By Ms. Ish Cocjin-Duque
March 23, 2021
Photo of Addie and her dad
This school year has been a challenge for both the Grade 8 students and their parents as they transitioned to the new work-and school-from-home setup. It is in this light that the Assumption Antipolo Guidance Center is dedicated in helping families enhance an open two-way communication, reinforce family members’ trust and appreciation for each other, and overcome challenges brought about by changing family structures and dynamics.
Photo of Mika and her dad for the fun snacking activity
Given this, the 17th Father-Daughter Bonding Activity (FDBA) was conducted last March 20, 2021 from 2:00-6:00pm. It aims to strengthen the father-daughter bond which is essential in the holistic growth of a child. The FDBA was held through Microsoft Teams, which made it the first online bonding activity that students had with their fathers. There were 140 father-daughter pairs, which included 4 OFW fathers. This may not be the traditional FDBA, but having it online made it even more possible for the OFW fathers to show their daughters that fatherhood is not hindered by differences in distance and time.
Photo from Georget Guevarra
The participants were welcomed in the plenary of the FDBA team with the trademark energizer called Last Pair Standing that tested how well they know each other. After the energizer, they learned from Dr. Eduardo Caligner, a clinical counseling psychologist, who enlightened them about the importance of a father’s role in the different developmental stages of his daughter. He shared practical fatherhood tips which the participants can apply in their own family. Dr. Caligner’s daughter joined him in the plenary and shared insights from their own father-daughter journey. This was followed by a sharing from a Grade 9 student, Almyra Santiago, who had her FDBA last school year. Her meaningful insights made the participants all the more excited for the bonding activities they would do for the day.
Photo of Sky’s dad teaching her how to fix up a fan
The second half of the FDBA highlighted the four bonding centers: Affirmation, Dialogue, Life-Skill Building, and Playtime Memories. These activity-based centers were creatively and purposefully prepared to give the father-daughter pairs the opportunity to engage in intimate dialogue, affirm and pray for each other, and have fun together. The theme of this year’s FDBA is life-skill building which aims to equip the daughters to become capable women. The fathers had the opportunity to teach their daughters simple tasks that they usually do at home, such as changing a light bulb and using mechanical tools to disassemble and clean an electric fan.
Photo of Szymone wearing the DIY corsage from her dad
Photo with Faith and her dad during the Father-Daughter Dance
This year’s FDBA would not be complete without the timeless corsage ceremony and the father-daughter dance. The fathers made a DIY corsage and tied it to their daughter’s wrist as a symbol of their unconditional love and their commitment to lead her to the right path. The fathers and daughters certainly ended the day with warm hugs and laughter as they swayed each other to good music.