by Marciano "m-16" A. Paroy Jr.
Time and time again, we stress the importance of awards. Not only because they do recognize the vehemence and commitment of the awardees but because they shall serve as inspiration to those who may want to be bestowed with similar accolades in the future.
When a citation is given to an individual, an organization or an institution, one of the first things that we always ask was whether the achievement was gained for the mere sake of winning that award. Of course, awardees would automatically retort that they were simply performing what is expected of them – and that, in so doing, they merited such glowing recognition by a certain award-giving body.
Now there is nothing wrong with that.
Take the case of LGU-Tabuk.
Through the years, Mayor Camilo Lammawin Jr. has always shown predisposition towards the peace process – knowing fully well that an administration with a firm hold on peace issues would have an easier time in implementing its programs and projects. For those who spent time observing his moves, they would have perceived the vehemence with which he pursued the peace vision for Tabuk, which continues to evolve, ethnic-diversity-wise. Add in the unbroken service of the Mayor in his seat, and we have been assured of the continuity of his vision – otherwise, some other mayor would have simply nipped his agenda in the bud and set his eyes on something else.
The current fruits are collectively a hard-earned consequence of such leadership competence. Naming Ernesto Baac Sr. and Pastor Alex Gunaban as important fixtures and chief voices of all negotiating elders in the Matagoan Bodong Consultative Council, the Mayor chose well.
But that characterizes the Mayor’s political career: he chooses well – what battles to wage, what programs and projects to prioritize, what people to put in posts that would benefit from their expertise and competence, what persuasion approach to apply when he perceives naysayers, and so many other displays of his ability to choose well.
And because of such savoir-faire, he keeps scoring big. He keeps winning.
Congratulations to the LGU-Tabuk and the MBCC for being among the winners in the Galing Pook Awards 2009.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Filrose Peralta Foundation: a long Journey begins with a Small step
by Marciano "m-16" A. Paroy Jr.
Imagine this: a child goes to school day in day out by hiking a winding rocky road sandwiched by sloping green farmlands. Our parents or grandparents perhaps in the 1940’s? Remember that constant reminder which most of us have grown up with? But no. This is not a condition from decades before. Try Tabuk 2009.
For those among us who have cloistered our children, nieces and nephews so that they can receive that cliché-sounding quality education, it will come as a surprise to know that such a circumstance still exists.
Going to school barefoot… just the image of that conjures other thoughts of basic needs that some parents in the rural areas cannot still provide. At least, we give them credit for their determination to send their children to school which – by anyone’s parenting standards – is deserving of approval. A step ahead, so-to-speak.
Anybody can quote the aphorism about beginning a voyage with that one small step – and using it to serve figurative purposes, that is what exactly took place last week in Pacak, Agbannawag.
Mario Peralta, member of the Board that runs the Filrose Peralta Foundation – presently based in California – visited Tabuk to fulfill a promise of providing slippers to schoolchildren that comprise the three-room primary school of Pacak, Agbannawag.
The distribution activity, held last December 11 at the Pacak school grounds, was an offshoot of the Foundation’s commitment to extend assistance to the needy farmers of the rural areas – specifically the provision of seed money for the farming ventures of residents.
“Although farmers are the inital recipients of our assistance in Pacak, we have thought of looking into other ways by which we could help the residents in this sitio of Agbannawag,” Mr. Peralta said. “and since education is right in the core of our assistance programs, we identified the children of our farmers as worthwhile beneficiaries too.”
Ms. Linda Kissob, the regular teacher in said school, was enthusiastic about the Foundation’s looking into their pupils’ needs, as she said “It is not always that we get attention from well-meaning groups, and as you can gauge by the lack of facilities – most notably our lack of electrical power source – we have to make do with what is available.”
The school, which also houses a pre-school level, is under the auspices of Agbannawag Elementary School, employs two other teachers: Lourdes Allib and Maricel Loyod-Dalacnas – both with casual status. These three teachers share the daily tasks of instilling education and values in the pupil’s receptive minds. Add to that the burden of being weighed down by the sorry state of their learning environment – and, presto, we have a team which is as tired physically as psychologically by the end of the day.
In fairness, we have learned that our elected political leaders do give their share of helping out, including the Department of Education-Kalinga Division – as well as other civic-spirited citizens and groups. And now, Filrose Peralta Foundation, with its agenda-free stance, is a welcome addition to the band.
When People who succeed Give back
by Marciano "m-16" A. Paroy Jr.
Success stories evoke only two reactions: genuine admiration or absurd envy. The former is felt by those who are truly appreciative of inspiring experiences undergone by fellow human beings – thus pushing them to emulate the feats and actions of those who succeeded, hoping that they too would end up reaping similar attainment. The latter reaction, however, is expressed by those who feel that the achievement of other people is something which was unrightfully deprived from them – never considering that such success was reached through hard and honest work. And since they cannot possibly duplicate such feat – simply because they do not want to – they scoff at the otherwise object of their admiration.
Not fair at all, for those who arrived at their present status through determination to rise above what they were originally dealt with, earlier in life. But let us not talk about people who can only see the negative side of things (to the extent of creating negative sides when they are simply non-existent). These are people who only see black and grey, while others see red.
Instead, let us shift attention to people who were given a prod into the right direction and, realizing that they were indeed being pushed into the right path, never stopped pursuing that road.
For instance, the children of Filemon and Rosario Peralta – whose Filrose Foundation has been the subject of this column some issues back. As I was going through the raw data that would serve as background material for that first article I did about the foundation, I was struck by this one detail about the siblings: there are twelve of them. One dozen. One hell of a brood to raise, certainly – add to that that they all had to be fed well, clothed appropriately, taught manners on a daily basis, and sent to school. It must have been a real challenge – to send them to college, one after the other.
Think: if they were evenly spaced, Filemon and Rosario would be attending a graduation ceremony in March, then accompanying a freshman entrant the following June; but meanwhile, there would be someone else in mid-college. Back home, a number of them had to be guided and inspired well, so that their elementary and high school grades would stay within the standards set earlier. This is quality time. Compared to parents these days (normally with two to four children) who whine about finding it hard to squeeze-in that much-needed element of bonding and “monitoring” stance, Filemon and Rosario sure knew the ins and outs of effective parenting: always with 12 as the common denominator.
And what success-driven siblings had been produced by such parenting! The list is impressive, if one visits the Filrose website and read the summary of the children’s current whereabouts. Given our culture’s propensity to give heavier evaluation points to the first child (whom we always see as the pace-setter, the leader of the pack, the premier showcase – so to speak), I learned that Ludivico is working in San Jose, California. Then, from that reference point, it’s a register of impressive précis down to the last child – Rosafe. She’s about two years older than I, thus I’ve had the chance to move in the same circles as she did. I would always remember her veiled in black, eyes blazing as she menacingly cried out “Woman, do you know who you are?” during an awesome performance of the declamation piece titled The Long Vigil – under the training of Madam Gertrude Lastimoza.
The last time I saw Rosafe was when she got married – in style. I was still accepting make-up jobs then, and along with Jerry Ladrido (of Jerry and Jinky’s Salon, Poblacion West), Dong Bustamante (of Pine’s Salon, Bulanao) and Jessie Marallag (who is now in Italy), we were ferried to the big city – and up the Shangri-la Plaza – where we did the beauty and grooming treatment for Rosafe and husband Roland’s entourage.
I was baffled at that time – why Rosafe opted to hire Tabuk-based beauticians and bring them over to Manila for a task that would have been more conveniently carried out – had she decided to hire Manila-based experts. Wedding coordinator Letty June Lugtu-Bides of Caleb’s provided me the simple answer later when I finally voiced out my curiosity: “It was Rosafe’s choice that Tabuk-based beauticians should be hired. Tabuk will forever be in her heart, and she does hold a high regard for the expertise of beauticians here.”
