Birthdays are a big deal here. For the kids at the shelter it is one of the few days that all attention is on them.  My birthday just passed so it was my turn to be the center of attention.  Bart (almost 5 years old) wished me a happy birthday by saying, "Happy Birthday Bungot."  Bungot means beard in Cebuano.  He had decided that sounded better than Uncle Joel.  A couple days later at Argei Kem's birthday party I sat at the little kids table with Bart and his little sister Jashly (3).  Bart was still wishing me a "Happy Birthday Bungot."  He started chanting it and pulling my goatee.  Jashly joined in with the chanting and pulling.

Two years have passed since the two new buildings started going up.  Now the Duterte House and Frankie Wright Center have been finished!  It is an extremely exciting time at CSC.  The children, staff, workers and visitors are all smiles when these beautiful buildings are mentioned. 

Here is a video tour of the new Duterte Home. It is a beautiful building designed by Alan Wright, addressing the specific needs of CSC. The entire building is handicap accessible and has two rooms specifically for handicapped residents. The center courtyard and its skylights make for a striking entrance. There is a lot of storage space in the basement. And, of course, there is a nursery, bedrooms, dining room, kitchen, house parents' apartment and places for the children to play and hang out. It is exciting to have the Duterte Home finished!
   

Here is a video tour of the Frankie Wright Center. This new infirmary building will be a huge improvement from the existing three-room infirmary. The Frankie Wright Center has a bigger office and laboratory for the CSC medical staff. It also has six isolation rooms surrounding a nurses station, making it easier to look after more sick children at one time.