Community, Schools

How We Were Led to Anima Christi Center

It was one scorching afternoon when I started my school hunt for my daughter who was then in grade five. I decided to pull her out of her previous school because the scenario was not at all promising. She was not performing well in her academic classes, she was bullied by her classmates, she didn’t have friends, she was very lonely, she was starting to hate the world, and she was so broken. I went to different schools in the vicinity, checking on their transfer requirements but every time I returned to my car, the same reality haunted me: how could she pass the entrance exams when she was afraid of taking tests?

That fateful day, I just lifted all my concerns to Him—Bahala ka na po,” I uttered, and just drove and drove and drove while praying for Him to lead me to the right place. Suddenly, I was stopped at a guardhouse to a village I didn’t realize I had been entering, and as if awakening from deep slumber, I found myself asking the guard if there was a school inside. The guard, without batting an eyelash, answered, “Ah, sa Anima po!” and proceeded to give me directions. (It was only later that I realized there was another school inside the village, and the guard had chosen Anima over that one.) Talk about divine intervention!

When I found Anima Christi Center it was a very unassuming place that made you feel like you were entering the home of an average Filipino family. Homey…that’s how I would have described it then, and how I felt the first time I stepped inside. The lady I met was very welcoming and accommodating with her sincere smile. Without waiting to be asked, she told me that the teachers were undergoing service training, and offered her help instead. She patiently listened to my novel of a story and suggested that we set an appointment with the school’s directress, Mrs. Rizalina Ochoa. I set the meeting and promised myself that I would bring my family here next time.

Our life was never the same again after our dialogue with Mrs. Ochoa. My daughter’s attitude towards schoolwork and life in general has changed tremendously for the better. She has started to communicate her thoughts and feelings, has become more independent, and has a happier disposition.

I was very impressed with their Brain Gym exercises (an integral part of their school activities), so when Mrs. Ochoa let me attend a class in this, I grabbed the opportunity and even showed up with my son (who was about to graduate from college then) in tow. Believe me, it was one of the best things that happened in my life! Because of the class, I am not as forgetful as before, I can think more clearly, I am more in control of my emotions, body, and mind, I have less aches and pains, and I am more balanced. My son was able to not only cope with, but accomplished with flying colors, the heavy requirements of graduation, and an emotional catastrophe with his significant other.”

Recently I brought the Southbound crew over to see how my daughter was doing, and to meet the people responsible for her improvement. Mrs. Ochoa took us on a mini-tour of the school, which was just starting its day with their flag ceremony (in addition to the usual prayer, Pambansang Awit, and Panatang Makabayan, they also sing the Anima Christi as their school song).

We then watched the children prepare for the day with a Brain Gym session (this series of movements, which is specifically designed to enhance brain function, has been reported to help improve various conditions, including AD/HD, autism, dyslexia, and plain old stress). Then, calmed and balanced after their session, they began their lessons for the day.

We were introduced to other success stories: my daughter is just one of the people who are benefiting from this Anima Christi education that heals. As they say, their life there is composed of small miracles that are worth celebrating. One of their recent successes is a young boy whose perception of the world used to be one sided. Being an only child of a single working mom whose only objective was to give the best to her son, he never learned how to draw the line in the friendship they established, and thus had no concept of authority. He believed that he could do anything and everything, get away with his tantrums by threatening everybody around him, and yet after his violent outbursts he would feel lonelier and angrier after his emotional ordeal. You should see him now: a happy (still naughty—aren’t most grade school kids?) promising young lad who interacts with his peers like any other tykes his age. He was sitting quietly on the floor of his classroom next to his teacher who was reading to their group.

Then there was the girl who had never before read a single word, but after some Brain Gym exercises and repatterning, can now read by herself. I could go on and on with the beautiful and significant little miracles that happen at Anima, but I will leave some of the discoveries to you. Imagine if I had brought my daughter here when she was younger? It would have made a lot of difference! I can almost hear Mrs. Ochoa telling me, “Today is the right time.” Angels are sent to each one of us for a reason. I believe that because the angels at Anima who take care of my daughter keep her smiling all the time, and for me, that’s all that matters. After all, we just want our children to be happy and everything else follows.

I am very thankful that He led me here, as I am grateful that the school is here to meet the needs of all these children. Anima’s focus on the underlying spiritual development of their students as the foundation for improvements in their social, emotional, and cognitive condition is doing wonders in their lives. The counseling sessions help not only the students, but us parents as well, as we strive to reach our fullest potential.

Anima Christi Center for Learning and Human Development
5 St. Mark Street, San Jose Village, Alabang, Muntinlupa City
807-4169, 842-6463, 809-7445 (telefax)
anima@pldtdsl.net
www.animachristicenter.org

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