"We never fail when we try to do our duty, we always fail when we neglect to do it," said Lord Baden Powell.
I was a boy scout since elementary days in Saint Joseph College. During our time, scouting is part of the curriculum and it is integrated in our physical education, health and music program. Every month of October, we joined thousands of boy scouts all over Maasin in filling up the whole Anatalio Gaviola Plaza for the scouting rallies and camporal contests.
We experienced cooking and building fires including first aid and tree planting. Knot tying is one basic skill which was very useful in our everyday practical life. Troop formations strengthened our team building with other scouts. There were games played also by patrols during scout gatherings.
When I was first year high school student, I applied to join the 6th Regional Jamborette in Sibulan, Negros Oriental near Dumaguete City. I cried because I was declared unfit by a government physician to join the Jamborette. I was diagnosed to have asthma which actually I don't have. I was really very interested to go with the Saint Joseph College delegation joining the Southern Leyte Council contingent.
With the support of my parents, we seek medical clearance from another government physician and I was given the go signal to go with the group. That was year 1975 and amidst the big waves in crossing Cebu to Negros island, I was able to survive the first solid test of overcoming my seasickness.
Our tents were not ready made during that time and we had to build them. We cooked food using firewood. I survived the tests of outdoor life. The whole activity was rocked by an incident, a scout from Cebu got drowned and died in the camp swimming pool. Our contingent was safe though and we went home to Maasin full of pride, like soldiers going home from war.
When I was in the third year high school, I joined the 6th National Jamboree in Camp Capitol Hills, Cebu City. The whole SJC delegation was booked at Subcamp Ancajas just very near the arena. We cooked our own food, joined several camp activities including the very challenging adventure trail, and hiked several kilometers from the city to Lahug where our camp was situated.
We experienced New Year as we welcomed 1978 full of revelry in the camp. The jamboree was also hit by a typhoon and we experienced flooding of our camp. But we survived the nature's wrath and went home to Maasin safely.
In my 4th year in high school, even if I was already an officer in the Citizen's Army Training (CAT), I still joined the 1st Southern Leyte Provincial Jamborette in December 1978 as staff. It was held at Danao, Malapoc Norte. We were facilitators in the different activities and did household chores in the camp official's quarters.
There was a lull in my scouting when I was in college until my early professional days. But in 1992 when I was elected Sangguniang Bayan Member (Municipal Councilor) I was elected into the Council Executive Board with the position of 2nd Vice Chairman. After 14 years, I was back to Scouting!
With Congressman Roger Mercado as the Council Chairman, we hold the 2nd Provincial Jamborette, also 14 years had passed since the first one when I was still a student. It was conducted at the Capitol Sunken Garden. The 3rd and 4th Provincial Jamborette followed until 1998 when then Gov. Rosette Lerias was elected as the Council Chairman and I was chosen the 1st Vice Chairman.
In 2001 I was elected as Council Chairman for Southern Leyte. We hold the 5th Provincial Jamborette at Danao, this time called the Maasin City Forest Park. After 23 years, Scouting is back at Danao!
As Council Chairman we sent contingents to the 12th National Jamboree at Palo, Leyte in 2001, the 2nd National Scout Venture at Sorsogon City in 2002, the 12th Eastern Visayas Regional Jamborette at Cebu in 2004, the 13th National Jamboree at Mt. Makiling in 2004, the 3rd National Scout Venture at Cebu in 2005, the 4th National Rover Moot at Cabadbaran in 2005, the 2nd BIMP-EAGA Urban Jamboree at Davao City in 2006, the Centennial Jamboree at Mt. Makiling in 2007, the 4th National Scout Venture at Mambajao, Camiguin in 2008, the 5th National Rover Moot at Davao City in 2008, the 6th National Rover Moot at Tumauini, Isabela in 2009, the 2nd Border Jamboree at Zamboanga City in 2009, the 26th Asia-Pacific Jamboree at Mt. Makiling in 2009, the 14th National Diamond Jamboree at Mt. Makiling in 2011. I joined all these jamborees to give moral booster to our scouts.
I attended two national jamborees in Mt. Makiling with my wife Chona and three sons. During the national jamboree in 2004 we spent New Year and Chona's birthday in the camp. The other one was the Diamond Jubilee Jamboree in 2011. My sons attended the National Eagle Conclave that time.
Two times, in the 26th Asia-Pacific Jamboree and the National Diamond Jamboree, I acted as sub-camp chief. For the first one, it included delegations from other countries such Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Pakistan and delegations from other regions. In the second one, the subcamp included all Visayas contingents.
During my chairmanship, the first batch of Rover Scouts, scouts aged 16 and above or college level, were accepted into the scouting movement in Southern Leyte through rover vigils and investiture programs. First conducted were the Sangguniang Kabataan chairmen, then SK kagawads, youth leaders, then college students especially from Maasin City College. Thousands of rover scouts were trained into the ideals of scouting. They were oriented on the five rocks of life which blocks their way to success. These stumbling blocks include irreligion, humbuggery, alcoholism, gambling and womanizing.
We had institutionalized the Kab Olympics for the Kab Scouts who were grades one up to grades four. It was held every year for the Charter Day celebration since 2003. Hundreds of Kab Scouts all over Maasin City converged to play games with their parents.
We conducted Patrol Leaders' Training Course in all districts of Maasin City Division and in all districts in Southern Leyte Division. Also, Basic Training Course were held for adult leaders all throughout Southern Leyte.
We trained scouts for advancement. After five years and after several jamborees that they joined, we produced five Eagle Scouts, the first in Southern Leyte. Three of these were my sons - Mallory Samaco, Marton Samaco and Marlon Samaco - and Karl Pete Carrayo and Jefferson Dances.
Maasin City and Southern Leyte Council hosted the 13th Regional Jamborette in 2008. The first time a regional boy scouts activity was conducted in the province. It again hosted the 7th National Rover Moot and the 1st One Visayas Jamborette simultaneously in 2010. Again it was the first time the province hosted such big activities.
I was elected Regional Chairman for Eastern Visayas Region which includes Regions 7 and 8. That was in 2009, when the Regional Scout Committee meeting was held in Maasin City. I was reelected during the regional elections in 2010 at Siquijor and again reelected in 2011 at Northern Samar. Other regional meetings I presided were held in Cebu City and Naval, Biliran.
As Regional Chairman, the Regional Scout Committee was able to establish two new associate councils. These are the Tacloban City Associate Council and the Siquijor Associate Council. I also lobbied for their approval at the national level.
I became an automatic member of the National Executive Board. I attended board meetings and Annual National Council Meetings such as those in Manila, Cebu, Iloilo, Makati, and Zamboanga. I had several occasions of meeting Vice President and BSP National President Jejomar Binay. Every time we met he called me giant killer because of what happened in the 2007 mayoral elections.
During the Annual National Council Meeting in Zamboanga City, I made a PowerPoint presentation of Maasin City and Southern Leyte as prospective host to the National Rover Moot to some 300 delegates and scout executives from all over the Philippines.
As Regional Chairman I hosted the woodbadge training for troop leaders in Maasin in 2009 where I was a trainee. It was participated in by adult leaders from the entire region. Probably I was the only incumbent local chief executive in the entire country who participated in a training so rigid and humiliating as the woodbadge for troop leaders. During that time, I was not treated as mayor but as an ordinary adult leader. We cooked our own food, slept in tents, hiked, jogged, swam the muddy lake, went through obstacles and undergone training through sleepless nights for eight days.
In 2011, we had conducted again the same woodbadge training at City Forest Park. This time it was a back-to-back training for kawan leaders and troop leaders from all over the region. Kawan leaders are for the Kab Scouts while troop leaders are for the Boy Scouts.
In 2012, we conducted again a woodbadge training for Eastern Visayas region at Camp Danao, this time only for troop leaders. This time Chona joined the training and survived the eight days without adequate sleep.
I addressed to more than 200 scout executives, field scout executives, council staff members, and commissioners during the 52nd Annual National Scout Executives Conference at Bohol Plaza, Tagbilaran, Bohol in 2011. I discussed our scouting programs in Southern Leyte Council and Eastern Visayas Region.
recruited street children to our Neighborhood Scouting program. These twenty-two boys were out-of-school youth and they were called bakal boys because they steal iron and steel for selling to junk yards. Sixteen of them survived the training and had joined a provincial and a national jamboree. They stopped their stealing trade and planted vegetables at the backyard of the BSP office to earn money.
These boys were enrolled in the Alternative Learning System of the Department of Education. They graduated on December 2011. We are still hoping that some of these boys will get the Eagle Rank and become the first out-of-school youth in the whole Philippines to be advanced as Eagle Scouts.
I received two national awards during two Annual National Council Meetings. The first one at Dusit Hotel, Makati City on 2002, recognizing the donation of a camp site for the boy scouts at Danao and the numerous financial assistance given by the city government to the BSP. The second one a Bronze Usa Award at Sarabia Manor Hotel and Convention Center, Iloilo City in 2010 for years of exemplary service to scouting.
In October 2011,t Golden Jubilee Jamboree was held at Camp Danao, Maasin City Forest Park. Fifty years had passed since the BSP Southern Leyte Council was established a year after the province was born.
In December 2012, we had our Christmas Jamborette at the same venue. We conducted our first Skills Olympics in October 2013 for boy and senior scouts. In December 2013, because of Typhoon Yolanda, we cancelled the scheduled Christmas Jamborette and instead organized scouting activities simultaneously in each school.
In December 2014 we had our 53rd Christmas Jamborette in commemoration of the 53rd anniversary of scouting in Southern Leyte.
During the 59th Annual Council Meeting at Tagum City, Davao del Norte on May 20-22, 2014 where I was awarded Most Outstanding Council Chairman. I received the highest award given that time from Vice President Binay. I was also awarded the Silver Usa award.
I'm very glad that I am very much a part of scouting history in Southern Leyte and all throughout the country. On my honor, I did my best to do my duty to God and my country.
Thursday, June 25, 2015
Monday, June 22, 2015
POPE FRANCIS IN TACLOBAN
"Life is a journey. When we stop, things don't go right." - Pope Francis.
Pope Francis visited the Philippines from January 15-19, 2015 and his coming created great enthusiasm and interest among his flock in the Roman Catholic church and even in a great majority of non-Catholics.
It was the first time I saw a pope in person. Pope Paul VI visited the Philippines once while Pope John Paul II came to the country twice but I never had a chance to see them live.
Maasin cathedral delegation
I and Chona were part of the delegation of the Maasin Cathedral during Pope Francis' sojourn to the typhoon ravaged Tacloban. But we went ahead of the group a day before where our family camped and fetched our tents at our private lot in Palo, Leyte near the Cathedral.
Pope Francis was scheduled to visit Leyte on January 17, 2015. We met our fellow Maasin delegates led by Msgr. Oscar Cadayona the day before at San Joaquin National High School in Palo. Then we proceeded at about 6:00 P.M. to the mass site at the Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport.
Our city bus parked at a space about half a kilometer away from the site of the Pope's mass.
We attended his Holy Mass joining 300,000 pilgrims from all over the Philippines and a great number of Typhoon Yolanda survivors. We braved the rains and winds brought by Typhoon Amang and spent a sleepless night staying at our place in the airport as early as 12:00 midnight.
It was a coincidence as Amang in Tagalog and Papa in English means the same thing - Father - referring to the Pope.
Tight security
Security was so strict because of some threat by terrorists on the life of the Pontiff. We had to pack our things on transparent bags. Presidential Security Group personnel guarded the gates where we lined up in long lines for inspection.
Fluids, sharp objects, metals and other dangerous materials were prohibited and confiscated.
We slept on the cemented flooring and were packed like sardines in each quadrant. The whole area was divided into quadrants and each quadrant is barricaded by wooden barriers. It started to drizzle at dawn but we kept on lying on the concrete ground to take some much needed nap.
Using the comfort rooms were difficult especially for the females because they had to endure the long lines of people. For males, we can just urinate on makeshift galvanized iron walls to evade the long lines.
Pope's arrival
Our coldness and tiredness were gone when Pope Francis arrived at about 8:45 A.M. and was 45 minutes ahead of schedule. The aviation authorities advised the Holy Father to fly earlier because of the coming typhoon. We were chanting "Viva Il Papa...Papa Francesco!" to welcome him.
We were so touched by his homily. Pope Francis consoled survivors of history's most powerful typhoon on record, saying they can identify themselves with Jesus Christ, who suffered like they did.
"Jesus always goes before us ... And if today we find ourselves 14 months afterwards here, 14 months precisely after the typhoon Yolanda hit, it is because we have the security of knowing that we are not going to weaken in our faith, because Jesus has been there before us," he said in his homily.
"In his passion, he assumed all our pain," the pope added.
He confessed that he wanted to visit the ravaged areas of the Visayas the moment that he watched the disaster from Rome.
"I saw from Rome that catastrophe, I felt that I had to be here. And on those very days, I decided to come here. I'm here to be with you," Pope Francis said. "A little late I have to say, but I'm here. "
His message was interrupted by applause from the crowd, who were already in tears and drenched from the rain.
"I've come to tell you that Jesus is Lord, and he never lets us down," he added.
The Roman Pontiff, who was on his third day in the Philippines, explained that even when many have lost their homes, livelihood and loved ones, God did not leave them.
"Jesus is there"
"Jesus is there, nailed to the cross, and from there he does not let us down. He was consecrated as Lord on that throne and there he experienced all the calamities that we experience," he said.
"The Lord from the cross is there for you. In everything, he is the same as us. That is why we have a Lord who cries with us and walks with us in the most difficult moments of life," Pope Francis added.
Francis also admitted that he did not know what to tell the survivors. He told the faithful that "so many of you in Tacloban have lost everything. I don't know what to say - but the Lord does… He underwent so many of the trials that you do."
"But the Lord does know what to say to you. Some of you have lost part of your families. All I can do is keep silence and walk with you all with my silent heart," he said.
Concluding his impromptu homily, he said: "This is what comes from my heart. Forgive me if I have no other words to express myself. Please know that Jesus never lets you down. Know that the tenderness of Mary never lets you down."
Sporty pope
The Pope did not show signs of fatigue with his very hectic schedule even at the age of 78. I wrote in philboxing.com that the Pontiff loves sports and he was a sporty pope. He has a special interest in sports. According to catholicnews. com when he was young, he played basketball and danced the tango, which he said he loves "very much. It's something that comes from within."
