May 19, 2026
Tzu Chi Great Love Preschool Philippines marks 4th Moving Up Ceremony
By Joy Rojas
Forty-five pre-kindergarten and nursery students of Tzu Chi Great Love Preschool Philippines capped their activity-filled schoolyear with a Moving Up Ceremony on May 16 at the Jing Si Hall of Tzu Chi Foundation’s Agno Street branch in Quezon City. This marked the fourth moving up celebration since the preschool was launched in 2022.
Sporting little togas and graduation caps, the pre-kindergarteners walked the red carpet as they made their way to the stage, followed by the nursery students.
Therese Hope Cheung and Regan Lucas Pacheco welcomed parents and preschool board members headed by Tzu Chi Philippines CEO Henry Yuñez in English, and Nathaniel Hudson Fu and Bryce Theodore Cochan delivered their remarks in Chinese. The vows to uphold Tzu Chi’s teachings of gratefulness, appreciation, and respect for their parents and teachers, protect Mother Nature, listen to Tzu Chi founder Dharma Master Cheng Yen, and always do their best were recited in English by Lucia Liona Lapitan and in Chinese by Jacelle Gianna Go.
After nursery students charmed the audience with their cute dances to uplifting songs, the pre-kindergarten students performed a skit about caring for the environment, then did their own lively dance. When the kids ran down from the stage to present roses to their moms and dads, everyone sighed in delight.
As with previous moving up ceremonies, this one was as bittersweet for directress Jane Sy. Unable to hold back tears, she thanked everyone for supporting the preschool that has grown since starting as a dream four years ago.
Watching the positive changes in her students touched her as well. “We always remember during the first few days of school, when the kids were so emotional with high separation anxiety,” she says. “Looking at their performances in the program today, I can’t help but be a proud mom to them.”
Ira and Harvey Tan, parents of pre-kindergartener Savi Grace, also noticed their daughter’s transformation. Savi, who pointed to a poster of Tzu Chi Great Love Preschool Philippines on a supermarket wall and told her parents that she was going to study there, began as a shy little girl who cried before attending classes.
“We definitely saw her be more caring for the environment and for people in general. She’s more mindful about wasting things. And she loves to eat vegetables, which is rare for a kid,” says Ira. “More independent, more confident, and more assertive,” adds Harvey of their 4-year-old.
For Irish Echeche, seeing her 4-year-old son Cassidy claim his certificate is a huge victory. Diagnosed with autism, he was enrolled in Tzu Chi upon the recommendation of his developmental pediatrician who asked his mother to put him in a progressive, play-based school. The Echeches live near Tzu Chi and attended one of the preschool’s open-house events. “It was love at first sight and a miracle for us,” says Irish.
In Tzu Chi, Cassidy thrived. He learned to go to the bathroom by himself, and now helps his mom with the dishes and laundry, and volunteers to plant trees.
“He was assessed by his developmental pediatrician last March and she was so shocked by his improvements,” reports Irish with pride. “From the first day of school till the very end, we saw Cassidy strive so hard. But it’s also because of the strong support of Tzu Chi.”
Tzu Chi will continue to mold Cassidy’s and Savi’s mind and character as they and three others become pioneer students of Tzu Chi’s kindergarten class. After three years of applying, Tzu Chi Great Love Preschool Philippines finally got the green light to offer kinder classes in schoolyear 2026-2027.
“Cassidy loves the community. He really loves his teachers and his classmates. And of course, the learnings here and the values are very important to him. That's why we want him to continue his studies here,” says Irish.
A Moving Up Ceremony for the preschool’s toddlers is slated for May 21.
Families pose for pictures before the start of the Moving Up Ceremony.
Families pose for pictures before the start of the Moving Up Ceremony.
Families pose for pictures before the start of the Moving Up Ceremony.
Tzu Chi Philippines CEO Henry Yuñez leads the march of the preschool’s board of directors on the red carpet.
Tzu Chi Great Love Preschool Philippines Directress Jane Sy’s fourth Moving Up Ceremony is as bittersweet as the last three. “I can’t help but be a proud mom to them,” she says of the students.
Pre-kindergarten students walk the red carpet.
Pre-kindergarten students walk the red carpet.
Nursery students from the AM and PM classes walk the red carpet too.
Tzu Chi volunteers Loreto Balete (left) and Rudy Ong escort an emotional nursery student on the red carpet.
Families try to catch their kids’ attention for that perfect picture.
The Moving Up Ceremony was hosted by Tzu Chi volunteers Arabella Ong and Lino Sy.
(From left) Tzu Chi Philippines CEO Henry Yuñez, Tzu Chi International Medical Association volunteer Dr. Bea Ang, Tzu Chi Deputy CEO Peggy Sy Jiang, Tzu Chi volunteer James Cheng, Tzu Chi Taiwan volunteer Ming-mo Tsai, Tzu Chi volunteer Sally Yuñez, and Tzu Chi Deputy CEO Woon Ng.
Tzu Chi pre-kindergarten and nursery students stand in attention for the Philippine National Anthem.
Nursery students charm audiences with their cute performance of a song that reflected their progress and growth.
Nursery students charm audiences with their cute dance to a song that reflected their progress and growth.
Pre-kindergarteners bow after acting in a skit on environmental protection and care.
Teacher Beni Polican coaches the students’ dance from the audience.
Teacher Tine Udarbe helps nursery students down the stage as they excitedly offer flowers to their parents.
As a sign of their love and respect, students surprise their parents with long-stemmed roses.
As a sign of their love and respect, students surprise their parents with long-stemmed roses.
Irish Echeche is grateful to the teachers for contributing to her son Cassidy’s growth and development. Diagnosed with autism, he learned to go to the bathroom by himself, and now helps his mom with the dishes and laundry, and volunteers to plant trees.
Ira and Harvey Tan laugh as they recall how their daughter Savi pointed to a poster of Tzu Chi Great Love Preschool Philippines in a supermarket and announced that she wanted to study there. Since then, the shy and emotional child has become more caring of people and the environment, and more independent, confident, and assertive.
Accompanied by family members, pre-kindergarten and nursery students receive their certificates from Tzu Chi Philippines CEO Henry Yuñez, school directress Jane Sy (left), and Tzu Chi’s first CEO, Linda Chua (center).
Lily Harper Co Kwok and family
Thomson Pecson Tee and family
Gideon Kash Chen Daza and family
Kyle Adrian Dai and family
Marcus Brayden Ching Yan and family
Lia Katerina Lazaro and family
Regan Lucas Co Pacheco and family
Margaret Dionne Uy Khoo and family
After receiving their certificate, preschoolers drop their coin bank donations in a large bamboo bank.
After receiving their certificate, preschoolers drop their coin bank donations in a large bamboo bank.
Joined by their parents, five pre-kindergarten students announce the launch of Tzu Chi’s kindergarten class, of which they are its pioneering batch.
Tzu Chi Great Love Preschool Philippines is composed of (from left) Ate Romela, Ate Tere, Ate Anna, Teacher Lhean, Teacher Ara, Teacher Kate, Teacher Jane, Teacher Mai, Teacher Tine, Teacher Nadinne, Ms. Jely, Teacher Yani, and Teacher Beni.
Congratulations to the students, parents, teachers, and volunteers for making Tzu Chi Great Love Preschool Philippines’s Fourth Moving Up Ceremony a huge success!