From the sidelines (from the preparations the day before and up to the reception at the Plaza), I observed how Rosafe moved with precision – but with grace. She had needs but they did not come out as demands when uttered; more like non-verbally reminding you that this or that detail is supposed to be part of her deal with you – and so, because she did it all with refinement, we were more than happy to oblige. A trait which is somewhat reversed by her sister Rosalia – more known in Tabuk circles as simply Sally – but not to the point of being brash or ill-mannered. Sally, gauging from the instances I brushed elbows with her in different instances, is the outspoken member of the family. Perhaps, if there would be a “galawgaw” in the brood, she will be it. The Maricel Soriano in the family, minus the tactless and ear-shattering “palahaw.” Usto met ketdi, since Sally and husband John are key players in this town’s communications industry. But take note, given her degree in civil engineering, she still wanted to earn a diploma in Nursing, and was one of the pioneering enrollees at St. Tonis here. A passing whim which she soon gave up when she simply cut the waiting period and flew to California where she now works.
I once asked her the motivations behind her enrollment at St. Tonis – along with my batch mates Melanie, Lea and Pinky – and she laughed out the words “Awan lang.” Sallyng-sally.
I remember that a few days after Rosafe’s posh wedding in Manila, the golden wedding anniversary of Filemon and Rosario took place right here in Tabuk – and this time, it was Sally who was moving this way and that way, for the proceedings – the rough side, that is. With wedding planner Letty June on her side, equally matching her commander-in-chief mode, barking orders. Then when everybody else had gone to the church, trailing behind the Spanish-themed calesa conveyance in which the golden couple rode, Sally suddenly realized she was still un-made up. She then turned to us and politely asked “Papintasen dak met ah please.” As if she needed that much touch-up. Jerry did her hair and make-up – in a jiffy. And quick as a lightning, she was soon zipped up in her gown and before she bolted for the door, she made a quick stopover at the kitchen where she yelled “Pakanen yo dagitoy make-up artists wen?” Then rushed to the church where she resumed her role with Letty June.
One other member of the family whom I’ve had the chance to meet is Mario. I was still a freshman at SLU in Baguio City then – and was an occupant of the same apartment that I shared with Connielyn Badi and Annalyn Pullis (UB students then). Mario, Sally and John (Sally’s husband) dropped by one time (they were all Manila-based then) and while there, Mario and John started mapping out the nerve center of Tabuk (Poblacion Centro, Pob. West, Casigayan, Laya, up to Bulanao). They were planning to wire these places and come up with the first-ever cable network of the community. It did materialize. From that initial planning stage, we now have the Northern Star Cable Network – which has grown big enough to take in other partners.
Mario recently visited Tabuk for the distribution of tsinelas to the pupils of Pacak primary school (located some distance from its mother school – the Agbannawag Elementary School) and, with my triggered predisposition towards the rural communities, I went along with our photographer Elizabeth Busacay in response to the invitation of Filrose Peralta’s representative Annalyn Pullis. The Pacak activity is part of the Foundation’s on-going aspiration to extend a helping hand to the less fortunate. Pacak farmers have earlier benefited from the Foundation’s distribution of crops seeds – as well as the provision of funding for initial inputs prior to the current cropping season – so the delivery of free slippers to schoolchildren was sort of a sidelight to the bigger endeavor already being pursued there.
The farm lands are indeed robust with the crops planted – but what made my day was the lit-up faces of the schoolchildren when the slippers were handed out to them. It’s like actually seeing what our parents used to remind us about – you know, walking to school, barefoot. Only, the situation is taking place at the present time.
As I gleaned from my conversations with Mario, one of the Foundation’s flagship programs is education and to further realize their educational vision, members of the family have decided to put up their first school for children – mostly catering to children of the Foundation’s beneficiaries (Details of that endeavor shall be featured once it has materialized).
As for the other members of the family, I have not had any opportunity to really come into any face-to-face encounter with them. However, following the publication of this article’s predecessor (Filrose Foundation: A Different Blend of Business and Benevolence; Nov. 9, 2009 issue), I received a number of e-mails from them – reiterating their family’s desire to simply reach out to those who have the spirit to do something out of the help being extended by the Foundation.
Following the Pacak activity, I finally got to talk online with the eldest offspring – Ludivico, along with the youngest, Rosafe. To verbally hear them express their commitment held me in awe. Here is a family – thousands of miles away, living secure and comfortable lives – but whose mind and heart are also aimed at a community known as Tabuk. I can prattle on and on about what they are trying to accomplish but my words shall never fully capture the magnitude of their concern. For while it is true that they are starting out small, the direction ahead paints a bigger picture – and while it is true that the support may not be so big yet when quantified, the more important thing is that, at the end of the day, we see in practice the Chinese proverb of teaching a man how to fish and we feed him for a lifetime.
And then cap it all with not expecting monetary gains in return. And as it is a rare occurrence these days, we remain impressed.
Success stories evoke only two reactions: genuine admiration or absurd envy. The former is felt by those who are truly appreciative of inspiring experiences undergone by fellow human beings – thus pushing them to emulate the feats and actions of those who succeeded, hoping that they too would end up reaping similar attainment. The latter reaction, however, is expressed by those who feel that the achievement of other people is something which was unrightfully deprived from them – never considering that such success was reached through hard and honest work. And since they cannot possibly duplicate such feat – simply because they do not want to – they scoff at the otherwise object of their admiration.
Not fair at all, for those who arrived at their present status through determination to rise above what they were originally dealt with, earlier in life. But let us not talk about people who can only see the negative side of things (to the extent of creating negative sides when they are simply non-existent). These are people who only see black and grey, while others see red.
Instead, let us shift attention to people who were given a prod into the right direction and, realizing that they were indeed being pushed into the right path, never stopped pursuing that road.
For instance, the children of Filemon and Rosario Peralta – whose Filrose Foundation has been the subject of this column some issues back. As I was going through the raw data that would serve as background material for that first article I did about the foundation, I was struck by this one detail about the siblings: there are twelve of them. One dozen. One hell of a brood to raise, certainly – add to that that they all had to be fed well, clothed appropriately, taught manners on a daily basis, and sent to school. It must have been a real challenge – to send them to college, one after the other.
Think: if they were evenly spaced, Filemon and Rosario would be attending a graduation ceremony in March, then accompanying a freshman entrant the following June; but meanwhile, there would be someone else in mid-college. Back home, a number of them had to be guided and inspired well, so that their elementary and high school grades would stay within the standards set earlier. This is quality time. Compared to parents these days (normally with two to four children) who whine about finding it hard to squeeze-in that much-needed element of bonding and “monitoring” stance, Filemon and Rosario sure knew the ins and outs of effective parenting: always with 12 as the common denominator.
And what success-driven siblings had been produced by such parenting! The list is impressive, if one visits the Filrose website and read the summary of the children’s current whereabouts. Given our culture’s propensity to give heavier evaluation points to the first child (whom we always see as the pace-setter, the leader of the pack, the premier showcase – so to speak), I learned that Ludivico is working in San Jose, California. Then, from that reference point, it’s a register of impressive précis down to the last child – Rosafe. She’s about two years older than I, thus I’ve had the chance to move in the same circles as she did. I would always remember her veiled in black, eyes blazing as she menacingly cried out “Woman, do you know who you are?” during an awesome performance of the declamation piece titled The Long Vigil – under the training of Madam Gertrude Lastimoza.
The last time I saw Rosafe was when she got married – in style. I was still accepting make-up jobs then, and along with Jerry Ladrido (of Jerry and Jinky’s Salon, Poblacion West), Dong Bustamante (of Pine’s Salon, Bulanao) and Jessie Marallag (who is now in Italy), we were ferried to the big city – and up the Shangri-la Plaza – where we did the beauty and grooming treatment for Rosafe and husband Roland’s entourage.
I was baffled at that time – why Rosafe opted to hire Tabuk-based beauticians and bring them over to Manila for a task that would have been more conveniently carried out – had she decided to hire Manila-based experts. Wedding coordinator Letty June Lugtu-Bides of Caleb’s provided me the simple answer later when I finally voiced out my curiosity: “It was Rosafe’s choice that Tabuk-based beauticians should be hired. Tabuk will forever be in her heart, and she does hold a high regard for the expertise of beauticians here.”