Pope Francis' father was a basketball player. When the pope visited the Philippines he probably understood the Filipinos' love for basketball. He was influenced by his father, who played basketball for San Lorenzo, and the Pope also played the sport with friends as a young teen.
Since his papacy, the pope was visited by different sports personalities in Vatican and received signed jerseys from different teams.
266th pope
Pope Francis was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires to Italian parents and is the 266th Pope of the Catholic Church. He worked briefly as a chemical technician and nightclub bouncer before entering the seminary.
He was ordained to priesthood in 1969 and from 1973 to 1979 he was Argentina's Provincial superior of the Society of Jesus. He became Archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998, and three years later a cardinal in 2001.
When Pope Benedict XVI resigned in February 2013, he was elected by the papal conclave on March 13, 2013 Pope Francis is the first Jesuit pope, the first pope from the Americas, the first from the Southern Hemisphere and after 1272 years, the first non-European Pope since Pope Gregory III. He used the papal name Francis in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi, who was born from a wealthy family but chose to become poor.
Pope Francis visited the Philippines from January 15-19, 2015 and his coming created great enthusiasm and interest among his flock in the Roman Catholic church and even in a great majority of non-Catholics.
It was the first time I saw a pope in person. Pope Paul VI visited the Philippines once while Pope John Paul II came to the country twice but I never had a chance to see them live.
Maasin cathedral delegation
I and Chona were part of the delegation of the Maasin Cathedral during Pope Francis' sojourn to the typhoon ravaged Tacloban. But we went ahead of the group a day before where our family camped and fetched our tents at our private lot in Palo, Leyte near the Cathedral.
Pope Francis was scheduled to visit Leyte on January 17, 2015. We met our fellow Maasin delegates led by Msgr. Oscar Cadayona the day before at San Joaquin National High School in Palo. Then we proceeded at about 6:00 P.M. to the mass site at the Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport.
Our city bus parked at a space about half a kilometer away from the site of the Pope's mass.
We attended his Holy Mass joining 300,000 pilgrims from all over the Philippines and a great number of Typhoon Yolanda survivors. We braved the rains and winds brought by Typhoon Amang and spent a sleepless night staying at our place in the airport as early as 12:00 midnight.
It was a coincidence as Amang in Tagalog and Papa in English means the same thing - Father - referring to the Pope.
Tight security
Security was so strict because of some threat by terrorists on the life of the Pontiff. We had to pack our things on transparent bags. Presidential Security Group personnel guarded the gates where we lined up in long lines for inspection.
Fluids, sharp objects, metals and other dangerous materials were prohibited and confiscated.
We slept on the cemented flooring and were packed like sardines in each quadrant. The whole area was divided into quadrants and each quadrant is barricaded by wooden barriers. It started to drizzle at dawn but we kept on lying on the concrete ground to take some much needed nap.
Using the comfort rooms were difficult especially for the females because they had to endure the long lines of people. For males, we can just urinate on makeshift galvanized iron walls to evade the long lines.
Pope's arrival
Our coldness and tiredness were gone when Pope Francis arrived at about 8:45 A.M. and was 45 minutes ahead of schedule. The aviation authorities advised the Holy Father to fly earlier because of the coming typhoon. We were chanting "Viva Il Papa...Papa Francesco!" to welcome him.
We were so touched by his homily. Pope Francis consoled survivors of history's most powerful typhoon on record, saying they can identify themselves with Jesus Christ, who suffered like they did.
"Jesus always goes before us ... And if today we find ourselves 14 months afterwards here, 14 months precisely after the typhoon Yolanda hit, it is because we have the security of knowing that we are not going to weaken in our faith, because Jesus has been there before us," he said in his homily.
"In his passion, he assumed all our pain," the pope added.
He confessed that he wanted to visit the ravaged areas of the Visayas the moment that he watched the disaster from Rome.
"I saw from Rome that catastrophe, I felt that I had to be here. And on those very days, I decided to come here. I'm here to be with you," Pope Francis said. "A little late I have to say, but I'm here. "
His message was interrupted by applause from the crowd, who were already in tears and drenched from the rain.
"I've come to tell you that Jesus is Lord, and he never lets us down," he added.
The Roman Pontiff, who was on his third day in the Philippines, explained that even when many have lost their homes, livelihood and loved ones, God did not leave them.
"Jesus is there"
"Jesus is there, nailed to the cross, and from there he does not let us down. He was consecrated as Lord on that throne and there he experienced all the calamities that we experience," he said.
"The Lord from the cross is there for you. In everything, he is the same as us. That is why we have a Lord who cries with us and walks with us in the most difficult moments of life," Pope Francis added.
Francis also admitted that he did not know what to tell the survivors. He told the faithful that "so many of you in Tacloban have lost everything. I don't know what to say - but the Lord does… He underwent so many of the trials that you do."
"But the Lord does know what to say to you. Some of you have lost part of your families. All I can do is keep silence and walk with you all with my silent heart," he said.
Concluding his impromptu homily, he said: "This is what comes from my heart. Forgive me if I have no other words to express myself. Please know that Jesus never lets you down. Know that the tenderness of Mary never lets you down."
Sporty pope
The Pope did not show signs of fatigue with his very hectic schedule even at the age of 78. I wrote in philboxing.com that the Pontiff loves sports and he was a sporty pope. He has a special interest in sports. According to catholicnews. com when he was young, he played basketball and danced the tango, which he said he loves "very much. It's something that comes from within."
Pope Francis' father was a basketball player. When the pope visited the Philippines he probably understood the Filipinos' love for basketball. He was influenced by his father, who played basketball for San Lorenzo, and the Pope also played the sport with friends as a young teen.
Since his papacy, the pope was visited by different sports personalities in Vatican and received signed jerseys from different teams.
266th pope
Pope Francis was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires to Italian parents and is the 266th Pope of the Catholic Church. He worked briefly as a chemical technician and nightclub bouncer before entering the seminary.
He was ordained to priesthood in 1969 and from 1973 to 1979 he was Argentina's Provincial superior of the Society of Jesus. He became Archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998, and three years later a cardinal in 2001.
When Pope Benedict XVI resigned in February 2013, he was elected by the papal conclave on March 13, 2013 Pope Francis is the first Jesuit pope, the first pope from the Americas, the first from the Southern Hemisphere and after 1272 years, the first non-European Pope since Pope Gregory III. He used the papal name Francis in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi, who was born from a wealthy family but chose to become poor.
Sunday, June 21, 2015
MAASINHION TRIO WINS PGT3
It was like a dream come true and a mission impossible becoming possible. We in a small city and province dreaming of winning a nationwide talent search contest using popularity votes over contestants coming from thickly populated provinces and cities is just like a dog barking at the moon.
Maasin City was able to show its solidarity and strength as a small city with a big heart by proving to the nation and the world that we can succeed against all odds. The capital city also motivated the interest of other towns of Southern Leyte and all other towns of the Diocese of Maasin up to Baybay, Leyte.
Audition The Maasinhon Trio of Andrew Sanchez, Licinio Lolo and Bonifacio Salubre tried out for the ABS-CBN Pilipinas Got Talent. During the audition, they sang the famous Hadji Alejandro song Kay Ganda ng Ating Musika. Blending three voices together to produce a sweet melody plus live rendition of a hymn depicting the beauty of the Original Pilipino Music (OPM), convinced the three judges Kris Aquino, Aiai de las Alas, and Freddie M. Garcia (FMG).
“Yes, yes, yes” were the votes of the three jurors which gave the famous triumvirate a slot in the next phase called “The Judges’ Cull.” There were 187 talents from all over the country who entered the next round. But the judges had to select 36 semi-finalists only, 12 from each of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.
The Maasinhon Trio was informed of the good news by FMG in Cebu City in a karaoke bar where they were singing. They were surprised to see the ABS-CBN chief talent scout who joined them in their singing spree and congratulated them for entering the semi-finals.
Semi-finals There were six batches of semi-finals, and the Trio was scheduled to perform in the fifth week on October 8, 2011 together with Wushu Discovery, Jeziel Dimagna-ong, Negros Dance Superstars, Philippine Dubstep, and Renagine Pepito.
They performed the famous Sharon Cuneta song Bituing Walang Ningning, giving emphasis to the melodious blending of their voices. The three judges gave optimistic comments on the Trio’s rendering of the song. If they will top the text and online voting of their batch, they don’t have to undergo the judges’ choice and will automatically join the finals.
Before the semi-finals, the Trio toured around Southern Leyte including western Leyte especially the campuses to campaign for text votes. We let them use our city bus and accompanied by some city hall employees.
They also visited parish priests asking for support from the church. The Trio originally did some songs in the churches during masses and weddings. At the start there were four of them, a quartet including Father Dodong Cordovez.
City hall employees including provincial employees, students and the general public converged at the City Gym to text for the Maasin City triumvirate. Other municipalities were also doing their text brigades. There is one common goal, to let Maasinhon Trio enter the finals so that Maasin City, Southern Leyte will be known nationwide.
On October 9, 2011, the text and online voting results was announced, Maasinhon Trio topped the voting by a mile, garnering 52.33%. Renagine Pepito got 20.99% and also got the Judges’ choice to join the Grand Finals with the Trio. Jeziel Dimagna-ong had 14.60%, Negros Dance Superstars 6.57%, Philippine Dubstep 6.57% and Wushu Discovery 1.19%.
The next weekend, during the sixth and final batch of semi-finalists’ performance, Justine Bevier-look-alike Khalil Joseph Ramos got 53.2%. Ramos got a slightly higher percentage of votes than the Trio. Surely he was a threat to us, since the teenage singing sensation from Paranaque City has the looks, the voice and the influence to win the Grand Finals. Plus he had the sympathy of the youth and the domicile of a highly urbanized city and Metro Manila.
Grand Finals During the Grand Finals, the Trio sang Basil Valdez song Nais Ko. They were the second performer behind the first one El Gamma Penumbra, the theater group from Laguna who depicted tourism spots through their shadows. We had a public showing using big screen at the public stage at the city hall as we gathered around to support our own talents.
The next day was the gathering again at the City Gym by city, provincial and national employees, private sector and non-government organizations, students and teachers and the general public. This time, the business sector assisted us. The barangay officials too prodded their constituents to help in the text votes.
The Liga ng mga Barangay campaigned among the barangay folks. The Barangay Councilors’ League also worked on the kagawads to support the texting for the Trio. The Sangguniang Kabataan also showed their votes through texting especially the students.
Teachers and DepEd family all throughout the province were also united to give Maasinhon Trio the needed boost. The Mayors of Southern Leyte enjoined their constituents to give all our support to the voting for the triumvirate.
Parish priests also supported including religious organizations. We also campaigned all firemen throughout the country to support Bonie Salubre, himself a fireman. Likewise Southern Leyte Electric Cooperative, Inc. (SOLECO) lobbied from the Association of Philippine Electric Cooperatives to support their employee Andrew Sanchez. Licinio Lolo worked at the Provincial Capitol where Gov. Damian Mercado and Cong. Roger Mercado threw all their support.
Each spent his own money in texting or buying vote cards just to show to the whole country and to the whole world that we were united in giving the much needed vote for the Trio.
Maasin Cable Television kept showing the performances of the Maasinhon Trio on the community channel to campaign for more text votes. Maasinhons and Southern Leyteños all over the country and those of the foreign countries texted their votes and threw their support through online voting.
At 4:00 P.M. that Sunday, there were several vote cards arriving at the City Hall contributed by the barangay people and from the private sector. We mobilized our encoders to vote using these cards online. Up to the last minute when voting had to be stopped, votes for the Trio kept counting.
But we could not determine who was leading at that time. All we know that the number one contestant’s votes were still increasing, but the number two contestant’s votes were also fast catching up, as flashed on TV. From 24-16% lead, the percentage went to 23-17% and the second spot kept trying to grab the lead.
Finally, hosts Luis Manzano and Billy Crawford declared that the voting has officially ended. Frankly, I was thinking that we were at number two, because of Khalil’s fame and influence.
The victory Then came the announcement of the results by the judges. The top three winners were declared and Maasinhon Trio was called! It was followed by Khalil Joseph Ramos then the Bringas Brothers.
Then the official results were proclaimed. Third place went to Bringas Brothers. It was even more exciting this time. Then the grand winner has to be called and Kris handed over the result to FMG for him to read. Then FMG announced the grand winner for PGT3. Maasinhon Trio!
Shouts and cries broke all over Maasin City and all over the province and the diocese. The impossible happened. We beat all the odds! We had a celebration at the city hall. Beer and red wine flowed. Cheers for Maasinhon trio! Cheers for Maasin City! Cheers for Diocese of Maasin! Cheers for Southern Leyte!
They could not believe they won and off stage they were hugged and kissed by their respective wives and children. Members of the Maasinhon sa Metro Manila gathered around them to congratulate the Trio for their rousing victory.
The Pride of Maasin City became PGT's first winner from the South as the first two champions Jovit Baldivino and Marcelito Pomoy both came from Luzon.
Maasinhon Trio harvested 22.59% of the votes, while Khalil got 18.64%. Bringas Brothers collected 14.03% of the votes. The rest came in this order: El Gamma Penumbra 8.05%, Synergy 7.27%, Sandugo Band 6.91%, Twin Divas 5.26%, Renagine Pepito 5.08%, Loverkada Kids 4.66%, Muriel Lomadilla 3.56%, Kiriko 2.52%, Lucky Twins 1.43%. The Trio romped away with the P 2,000,000 grand prize.
It was reported that there were few cheers in the Ynares Center in Antipolo City where the finals was held when the Maasinhon Trio won. Most of those who were around were either fans of Khalil or El Gamma.
Controversy The victory of the Trio resulted in a big controversy. Those who favored Khalil could not accept that their idol did not get the top prize. Supporters of El Gamma Penumbra and other contestants brought their sentiments over Facebook and all over the net.
Criticisms like Maasinhon Trio were old already, PGT winners were limited to singing and other talents were not given the chance to win, and compulsory vote among people of Maasin City and Southern Leyte. They were trending in the internet, particularly on Facebook.
