News and Developments 
Previous Issues:
College Department Opens with Two Education Courses
The Golden Link School is now Golden Link College with the opening of its college department with two course offerings: Bachelor of Secondary Education and Bachelor of Elementary Education. The first batch of college students consists of 12 freshmen and 7 sophomore students. Most of them have applied for scholarship grants as they mostly come from very poor families. There were many other applicants who applied but did not meet the minimum entrance qualifications of Golden Link. 
Enrollment Rises to 432
The total enrollment for school year 2009-2010 has risen to 432 students, which is about 32% higher than the previous year of 326. Of these, 58 are in preschool, 219 in elementary, 136 in high school and 19 in college.
GLC Receives Donation from TOS USA and Kern Foundation
The Golden Link College received a total of US$$74,613.86 from the TOS USA as a result of the offer of Kern Foundation for a matching grant for the Golden Link. The amount of $39,613.86 was raised by the TOS USA from members and sections around the world, while US$35,000 was contributed by the Kern Foundation. The Foundation originally offered a $30,000 matching grant, but John Kern increased it upon learning that the donation exceeded the $30,000 fund-raising target.
This year, 2009, the Kern Foundation has again offered a US$20,000 matching grant if the TOS USA can raised the same amount, totalling $40,000.
The raised funds by TOS USA and Kern Foundation will be used in the putting up of another building that will include the assembly hall, basketball court, plus two floors of classrooms to be needed in the next school year.
ASMAE Donates 25 Computers
Twenty five computers were donated to the Golden Link College by the French Catholic NGO ASMAE, through its Luzon Coordinator Marina Dubois. The units are now housed in the computer room at the second floor of the new college building.
Summer Classes
A total of 561students enrolled during the free summer classes last April and May, 2009, offered by Golden Link College. Almost all of the students came from other schools. They wanted to develop their English proficiency and personality. The free summer class is a yearly offering of Golden Link as a public service to poor students in the community. At the end of four weeks, all the students were trained to speak in front of a large audience where they delivered speeches, stories or poems.
New Zealand Donation Forms Core of College Library
The new college library was started with the donation of New Zealand Theosophical Order of Service of a containerload of books and magazines through the initiative of Maureen Paterson. The initial one room space for the library will no longer be sufficient with the donation of Dr. Estrellita Gruenberg of the library collection of her father, Florentino B. Valeros, an author of textbooks on Philippine and English literature.
2nd Batch of High School Graduates
Eighteen fourth years graduated last March 31, 2009, while 25 students graduated from the elementary level. All the students delivered speeches during the Commencement Exercises in the presence of the parents, relatives and guests. Below are the photos of the high school and elementary graduates with their class advisers (Janice Gapaz and Eiren Galang), together with Vic Hao Chin, Jr. and Rekha Nahar, Administrator.
The senior students seemed to miss Golden Link. On the very next day after graduation last March 31, the whole class came to school in full uniform although there were no more classes. They said they just wanted to spend their time in school. Since then they have been returning to Golden Link as a class even if most of them are already enrolled in other colleges or universities. Once a Golden Linker at heart, always a Golden Linker!
Lectures on Transformative Education
Seven universities and schools in Mindanao invited the GLC President, Vic Hao Chin Jr., to speak on "Transformative Education and Character Building" to their faculty and students last July 8-11, 2009. They were Notre Dame of Marbel University (Koronadal), Mindanao State University (General Santos), Polytechnic College of Davao del Sur (Digos), Cor Jesu College (Digos), University of Immaculate Conception (Davao), Philippine Women's College (Davao) and Rizal Special Education Learning Center (Davao). Many of the institutions requested for future seminars or follow up sessions. The photo below is at Notre Dame of Marbel University, Koronadal, South Cotabato.
Lumen School in Bacolod to Start in 2010
Lumen School in Bacolod City will be starting in 2010 with its preschool classes. The school has been established by the Herbie Foundation, the foundation of Donato and Susana Cruz (President of Bacolod Lodge) and will be run under the guidance of Golden Link College. Two of Lumen's teachers are now training in Golden Link College for the current school year.
Bohol Plans to Open School
The Bohol Lodge has initiated plans to establish its own school in Bohol and has arranged for the purchase of a one-hectare land through Golden Link in Cortes, Bohol, which is about 20 minutes away from the center of Tagbilaran, Bohol's capital city.
Seniors Hold Children's Day
The graduating senior high school students sponsored a Children’s Day last December 14, 2008. They invited about 100 children from the neighborhood and conducted games and activities for them, as well as prepared gifts and food. The fund for the event came from the profits that they earned from their entrepreneurial project where they engaged in actual buying and selling items for several weeks.
Pertti Spets Visits Golden Link
Pertti Spets, the General Secretary of the Theosophical Society in Sweden, visited the Golden Link College last June 26, 2009. He also spoke on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali last June 27 at the Rizaliana Lodge of the TS in the Philippines. He wrote that he felt very impressed with the education work in the Philippines. Below is the photo of Pertti Spets with the Administrator, Rekha Nahar.
Bando President Visits Golden Link
The President of Bando Chemical Industries, Ltd. of Kobe, Japan, Mr. K. Tani, visited Golden Link and had short sessions with high school students. He taught the students some common phrases in Japanese. He was in the Philippines for a corporate meeting and decided to visit the school. Bando is one of the largest belting manufacturers in the world with factories in Asia, Europe and America. Below is the photo of Mr. Tani with Vic Hao Chin Jr. (right) and Pablito Chua (left).
Park Chung Gyoo Visit
Park Chung Gyoo of Korea recently visited the school last July 7, 2009. Park is the Area Director of HB English Institute in Chun Ju City, Korea, managing 60 language institutes in the region. Park was formerly a social work volunteer who helped the Theosophical Order of Service in the Philippines in its social projects in the poor communities. Below is the photo of Park (in eyeglasses at the center) with teachers and students.
TOS Learning Center and
Sunshine Learning Center Enrollment
The TOS Learning Center in San Vicente Ferrer in Caloocan City has an increase of enrollment this year of 72 pupils for nursery, kinder and preparatory levels, compared to 42 last year. The teacher-in-charge is Loredel Agustin.
Sunshine Learning Center, another preschool institution of the TS located at the national headquarters, has an enrollment of 33 pupils, compared to 25 last year. Sunshine conducted a free summe class last April and May for one month with an enrollment of about 70 students. The teacher-in-charge is Melissa Albano.