From the sidelines (from the preparations the day before and up to the reception at the Plaza), I observed how Rosafe moved with precision – but with grace. She had needs but they did not come out as demands when uttered; more like non-verbally reminding you that this or that detail is supposed to be part of her deal with you – and so, because she did it all with refinement, we were more than happy to oblige. A trait which is somewhat reversed by her sister Rosalia – more known in Tabuk circles as simply Sally – but not to the point of being brash or ill-mannered. Sally, gauging from the instances I brushed elbows with her in different instances, is the outspoken member of the family. Perhaps, if there would be a “galawgaw” in the brood, she will be it. The Maricel Soriano in the family, minus the tactless and ear-shattering “palahaw.” Usto met ketdi, since Sally and husband John are key players in this town’s communications industry. But take note, given her degree in civil engineering, she still wanted to earn a diploma in Nursing, and was one of the pioneering enrollees at St. Tonis here. A passing whim which she soon gave up when she simply cut the waiting period and flew to California where she now works.
I once asked her the motivations behind her enrollment at St. Tonis – along with my batch mates Melanie, Lea and Pinky – and she laughed out the words “Awan lang.” Sallyng-sally.
I remember that a few days after Rosafe’s posh wedding in Manila, the golden wedding anniversary of Filemon and Rosario took place right here in Tabuk – and this time, it was Sally who was moving this way and that way, for the proceedings – the rough side, that is. With wedding planner Letty June on her side, equally matching her commander-in-chief mode, barking orders. Then when everybody else had gone to the church, trailing behind the Spanish-themed calesa conveyance in which the golden couple rode, Sally suddenly realized she was still un-made up. She then turned to us and politely asked “Papintasen dak met ah please.” As if she needed that much touch-up. Jerry did her hair and make-up – in a jiffy. And quick as a lightning, she was soon zipped up in her gown and before she bolted for the door, she made a quick stopover at the kitchen where she yelled “Pakanen yo dagitoy make-up artists wen?” Then rushed to the church where she resumed her role with Letty June.
One other member of the family whom I’ve had the chance to meet is Mario. I was still a freshman at SLU in Baguio City then – and was an occupant of the same apartment that I shared with Connielyn Badi and Annalyn Pullis (UB students then). Mario, Sally and John (Sally’s husband) dropped by one time (they were all Manila-based then) and while there, Mario and John started mapping out the nerve center of Tabuk (Poblacion Centro, Pob. West, Casigayan, Laya, up to Bulanao). They were planning to wire these places and come up with the first-ever cable network of the community. It did materialize. From that initial planning stage, we now have the Northern Star Cable Network – which has grown big enough to take in other partners.
Mario recently visited Tabuk for the distribution of tsinelas to the pupils of Pacak primary school (located some distance from its mother school – the Agbannawag Elementary School) and, with my triggered predisposition towards the rural communities, I went along with our photographer Elizabeth Busacay in response to the invitation of Filrose Peralta’s representative Annalyn Pullis. The Pacak activity is part of the Foundation’s on-going aspiration to extend a helping hand to the less fortunate. Pacak farmers have earlier benefited from the Foundation’s distribution of crops seeds – as well as the provision of funding for initial inputs prior to the current cropping season – so the delivery of free slippers to schoolchildren was sort of a sidelight to the bigger endeavor already being pursued there.
The farm lands are indeed robust with the crops planted – but what made my day was the lit-up faces of the schoolchildren when the slippers were handed out to them. It’s like actually seeing what our parents used to remind us about – you know, walking to school, barefoot. Only, the situation is taking place at the present time.
As I gleaned from my conversations with Mario, one of the Foundation’s flagship programs is education and to further realize their educational vision, members of the family have decided to put up their first school for children – mostly catering to children of the Foundation’s beneficiaries (Details of that endeavor shall be featured once it has materialized).
As for the other members of the family, I have not had any opportunity to really come into any face-to-face encounter with them. However, following the publication of this article’s predecessor (Filrose Foundation: A Different Blend of Business and Benevolence; Nov. 9, 2009 issue), I received a number of e-mails from them – reiterating their family’s desire to simply reach out to those who have the spirit to do something out of the help being extended by the Foundation.
Following the Pacak activity, I finally got to talk online with the eldest offspring – Ludivico, along with the youngest, Rosafe. To verbally hear them express their commitment held me in awe. Here is a family – thousands of miles away, living secure and comfortable lives – but whose mind and heart are also aimed at a community known as Tabuk. I can prattle on and on about what they are trying to accomplish but my words shall never fully capture the magnitude of their concern. For while it is true that they are starting out small, the direction ahead paints a bigger picture – and while it is true that the support may not be so big yet when quantified, the more important thing is that, at the end of the day, we see in practice the Chinese proverb of teaching a man how to fish and we feed him for a lifetime.
And then cap it all with not expecting monetary gains in return. And as it is a rare occurrence these days, we remain impressed.
Salaknib, MSA, FRD and other sections of Guru Press
by Marciano "m-16" A. Paroy Jr.
For starters, I’m back from the brink. I almost felt like my self-imposed hibernation would really last long. But I guess I was able to rescue the humble writer within before I started entertaining the idea that I could not move beyond paragraph 1. For those among us who love to play with words – who love pairing words until we come up with phrases, clauses, fragments that will make up a sentence that exactly capture what we have in mind – there is no such thing as literary demise. We might have that block now and then – but it really would not last long. There is simply too much happiness and heartache to be retold – and shutting up would only worsen things as they already are.
*****
There. So much for an excuse. All of 125 words.
*****
When I came up with the word “Salaknib” and started to use it as the name of the section devoted to AFP-PNP-BFP concerns (it is usually found in page 2 or 3), my colleague Gary (Damian) asked what it meant. Recognizing that he has practically no Ilocano blood, I said it meant protection, defense, guard, safety. For its being used as a section tag here at Guru, well, being informed is one way of being protected. To know is to be moved to the confines of safety.
Salaknib is sustained by information officers from AFP, PNP and BFP. The writers change – as perhaps their immediate superior would suddenly give the writing tasks to someone else – but at least they do write. It is surprising to note that we have within AFP and PNP ranks some genuine writers.
Which reminds me of Lt. Jay Alambra (may he rest in peace). I had the opportunity to work with him when local media were gathered and requested by Governor Floydelia Diasen to fill in the pages of the official provincial paper Kalinga Advocate. Lt. Alambra was one consummate writer – not only because he tended to write lengthily but because he fearlessly expressed his views about issues he chose to write about, which were, understandably, about insurgency problems. Had he not succumbed to the snare of leukemia, I am sure he would still be churning out words from his lexical factory.
Now, of course, we do have Cpt. Adonis Bañez, the current PIO of 501st Infantry Brigade to write from the AFP side. I just hope his output is regularly maintained.
The provincial command of PNP-Kalinga used to have a productive press man in the person of police officer Loren Moron. This was under the watch of then Provincial Director Emock, who can be credited for his media savvy while he was here in the province. In fact, one of the areas he stressed was Media Relations – recognizing it as a vital tool in advancing the vision-mission of the prime law enforcement agency. In his first few days in office, he called for an upgrading seminar and Media Relations was one of the lectures that were delivered.
Impressive, isn’t it? Of course, when the potent force of our work is given value by those who need to reach out to a large and diverse audience, we automatically reciprocate by giving media mileage to them.
Congressman Manuel S. Agyao, Governor Floydelia R. Diasen, Mayor Camilo T. Lammawin Jr., Vice Mayor Rainier D. Sarol, Mayor Allen Jesse Mangaoang, and other political leaders all recognize this – including those who have set their eyes on the May 2010 elections.
When I came up with the MSA section, I simply followed the lead of Mayor Lammawin with his City of Tabuk Lives tag – which has the same acronym as his CTL initials. So I came up with Man of Service and Action – to follow the Congressman’s MSA initials. I notice that the Congressman’s tarpaulin materials also bear our Man of Service and Action tag. No problem there. He really lives up to the tag.
As for the Governor, when the info-dissemination team of the provincial capitol made a move to keep Tabuk’s only private print medium (this paper) updated regularly with vital news material that should reach readers, I also followed her example. The Governor’s planning team coined Forward Rural Development (FRD) last January and started using it during this year’s Kalinga Founding Anniversary and Ullalim Festival. Inspired by that model, I patterned our FRD section here at Guru to fit media and communication terms – thus, the Forecast-Respond-Disseminate (FRD) section was born.
*****
There are regular sections, though, that readers may miss seeing now and then. First in the list is the rather unabash-toned column of Dr. Edgar Naganag – Futures and Options. I recently had a drink with him and I voiced that Guru Press misses his articles and that the paper would definitely benefit from his views. Unlike other political analysts we have around, Sir Edgar is not attached or identified with political names – at least not yet.