Licinio, 44, Andrew, 40, and Bonifacio, 38 at that time, said they first felt uncomfortable competing against younger opponents in PGT3. But they have been singing together for 18 years and they gained self-confidence with that experience.
The contention of Maasinhon Trio fans is if you want your contestant to win, you should support them all the way and do all your best to vote using texting and online voting.
Khalil is one superstar potential because of his cute personality. El Gamma Penumbra had a very creative performance in their shadow based portrayal of Philippine tourist spots. All finalists were excellent performers. But the winner had to be decided by voting.
In her TV program “Kris TV,” Presidential sister Kris Aquino attributed the success of the Trio to the “leadership and unity” in Maasin City and Southern Leyte.
Affirmation
The Freemantle Media, the producer of PGT, and Got Talent International defended Maasinhon Trio against these criticisms and articulated that there were no rules being violated and confirmed the win of the Trio as legitimate.
It posted this statement on The Buzz: “Freemantle Media, one of the largest creators and producers of entertainment brands in the world, congratulates the Maasinhon Trio on winning the third series of ‘Pilipinas Got Talent.’ The Maasinhon Trio received the most votes in the final of the competition on 24th October 2011.”
The statement further said, “ABS-CBN followed the voting mechanisms as required by the format guidelines provided by Freemantle Media. The public vote is the sole determinant of the winner of ‘Pilipinas Got Talent.’ The judges’ role is to provide comment and advise to the contestants; and the voting mechanisms are similar to ones followed in other ‘Got Talent’ territories. The results were independently audited by Sycip, Gorres, Velayo and company (SGV & Co.).”
PGT business unit head Alou Almaden said, “The rule of the program… and this is the international worldwide practice, is that, the winner is determined by texting and online votes. And I think that we really have to respect that.”
Interviews
I was interviewed in the same edition of the Sunday TV program The Buzz. I declared that I campaigned vigorously all over Maasin City for all the people to support the Maasin pride. I just wanted to make our city known for tourism purposes and for economic benefits.
“Nanawagan ako sa mga tao, magtext tayo, bibili tayo ng vote cards para makaboto sa Maasinhon Trio. Nagkampanya lang po tayo. Ang atin lang ma-inspire, mai-promote ang Maasin City for tourism purposes,” was my answer.
Licinio, Bonifacio and Andrew expressed their sentiment during the said program, saying they respected the people’s opinions. They just showed their best so the fans voted for them. And they reasoned out that all the 12 finalists were simply excellent performers.
“Sa mga bumabatikos, wala kaming hinanakit sa inyo dahil opinyon niyo iyan. Nirerespeto namin ang opinyon niyo. Ang challenge sa aming tatlo, ipapakita namin kung ano ang mayroon kami,” said Andrew Sanchez.
The Trio became guests in practically all programs of ABS-CBN like ASAP Rocks, Happy Yepey Yehey, Showtime, Umagang Kay Ganda, Entertainment Live, The Buzz, Gandang Gabi Vice, Kris TV and Kitchen Musical.
Most of the critics won’t be satisfied because they had their own favorite contestants. As the popular saying goes, it is very hard to please everybody. But the Maasinhons from all over the country and all over the world were very proud that Maasin City was placed on the map of the Philippine entertainment industry.
Big celebration
The prize they received amounted to the net amount of P1.6 million because of tax deduction. They gave P200,000 to the church for the carillon bell project of the cathedral, so they divided the remaining P1.4 million among themselves.
When they came home during the All Souls’ Day Celebration, we held a Grand Welcome including a thanksgiving mass, motorcade, and program and party at the plaza. Even if it rained, the weather did not prevent the crowd from trooping to the plaza for the free concert of the Trio.
Thousands joined us in the big celebration, with hundreds of vehicles lining up during the motorcade. Everyone of us showed our unequivocal support to the Maasinhon Trio whom we considered as our pride in the field of Filipino music.
Maasinhon Trio’s self-titled debut album was launched on July 21, 2013 on ABS-CBN'S ASAP18. Produced by Star Records and assisted by Maasinhons sa Metro Manila Inc., the album contained classic Pinoy love songs including "Kahit Isang Saglit," "Sana’y Ikaw Na Nga," "Hanggang," a medley of Rey Valera songs ("Kahit Maputi Na Ang Buhok Ko," "Kumusta Ka," "Pangako Sa’ Yo"), and their carrier single "Patuloy Ang Pangarap."
We attended ASAP live during the launching of the album and it was our first experience coming to ABS-CBN and joining the audience watching the famous noontime weekend show. Maasinhon Trio sang their songs and advertised their CD in the famous show viewed internationally through The Filipino Channel.
They also guested the following day in the morning show Umagang Kay Ganda to also promote their CD album.
The Maasinhon Trio sang during our Silver Wedding on June 18, 2013.
Audition The Maasinhon Trio of Andrew Sanchez, Licinio Lolo and Bonifacio Salubre tried out for the ABS-CBN Pilipinas Got Talent. During the audition, they sang the famous Hadji Alejandro song Kay Ganda ng Ating Musika. Blending three voices together to produce a sweet melody plus live rendition of a hymn depicting the beauty of the Original Pilipino Music (OPM), convinced the three judges Kris Aquino, Aiai de las Alas, and Freddie M. Garcia (FMG).
“Yes, yes, yes” were the votes of the three jurors which gave the famous triumvirate a slot in the next phase called “The Judges’ Cull.” There were 187 talents from all over the country who entered the next round. But the judges had to select 36 semi-finalists only, 12 from each of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.
The Maasinhon Trio was informed of the good news by FMG in Cebu City in a karaoke bar where they were singing. They were surprised to see the ABS-CBN chief talent scout who joined them in their singing spree and congratulated them for entering the semi-finals.
Semi-finals There were six batches of semi-finals, and the Trio was scheduled to perform in the fifth week on October 8, 2011 together with Wushu Discovery, Jeziel Dimagna-ong, Negros Dance Superstars, Philippine Dubstep, and Renagine Pepito.
They performed the famous Sharon Cuneta song Bituing Walang Ningning, giving emphasis to the melodious blending of their voices. The three judges gave optimistic comments on the Trio’s rendering of the song. If they will top the text and online voting of their batch, they don’t have to undergo the judges’ choice and will automatically join the finals.
Before the semi-finals, the Trio toured around Southern Leyte including western Leyte especially the campuses to campaign for text votes. We let them use our city bus and accompanied by some city hall employees.
They also visited parish priests asking for support from the church. The Trio originally did some songs in the churches during masses and weddings. At the start there were four of them, a quartet including Father Dodong Cordovez.
City hall employees including provincial employees, students and the general public converged at the City Gym to text for the Maasin City triumvirate. Other municipalities were also doing their text brigades. There is one common goal, to let Maasinhon Trio enter the finals so that Maasin City, Southern Leyte will be known nationwide.
On October 9, 2011, the text and online voting results was announced, Maasinhon Trio topped the voting by a mile, garnering 52.33%. Renagine Pepito got 20.99% and also got the Judges’ choice to join the Grand Finals with the Trio. Jeziel Dimagna-ong had 14.60%, Negros Dance Superstars 6.57%, Philippine Dubstep 6.57% and Wushu Discovery 1.19%.
The next weekend, during the sixth and final batch of semi-finalists’ performance, Justine Bevier-look-alike Khalil Joseph Ramos got 53.2%. Ramos got a slightly higher percentage of votes than the Trio. Surely he was a threat to us, since the teenage singing sensation from Paranaque City has the looks, the voice and the influence to win the Grand Finals. Plus he had the sympathy of the youth and the domicile of a highly urbanized city and Metro Manila.
Grand Finals During the Grand Finals, the Trio sang Basil Valdez song Nais Ko. They were the second performer behind the first one El Gamma Penumbra, the theater group from Laguna who depicted tourism spots through their shadows. We had a public showing using big screen at the public stage at the city hall as we gathered around to support our own talents.
The next day was the gathering again at the City Gym by city, provincial and national employees, private sector and non-government organizations, students and teachers and the general public. This time, the business sector assisted us. The barangay officials too prodded their constituents to help in the text votes.
The Liga ng mga Barangay campaigned among the barangay folks. The Barangay Councilors’ League also worked on the kagawads to support the texting for the Trio. The Sangguniang Kabataan also showed their votes through texting especially the students.
Teachers and DepEd family all throughout the province were also united to give Maasinhon Trio the needed boost. The Mayors of Southern Leyte enjoined their constituents to give all our support to the voting for the triumvirate.
Parish priests also supported including religious organizations. We also campaigned all firemen throughout the country to support Bonie Salubre, himself a fireman. Likewise Southern Leyte Electric Cooperative, Inc. (SOLECO) lobbied from the Association of Philippine Electric Cooperatives to support their employee Andrew Sanchez. Licinio Lolo worked at the Provincial Capitol where Gov. Damian Mercado and Cong. Roger Mercado threw all their support.
Each spent his own money in texting or buying vote cards just to show to the whole country and to the whole world that we were united in giving the much needed vote for the Trio.
Maasin Cable Television kept showing the performances of the Maasinhon Trio on the community channel to campaign for more text votes. Maasinhons and Southern Leyteños all over the country and those of the foreign countries texted their votes and threw their support through online voting.
At 4:00 P.M. that Sunday, there were several vote cards arriving at the City Hall contributed by the barangay people and from the private sector. We mobilized our encoders to vote using these cards online. Up to the last minute when voting had to be stopped, votes for the Trio kept counting.
But we could not determine who was leading at that time. All we know that the number one contestant’s votes were still increasing, but the number two contestant’s votes were also fast catching up, as flashed on TV. From 24-16% lead, the percentage went to 23-17% and the second spot kept trying to grab the lead.
Finally, hosts Luis Manzano and Billy Crawford declared that the voting has officially ended. Frankly, I was thinking that we were at number two, because of Khalil’s fame and influence.
The victory Then came the announcement of the results by the judges. The top three winners were declared and Maasinhon Trio was called! It was followed by Khalil Joseph Ramos then the Bringas Brothers.
Then the official results were proclaimed. Third place went to Bringas Brothers. It was even more exciting this time. Then the grand winner has to be called and Kris handed over the result to FMG for him to read. Then FMG announced the grand winner for PGT3. Maasinhon Trio!
Shouts and cries broke all over Maasin City and all over the province and the diocese. The impossible happened. We beat all the odds! We had a celebration at the city hall. Beer and red wine flowed. Cheers for Maasinhon trio! Cheers for Maasin City! Cheers for Diocese of Maasin! Cheers for Southern Leyte!
They could not believe they won and off stage they were hugged and kissed by their respective wives and children. Members of the Maasinhon sa Metro Manila gathered around them to congratulate the Trio for their rousing victory.
The Pride of Maasin City became PGT's first winner from the South as the first two champions Jovit Baldivino and Marcelito Pomoy both came from Luzon.
Maasinhon Trio harvested 22.59% of the votes, while Khalil got 18.64%. Bringas Brothers collected 14.03% of the votes. The rest came in this order: El Gamma Penumbra 8.05%, Synergy 7.27%, Sandugo Band 6.91%, Twin Divas 5.26%, Renagine Pepito 5.08%, Loverkada Kids 4.66%, Muriel Lomadilla 3.56%, Kiriko 2.52%, Lucky Twins 1.43%. The Trio romped away with the P 2,000,000 grand prize.
It was reported that there were few cheers in the Ynares Center in Antipolo City where the finals was held when the Maasinhon Trio won. Most of those who were around were either fans of Khalil or El Gamma.
Controversy The victory of the Trio resulted in a big controversy. Those who favored Khalil could not accept that their idol did not get the top prize. Supporters of El Gamma Penumbra and other contestants brought their sentiments over Facebook and all over the net.
Criticisms like Maasinhon Trio were old already, PGT winners were limited to singing and other talents were not given the chance to win, and compulsory vote among people of Maasin City and Southern Leyte. They were trending in the internet, particularly on Facebook.
Licinio, 44, Andrew, 40, and Bonifacio, 38 at that time, said they first felt uncomfortable competing against younger opponents in PGT3. But they have been singing together for 18 years and they gained self-confidence with that experience.
The contention of Maasinhon Trio fans is if you want your contestant to win, you should support them all the way and do all your best to vote using texting and online voting.
Khalil is one superstar potential because of his cute personality. El Gamma Penumbra had a very creative performance in their shadow based portrayal of Philippine tourist spots. All finalists were excellent performers. But the winner had to be decided by voting.
In her TV program “Kris TV,” Presidential sister Kris Aquino attributed the success of the Trio to the “leadership and unity” in Maasin City and Southern Leyte.
Affirmation
The Freemantle Media, the producer of PGT, and Got Talent International defended Maasinhon Trio against these criticisms and articulated that there were no rules being violated and confirmed the win of the Trio as legitimate.
It posted this statement on The Buzz: “Freemantle Media, one of the largest creators and producers of entertainment brands in the world, congratulates the Maasinhon Trio on winning the third series of ‘Pilipinas Got Talent.’ The Maasinhon Trio received the most votes in the final of the competition on 24th October 2011.”
The statement further said, “ABS-CBN followed the voting mechanisms as required by the format guidelines provided by Freemantle Media. The public vote is the sole determinant of the winner of ‘Pilipinas Got Talent.’ The judges’ role is to provide comment and advise to the contestants; and the voting mechanisms are similar to ones followed in other ‘Got Talent’ territories. The results were independently audited by Sycip, Gorres, Velayo and company (SGV & Co.).”
PGT business unit head Alou Almaden said, “The rule of the program… and this is the international worldwide practice, is that, the winner is determined by texting and online votes. And I think that we really have to respect that.”
Interviews
I was interviewed in the same edition of the Sunday TV program The Buzz. I declared that I campaigned vigorously all over Maasin City for all the people to support the Maasin pride. I just wanted to make our city known for tourism purposes and for economic benefits.
“Nanawagan ako sa mga tao, magtext tayo, bibili tayo ng vote cards para makaboto sa Maasinhon Trio. Nagkampanya lang po tayo. Ang atin lang ma-inspire, mai-promote ang Maasin City for tourism purposes,” was my answer.
Licinio, Bonifacio and Andrew expressed their sentiment during the said program, saying they respected the people’s opinions. They just showed their best so the fans voted for them. And they reasoned out that all the 12 finalists were simply excellent performers.
