarado became the 14th president of the Council, the office had undergone a major facelift and become a modernized structure of the Bulacan Council.

In 2009, when Mrs. Sy-Alvarado herself was already in the first two years of her being the Congresswoman of the first district, the GSP Office in Bulacan had reached its peak of further improvements to better serve its members and continue implement with more dignity and pride the goals, principles and core values of the organization.

Today, amidst GSP’s nationwide membership reduction as a continuing result of “zero collection” policy initiated by then former Education Secretary Raul Roco in 2001, Bulacan Council has not waved its white flag to continue bring young girls and even high school and college students as Senior Scouts and Cadets respectively into the fold of training, leadership and service to the community principles of the organization.

Now Council Executive of Bulacan GSP who rose from the rank being a simple staff in 1996, Felicitas Yerro-Bustamante is dignified and proud that she was given the chance to be part of the GSP as a whole in the country and of Bulacan succeeding Felicidad “Ine” Hernandez who served as Council Executive Director for the past thirteen years. Bustamante vows to continue all the legacies that were soared high by her predecessors for the glory of the GSP Bulacan Council.







Ang Pangako ng Girl Scout

Sa aking karangalan, gagampanan ko ang aking tungkulin sa Diyos at sa aking bansa; tutulong ako sa aking kapwa sa lahat ng pagkakataon at isasabuhay ko ang batas ng Girl Scout.

Girl Scout Promise

On my honour,
I will do my duty:
To God and my country,
To help other people at all times, and
To live by the Girl Scout Law.

The Senior Girl Scout Pledge

My special responsibility as a Senior Girl Scout is to render service by taking the Promise out into a wider world.

Pangako ng Star Scout

Ipinangangako ko na sisikapin kong:
Ibigin ang Diyos at ang aking bansa.
Tumulong sa ibang tao araw-araw,
Lalung-lalo na sa mga kasama sa bahay.

Star Scout Promise

I promise to do my best:
To help God and my country,
To help other people every day,
especially those at home.

Pangako ng Twinkler

Mahal ko ang Diyos, ang aking bayan at lahat ng tao sa aking paligid.

The Twinkler Promise

I love God, my country and people around me.

Law:
Ang Batas ng Girl Scout

1 Ang Girl Scout ay mapagkakatiwalaan.

2 Ang Girl Scout ay matapat.

3 Ang Girl Scout ay matulungin.

4 Ang Girl Scout ay kaibigan ng lahat at kapatid ng bawat Girl Scout.

5 Ang Girl Scout ay mapitagan.

6 Ang Girl Scout ay magalang sa lahat ng may buhay.

7 Ang Girl Scout ay disiplinado.

8 Ang Girl Scout ay may sariling paninindigan.

9 Ang Girl Scout ay matipid.

10 Ang Girl Scout ay malinis sa isip, sa salita at sa gawa.

Girl Scout Law

1 A Girl Scout’s honour is to be trusted.

2 A Girl Scout is loyal.

3 A Girl Scout is helpful.

4 A Girl Scout is a friend to all and a sister to every other Girl Scout.

5 A Girl Scout is courteous.

6 A Girl Scout respects living things.

7 A Girl Scout is disciplined.

8 A Girl Scout is self-reliant.

9 A Girl Scout is thrifty.

10 A Girl Scout is clean in thought, word and deed.

Batas ng Star Scout

Ang Star Scout ay matapat.
Ang Star Scout ay masunurin.

Star Scout Law

A Star Scout is truthful.
A Star Scout is obedient.

Batas ng Twinkler

Ang Twinkler ay masaya, mabait at matulungin

The Twinkler Law

A Twinkler is cheerful, kind and helpful.

Motto:
Panuntunan ng Girl Scout - Laging Handa

Girl Scout Motto - Be Prepared

Pamansag ng Girl Scout -
Gumawa nang mabuti sa kapwa sa bawa’t araw.

Girl Scout Slogan - Do a good turn daily.

Salowikain ng Star Scout - Maging matulungin

Star Scout Motto - Lend a Hand

Pamsansag ng Star Scout - Magpaligaya ng kapwa araw-araw.

Star Scout Motto - Make someone happy every day.

Age groups:
The GSP programme is adapted to the development needs of girls and young women. Thus the programme age levels are:

Cadet Scout 15-21

Senior Scout 12-15

Junior Scout 9-12

Star Scout 6-9

Twinkler Scout 4-6