We also do not read anymore Gary Damian’s entries into his Gadly Ruminations – his column which used to be filled with his intense writings. Same true with Native Thoughts by Regie Wacas, Pioneers by Giovanni Asbucan and the pioneering columns of Jun Albano and Daniel Cagan – Tungtungan and What If, respectively. When they shall decide to re-enter the pages of this paper, Guru Press shall have a grand day.
Thank God we still have Aparri Councilor Reginald Tamayo with his Thoughts from Aparri, and Mr. Santos Acoba with his What’s Your Side?
*****
Morally and spiritually tinged articles have always been one of the staple outputs that can be read in Guru – which is why we give special spaces to Edison Macusi’s Take the Land and Rency Roaquin’s Mark my Word. Of course, from time to time, we get to read the thoughts of Bishop Renato Abibico who, I think, puts several months as a gap between his articles. Whenever he writes though, the article is a worthwhile read.
*****
Next week, we are giving birth to yet another initiative of a leader to reach out to our readers – by way of a regularly maintained section. Do watch out for it.
For starters, I’m back from the brink. I almost felt like my self-imposed hibernation would really last long. But I guess I was able to rescue the humble writer within before I started entertaining the idea that I could not move beyond paragraph 1. For those among us who love to play with words – who love pairing words until we come up with phrases, clauses, fragments that will make up a sentence that exactly capture what we have in mind – there is no such thing as literary demise. We might have that block now and then – but it really would not last long. There is simply too much happiness and heartache to be retold – and shutting up would only worsen things as they already are.
*****
There. So much for an excuse. All of 125 words.
*****
When I came up with the word “Salaknib” and started to use it as the name of the section devoted to AFP-PNP-BFP concerns (it is usually found in page 2 or 3), my colleague Gary (Damian) asked what it meant. Recognizing that he has practically no Ilocano blood, I said it meant protection, defense, guard, safety. For its being used as a section tag here at Guru, well, being informed is one way of being protected. To know is to be moved to the confines of safety.
Salaknib is sustained by information officers from AFP, PNP and BFP. The writers change – as perhaps their immediate superior would suddenly give the writing tasks to someone else – but at least they do write. It is surprising to note that we have within AFP and PNP ranks some genuine writers.
Which reminds me of Lt. Jay Alambra (may he rest in peace). I had the opportunity to work with him when local media were gathered and requested by Governor Floydelia Diasen to fill in the pages of the official provincial paper Kalinga Advocate. Lt. Alambra was one consummate writer – not only because he tended to write lengthily but because he fearlessly expressed his views about issues he chose to write about, which were, understandably, about insurgency problems. Had he not succumbed to the snare of leukemia, I am sure he would still be churning out words from his lexical factory.
Now, of course, we do have Cpt. Adonis Bañez, the current PIO of 501st Infantry Brigade to write from the AFP side. I just hope his output is regularly maintained.
The provincial command of PNP-Kalinga used to have a productive press man in the person of police officer Loren Moron. This was under the watch of then Provincial Director Emock, who can be credited for his media savvy while he was here in the province. In fact, one of the areas he stressed was Media Relations – recognizing it as a vital tool in advancing the vision-mission of the prime law enforcement agency. In his first few days in office, he called for an upgrading seminar and Media Relations was one of the lectures that were delivered.
Impressive, isn’t it? Of course, when the potent force of our work is given value by those who need to reach out to a large and diverse audience, we automatically reciprocate by giving media mileage to them.
Congressman Manuel S. Agyao, Governor Floydelia R. Diasen, Mayor Camilo T. Lammawin Jr., Vice Mayor Rainier D. Sarol, Mayor Allen Jesse Mangaoang, and other political leaders all recognize this – including those who have set their eyes on the May 2010 elections.
When I came up with the MSA section, I simply followed the lead of Mayor Lammawin with his City of Tabuk Lives tag – which has the same acronym as his CTL initials. So I came up with Man of Service and Action – to follow the Congressman’s MSA initials. I notice that the Congressman’s tarpaulin materials also bear our Man of Service and Action tag. No problem there. He really lives up to the tag.
As for the Governor, when the info-dissemination team of the provincial capitol made a move to keep Tabuk’s only private print medium (this paper) updated regularly with vital news material that should reach readers, I also followed her example. The Governor’s planning team coined Forward Rural Development (FRD) last January and started using it during this year’s Kalinga Founding Anniversary and Ullalim Festival. Inspired by that model, I patterned our FRD section here at Guru to fit media and communication terms – thus, the Forecast-Respond-Disseminate (FRD) section was born.
*****
There are regular sections, though, that readers may miss seeing now and then. First in the list is the rather unabash-toned column of Dr. Edgar Naganag – Futures and Options. I recently had a drink with him and I voiced that Guru Press misses his articles and that the paper would definitely benefit from his views. Unlike other political analysts we have around, Sir Edgar is not attached or identified with political names – at least not yet.
We also do not read anymore Gary Damian’s entries into his Gadly Ruminations – his column which used to be filled with his intense writings. Same true with Native Thoughts by Regie Wacas, Pioneers by Giovanni Asbucan and the pioneering columns of Jun Albano and Daniel Cagan – Tungtungan and What If, respectively. When they shall decide to re-enter the pages of this paper, Guru Press shall have a grand day.
Thank God we still have Aparri Councilor Reginald Tamayo with his Thoughts from Aparri, and Mr. Santos Acoba with his What’s Your Side?
*****
Morally and spiritually tinged articles have always been one of the staple outputs that can be read in Guru – which is why we give special spaces to Edison Macusi’s Take the Land and Rency Roaquin’s Mark my Word. Of course, from time to time, we get to read the thoughts of Bishop Renato Abibico who, I think, puts several months as a gap between his articles. Whenever he writes though, the article is a worthwhile read.
*****
Next week, we are giving birth to yet another initiative of a leader to reach out to our readers – by way of a regularly maintained section. Do watch out for it.
FILROSE: a different blend of Business and Benevolence
by Marciano "m-16" A. Paroy Jr.
He wakes up at around 4 in the morning, goes to the kitchen where his wife would already be seated before the earthen stove on which a pot of water is about to boil, then sits himself at one of those benches whose one leg is already on the brink of giving way. As if on cue, his wife dips a plastic cup into the boiling water and gently brings it on the table. He reaches out for it as his wife takes out the containers for sugar and coffee. No creamer this time. This last one has not been a good week – thus prompting them to forego of some little pleasures which they can only afford from time to time.
His wife makes herself a cup of coffee too, and as they both face each other in that cold and dimly lit kitchen, they need not put into words what lies within their heads. Their eyes meet and the lifeless stare that emanate from them speak volumes already: here’s to another day of suffering and sacrifice. Here’s to another waking hour filled with a dying hope that by the end of the day, things shall have turned out for the better.
Thus goes the daily routine of Manong Benito and Manang Tina. The same is true with the family of Atong and Mabboy Wacas, also of Pacak. And perhaps it might relax them to know that millions of other people within this archipelago is undergoing exactly the same thing. But they have reached that stage where they simply do not care any longer care. Every single day is filled with the worry of having to put food on the table that giving a damn about fellow less fortunate ones would even be considered an unnecessary waste of time, a past time hobby for those who have more.
This is reality in Pacak, a sitio of barangay Agbannawag, and similar other barangays in Tabuk. A small community populated by farmers whose subsistence is determined by how bountiful or how poor the past cropping had been, Pacak is one of those small territories trying to extract wealth from the soil – in a back-breaking manner. Few people are aware of their plight – and for those who are even aware, they become helpless as they can only do so much.
Enter Filrose Foundation. Sounds new, doesn’t it? Instantly, it may be perceived by anyone as one of those foundations that litter the civic-spirited domain – specifically those posing as pro-poor just so they could generate funds which they would then allocate to meet the needs of the clients they have identified to serve, but, in the process, also dipping their fingers into such funds.