“Sa mga bumabatikos, wala kaming hinanakit sa inyo dahil opinyon niyo iyan. Nirerespeto namin ang opinyon niyo. Ang challenge sa aming tatlo, ipapakita namin kung ano ang mayroon kami,” said Andrew Sanchez.
The Trio became guests in practically all programs of ABS-CBN like ASAP Rocks, Happy Yepey Yehey, Showtime, Umagang Kay Ganda, Entertainment Live, The Buzz, Gandang Gabi Vice, Kris TV and Kitchen Musical.
Most of the critics won’t be satisfied because they had their own favorite contestants. As the popular saying goes, it is very hard to please everybody. But the Maasinhons from all over the country and all over the world were very proud that Maasin City was placed on the map of the Philippine entertainment industry.
Big celebration
The prize they received amounted to the net amount of P1.6 million because of tax deduction. They gave P200,000 to the church for the carillon bell project of the cathedral, so they divided the remaining P1.4 million among themselves.
When they came home during the All Souls’ Day Celebration, we held a Grand Welcome including a thanksgiving mass, motorcade, and program and party at the plaza. Even if it rained, the weather did not prevent the crowd from trooping to the plaza for the free concert of the Trio.
Thousands joined us in the big celebration, with hundreds of vehicles lining up during the motorcade. Everyone of us showed our unequivocal support to the Maasinhon Trio whom we considered as our pride in the field of Filipino music.
Maasinhon Trio’s self-titled debut album was launched on July 21, 2013 on ABS-CBN'S ASAP18. Produced by Star Records and assisted by Maasinhons sa Metro Manila Inc., the album contained classic Pinoy love songs including "Kahit Isang Saglit," "Sana’y Ikaw Na Nga," "Hanggang," a medley of Rey Valera songs ("Kahit Maputi Na Ang Buhok Ko," "Kumusta Ka," "Pangako Sa’ Yo"), and their carrier single "Patuloy Ang Pangarap."
We attended ASAP live during the launching of the album and it was our first experience coming to ABS-CBN and joining the audience watching the famous noontime weekend show. Maasinhon Trio sang their songs and advertised their CD in the famous show viewed internationally through The Filipino Channel.
They also guested the following day in the morning show Umagang Kay Ganda to also promote their CD album.
The Maasinhon Trio sang during our Silver Wedding on June 18, 2013.
SUPERTYPHOON YOLANDA
"Seawater reached the second floor of the hotel. It's like the end of the world." - Nancy Chang, eye witness from China in Tacloban City.
She was named Yolanda, feminine in name yet super masculine in strength. For she was a Super Typhoon which struck our region Eastern Visayas that uneventful morning on Friday, November 8, 2013.
Yolanda or Haiyan as known internationally has gained infamy as the strongest storm ever known on record to make landfall and the fourth strongest storm ever recorded in the world.
"(Yolanda is) the strongest tropical cyclone on record to make landfall in world history," as quoted by weather website wunderground.com's Dr. Jeff Masters.
We were in Manila on November 5 for the Nutrition National Awards. We were booked for a flight to Cebu on November 6, but changed our ticket to Tacloban instead because Yolanda was set to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility, as we might get stranded in Cebu.
When we landed in Tacloban Airport, the weather was so clear and there were no airpockets at all. The sea was so calm, a clear indication of "calm before the storm." That was one of the last flights that landed Tacloban before the devastation. The following day all air travels were cancelled.
Maasin City fought Yolanda by giving intense warning three days before and implemented forced evacuation on hard-headed residents along the shore and rivers and landslide-prone areas. The Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council worked immediately.
Everybody worked hand-in-hand including the police, firemen, rescuers, maintenance men, health workers, social workers, and barangay folks.
The US-based Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) as reference, Masters said that Yolanda's average strength of 195 mph (315 kph) with gusts up to 235 mph (378 kph) during landfall surpassed the previous record set in 1969 by Hurricane Camille, which registered 190 mph (306 kph) winds when it landed in Mississippi in the United States.
However, some storms were stronger but their forces diminished upon hitting the land. Not all storms are at their maximum strength when they landfell.
Considering overall strength, Yolanda is officially the fourth strongest tropical cyclone in world history, according to Masters. He said that the all-time record is still held by Super Typhoon Nancy in 1961 at 215 mph (346 kph), followed by Super Typhoon Violet in the same year at 205 mph (323 kph), and Super Typhoon Ida in 1958 with 200 mph (322 kph).
Yolanda made landfall in Guiuan, Eastern Samar at peak intensity. Interaction with land caused slight degradation of the storm's structure, though it remained an exceptionally powerful storm when it struck Tolosa, Leyte. The typhoon made four additional landfalls as it traversed the Visayas: Daanbantayan then Bantayan Island in Cebu, Concepcion in Iloilo, and Busuanga Island in Palawan.
PAGASA said Yolanda struck Guiuan with maximum sustained winds of 235 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 275 kph.
Presidential Proclamation No. 682, dated November 11, 2013, declared a state of national calamity, affecting Samar, Leyte, Cebu, Iloilo, Capiz, Aklan, and Palawan.
Maasin City and Southern Leyte had zero casualty, but Tacloban and Leyte were not as lucky. It was believed that about 10,000 people perished. Officially 6,201 were confirmed dead, 1,785 were missing and 28,626 were injured per National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council report in 2014. According to UN officials, about 11 million people were affected by Yolanda, leaving several people homeless.
Storm surge was not anticipated and it damaged houses and buildings and swept people away. Tsunami-like waves as high as seven meters engulfed the city trapping several residents.
Maasin City and Southern Leyte were under Typhoon Signal No. 4, for very strong winds of more than 185 kph. There were some trees uprooted, some roofs of houses damaged, though there were not much flooding and storm surge at all.
In our city, we distributed relief to 4,000 families and cleared all roads of trees and debris. I visited evacuation centers the day before and the barangays the day Yolanda struck. I reached the farthest barangay Libertad the afternoon of November 8.
But we helped Tacloban and Leyte amidst our own clearing operations. Their injury was bigger and more brutal. They needed more supporters in their cause to survive.
The wrath of Yolanda caused havoc to thousands of lives and billions of properties in the Visayas region.
Economist Gov. Joey Salceda of Albay estimated the economic loss of Yolanda to be P604 billion whose effects are long term. Official estimates placed the damage at P130 billion. Devastation may have weakened our body but not our spirits. We were down but definitely not out.
Maasin City tasted the fury of Yolanda though not as damaging as in Tacloban. But we suffered blackouts since our source was the geothermal power plant of Ormoc City. Cable television was not available too. But we have to offer something to our constituents at least to alleviate them from the trauma of the strongest typhoon ever.
For weeks there was no electricity. But our constituents wanted to view TV to monitor the news of the typhoon damages especially those of Tacloban and Leyte. So we used a generator set to supply power to our LCD projector and broadcasted TV Patrol every night where thousands would watch the free show at the City Gym.
We showed a free telecast of the Manny Pacquiao vs. Brandon Rios Clash in Cotai on November 24. No restaurants showed the fight and at home if you can't buy pay-per-view you have to bear with the delayed TV show. So our citizens from all walks of life from the 70 barangays trooped to the free live telecast we prepared for their entertainment. The City Gym was filled to the rafters by more than 5,000 fans.
There was panic buying in the groceries and stores in Maasin when people from Leyte drove in hordes to buy commodities here. Fuel prices went up as buyers lined up in long queues to purchase crude oil, gasoline and kerosene which were scarce. We inspected these stations to check hording. I warned unscrupulous merchants of deliberately taking advantage of our consumers.
There were reports also of rice traders and retailers hording and overpricing the basic staple. Some allegedly mixing commercial rice with NFA rice. I had to warn the rice stores with strict monitoring of our market authorities.
There were reports of prisoners being able to escape from jails of Leyte and were going to Maasin. So we were on red alert and imposed curfew at 12 midnight. Banks also were afraid of looting and robbery as it happened in Tacloban.
We went also to Tacloban and Ormoc handing out donations to Mayor Alfred Romualdez and Mayor Edward Codilla, respectively. Our city was the first LGU to deliver relief goods to Ormoc in cooperation with the Gawad Kalinga three days after Yolanda hit the city.
We also sent our rescue team to help in the retrieval operations of cadavers in Tacloban where they were able to retrieve 128 dead bodies and placed inside body bags. These corpses were already decayed and foul-smelling. Another team was sent to Tacloban to assist DSWD in packing of the relief goods. We also let them borrow our water purifier machine and our fire truck.
The Maasin City Cooperative Development Council handed some 1,000 packs of bodbod, puto, biko, bread, candies and water to evacuees at Tanauan Central School, Tanauan, Leyte. It was our gift for them like the delicacies served during every Misa de Gallo. We made a courtesy call on Mayor Pelagio Tecson, Jr. at the town hall.
We also went to Guiuan, Eastern Samar as far as Solangan Island to extend help to some families. We noticed that Guiuan and Calicoan Island were so devastated since Yolanda first landfell on these areas. But there was not much damage in nearby Solangan where the San Antonio de Padua Shrine was situated.
"Heaven and earth are not humane: they treat the ten thousand things like (sacrificial) straw dogs." — Lao Tzu, Chinese philosopher, in Tao Te Ching.
She was named Yolanda, feminine in name yet super masculine in strength. For she was a Super Typhoon which struck our region Eastern Visayas that uneventful morning on Friday, November 8, 2013.
Yolanda or Haiyan as known internationally has gained infamy as the strongest storm ever known on record to make landfall and the fourth strongest storm ever recorded in the world.
"(Yolanda is) the strongest tropical cyclone on record to make landfall in world history," as quoted by weather website wunderground.com's Dr. Jeff Masters.
We were in Manila on November 5 for the Nutrition National Awards. We were booked for a flight to Cebu on November 6, but changed our ticket to Tacloban instead because Yolanda was set to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility, as we might get stranded in Cebu.
When we landed in Tacloban Airport, the weather was so clear and there were no airpockets at all. The sea was so calm, a clear indication of "calm before the storm." That was one of the last flights that landed Tacloban before the devastation. The following day all air travels were cancelled.
Maasin City fought Yolanda by giving intense warning three days before and implemented forced evacuation on hard-headed residents along the shore and rivers and landslide-prone areas. The Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council worked immediately.
Everybody worked hand-in-hand including the police, firemen, rescuers, maintenance men, health workers, social workers, and barangay folks.
The US-based Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) as reference, Masters said that Yolanda's average strength of 195 mph (315 kph) with gusts up to 235 mph (378 kph) during landfall surpassed the previous record set in 1969 by Hurricane Camille, which registered 190 mph (306 kph) winds when it landed in Mississippi in the United States.
However, some storms were stronger but their forces diminished upon hitting the land. Not all storms are at their maximum strength when they landfell.
Considering overall strength, Yolanda is officially the fourth strongest tropical cyclone in world history, according to Masters. He said that the all-time record is still held by Super Typhoon Nancy in 1961 at 215 mph (346 kph), followed by Super Typhoon Violet in the same year at 205 mph (323 kph), and Super Typhoon Ida in 1958 with 200 mph (322 kph).
Yolanda made landfall in Guiuan, Eastern Samar at peak intensity. Interaction with land caused slight degradation of the storm's structure, though it remained an exceptionally powerful storm when it struck Tolosa, Leyte. The typhoon made four additional landfalls as it traversed the Visayas: Daanbantayan then Bantayan Island in Cebu, Concepcion in Iloilo, and Busuanga Island in Palawan.
PAGASA said Yolanda struck Guiuan with maximum sustained winds of 235 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 275 kph.
Presidential Proclamation No. 682, dated November 11, 2013, declared a state of national calamity, affecting Samar, Leyte, Cebu, Iloilo, Capiz, Aklan, and Palawan.
Maasin City and Southern Leyte had zero casualty, but Tacloban and Leyte were not as lucky. It was believed that about 10,000 people perished. Officially 6,201 were confirmed dead, 1,785 were missing and 28,626 were injured per National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council report in 2014. According to UN officials, about 11 million people were affected by Yolanda, leaving several people homeless.
Storm surge was not anticipated and it damaged houses and buildings and swept people away. Tsunami-like waves as high as seven meters engulfed the city trapping several residents.
Maasin City and Southern Leyte were under Typhoon Signal No. 4, for very strong winds of more than 185 kph. There were some trees uprooted, some roofs of houses damaged, though there were not much flooding and storm surge at all.
In our city, we distributed relief to 4,000 families and cleared all roads of trees and debris. I visited evacuation centers the day before and the barangays the day Yolanda struck. I reached the farthest barangay Libertad the afternoon of November 8.
But we helped Tacloban and Leyte amidst our own clearing operations. Their injury was bigger and more brutal. They needed more supporters in their cause to survive.
The wrath of Yolanda caused havoc to thousands of lives and billions of properties in the Visayas region.
Economist Gov. Joey Salceda of Albay estimated the economic loss of Yolanda to be P604 billion whose effects are long term. Official estimates placed the damage at P130 billion. Devastation may have weakened our body but not our spirits. We were down but definitely not out.
Maasin City tasted the fury of Yolanda though not as damaging as in Tacloban. But we suffered blackouts since our source was the geothermal power plant of Ormoc City. Cable television was not available too. But we have to offer something to our constituents at least to alleviate them from the trauma of the strongest typhoon ever.
For weeks there was no electricity. But our constituents wanted to view TV to monitor the news of the typhoon damages especially those of Tacloban and Leyte. So we used a generator set to supply power to our LCD projector and broadcasted TV Patrol every night where thousands would watch the free show at the City Gym.
We showed a free telecast of the Manny Pacquiao vs. Brandon Rios Clash in Cotai on November 24. No restaurants showed the fight and at home if you can't buy pay-per-view you have to bear with the delayed TV show. So our citizens from all walks of life from the 70 barangays trooped to the free live telecast we prepared for their entertainment. The City Gym was filled to the rafters by more than 5,000 fans.
There was panic buying in the groceries and stores in Maasin when people from Leyte drove in hordes to buy commodities here. Fuel prices went up as buyers lined up in long queues to purchase crude oil, gasoline and kerosene which were scarce. We inspected these stations to check hording. I warned unscrupulous merchants of deliberately taking advantage of our consumers.
There were reports also of rice traders and retailers hording and overpricing the basic staple. Some allegedly mixing commercial rice with NFA rice. I had to warn the rice stores with strict monitoring of our market authorities.
There were reports of prisoners being able to escape from jails of Leyte and were going to Maasin. So we were on red alert and imposed curfew at 12 midnight. Banks also were afraid of looting and robbery as it happened in Tacloban.
We went also to Tacloban and Ormoc handing out donations to Mayor Alfred Romualdez and Mayor Edward Codilla, respectively. Our city was the first LGU to deliver relief goods to Ormoc in cooperation with the Gawad Kalinga three days after Yolanda hit the city.
We also sent our rescue team to help in the retrieval operations of cadavers in Tacloban where they were able to retrieve 128 dead bodies and placed inside body bags. These corpses were already decayed and foul-smelling. Another team was sent to Tacloban to assist DSWD in packing of the relief goods. We also let them borrow our water purifier machine and our fire truck.
The Maasin City Cooperative Development Council handed some 1,000 packs of bodbod, puto, biko, bread, candies and water to evacuees at Tanauan Central School, Tanauan, Leyte. It was our gift for them like the delicacies served during every Misa de Gallo. We made a courtesy call on Mayor Pelagio Tecson, Jr. at the town hall.
We also went to Guiuan, Eastern Samar as far as Solangan Island to extend help to some families. We noticed that Guiuan and Calicoan Island were so devastated since Yolanda first landfell on these areas. But there was not much damage in nearby Solangan where the San Antonio de Padua Shrine was situated.
"Heaven and earth are not humane: they treat the ten thousand things like (sacrificial) straw dogs." — Lao Tzu, Chinese philosopher, in Tao Te Ching.
ROAD TO NATIONAL NUTRITION HONOR AWARD
Road to the national Nutrition Honor Award
"But charity is a very complicated thing. It's important to find an area where you can really help and you can feel the results. Charity is not like feeding pigeons in the square. It is a process that requires professional management." - Roman Abramovich, Russian businessman.
Our quest for national nutrition supremacy started when I was still still Vice Mayor and Damian Mercado was the City Mayor. We won our first Green Banner Award for the year 2004 when we topped the city category in the whole Eastern Visayas Region beating Tacloban and Ormoc.
Before the winning of the Green banner, our malnutrition rate was high at about 20%. When we started implementing our nutrition programs, malnutrition was 10.33% among pre-schoolers which was the lowest among cities in Region 8. We won the Green Banner for three consecutive years in 2004, 2005 and 2006 garnering the Consistent Regional Outstanding Winner in Nutrition (CROWN) award in the process.
The CROWN award was conferred by the National Nutrition Council (NNC) to a town, city or province that has been adjudged by the inter-agency regional nutrition evaluation team as outstanding in the region in the implementation of its nutrition action plan for three consecutive years.
Winning the CROWN When I became City Mayor in 2007 we continued winning our CROWN garnering our first maintenance award from no less than President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo at the Manila Hotel. Our malnutrition rate was 7.56% among pre-schooler children that time.
Then in the assessment for the 2008 accomplishments we faltered as we failed to get the passing mark during the national evaluation. It was the time when the abaca industry in Maasin was greatly affected by diseases like bungy top and alcoheres. Our malnutrition slightly increased to 7.57% among pre-schooloers. Besides the barangays which were evaluated proved to be insufficient in their programs.
We were back to square one and competed again at the regional level garnering the Green Banner Award in the city category in 2009, 2010 and 2011. We emerged again as CROWN awardees and we returned to the national nutrition awarding ceremony. Malnutrition rate went down to 5.03% among pre-school kids in 2011.
In 2011 Maasin got the CROWN Award and in the year 2012 and 2013 we got the two consecutive years CROWN maintenance awards. Then we would vie for the highest nutrition award in the country.
Journey to the Honor Award
I wanted to lower our malnutrition rate to a rate of 2%. The City Government needs the support of all stakeholders, considering we have a population of 86,000. We invested considerable amount for our nutrition programs. We worked hard not only for the awards, but for the future of our children and the city.
"For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home." - Matthew 25:35.
During that time, the barangays with zero malnutrition in the city are Canturing, Abgao and Cansirong. We worked on improving the system of our nutrition program to guarantee further reduction of the malnutrition incidence from the existing 5.03% that time.
We focused on the formulation of a Barangay Nutrition Action Plan (BNAP) and strengthening of the Barangay Nutrition Committee (BNC) of the seventy barangays and motivate all of them to function.
The activation of the BNC in every barangay is very significant since it is responsible for formulating, managing, monitoring and evaluating the BNAP, mobilizing the needed resources for the implementation of the projects under the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN). Part of their functions is to coordinate and integrate nutrition-related projects and activities of government and NGOs, including organizing the community to participate in nutrition projects.
At the grassroots level, a very helpful and practical function of the BNC is in the promotion of home, school, and community food production in the villages. Some of their programs include distribution of seeds and seedlings, planting materials, fingerlings, goat, chicken, duck, etc. and in the establishment of demo- centers and nurseries.
Adopt a malnourished child
On top of this, is another innovative activity which is the adopt a severely malnourished child that is gaining support in the community.
Starting from my adoption of three severely malnourished children, each for all the members of the Sangguniang Panglungsod, heads of the department of the city government and city hall employees follow suit. Then it was simultaneously replicated with the adoptions by the different sectors in the city like the fraternities, civil society organizations, religious groups, national line agencies and even down at the barangay level.
The "Adopt-A-Malnourished Child Program" was launched on November 29, 2014 with 95 underweight and severely underweight children aged 0-71 months old as recipients. Each child was allocated P30 per meal per day budget good for 150 days. The total amount involved was P437,500.00. On February 14, 2014, we had a Love Day for these children where we had a feeding program and gift giving at the City Gym.
In a launching activity of the said program at the city gymnasium, in my opening message I urged everyone including non-government organizations, private sector and the general public to help the city officials reach the goal towards zero malnutrition.
We are targeting the vision "Good Nutrition – A way of life of the people of Maasin City."
There were 150 supplemental feeding days which started December 2, 2014. Each office or agency contributed P30.00 a day per adopted child, excluding Saturdays and Sundays to rehabilitate the identified malnourished children. Supplemental feeding was only once a day.
The activity showcased some identified recipients that are living along the city proper. They were fed after the launching and were given pair of slippers sponsored by Cong. Damian Mercado along with his family and a "get-to-know" between the adopted child and their sponsor
National evaluation
During the national evaluation, Health Assistant Secretary Bernardita Flores lauded Maasin City as it continues to aim for a healthy and well-nourished citizenry for almost 12 years already.
Flores is also the executive director of the National Nutrition Council (NNC) and recently led the national team of evaluators who visited the city, as it vies for the National Honor Award (NHA), the highest award conferred to a local government unit.
Flores said that to get the National Honor Award, one has to get 98 per cent rating on overall nutrition program. The evaluators will also give 5 per cent bonus rating.
She said that the unity and the cooperation between the city, province and in the representative of the lower house chamber proves beneficial to Maasin City, because it gets all the support it needed in all its programs for a healthy citizenry.
She added that the support Maasin got from provincial Governor Roger Mercado and Representative Mercado is a big boost to the journey of Maasin towards excellence in implementing its nutrition program.
The journey towards the Nutrition Honor Award (NHA)is not a bed of roses, but my contention was that win or lose, the nutrition programs for the citizenry of Maasin City will continue.
For me, the award is just a bonus for our efforts, but our service to our constituents continues.
“Our goal is to have a healthy and nourished citizenry not only in Maasin City but throughout Southern Leyte,” Cong. Damian G. Mercado disclosed in his opening message during the welcome program for the national nutrition evaluators held April 29, 2014 at the Maasin City College .
The awards for Maasin for effective nutrition program implementation were mentioned such as the Green Banner Awards; Outstanding Municipality in the Region; Red Orchid Awards for three consecutive years which gained Maasin City the Hall of Fame for successfully implementing the anti-smoking campaign; Consistent Regional Outstanding Winner in Nutrition (CROWN), to name a few.
The national evaluators for the Nutrition Honor Award was led by Assistant Secretary for Health Maria-Bernardita T. Flores. They randomly selected five barangays to be validated such as Pinascohan, Laboon, Malapoc Norte, Canturing and Ibarra. The evaluation started today, April 30 and will end May 2, 2014.
We welcomed the national validating team which arrived April 29, 2014 in a short program held at Maasin City College together with the members of the City Nutrition Committee headed by Nutrition Action Officer Dr. Francilisa I. Tan, Sangguniang Panglungsod members, among other concerned local officials and employees. The evaluation lasted until May 2, 2014.
The team also visited mangrove areas, school’s hand washing facility and vegetable gardens, and the Maasin City nursery.
Presentation of nutrition situation During the presentation of Maasin City’s nutrition situation, I focused on the impact programs implemented by the city such as food production, food fortification, livelihood assistance, micronutrient supplementation, nutrition information, communication and education, promoting healthy lifestyle, nutrition in emergencies, adopt a malnourished child program, among others and it’s road to the national Nutrition Honor Award, as its target and goal for Maasin City.
“Nutrition has always been included in my priority programs,” I said showing the Maasin City’s 13-point agenda, “MALONEY SAMACO,” as N stands for Nutrition and health services. I explained that the city government allocated funds for nutrition program for at least P1 million for the past 3 years and more than P1.4-M last year.
I eagerly shared the leading intervening factors such as the home, school food production, adopt a malnourished child, that bounces up the nutritional status in Maasin City.
I discussed also “Gulayan sa Paaralan” and "Magulay ang Bahay" programs which are the most effective intervention that helps in the recovery of malnutrition in the city for years.
The program yields the nutritious food which are just planted within the premises of the household and in the schools thus readily provides food for the hungry children and even give the farmers a means for livelihood, as I explained to Assistant Secretary Ma-Bernardita Flores during the partial assessment.
Food production activities such hog raising, chicken dispersal, goat raising, planting of vegetables, it also includes the procurement of mobile vans that carries the agricultural output of the farmers down to the market, among others.
The City Nutrition Committee appropriated some P70,000.00 for the procurement of vegetable seeds distributed among the 70 barangays and to those identified nutritionally depressed barangays will be receive more.
Malnutrition rates In the year 2013, our underweight children were 4.14% in the city as compared to 26.4% in Eastern Visayas and 20.7% in the entire Philippines. Wasting or thinness is 1.8% in Maasin while it is 6.7% in Region 8 and 6.9% in the entire country.
Stunting or low height for age is 10.2% in the city while it is 41.1% in the region and 32.3% in the whole country. Overweight children is only 0.71% as compared to 3.3% in the whole Philippines.
For school children, our rates were still way below the national and regional standards. In the school year 2013-2014, we had 92.61% normal, 5.16% wasted, 0.65% severely wasted, 1.2% above normal, and 0.34% obese.
Winning the Nutrition Honor Award The National Nutrition Council conferred the highest distinction in nutrition, the Nutrition Honor Award, to Maasin City together with the municipality of Lal-lo in Cagayan province in Region 2, and the province of Ifugao in the Cordillera Administrative Region. According to the NNC, "Our LGUs have exemplified outstanding performance in nutrition program management as manifested by the continued reduction in the prevalence of undernutrition both among preschool and school children for six (6) consecutive years as validated by the inter-agency National Nutrition Evaluation Team."
The City of Maasin and other nutrition champions each received a trophy and cash incentive of P1,000,000 during the 2014 National Nutrition Awarding Ceremony on October 21, 2014 at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City. Sixteen (16) other LGUs were recognized during the awarding ceremony.
"You are what you eat." The famous phrase was popularized by American nutritionist Victor Lindlahr, who was a strong believer in the idea that food controls health, according to phrases.org.uk. The earliest known printed example was in a 1923 edition of the Bridgeport Telegraph: "Ninety percent of the diseases known to man are caused by cheap foodstuffs. You are what you eat."
"But charity is a very complicated thing. It's important to find an area where you can really help and you can feel the results. Charity is not like feeding pigeons in the square. It is a process that requires professional management." - Roman Abramovich, Russian businessman.
Our quest for national nutrition supremacy started when I was still still Vice Mayor and Damian Mercado was the City Mayor. We won our first Green Banner Award for the year 2004 when we topped the city category in the whole Eastern Visayas Region beating Tacloban and Ormoc.
Before the winning of the Green banner, our malnutrition rate was high at about 20%. When we started implementing our nutrition programs, malnutrition was 10.33% among pre-schoolers which was the lowest among cities in Region 8. We won the Green Banner for three consecutive years in 2004, 2005 and 2006 garnering the Consistent Regional Outstanding Winner in Nutrition (CROWN) award in the process.
The CROWN award was conferred by the National Nutrition Council (NNC) to a town, city or province that has been adjudged by the inter-agency regional nutrition evaluation team as outstanding in the region in the implementation of its nutrition action plan for three consecutive years.
Winning the CROWN When I became City Mayor in 2007 we continued winning our CROWN garnering our first maintenance award from no less than President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo at the Manila Hotel. Our malnutrition rate was 7.56% among pre-schooler children that time.
Then in the assessment for the 2008 accomplishments we faltered as we failed to get the passing mark during the national evaluation. It was the time when the abaca industry in Maasin was greatly affected by diseases like bungy top and alcoheres. Our malnutrition slightly increased to 7.57% among pre-schooloers. Besides the barangays which were evaluated proved to be insufficient in their programs.
We were back to square one and competed again at the regional level garnering the Green Banner Award in the city category in 2009, 2010 and 2011. We emerged again as CROWN awardees and we returned to the national nutrition awarding ceremony. Malnutrition rate went down to 5.03% among pre-school kids in 2011.
In 2011 Maasin got the CROWN Award and in the year 2012 and 2013 we got the two consecutive years CROWN maintenance awards. Then we would vie for the highest nutrition award in the country.
Journey to the Honor Award
I wanted to lower our malnutrition rate to a rate of 2%. The City Government needs the support of all stakeholders, considering we have a population of 86,000. We invested considerable amount for our nutrition programs. We worked hard not only for the awards, but for the future of our children and the city.
"For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home." - Matthew 25:35.
During that time, the barangays with zero malnutrition in the city are Canturing, Abgao and Cansirong. We worked on improving the system of our nutrition program to guarantee further reduction of the malnutrition incidence from the existing 5.03% that time.