This is where Filrose begs to differ. Its official website shouts out that it is “a non-profit, non-political family organization serving the Filipinos, with a special focus to the residents of our hometown, Tabuk, Kalinga. Our social financing, educational programs, community outreach programs and youth initiatives are designed to help those in need. We do not require that you belong to any particular religious affiliation or ethnicity, nor do we require that you financially support our organization in any way. We do ask that you return one good deed with another and perform an act of kindness. This way, the cycle of compassion and goodwill continues indefinitely.”
This gives a picture of a family who struck gold and now wants to give back to the community within which they rose – simply out of their initiative to prosper. In fact, the Filrose ingredients to success are the time-tested combination of “Perseverance, Industriousness Humility, Ambition Respect Responsibility Self-Sacrifice” as the website proclaims.
But who exactly are the people behind Filrose?
Of course, everybody (at least in business and academic circles) remembers the Peralta family – that well-to-do brood produced by Filemon (may his soul rest in peace) and Rosario Peralta whose beginnings were not what we might exactly tag as wealthy, but eventually rose to prominence in the Tabuk society by way of their commitment to attaining their economic goals. Being among those parents who believe in the power of education, Filemon and Rose saw to it that each child should receive high-caliber formal training. And they did – complete with diplomas and training certificates from notable institutions.
It is this education that would further propel their family’s assets. Some of them chose to establish businesses here in the Philippines while others chose to land jobs in the other side of the globe. Now leading lives that can be rightfully assessed as being within the confines of contentment and comfort, Filemon and Rosario can look back at their tracks and be proud at the result of such journey.
The establishment of the foundation, therefore, is their way of sharing whatever they could within the scope of their financial capability – targeting small scale entrepreneurs and farmers whose goals are set on progress.
“In addition, the foundation has also an educational program that gives scholarship grants to students who are gifted but whose family may be financially crippled as to further education,” thus explained Annalyn Pullis, an employee of the Peralta group of businesses and who also helps out at the Foundation.
To see how far the Foundation has expanded its client base, I tagged along with Ms Pullis and this paper’s photographer, Elizabeth Busacay, during a recent seedling distribution to needy farming families in Pacak, Agbannawag. It was there where I envisioned that should the Foundation continue to grow and extend its services to needy but diligently working people, we may have within Tabuk its first-ever homegrown foundation which is result-oriented.
That would not be hard to attain – as the Peralta children all have a nose for business, management and planning, as can be attested by the degrees they have earned and the current work that they do. Throw in the element of humanitarianism and we have a winning formula where both sides – the source and the receiver – end up as winners.
Three friends in the beauty care industry, Jerry Ladrido, Jinky Safangan and Marlon Carbonel, are beneficiaries of the capital enhancement program of Filrose and they all confirm that the little interest levied upon their borrowed funds are so considerate that they have ceased borrowing from their usual five-six lenders. Parlor work requires stocks of the best hair treatment products – and even if these are expensive, our parlor owners all want to buy them by the bulk. Having borrowed from Filrose, these three friends of mine have replenished the contents of their glass cabinets.
Another client, Evangeline “Bunch” Torres (now married to Jonathan Mission), said that Filrose gives other money lenders a tough competition. This means though that the Foundation has to have a ready reserve of resources, or at least be ever-ready to link itself to other well-meaning organizations whose programs may likewise find beneficiaries in Tabuk.
Last time I tagged along with Ms.Pullis was when she did her rounds at the Tabuk Public Market. One market vendor expressed that she hopes to keep borrowing from Filrose – as long as the need arises and as long as the Foundation keeps its current rates. That, of course, would require her to maintain a good standing in the eyes of Filrose – something which the Foundation emphasizes, according to Ms. Pullis. Of course, in the business world, destroying your own reputation as to money-handling matters would result to a tarnished image. And when that happens, Filrose might simply withdraw its support.
That, however, is painting a bleak picture for prospective clients – for Filrose is still on the buildup stage, but given its present rate of growth, the list of recipients may soon become longer. With its future plans which include a Kids’ Center and the “Adopt-a-Farmer” Program (something I will have to look forward to, as rural development issues strike close to my area of prioritized issues), that expanded list is not hard to arrive at.
And I hope that before it happens, Manong Benito and Manang Tina would already be conversing about what to do with last cropping season’s profits – as they sip from their mugs of coffee, now laced with creamer.
(More about Filrose later. Check out its website at http://www.filroseperaltafoundation.org)
He wakes up at around 4 in the morning, goes to the kitchen where his wife would already be seated before the earthen stove on which a pot of water is about to boil, then sits himself at one of those benches whose one leg is already on the brink of giving way. As if on cue, his wife dips a plastic cup into the boiling water and gently brings it on the table. He reaches out for it as his wife takes out the containers for sugar and coffee. No creamer this time. This last one has not been a good week – thus prompting them to forego of some little pleasures which they can only afford from time to time.
His wife makes herself a cup of coffee too, and as they both face each other in that cold and dimly lit kitchen, they need not put into words what lies within their heads. Their eyes meet and the lifeless stare that emanate from them speak volumes already: here’s to another day of suffering and sacrifice. Here’s to another waking hour filled with a dying hope that by the end of the day, things shall have turned out for the better.
Thus goes the daily routine of Manong Benito and Manang Tina. The same is true with the family of Atong and Mabboy Wacas, also of Pacak. And perhaps it might relax them to know that millions of other people within this archipelago is undergoing exactly the same thing. But they have reached that stage where they simply do not care any longer care. Every single day is filled with the worry of having to put food on the table that giving a damn about fellow less fortunate ones would even be considered an unnecessary waste of time, a past time hobby for those who have more.
This is reality in Pacak, a sitio of barangay Agbannawag, and similar other barangays in Tabuk. A small community populated by farmers whose subsistence is determined by how bountiful or how poor the past cropping had been, Pacak is one of those small territories trying to extract wealth from the soil – in a back-breaking manner. Few people are aware of their plight – and for those who are even aware, they become helpless as they can only do so much.
Enter Filrose Foundation. Sounds new, doesn’t it? Instantly, it may be perceived by anyone as one of those foundations that litter the civic-spirited domain – specifically those posing as pro-poor just so they could generate funds which they would then allocate to meet the needs of the clients they have identified to serve, but, in the process, also dipping their fingers into such funds.
This is where Filrose begs to differ. Its official website shouts out that it is “a non-profit, non-political family organization serving the Filipinos, with a special focus to the residents of our hometown, Tabuk, Kalinga. Our social financing, educational programs, community outreach programs and youth initiatives are designed to help those in need. We do not require that you belong to any particular religious affiliation or ethnicity, nor do we require that you financially support our organization in any way. We do ask that you return one good deed with another and perform an act of kindness. This way, the cycle of compassion and goodwill continues indefinitely.”
This gives a picture of a family who struck gold and now wants to give back to the community within which they rose – simply out of their initiative to prosper. In fact, the Filrose ingredients to success are the time-tested combination of “Perseverance, Industriousness Humility, Ambition Respect Responsibility Self-Sacrifice” as the website proclaims.
But who exactly are the people behind Filrose?
Of course, everybody (at least in business and academic circles) remembers the Peralta family – that well-to-do brood produced by Filemon (may his soul rest in peace) and Rosario Peralta whose beginnings were not what we might exactly tag as wealthy, but eventually rose to prominence in the Tabuk society by way of their commitment to attaining their economic goals. Being among those parents who believe in the power of education, Filemon and Rose saw to it that each child should receive high-caliber formal training. And they did – complete with diplomas and training certificates from notable institutions.
It is this education that would further propel their family’s assets. Some of them chose to establish businesses here in the Philippines while others chose to land jobs in the other side of the globe. Now leading lives that can be rightfully assessed as being within the confines of contentment and comfort, Filemon and Rosario can look back at their tracks and be proud at the result of such journey.
The establishment of the foundation, therefore, is their way of sharing whatever they could within the scope of their financial capability – targeting small scale entrepreneurs and farmers whose goals are set on progress.
“In addition, the foundation has also an educational program that gives scholarship grants to students who are gifted but whose family may be financially crippled as to further education,” thus explained Annalyn Pullis, an employee of the Peralta group of businesses and who also helps out at the Foundation.
To see how far the Foundation has expanded its client base, I tagged along with Ms Pullis and this paper’s photographer, Elizabeth Busacay, during a recent seedling distribution to needy farming families in Pacak, Agbannawag. It was there where I envisioned that should the Foundation continue to grow and extend its services to needy but diligently working people, we may have within Tabuk its first-ever homegrown foundation which is result-oriented.