We focused on the formulation of a Barangay Nutrition Action Plan (BNAP) and strengthening of the Barangay Nutrition Committee (BNC) of the seventy barangays and motivate all of them to function.
The activation of the BNC in every barangay is very significant since it is responsible for formulating, managing, monitoring and evaluating the BNAP, mobilizing the needed resources for the implementation of the projects under the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN). Part of their functions is to coordinate and integrate nutrition-related projects and activities of government and NGOs, including organizing the community to participate in nutrition projects.
At the grassroots level, a very helpful and practical function of the BNC is in the promotion of home, school, and community food production in the villages. Some of their programs include distribution of seeds and seedlings, planting materials, fingerlings, goat, chicken, duck, etc. and in the establishment of demo- centers and nurseries.
Adopt a malnourished child
On top of this, is another innovative activity which is the adopt a severely malnourished child that is gaining support in the community.
Starting from my adoption of three severely malnourished children, each for all the members of the Sangguniang Panglungsod, heads of the department of the city government and city hall employees follow suit. Then it was simultaneously replicated with the adoptions by the different sectors in the city like the fraternities, civil society organizations, religious groups, national line agencies and even down at the barangay level.
The "Adopt-A-Malnourished Child Program" was launched on November 29, 2014 with 95 underweight and severely underweight children aged 0-71 months old as recipients. Each child was allocated P30 per meal per day budget good for 150 days. The total amount involved was P437,500.00. On February 14, 2014, we had a Love Day for these children where we had a feeding program and gift giving at the City Gym.
In a launching activity of the said program at the city gymnasium, in my opening message I urged everyone including non-government organizations, private sector and the general public to help the city officials reach the goal towards zero malnutrition.
We are targeting the vision "Good Nutrition – A way of life of the people of Maasin City."
There were 150 supplemental feeding days which started December 2, 2014. Each office or agency contributed P30.00 a day per adopted child, excluding Saturdays and Sundays to rehabilitate the identified malnourished children. Supplemental feeding was only once a day.
The activity showcased some identified recipients that are living along the city proper. They were fed after the launching and were given pair of slippers sponsored by Cong. Damian Mercado along with his family and a "get-to-know" between the adopted child and their sponsor
National evaluation
During the national evaluation, Health Assistant Secretary Bernardita Flores lauded Maasin City as it continues to aim for a healthy and well-nourished citizenry for almost 12 years already.
Flores is also the executive director of the National Nutrition Council (NNC) and recently led the national team of evaluators who visited the city, as it vies for the National Honor Award (NHA), the highest award conferred to a local government unit.
Flores said that to get the National Honor Award, one has to get 98 per cent rating on overall nutrition program. The evaluators will also give 5 per cent bonus rating.
She said that the unity and the cooperation between the city, province and in the representative of the lower house chamber proves beneficial to Maasin City, because it gets all the support it needed in all its programs for a healthy citizenry.
She added that the support Maasin got from provincial Governor Roger Mercado and Representative Mercado is a big boost to the journey of Maasin towards excellence in implementing its nutrition program.
The journey towards the Nutrition Honor Award (NHA)is not a bed of roses, but my contention was that win or lose, the nutrition programs for the citizenry of Maasin City will continue.
For me, the award is just a bonus for our efforts, but our service to our constituents continues.
“Our goal is to have a healthy and nourished citizenry not only in Maasin City but throughout Southern Leyte,” Cong. Damian G. Mercado disclosed in his opening message during the welcome program for the national nutrition evaluators held April 29, 2014 at the Maasin City College .
The awards for Maasin for effective nutrition program implementation were mentioned such as the Green Banner Awards; Outstanding Municipality in the Region; Red Orchid Awards for three consecutive years which gained Maasin City the Hall of Fame for successfully implementing the anti-smoking campaign; Consistent Regional Outstanding Winner in Nutrition (CROWN), to name a few.
The national evaluators for the Nutrition Honor Award was led by Assistant Secretary for Health Maria-Bernardita T. Flores. They randomly selected five barangays to be validated such as Pinascohan, Laboon, Malapoc Norte, Canturing and Ibarra. The evaluation started today, April 30 and will end May 2, 2014.
We welcomed the national validating team which arrived April 29, 2014 in a short program held at Maasin City College together with the members of the City Nutrition Committee headed by Nutrition Action Officer Dr. Francilisa I. Tan, Sangguniang Panglungsod members, among other concerned local officials and employees. The evaluation lasted until May 2, 2014.
The team also visited mangrove areas, school’s hand washing facility and vegetable gardens, and the Maasin City nursery.
Presentation of nutrition situation During the presentation of Maasin City’s nutrition situation, I focused on the impact programs implemented by the city such as food production, food fortification, livelihood assistance, micronutrient supplementation, nutrition information, communication and education, promoting healthy lifestyle, nutrition in emergencies, adopt a malnourished child program, among others and it’s road to the national Nutrition Honor Award, as its target and goal for Maasin City.
“Nutrition has always been included in my priority programs,” I said showing the Maasin City’s 13-point agenda, “MALONEY SAMACO,” as N stands for Nutrition and health services. I explained that the city government allocated funds for nutrition program for at least P1 million for the past 3 years and more than P1.4-M last year.
I eagerly shared the leading intervening factors such as the home, school food production, adopt a malnourished child, that bounces up the nutritional status in Maasin City.
I discussed also “Gulayan sa Paaralan” and "Magulay ang Bahay" programs which are the most effective intervention that helps in the recovery of malnutrition in the city for years.
The program yields the nutritious food which are just planted within the premises of the household and in the schools thus readily provides food for the hungry children and even give the farmers a means for livelihood, as I explained to Assistant Secretary Ma-Bernardita Flores during the partial assessment.
Food production activities such hog raising, chicken dispersal, goat raising, planting of vegetables, it also includes the procurement of mobile vans that carries the agricultural output of the farmers down to the market, among others.
The City Nutrition Committee appropriated some P70,000.00 for the procurement of vegetable seeds distributed among the 70 barangays and to those identified nutritionally depressed barangays will be receive more.
Malnutrition rates In the year 2013, our underweight children were 4.14% in the city as compared to 26.4% in Eastern Visayas and 20.7% in the entire Philippines. Wasting or thinness is 1.8% in Maasin while it is 6.7% in Region 8 and 6.9% in the entire country.
Stunting or low height for age is 10.2% in the city while it is 41.1% in the region and 32.3% in the whole country. Overweight children is only 0.71% as compared to 3.3% in the whole Philippines.
For school children, our rates were still way below the national and regional standards. In the school year 2013-2014, we had 92.61% normal, 5.16% wasted, 0.65% severely wasted, 1.2% above normal, and 0.34% obese.
Winning the Nutrition Honor Award The National Nutrition Council conferred the highest distinction in nutrition, the Nutrition Honor Award, to Maasin City together with the municipality of Lal-lo in Cagayan province in Region 2, and the province of Ifugao in the Cordillera Administrative Region. According to the NNC, "Our LGUs have exemplified outstanding performance in nutrition program management as manifested by the continued reduction in the prevalence of undernutrition both among preschool and school children for six (6) consecutive years as validated by the inter-agency National Nutrition Evaluation Team."
The City of Maasin and other nutrition champions each received a trophy and cash incentive of P1,000,000 during the 2014 National Nutrition Awarding Ceremony on October 21, 2014 at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City. Sixteen (16) other LGUs were recognized during the awarding ceremony.
"You are what you eat." The famous phrase was popularized by American nutritionist Victor Lindlahr, who was a strong believer in the idea that food controls health, according to phrases.org.uk. The earliest known printed example was in a 1923 edition of the Bridgeport Telegraph: "Ninety percent of the diseases known to man are caused by cheap foodstuffs. You are what you eat."
Friday, June 19, 2015
THE 13-POINT AGENDA
The 13-Point Agenda
According to Peter Drucker, American management consultant and educator: "Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things."
Many people considered 13 as an unlucky number and the fear of number 13 is called triskaidekaphobia. But I always consider 13 as a lucky number.
The apparitions of the Virgin of Fatima is said to happen every 13th for six consecutive months. The feast of Saint Anthony of Padua is celebrated every June 13.
Coincidentally, the number of letters in my name is 13. So I coined the 13-Point Agenda with the starting letters that correspond with those of my first name and family name. And it would be easier to remember them that way.
Launching
When I took my oath of office for the first time as City Mayor on June 12, 2007, I launched my 13-Point Agenda. At the City Gym, where it was also the Department of Education Maasin City Schools Division 5th Anniversary, a thousand teachers and city employees witnessed the debut of the 13-Point Agenda.
Tarpaulins showing my 13-Point Agenda were displayed at the City Gym near the City Hall. It was my own way of telling the people the framework of my administration. It was reflective of the aspirations of a growing city like Maasin City because it encompassed basically all the services needed by the constituents.
The 13-Point Agenda are as follows:
Market and Business Improvement
Agricultural Productivity
Livelihood Assistance
Orderliness and Peace Promotion
Nutrition and Health Services
Education for the Masses
Youth Empowerment
Sports Excellence
Anti-Illegal Drug Campaign
Mangrove and Forest Protection
Advertisements for Tourism
Concreting and Maintenance of Roads
Overall Barangay Development
Market and Business Improvement
This program involves promoting business-friendly atmosphere in the city. We were able to get rid of the difficulty in securing business licenses. We established the one-stop shop in the processing of business permits.
I issued an order to exclude clearances from the Bureau of Internal Revenue and Social Security System to shorten the process and minimize the signatories. We encouraged Build Operate Transfer Schemes (Long-Term Contract of Leases) for big business and establishments like Metro Hi-per Maasin, Brodeth One Stop Shop and Manaya Land Holdings invested in the city.
Agricultural Productivity
My administration established agriculture-based livelihood projects such as egg-layers, tilapia fingerlings, horticulture and animal dispersal. We continued promoting vegetable and crop production as initiated by the past administration. We also conducted rice and corn production trainings.
Farmers' and fishermen's associations and cooperatives were empowered. We continued protecting our marine resources by apprehending illegal fishers and those fishing without permits through our Bantay Dagat Task Force.
Livelihood Assistance
The Self-Employment Assistance-Kaunlaran (SEA-K) projects and the Pantawid ng Pamilyang Pilipino (4P's) through the assistance of the Department of Social Welfare and Development were implemented to the different non-government organizations. Individual recipients accepted the Nego-Kart, Starter Kits, and other livelihood programs in cooperation with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
We trained carpenters and plumbers and gave them equipments in partnership with Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). The city government gave counterpart for these programs. The Rural Improvement Club City Federation became a regional awardee. Through the Bottoms up Budgeting (BuB) we provided spare parts to motorcab drivers and other livelihood projects to civil society organizations (CSO's).
Orderliness and Peace Promotion
The city administration hired and trained traffic enforcers to support the implementation of traffic rules and regulations. We gave support to city jail facilities of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, support to fire prevention of the Bureau of Fire Protection and support to fight against criminality of the Philippine National Police.
We also hired civilian volunteers to augment our peace and order implementors called Volunteers Initiatives Guarding Illegal and Lawless Acts Narcotics Tobacco and Evils of Society (VIGILANTES). We imposed curfew for minors to prevent theft and robbery.
Nutrition and Health Services
We concentrated on the reduction of the percentage of malnourished children through supplemental feeding and mothers’ classes. Our programs encouraged and promoted breastfeeding and established breastfeeding stations at the city hall, bus terminal, public market, malls, and other public places.
Anti-smoking advocacy is spread out to all barangays throughout the city. Selling of cigarettes is prohibited all throughout the city. Vaccines were given free to children against diseases.
Education for the Masses
The establishment of Maasin City College enables disadvantaged families to send their children to tertiary level education. Ibarra National High School was also completed with the first batch of graduates marched on 2011. Likewise, integrated secondary schools and national high schools in Matin-ao, Lunas, and Hinapu Daku had their first batch of high school graduates in 2015.
Asuncion and Batuan integrated schools were also opened. Year-round Brigada Eskwela were conducted to repair and beautify school buildings and campuses and distribute free school supplies.
Youth Empowerment
We put emphasis on Scouting on all levels, including Kid, Kab, Boy, Senior and Rover Scouts. Maasin City hosted several scout jamborees, scout Olympics and trainings, national and regional in scopes.
We also organized the task force SKY for the SK and youth and the Maasin City Youth Federation (MCYF) to federate the different youth organizations of the city. We organize and activate our 4H Clubs to arouse the youth's interest in agriculture.
Sports Excellence
My administration made the Maasin City Sports Council more active. We conducted trainings of coaches, officiating officials, and athletes. Athletes were sent to international, national, regional and provincial competitions. The city hosted regional and provincial athletic meets and tournaments. We have also produced several national and regional champions.
Different types of sports were promoted like boxing, taekwondo, archery, swimming, athletics, marathon, triathlon, sepak takraw, volleyball, basketball, lawn tennis, table tennis, badminton, chess, football/futsal, gymnastics, dancesports among others. We conducted summer sports clinics to students during the long vacation.
Anti-Illegal Drug Campaign
The city government have conducted massive education against the perils of drug abuse especially among high school students and out-of-school youth. We activated the Citizens Anti-Narcotics Organization (CANO) and the New Guardians, Inc. (NGI).
We campaigned the other socio-civic clubs to participate in the anti-illegal drug crusade. Random drug tests were conducted on city employees and those found positive were suspended. I gave a quota to the PNP to apprehend at least one drug pusher a week.
Mangrove and Forest Protection
We continued developing the City Forest Park as the watershed for the water supply of the poblacion of Maasin at Canlitid. The City Nursery was also improved with the addition of the organic fertilizer production. We planted forest trees and fruit trees through Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) and Community-Based Forest Resource Management (CBFRM) programs using people's organizations.
Establishment of an Eco-Park becomes a priority. This sanitary landfill was built in Libhu based on the guidelines if the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB). Materials recovery facility and solid waste management was established too. Mangrove areas along the coastal barangays were also rehabilitated.
Advertisements for Tourism
We promote tourist spots through advertising and hosting of events. We supported religious tourism and pilgrimage. We regulated hotels, beach resorts, restaurants, and transportation for tourists and visitors.