That would not be hard to attain – as the Peralta children all have a nose for business, management and planning, as can be attested by the degrees they have earned and the current work that they do. Throw in the element of humanitarianism and we have a winning formula where both sides – the source and the receiver – end up as winners.
Three friends in the beauty care industry, Jerry Ladrido, Jinky Safangan and Marlon Carbonel, are beneficiaries of the capital enhancement program of Filrose and they all confirm that the little interest levied upon their borrowed funds are so considerate that they have ceased borrowing from their usual five-six lenders. Parlor work requires stocks of the best hair treatment products – and even if these are expensive, our parlor owners all want to buy them by the bulk. Having borrowed from Filrose, these three friends of mine have replenished the contents of their glass cabinets.
Another client, Evangeline “Bunch” Torres (now married to Jonathan Mission), said that Filrose gives other money lenders a tough competition. This means though that the Foundation has to have a ready reserve of resources, or at least be ever-ready to link itself to other well-meaning organizations whose programs may likewise find beneficiaries in Tabuk.
Last time I tagged along with Ms.Pullis was when she did her rounds at the Tabuk Public Market. One market vendor expressed that she hopes to keep borrowing from Filrose – as long as the need arises and as long as the Foundation keeps its current rates. That, of course, would require her to maintain a good standing in the eyes of Filrose – something which the Foundation emphasizes, according to Ms. Pullis. Of course, in the business world, destroying your own reputation as to money-handling matters would result to a tarnished image. And when that happens, Filrose might simply withdraw its support.
That, however, is painting a bleak picture for prospective clients – for Filrose is still on the buildup stage, but given its present rate of growth, the list of recipients may soon become longer. With its future plans which include a Kids’ Center and the “Adopt-a-Farmer” Program (something I will have to look forward to, as rural development issues strike close to my area of prioritized issues), that expanded list is not hard to arrive at.
And I hope that before it happens, Manong Benito and Manang Tina would already be conversing about what to do with last cropping season’s profits – as they sip from their mugs of coffee, now laced with creamer.
(More about Filrose later. Check out its website at http://www.filroseperaltafoundation.org)
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Can a perfect Exam be Constructed?
by Marciano "m-16" A. Paroy Jr.
I recently attended a seminar on Language Testing at the College of Teacher Education of the Mariano Marcos State University-Laoag Campus. The training activity was an opportunity for the participating teachers to be upgraded as to their ability to construct examination items – with the ultimate goal of coming up with a perfect test to be administered to students.
I beg to differ. No examination – as one whole package – can cover all the skills that a student has learned inside the classroom. Learning is a multi-faceted process and the teaching that was made by the instructor to induce such learning is even more complex, thus making it difficult to come up with one examination which will ideally encompass all that was taught inside the classroom. Considering that an examination for a subject usually lasts an hour, then that would be wishful thinking.
An exam, however, may attempt to cover as much lessons as it possibly could and extract them from the examinee through a series of creatively designed portions in the exam paper – but not all. Again.
Usually, a teacher first gives a multiple choice test, then supply tests (filling-in the blanks, identification, enumeration, etc.) and ends it all with two or three essay questions. That instrument alone is a close-to-perfect tool already to look into the level of learning that a student has amassed before sending him to the next semester – well, assuming that the items were carefully planned-out so as to be worthy of their status as college students.
The trainers – who were PhD students asked to come up with a seminar as their final requirement in one of their courses at MMSU Graduate School – did not, at least, send out the notion that a perfect examination can truly be constructed. Otherwise they would have faced a barrage of contradictory views from most of us in the audience.
Near the end of the seminar, participants – as always – were encouraged to ask questions. Several hands flew up, mostly from the 4th year BSEd and BEEd students of MMSU who were also asked to attend.
The first two questions went out fine, and indeed they were gray areas that needed to be clarified for them. But when the succeeding questions were aired out, my right eyebrow automatically raised itself. Why not, the students were asking questions whose answers were fully covered during the lecture sessions. The lecturers were polite and patient enough to give full responses – perhaps realizing that the questions were coming from students.
However, student or not, a participant should have fully been attentive during the course of the seminar. It is irritating to listen to questions whose answers can be found in earlier pronouncements. So when I was singled out to give my impressions at the end of the seminar, I pointed out that it is surprising to note that the students who will become future teachers were throwing questions regarding some areas that were earlier discussed. This implies that the concerned participants attended the activity with the pre-conceived notion that the lecturers would be unable to cover this or that certain area – and that the accompanying question would be asked at the next available opportunity.
More importantly, this implies that the students who asked the questions were not listening at all – just waiting for the chance to ask their questions.
On the part of the lecturers, I gave my appraisal that they made a great attempt at coming up with carefully selected topics – and ended up with a competent presentation. Still, I reminded the students that the lectures were sort of prescriptive in nature – they are not rules that one has to strictly live by, because when they shall be joining the teaching profession, they will soon find out that the task of constructing an examination is a case-to-case basis, backed up by their own individual teaching experiences.
*****
It is enrollment season once again. I hope our students at the Kalinga-Apayao State College shall go back inside the classroom with a refreshed energy and commitment this second semester.
*****
We have incoming part-time instructors as well. Welcome to the KASC family.
I recently attended a seminar on Language Testing at the College of Teacher Education of the Mariano Marcos State University-Laoag Campus. The training activity was an opportunity for the participating teachers to be upgraded as to their ability to construct examination items – with the ultimate goal of coming up with a perfect test to be administered to students.
I beg to differ. No examination – as one whole package – can cover all the skills that a student has learned inside the classroom. Learning is a multi-faceted process and the teaching that was made by the instructor to induce such learning is even more complex, thus making it difficult to come up with one examination which will ideally encompass all that was taught inside the classroom. Considering that an examination for a subject usually lasts an hour, then that would be wishful thinking.
An exam, however, may attempt to cover as much lessons as it possibly could and extract them from the examinee through a series of creatively designed portions in the exam paper – but not all. Again.
Usually, a teacher first gives a multiple choice test, then supply tests (filling-in the blanks, identification, enumeration, etc.) and ends it all with two or three essay questions. That instrument alone is a close-to-perfect tool already to look into the level of learning that a student has amassed before sending him to the next semester – well, assuming that the items were carefully planned-out so as to be worthy of their status as college students.
The trainers – who were PhD students asked to come up with a seminar as their final requirement in one of their courses at MMSU Graduate School – did not, at least, send out the notion that a perfect examination can truly be constructed. Otherwise they would have faced a barrage of contradictory views from most of us in the audience.
Near the end of the seminar, participants – as always – were encouraged to ask questions. Several hands flew up, mostly from the 4th year BSEd and BEEd students of MMSU who were also asked to attend.
The first two questions went out fine, and indeed they were gray areas that needed to be clarified for them. But when the succeeding questions were aired out, my right eyebrow automatically raised itself. Why not, the students were asking questions whose answers were fully covered during the lecture sessions. The lecturers were polite and patient enough to give full responses – perhaps realizing that the questions were coming from students.
However, student or not, a participant should have fully been attentive during the course of the seminar. It is irritating to listen to questions whose answers can be found in earlier pronouncements. So when I was singled out to give my impressions at the end of the seminar, I pointed out that it is surprising to note that the students who will become future teachers were throwing questions regarding some areas that were earlier discussed. This implies that the concerned participants attended the activity with the pre-conceived notion that the lecturers would be unable to cover this or that certain area – and that the accompanying question would be asked at the next available opportunity.
More importantly, this implies that the students who asked the questions were not listening at all – just waiting for the chance to ask their questions.
On the part of the lecturers, I gave my appraisal that they made a great attempt at coming up with carefully selected topics – and ended up with a competent presentation. Still, I reminded the students that the lectures were sort of prescriptive in nature – they are not rules that one has to strictly live by, because when they shall be joining the teaching profession, they will soon find out that the task of constructing an examination is a case-to-case basis, backed up by their own individual teaching experiences.
*****
It is enrollment season once again. I hope our students at the Kalinga-Apayao State College shall go back inside the classroom with a refreshed energy and commitment this second semester.