We hosted several national and regional sports competitions, conventions and trainings as part of our tourism activities. The roads leading to tourist spots like City Forest Park, Guinsohotan Caves, and Hanginan San Francisco Javier Shrine were developed.
Concreting and Maintenance of Roads
As a delivery of basic service, we give priority of concreting and rehabilitation of national, provincial, city and barangay roads with the assistance of the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Provincial Engineer’s Office.
We built bridges, canals, drainage systems, and river controls and tetrapods or jackstones to protect our roads. A traffic light system was established at corner Rafols and Tomas Oppus Streets.
Overall Barangay Development
The city government conducted training on capability building of elected and appointed barangay officials. Awards were given to outstanding barangay councils, tanods, peace and order council, lupon tagapamayapa, nutrition committee, and clean and green.
We built barangay infrastructure projects like evacuation centers and multi-purpose centers, barangay hall improvements, water systems, and rural electrification.
American actor Zac Efron had this to say about luck: "I know I've been lucky. But it's what you do with that luck afterwards that really defines whether you stick around."
According to Peter Drucker, American management consultant and educator: "Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things."
Many people considered 13 as an unlucky number and the fear of number 13 is called triskaidekaphobia. But I always consider 13 as a lucky number.
The apparitions of the Virgin of Fatima is said to happen every 13th for six consecutive months. The feast of Saint Anthony of Padua is celebrated every June 13.
Coincidentally, the number of letters in my name is 13. So I coined the 13-Point Agenda with the starting letters that correspond with those of my first name and family name. And it would be easier to remember them that way.
Launching
When I took my oath of office for the first time as City Mayor on June 12, 2007, I launched my 13-Point Agenda. At the City Gym, where it was also the Department of Education Maasin City Schools Division 5th Anniversary, a thousand teachers and city employees witnessed the debut of the 13-Point Agenda.
Tarpaulins showing my 13-Point Agenda were displayed at the City Gym near the City Hall. It was my own way of telling the people the framework of my administration. It was reflective of the aspirations of a growing city like Maasin City because it encompassed basically all the services needed by the constituents.
The 13-Point Agenda are as follows:
Market and Business Improvement
Agricultural Productivity
Livelihood Assistance
Orderliness and Peace Promotion
Nutrition and Health Services
Education for the Masses
Youth Empowerment
Sports Excellence
Anti-Illegal Drug Campaign
Mangrove and Forest Protection
Advertisements for Tourism
Concreting and Maintenance of Roads
Overall Barangay Development
Market and Business Improvement
This program involves promoting business-friendly atmosphere in the city. We were able to get rid of the difficulty in securing business licenses. We established the one-stop shop in the processing of business permits.
I issued an order to exclude clearances from the Bureau of Internal Revenue and Social Security System to shorten the process and minimize the signatories. We encouraged Build Operate Transfer Schemes (Long-Term Contract of Leases) for big business and establishments like Metro Hi-per Maasin, Brodeth One Stop Shop and Manaya Land Holdings invested in the city.
Agricultural Productivity
My administration established agriculture-based livelihood projects such as egg-layers, tilapia fingerlings, horticulture and animal dispersal. We continued promoting vegetable and crop production as initiated by the past administration. We also conducted rice and corn production trainings.
Farmers' and fishermen's associations and cooperatives were empowered. We continued protecting our marine resources by apprehending illegal fishers and those fishing without permits through our Bantay Dagat Task Force.
Livelihood Assistance
The Self-Employment Assistance-Kaunlaran (SEA-K) projects and the Pantawid ng Pamilyang Pilipino (4P's) through the assistance of the Department of Social Welfare and Development were implemented to the different non-government organizations. Individual recipients accepted the Nego-Kart, Starter Kits, and other livelihood programs in cooperation with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
We trained carpenters and plumbers and gave them equipments in partnership with Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). The city government gave counterpart for these programs. The Rural Improvement Club City Federation became a regional awardee. Through the Bottoms up Budgeting (BuB) we provided spare parts to motorcab drivers and other livelihood projects to civil society organizations (CSO's).
Orderliness and Peace Promotion
The city administration hired and trained traffic enforcers to support the implementation of traffic rules and regulations. We gave support to city jail facilities of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, support to fire prevention of the Bureau of Fire Protection and support to fight against criminality of the Philippine National Police.
We also hired civilian volunteers to augment our peace and order implementors called Volunteers Initiatives Guarding Illegal and Lawless Acts Narcotics Tobacco and Evils of Society (VIGILANTES). We imposed curfew for minors to prevent theft and robbery.
Nutrition and Health Services
We concentrated on the reduction of the percentage of malnourished children through supplemental feeding and mothers’ classes. Our programs encouraged and promoted breastfeeding and established breastfeeding stations at the city hall, bus terminal, public market, malls, and other public places.
Anti-smoking advocacy is spread out to all barangays throughout the city. Selling of cigarettes is prohibited all throughout the city. Vaccines were given free to children against diseases.
Education for the Masses
The establishment of Maasin City College enables disadvantaged families to send their children to tertiary level education. Ibarra National High School was also completed with the first batch of graduates marched on 2011. Likewise, integrated secondary schools and national high schools in Matin-ao, Lunas, and Hinapu Daku had their first batch of high school graduates in 2015.
Asuncion and Batuan integrated schools were also opened. Year-round Brigada Eskwela were conducted to repair and beautify school buildings and campuses and distribute free school supplies.
Youth Empowerment
We put emphasis on Scouting on all levels, including Kid, Kab, Boy, Senior and Rover Scouts. Maasin City hosted several scout jamborees, scout Olympics and trainings, national and regional in scopes.
We also organized the task force SKY for the SK and youth and the Maasin City Youth Federation (MCYF) to federate the different youth organizations of the city. We organize and activate our 4H Clubs to arouse the youth's interest in agriculture.
Sports Excellence
My administration made the Maasin City Sports Council more active. We conducted trainings of coaches, officiating officials, and athletes. Athletes were sent to international, national, regional and provincial competitions. The city hosted regional and provincial athletic meets and tournaments. We have also produced several national and regional champions.
Different types of sports were promoted like boxing, taekwondo, archery, swimming, athletics, marathon, triathlon, sepak takraw, volleyball, basketball, lawn tennis, table tennis, badminton, chess, football/futsal, gymnastics, dancesports among others. We conducted summer sports clinics to students during the long vacation.
Anti-Illegal Drug Campaign
The city government have conducted massive education against the perils of drug abuse especially among high school students and out-of-school youth. We activated the Citizens Anti-Narcotics Organization (CANO) and the New Guardians, Inc. (NGI).
We campaigned the other socio-civic clubs to participate in the anti-illegal drug crusade. Random drug tests were conducted on city employees and those found positive were suspended. I gave a quota to the PNP to apprehend at least one drug pusher a week.
Mangrove and Forest Protection
We continued developing the City Forest Park as the watershed for the water supply of the poblacion of Maasin at Canlitid. The City Nursery was also improved with the addition of the organic fertilizer production. We planted forest trees and fruit trees through Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) and Community-Based Forest Resource Management (CBFRM) programs using people's organizations.
Establishment of an Eco-Park becomes a priority. This sanitary landfill was built in Libhu based on the guidelines if the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB). Materials recovery facility and solid waste management was established too. Mangrove areas along the coastal barangays were also rehabilitated.
Advertisements for Tourism
We promote tourist spots through advertising and hosting of events. We supported religious tourism and pilgrimage. We regulated hotels, beach resorts, restaurants, and transportation for tourists and visitors.
We hosted several national and regional sports competitions, conventions and trainings as part of our tourism activities. The roads leading to tourist spots like City Forest Park, Guinsohotan Caves, and Hanginan San Francisco Javier Shrine were developed.
Concreting and Maintenance of Roads
As a delivery of basic service, we give priority of concreting and rehabilitation of national, provincial, city and barangay roads with the assistance of the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Provincial Engineer’s Office.
We built bridges, canals, drainage systems, and river controls and tetrapods or jackstones to protect our roads. A traffic light system was established at corner Rafols and Tomas Oppus Streets.
Overall Barangay Development
The city government conducted training on capability building of elected and appointed barangay officials. Awards were given to outstanding barangay councils, tanods, peace and order council, lupon tagapamayapa, nutrition committee, and clean and green.
We built barangay infrastructure projects like evacuation centers and multi-purpose centers, barangay hall improvements, water systems, and rural electrification.
American actor Zac Efron had this to say about luck: "I know I've been lucky. But it's what you do with that luck afterwards that really defines whether you stick around."
Monday, June 8, 2015
MAASIN IS GAWAD KALINGA CITY
"Every Filipino can be a hero for his country. We have to really see that it is not a liability but an asset," Gawad Kalinga Founder Antonio Meloto said
The City of Maasin had a commitment with GK to help in all its undertakings by mobilizing volunteers and contributing resources in providing home for the homeless, land for the landless and feeding the hungry.
Gawad Kalinga (GK) means to "give care" in Filipino, is officially known as the Gawad Kalinga Community Development Foundation, a Philippine-based international poverty alleviation and nation-building movement.
Maasin City hosted the GK Bayani Challenge which opened at the Anatalio Gaviola Plaza on March 23, 2013 which was held simultaneously in 37 GK sites all throughout the country. We help build houses at Josefina Village II at Barangay Combado near the Telecom tower overlooking the city.
The GK Bayani Challenge 2014 opened on April 11, 2014 at the Anatalio Gaviola Plaza. Again, we had our House Build at GK Josefina Village II at Combado wherein we constructed 10 housing units for typhoon victims. We mobilize our city employees and students of Maasin City to join the activities especially the House Build.
I gave a lecture on our Anti-Smoking Program on youth participants in one of the nights as part of the values formation. Part of every GK Bayani Challenge are giving of lessons on love of God, country and of course other people in need.
The GK Barangay Walang Iwanan opened at the Anatalio Gaviola Plaza on April 10, 2015 in the morning. We had coastal cleanup in the afternoon from Tunga-tunga to Asuncion and our group consisting of some city employees cleaned up Combado River. I also talked on the Tobacco-Free Campaign during the final evening.
Chona celebrated her birthday at GK Village Combado on January 2, 2011. We distributed gifts and bundles of joy. It started a tradition of celebrating her natal day annually in a Gawad Kalinga community.
Then on the next year, Chona celebrated her birthday at GK Village Sta. Rosa on January 2, 2012. Sta. Rosa is the smallest barangay in Maasin and the first GK neighborhood in the city. Almost all inhabitants in the barangay are in the same GK settlement.
The following year on January 2, 2013, the gift-giving was held at GK Malinao, Bactul II. Then on January 2, 2014, the celebration was back to GK Village Combado. January 2, 2015, we were back to GK Village Sta. Rosa.
The City of Maasin had a commitment with GK to help in all its undertakings by mobilizing volunteers and contributing resources in providing home for the homeless, land for the landless and feeding the hungry.
Gawad Kalinga (GK) means to "give care" in Filipino, is officially known as the Gawad Kalinga Community Development Foundation, a Philippine-based international poverty alleviation and nation-building movement.
Maasin City hosted the GK Bayani Challenge which opened at the Anatalio Gaviola Plaza on March 23, 2013 which was held simultaneously in 37 GK sites all throughout the country. We help build houses at Josefina Village II at Barangay Combado near the Telecom tower overlooking the city.
The GK Bayani Challenge 2014 opened on April 11, 2014 at the Anatalio Gaviola Plaza. Again, we had our House Build at GK Josefina Village II at Combado wherein we constructed 10 housing units for typhoon victims. We mobilize our city employees and students of Maasin City to join the activities especially the House Build.
I gave a lecture on our Anti-Smoking Program on youth participants in one of the nights as part of the values formation. Part of every GK Bayani Challenge are giving of lessons on love of God, country and of course other people in need.
The GK Barangay Walang Iwanan opened at the Anatalio Gaviola Plaza on April 10, 2015 in the morning. We had coastal cleanup in the afternoon from Tunga-tunga to Asuncion and our group consisting of some city employees cleaned up Combado River. I also talked on the Tobacco-Free Campaign during the final evening.
Chona celebrated her birthday at GK Village Combado on January 2, 2011. We distributed gifts and bundles of joy. It started a tradition of celebrating her natal day annually in a Gawad Kalinga community.
Then on the next year, Chona celebrated her birthday at GK Village Sta. Rosa on January 2, 2012. Sta. Rosa is the smallest barangay in Maasin and the first GK neighborhood in the city. Almost all inhabitants in the barangay are in the same GK settlement.
The following year on January 2, 2013, the gift-giving was held at GK Malinao, Bactul II. Then on January 2, 2014, the celebration was back to GK Village Combado. January 2, 2015, we were back to GK Village Sta. Rosa.
Sunday, June 7, 2015
MAASIN HOSTS SMOKE-FREE EVRAA 2012
As early as February 2011, right after the opening ceremonies of the Eastern Visayas Regional Athletic Association meet in Calbayog City, it was already agreed by the Regional Sports Board that Maasin City will be the host of the biggest gathering of athletes in the region by next year. It was even announced during the closing ceremony to all athletes and officials “See you in Maasin City in 2012.”
It was a distinction that earned Maasin as an aggressive host. Usually, hosts were determined just few months before the big event. But when Southern Leyte deferred its hosting for 2012, it was Maasin’s turn to be offered as the next division to stage the annual sporting event.
I consulted Gov. Damian Mercado and Cong. Roger Mercado if Southern Leyte is willing to help us as co-host of the EVRAA in 2012. As expected, the two leaders gave their yes, and immediately I informed the DepEd Regional Office of our intention to accept the hosting of the big event.
Then Maasin Schools Division Superintendent Pedro Escobarte informed the Regional Director Rosemarie Saet and the different superintendents were unanimous in awarding the hosting of the EVRAA 2012 to Maasin City.
One good reason why they agreed to the Maasin City hosting is that the Congressman, Governor, City Mayor, provincial officials and city officials are united. This is not true to the other cities and provinces in Eastern Visayas.
On October 20, 2011, the 100 Days Countdown was launched at the Anatalio Gaviola Plaza with Regional Sports Coordinator Cesar Verunque as the guest of honor. It was attended by hundreds of athletes, officials, and teachers including city employees and the general public.
But the preparations were disturbed by rains especially the preparation of the track and field oval at the Southern Leyte Sports Complex and the baseball and soccer fields. However, covered courts were ready in the different barangays to host the indoor events. Athletes’ trainings were also interrupted by the inclement weather.