*****
We have incoming part-time instructors as well. Welcome to the KASC family.
In the midst of a Storm: Respond, Rescue and Reflect
by Marciano "m-16" A. Paroy Jr.
The recent onslaught of a series of typhoons – including that unbelievable U-turn made by Pepeng – has devastated many of our fellow Filipinos. The images alone that we saw (and continue to see) on our TV screens, computer monitors and on the pages of national dailies are enough to unsettle us and make us think about the effortlessness of Mother Nature to wreck havoc on our lives whenever she wants to.
Life is fragile. That, at least, has been hammered into our judgment again. We strive out into the world and make a lifetime attempt at proving that we can be much more, that we can do much more, not caring to pause for awhile and contemplate about the very fabric of our existence. And so when we find ourselves thrown into a tragedy, we take it a s a jolt that tosses us out of balance – with the sudden protest summed up in a one-syllable word: Why?
There is a reason to everything, we have always told ourselves that. Sort of a mantra that we keep repeating as if it already explains why a certain misfortune took place. For the “devoted,” God has willed it to be so. For the hard line scientist, these catastrophes are a manifestation of the geo-physical upheaval that the earth is continuously undergoing. For the mathematician, these recent phenomena reflect the possibility that earthly life may be snuffed out by such events, and that the calculable odds are great that the ratio between our eventual demise and our survival is narrow, somewhere like 5:1
But people are not numbers. The victims are part of a family with its own story about eking out a living, about how the damaged house was built, about how they have chosen to migrate to a certain place. These are names, not numbers – and behind each name is a story. For the older victims, a story of successes and failures – and how they have managed to stay afloat above such failures. For the children – a story that shall never be lived out, that shall never be written.
Most of us cried. I can say that, without a single speck of a doubt. But we are resilient. Time and time again, we Filipinos have exhibited a different brand of resistance to sad events. We keep falling, yet we keep rising. We keep crying, yet the next day we will be laughing at our very own selves. We keep stumbling, yet others will always go out of their way to give us a hand.
In Tabuk alone, people responded. When downstream Chico River could no longer contain within its river bed the rising water level, residents of Cabaruan, Tabuk and Sucbot, Pinukpuk had to flee their barangays and seek shelter in the hastily prepared evacuation stations at the Laya East Elementary School, Tabuk National High School and Magsaysay Elementary School.
We have heard about accounts of how these unfortunate evacuees were given an immediate help by well-meaning civic groups, community leaders, government officials and other individuals. Like a wellspring of reserved relief and comfort, these people came in droves – proving that we are indeed our brothers’ keepers.
Looking at the images submitted by our ace lensman Elizabeth Busacay, I cannot help but feel the miserable situation that has befallen the residents. It is not that easy to turn your back on your home and take refuge somewhere – with the distressing thought that your house may not be what it was like (or where it used to stand) when you get back once it has been declared that weather conditions had become stable.
We are impressed at the quick outpour of assistance – food (bread, rice, meat, vegetables), clothing and sheets for warmth, materials and utensils for cooking, milk for the children, and even cash from those who did not have the time to rush to the stores that were luckily open.
Just being around, in fact, is a source of great comfort for the evacuees already. It sends out the message that you do have compassion and that you yourself are sad about the situation.
But then one dose not go there to grieve or to curse against the cataclysm. One has to show strength and to be in command of the situation – for if everyone else breaks down, then it would be a roomful of pathetic mourners.
This column then rings out the applauding bells for those who rushed to the evacuation sites – for we have heard that they had all exercised this show of strength even as they expressed their sympathy.
You shall all be remembered by those whom you rescued. In their own little ways in the future – even without your expectations for anything in return – people shall know how to give back.
The recent onslaught of a series of typhoons – including that unbelievable U-turn made by Pepeng – has devastated many of our fellow Filipinos. The images alone that we saw (and continue to see) on our TV screens, computer monitors and on the pages of national dailies are enough to unsettle us and make us think about the effortlessness of Mother Nature to wreck havoc on our lives whenever she wants to.
Life is fragile. That, at least, has been hammered into our judgment again. We strive out into the world and make a lifetime attempt at proving that we can be much more, that we can do much more, not caring to pause for awhile and contemplate about the very fabric of our existence. And so when we find ourselves thrown into a tragedy, we take it a s a jolt that tosses us out of balance – with the sudden protest summed up in a one-syllable word: Why?
There is a reason to everything, we have always told ourselves that. Sort of a mantra that we keep repeating as if it already explains why a certain misfortune took place. For the “devoted,” God has willed it to be so. For the hard line scientist, these catastrophes are a manifestation of the geo-physical upheaval that the earth is continuously undergoing. For the mathematician, these recent phenomena reflect the possibility that earthly life may be snuffed out by such events, and that the calculable odds are great that the ratio between our eventual demise and our survival is narrow, somewhere like 5:1
But people are not numbers. The victims are part of a family with its own story about eking out a living, about how the damaged house was built, about how they have chosen to migrate to a certain place. These are names, not numbers – and behind each name is a story. For the older victims, a story of successes and failures – and how they have managed to stay afloat above such failures. For the children – a story that shall never be lived out, that shall never be written.
Most of us cried. I can say that, without a single speck of a doubt. But we are resilient. Time and time again, we Filipinos have exhibited a different brand of resistance to sad events. We keep falling, yet we keep rising. We keep crying, yet the next day we will be laughing at our very own selves. We keep stumbling, yet others will always go out of their way to give us a hand.
In Tabuk alone, people responded. When downstream Chico River could no longer contain within its river bed the rising water level, residents of Cabaruan, Tabuk and Sucbot, Pinukpuk had to flee their barangays and seek shelter in the hastily prepared evacuation stations at the Laya East Elementary School, Tabuk National High School and Magsaysay Elementary School.
We have heard about accounts of how these unfortunate evacuees were given an immediate help by well-meaning civic groups, community leaders, government officials and other individuals. Like a wellspring of reserved relief and comfort, these people came in droves – proving that we are indeed our brothers’ keepers.
Looking at the images submitted by our ace lensman Elizabeth Busacay, I cannot help but feel the miserable situation that has befallen the residents. It is not that easy to turn your back on your home and take refuge somewhere – with the distressing thought that your house may not be what it was like (or where it used to stand) when you get back once it has been declared that weather conditions had become stable.
We are impressed at the quick outpour of assistance – food (bread, rice, meat, vegetables), clothing and sheets for warmth, materials and utensils for cooking, milk for the children, and even cash from those who did not have the time to rush to the stores that were luckily open.
Just being around, in fact, is a source of great comfort for the evacuees already. It sends out the message that you do have compassion and that you yourself are sad about the situation.
But then one dose not go there to grieve or to curse against the cataclysm. One has to show strength and to be in command of the situation – for if everyone else breaks down, then it would be a roomful of pathetic mourners.
This column then rings out the applauding bells for those who rushed to the evacuation sites – for we have heard that they had all exercised this show of strength even as they expressed their sympathy.
You shall all be remembered by those whom you rescued. In their own little ways in the future – even without your expectations for anything in return – people shall know how to give back.
NTD High Schools: a Collective force this side of Tabuk
by Marciano "m-16" A. Paroy Jr.
With the intent of selecting players that could best represent the Northern Tabuk District this coming City Meet, St. Theresita’s School-Tabuk, Tabuk Institute and Tabuk National High School linked arms and resources to hold what they termed as Triangular Meet 2009 – with the theme “A Sound Mind and a Sound Body.”
A search for Mr. and Ms NTD 2009 commenced the three-day activity, with Xyla Bayudang and Kurdell Johansen Paroy grabbing the top honors, aside from besting their fellow contestants in other special awards. Mr. Paroy was adjudged Best in Ethnic Attire, Best in Sportswear and Best in Talent, while Ms. Bayudang was named as the Best in Ethnic Attire.
Earl Madalang of Tabuk Institute landed as 1st runner-up while John Gavino of STS settled for 2nd runner-up. Vissia Fara Calizar of STS grabbed the 1st runner-up for the female category, aside from being adjudged as Best in Sportswear and Best in Talent. Jolly Maruz Martinez – an active chief girl scout with a noteworthy project in Casigayan – placed as 2nd runner-up for the girls.
As enunciated by show host Grace Mabate-Assayco during one of her eloquent spiels as she handled the pageant, “the beauty contest will serve as a teaser for more intense competitions to be fought and won for the whole duration of the sports event” – sort of a starter for students to be inspired so that they would eventually gear up their competitive muscles and plunge into the real meat of the athletic event: the drive for gold, so to speak, in all events.
The contestants themselves are athletes in various events – which was why they easily displayed sportsmanship up to the last minute when they finally left the stage. It was a refreshing sight – to see students clasping hands even if some ranking scheme has already made a distinction among them.
In the world of sports, ranking does matter. That is imperative. One has to reach the top spot and hopefully retain occupancy for some time – to be acknowledged as Number One. But still, beneath all the buzz fastened on being Number One, athletes are athletes: they play for the mere love of the game.
I hope such display of sportsmanlike character shall be exhibited all through out the activity.
*****
I commend the host of the show, Grace Mabate-Assayco, one of the new additions into the teaching corps of TNHS. Even with some forgivable lapses which can only be summed up as minor errors in the field of hosting, she managed to single-handedly run the show from the podium.
Standing in front for several hours, with only a copy of the program to serve as guide, is taxing – physically and mentally, since you know you have to maintain both a composure (which is physically manifested) and a quick-thinking ability to jump from one segment to another. The stress builds up, yet MCs know that they are not allowed to frown for even a fraction of a second. So, in the matter of Ms. Assayco fumbling some of her lines – these are, again, forgivable slips.
Overall, I give the MC two thumbs up (and I learned that she’s not even an English major, but from the Info Technology department). Welcome to the world of hosting, Grace (Ma’am Lorraine, Sir Bani and Mr. Guiyab now have a company for the rotation of hosting tasks). I hope to see more of her in other occasions – not only in TNHS, but in other community functions as well.
*****
Eyeing the chairs reserved for faculty members of the three participating schools, I saw one glaring non-appearance: those of other teachers from Tabuk Institute. Well, Mr. Joseph Belinan was around, even serving as one of the tabulators, along with the charming Jasmin Sumail, but his fellows are practically non-existent.
During student competitions, I have always valued the presence of advisers, coaches, other teachers, and if possible, school heads and administrators. No need discussing further the effect of their presence which can magically lift up the morale and confidence of the students. We can have a lengthy discourse about the incalculable push that such presence brings.
Their absence, however, can only give the students these four words: They do not care.
*****
Perhaps they were not allowed to leave the school premises. In which case, haan dan nga basol piman.
*****
In this column’s own little way, let us shed spotlight on those who did their part for the show. Along with the teachers we have earlier mentioned, may we also commend Josephina Ba-i who chaired the event, with support from Ruby Belgica, Vivian Domingo, Jasmin Sumail, Joseph Belinan and Don-Don Malana (of STS).
TNHS easily beats the attendance of teachers from all three schools, of course. Still, on hand to boost the morale of STS students were Melanie Pan-oy, Nancy Madarang, and Gemma Carbonel – who stayed the whole time with the STS contestants at the backstage. There. Kasdiay ti kailangan dagiti ubbing tayo.
*****
Mrs. Martina Bayudang, mother of Xyla, was a nervous wreck backstage. But that is understandable for a mother. I find it both amusing and impressive, actually. It is not always that one’s child can go onstage and shout out the surname that he or she is carrying in behalf of his or her parents. So when parents go overzealously enthusiastic during such competitions, it’s perfectly understandable.
*****
I guess a closing evaluation is in order.
With the intent of selecting players that could best represent the Northern Tabuk District this coming City Meet, St. Theresita’s School-Tabuk, Tabuk Institute and Tabuk National High School linked arms and resources to hold what they termed as Triangular Meet 2009 – with the theme “A Sound Mind and a Sound Body.”
A search for Mr. and Ms NTD 2009 commenced the three-day activity, with Xyla Bayudang and Kurdell Johansen Paroy grabbing the top honors, aside from besting their fellow contestants in other special awards. Mr. Paroy was adjudged Best in Ethnic Attire, Best in Sportswear and Best in Talent, while Ms. Bayudang was named as the Best in Ethnic Attire.
Earl Madalang of Tabuk Institute landed as 1st runner-up while John Gavino of STS settled for 2nd runner-up. Vissia Fara Calizar of STS grabbed the 1st runner-up for the female category, aside from being adjudged as Best in Sportswear and Best in Talent. Jolly Maruz Martinez – an active chief girl scout with a noteworthy project in Casigayan – placed as 2nd runner-up for the girls.
As enunciated by show host Grace Mabate-Assayco during one of her eloquent spiels as she handled the pageant, “the beauty contest will serve as a teaser for more intense competitions to be fought and won for the whole duration of the sports event” – sort of a starter for students to be inspired so that they would eventually gear up their competitive muscles and plunge into the real meat of the athletic event: the drive for gold, so to speak, in all events.
The contestants themselves are athletes in various events – which was why they easily displayed sportsmanship up to the last minute when they finally left the stage. It was a refreshing sight – to see students clasping hands even if some ranking scheme has already made a distinction among them.
In the world of sports, ranking does matter. That is imperative. One has to reach the top spot and hopefully retain occupancy for some time – to be acknowledged as Number One. But still, beneath all the buzz fastened on being Number One, athletes are athletes: they play for the mere love of the game.
I hope such display of sportsmanlike character shall be exhibited all through out the activity.
*****
I commend the host of the show, Grace Mabate-Assayco, one of the new additions into the teaching corps of TNHS. Even with some forgivable lapses which can only be summed up as minor errors in the field of hosting, she managed to single-handedly run the show from the podium.
Standing in front for several hours, with only a copy of the program to serve as guide, is taxing – physically and mentally, since you know you have to maintain both a composure (which is physically manifested) and a quick-thinking ability to jump from one segment to another. The stress builds up, yet MCs know that they are not allowed to frown for even a fraction of a second. So, in the matter of Ms. Assayco fumbling some of her lines – these are, again, forgivable slips.
Overall, I give the MC two thumbs up (and I learned that she’s not even an English major, but from the Info Technology department). Welcome to the world of hosting, Grace (Ma’am Lorraine, Sir Bani and Mr. Guiyab now have a company for the rotation of hosting tasks). I hope to see more of her in other occasions – not only in TNHS, but in other community functions as well.
*****
Eyeing the chairs reserved for faculty members of the three participating schools, I saw one glaring non-appearance: those of other teachers from Tabuk Institute. Well, Mr. Joseph Belinan was around, even serving as one of the tabulators, along with the charming Jasmin Sumail, but his fellows are practically non-existent.
During student competitions, I have always valued the presence of advisers, coaches, other teachers, and if possible, school heads and administrators. No need discussing further the effect of their presence which can magically lift up the morale and confidence of the students. We can have a lengthy discourse about the incalculable push that such presence brings.
Their absence, however, can only give the students these four words: They do not care.
*****
Perhaps they were not allowed to leave the school premises. In which case, haan dan nga basol piman.
*****
In this column’s own little way, let us shed spotlight on those who did their part for the show. Along with the teachers we have earlier mentioned, may we also commend Josephina Ba-i who chaired the event, with support from Ruby Belgica, Vivian Domingo, Jasmin Sumail, Joseph Belinan and Don-Don Malana (of STS).
TNHS easily beats the attendance of teachers from all three schools, of course. Still, on hand to boost the morale of STS students were Melanie Pan-oy, Nancy Madarang, and Gemma Carbonel – who stayed the whole time with the STS contestants at the backstage. There. Kasdiay ti kailangan dagiti ubbing tayo.
*****
Mrs. Martina Bayudang, mother of Xyla, was a nervous wreck backstage. But that is understandable for a mother. I find it both amusing and impressive, actually. It is not always that one’s child can go onstage and shout out the surname that he or she is carrying in behalf of his or her parents. So when parents go overzealously enthusiastic during such competitions, it’s perfectly understandable.
*****
I guess a closing evaluation is in order.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
An Appeal for Help
An Appeal for Help I can say I'm a long way from where I began... From the first day I had my stroke. But therapy has to go on. May I ...
-
by Marciano Paroy Jr. The Farmers’ Information and Technology Services (FITS) Center of KASC joined the band of other FITS Centers in the ...