Through the persistent preparation by the Maasin City Sports Council led by Atty. Feorillo Demeterio, Jr. and the City Schools Division Sports Coordinator Fernando Salapi, everything was ready including the billeting schools and the playing venues.
It was one of the few EVRAA meets which were not postponed even if the preparations were disturbed by the rains. The 100 days countdown hit the target opening day on January 29, 2012.
Delegations kept arriving staring January 26, 2012. And every thing was set for the opening ceremony. It stopped raining in time for the opening ceremonies of the EVRAA on January 29, 2012. The opening parade kicked off the EVRAA 2012 from the plaza to the sports complex. Delegations paraded in alphabetical order, starting with Biliran, Calbayog City, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Northern Samar. Ormoc City, Samar, Southern Leyte, Tacloban City, and the host Maasin City was the last.
No less than Pilipinas Got Talent Grand Champion Maasinhon Trio serenaded the crowd. Assistant Secretary Tonisito Umali, who was in-charge of sports in the DepEd, was the guest of honor. It showcased the unity and solidarity of our leaders which did not happen in the other provinces and cities.
As in any Olympics, SEA Games or Asian Games, the lighting of the Friendship Flame was the highlight of the opening. Our national gold and silver medalists carried the torch around the track. To the surprise of the audience, the runners stopped in front of the grandstand to turn over the privilege of lighting the urn to the “true champion of sports in Maasin City.” I run with the athletes to the place where the urn was situated. To the background music of the movie “Superman” and “The Ten Commandments” the urn was lighted and the EVRAA signage was lighted by fireworks.
The urn and signage lighting was invented by city hall scientist Rudolph Sanchez upon my suggestion that it should be the climax of the opening ceremonies. It was the tradition of major international games that the lighting of the urn will be the biggest surprise of the opening. We started the parade at 3:00 P.M. apart from the usual 1:00 P.M. to let the ceremony reach sunset.
Another grand show of fireworks lighted the sky when the EVRAA 2012 was formally opened by Director Luisa Bautista-Yu. All were impressed of the grand display of pyrotechnics which happened only in the Maasin hosting of the EVRAA. What followed was the very enjoyable Welcome Night at the city gym.
The sun shone so brightly and the highlighted lighting of the Friendship Flame, the pyrotechnics of the EVRAA signage and the fireworks display went on perfectly. The rains came back when the EVRAA came to a close.
Maasin City delegation was housed at the Maasin City College campus. It was so secured and we had protected the rooms from vandalisms especially that we can impose discipline on our own athletes. The rooms were newly painted but there were no writings whatsoever because we let them love the building because it is our own college, financed and operated by the city government.
Competitions began on January 30. As expected powerhouse Leyte dominated most of the games. They had well trained athletes under the Leyte Sports Academy. They are the biggest delegation numbering more than 600 athletes and officials. Maasin City athletes fought hard to show the home crowd that we are determined to become champions in some events and to go for the gold.
The most interesting of all was our delegation in the archery event. Only three days before the start of the games, the bows and arrows ordered from Manila arrived. The athletes practically were briefed on the basics of archery for two weeks only. It was the first time we joined archery in the EVRAA. The boys’ team placed 4th and the girls’ team placed 5th out of 8 participating teams.
We also fielded entries in arnis for the first time in EVRAA history. And our girls garnered 6 gold medals enroute to winning the championship in their division. They trained for only five months and started from scratch, like archery.
Although Leyte won the secondary boys’ boxing by a solitary bronze medal, and Maasin City won the elementary boys’ boxing with 2 golds and 1 silver, Maasin won the unofficial overall championship in boxing with a medal tally of 3 golds and 2 silvers as compared to Leyte’s 2-2-1 tally.
In the qualifying round and in the semi-final round, all 5 boxers of Maasin City won their bouts via referee stopped contest (RSC). The boxers abilities improved with the training they got from Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (ABAP). No less than 1992 Olympic bronze medalist Roel Velasco came to Maasin to train our coaches and referees. Also, our own boxer Edillo Abrea now training in Baguio City at the ABAP national camp came home to share his knowledge to our amateurs.
Maasin City’s elementary girls’ volleyball team successfully defended their title by taking the gold medal. Last year in Calbayog, they were also champions. The girls come from Malapoc Norte Elementary School and practiced religiously everyday until evening.
Maasin City became champions in boys’ and girls’ swimming, girls’ volleyball, and boys’ boxing in the elementary and in the girls’ swimming, girls’ arnis, boys’ badminton, and girls’ table tennis in the secondary division. In the elementary level, Leyte got 1st place, Eastern Samar 2nd place and Maasin City 3rd place. In the secondary level, Leyte got 1st place, Eastern Samar 2nd place, Ormoc City 3rd place, and Maasin City tied with Tacloban City at 4th place.
In the overall championship, Leyte was 1st, Eastern Samar was 2nd, and Maasin City was 3rd. Our consolation was that Maasin City emerged the top city as it bested Ormoc City (4th place), Tacloban City (5th place) and Calbayog City (10th place). The other delegations’ overall standings were Northern Samar (6th place), Southern Leyte (7th place), Samar (8th place), and Biliran (9th place).
Leyte dominated practically all events in both secondary and elementary levels. The Leyte Sports Academy (LSA) organized by their provincial government was a big plus factor to Leyte’s dominance. So Maasin City learned a lot from the LSA, especially from Dr, Lucrecio Calo, the consultant and organizer of the LSA. He was a retired Executive Director of the Philippine Sports Commission.
Maasin City became the champion in the secondary division when it hosted the EVRAA in 2005. It was the time when the standings were decided in terms of medals won. This time the point system similar to that of the Palarong Pambasa was used.
On the other hand, if we failed to win the championship, we were rated “excellent” by Mr. Verunque on the matter of hosting the games. During the evaluation conducted by the tournament managers days before the opening, they rated our playing venues at 95%. According to them, this is the first time alternate venues were prepared for volleyball and lawn tennis in case it rains so the games won’t be interrupted.
There was only one reported case of theft during the EVRAA. It happened at the Maasin City National High School where the Calbayog City delegation was housed. I was ashamed of the incident because when we were in Calbayog during the EVRAA 2011 we were safe from robbers because of the tight security of the PNP and the Army. The PNP caught the robber and we presented him to the delegation. He could no longer return the robbed money so I paid the victim more than the amount stolen from her. She was a mother of a badminton athlete. The suspect was a known thief and robber with a psychological disorder in Barangay Combado where the city high school was situated.
Officials gave positive feedbacks on our hosting. They would want to be back to Maasin in the future hosting of the regional meet. They appreciated our Smoke-Free EVRAA and those officials who were smokers were able to reduce if not eradicate their smoking vice. I told them, “I helped extend your life by several minutes or even hours and days.”
All posts in the poblacion area were marked with tarpaulins indicating “Thank You for Observing our No Smoking Policy.” These also include billeting quarters and playing venues.
True to its theme “School Sports: Avenue for a Healthy Lifestyle,” the EVRAA 2012 was the first ever “Smoke-Free EVRAA.” For it was held in the city that cares for the health.
It was a distinction that earned Maasin as an aggressive host. Usually, hosts were determined just few months before the big event. But when Southern Leyte deferred its hosting for 2012, it was Maasin’s turn to be offered as the next division to stage the annual sporting event.
I consulted Gov. Damian Mercado and Cong. Roger Mercado if Southern Leyte is willing to help us as co-host of the EVRAA in 2012. As expected, the two leaders gave their yes, and immediately I informed the DepEd Regional Office of our intention to accept the hosting of the big event.
Then Maasin Schools Division Superintendent Pedro Escobarte informed the Regional Director Rosemarie Saet and the different superintendents were unanimous in awarding the hosting of the EVRAA 2012 to Maasin City.
One good reason why they agreed to the Maasin City hosting is that the Congressman, Governor, City Mayor, provincial officials and city officials are united. This is not true to the other cities and provinces in Eastern Visayas.
On October 20, 2011, the 100 Days Countdown was launched at the Anatalio Gaviola Plaza with Regional Sports Coordinator Cesar Verunque as the guest of honor. It was attended by hundreds of athletes, officials, and teachers including city employees and the general public.
But the preparations were disturbed by rains especially the preparation of the track and field oval at the Southern Leyte Sports Complex and the baseball and soccer fields. However, covered courts were ready in the different barangays to host the indoor events. Athletes’ trainings were also interrupted by the inclement weather.
Through the persistent preparation by the Maasin City Sports Council led by Atty. Feorillo Demeterio, Jr. and the City Schools Division Sports Coordinator Fernando Salapi, everything was ready including the billeting schools and the playing venues.
It was one of the few EVRAA meets which were not postponed even if the preparations were disturbed by the rains. The 100 days countdown hit the target opening day on January 29, 2012.
Delegations kept arriving staring January 26, 2012. And every thing was set for the opening ceremony. It stopped raining in time for the opening ceremonies of the EVRAA on January 29, 2012. The opening parade kicked off the EVRAA 2012 from the plaza to the sports complex. Delegations paraded in alphabetical order, starting with Biliran, Calbayog City, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Northern Samar. Ormoc City, Samar, Southern Leyte, Tacloban City, and the host Maasin City was the last.
No less than Pilipinas Got Talent Grand Champion Maasinhon Trio serenaded the crowd. Assistant Secretary Tonisito Umali, who was in-charge of sports in the DepEd, was the guest of honor. It showcased the unity and solidarity of our leaders which did not happen in the other provinces and cities.
As in any Olympics, SEA Games or Asian Games, the lighting of the Friendship Flame was the highlight of the opening. Our national gold and silver medalists carried the torch around the track. To the surprise of the audience, the runners stopped in front of the grandstand to turn over the privilege of lighting the urn to the “true champion of sports in Maasin City.” I run with the athletes to the place where the urn was situated. To the background music of the movie “Superman” and “The Ten Commandments” the urn was lighted and the EVRAA signage was lighted by fireworks.
The urn and signage lighting was invented by city hall scientist Rudolph Sanchez upon my suggestion that it should be the climax of the opening ceremonies. It was the tradition of major international games that the lighting of the urn will be the biggest surprise of the opening. We started the parade at 3:00 P.M. apart from the usual 1:00 P.M. to let the ceremony reach sunset.
Another grand show of fireworks lighted the sky when the EVRAA 2012 was formally opened by Director Luisa Bautista-Yu. All were impressed of the grand display of pyrotechnics which happened only in the Maasin hosting of the EVRAA. What followed was the very enjoyable Welcome Night at the city gym.
The sun shone so brightly and the highlighted lighting of the Friendship Flame, the pyrotechnics of the EVRAA signage and the fireworks display went on perfectly. The rains came back when the EVRAA came to a close.
Maasin City delegation was housed at the Maasin City College campus. It was so secured and we had protected the rooms from vandalisms especially that we can impose discipline on our own athletes. The rooms were newly painted but there were no writings whatsoever because we let them love the building because it is our own college, financed and operated by the city government.
Competitions began on January 30. As expected powerhouse Leyte dominated most of the games. They had well trained athletes under the Leyte Sports Academy. They are the biggest delegation numbering more than 600 athletes and officials. Maasin City athletes fought hard to show the home crowd that we are determined to become champions in some events and to go for the gold.
The most interesting of all was our delegation in the archery event. Only three days before the start of the games, the bows and arrows ordered from Manila arrived. The athletes practically were briefed on the basics of archery for two weeks only. It was the first time we joined archery in the EVRAA. The boys’ team placed 4th and the girls’ team placed 5th out of 8 participating teams.
We also fielded entries in arnis for the first time in EVRAA history. And our girls garnered 6 gold medals enroute to winning the championship in their division. They trained for only five months and started from scratch, like archery.
Although Leyte won the secondary boys’ boxing by a solitary bronze medal, and Maasin City won the elementary boys’ boxing with 2 golds and 1 silver, Maasin won the unofficial overall championship in boxing with a medal tally of 3 golds and 2 silvers as compared to Leyte’s 2-2-1 tally.
In the qualifying round and in the semi-final round, all 5 boxers of Maasin City won their bouts via referee stopped contest (RSC). The boxers abilities improved with the training they got from Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (ABAP). No less than 1992 Olympic bronze medalist Roel Velasco came to Maasin to train our coaches and referees. Also, our own boxer Edillo Abrea now training in Baguio City at the ABAP national camp came home to share his knowledge to our amateurs.
Maasin City’s elementary girls’ volleyball team successfully defended their title by taking the gold medal. Last year in Calbayog, they were also champions. The girls come from Malapoc Norte Elementary School and practiced religiously everyday until evening.
Maasin City became champions in boys’ and girls’ swimming, girls’ volleyball, and boys’ boxing in the elementary and in the girls’ swimming, girls’ arnis, boys’ badminton, and girls’ table tennis in the secondary division. In the elementary level, Leyte got 1st place, Eastern Samar 2nd place and Maasin City 3rd place. In the secondary level, Leyte got 1st place, Eastern Samar 2nd place, Ormoc City 3rd place, and Maasin City tied with Tacloban City at 4th place.
In the overall championship, Leyte was 1st, Eastern Samar was 2nd, and Maasin City was 3rd. Our consolation was that Maasin City emerged the top city as it bested Ormoc City (4th place), Tacloban City (5th place) and Calbayog City (10th place). The other delegations’ overall standings were Northern Samar (6th place), Southern Leyte (7th place), Samar (8th place), and Biliran (9th place).
Leyte dominated practically all events in both secondary and elementary levels. The Leyte Sports Academy (LSA) organized by their provincial government was a big plus factor to Leyte’s dominance. So Maasin City learned a lot from the LSA, especially from Dr, Lucrecio Calo, the consultant and organizer of the LSA. He was a retired Executive Director of the Philippine Sports Commission.
Maasin City became the champion in the secondary division when it hosted the EVRAA in 2005. It was the time when the standings were decided in terms of medals won. This time the point system similar to that of the Palarong Pambasa was used.
On the other hand, if we failed to win the championship, we were rated “excellent” by Mr. Verunque on the matter of hosting the games. During the evaluation conducted by the tournament managers days before the opening, they rated our playing venues at 95%. According to them, this is the first time alternate venues were prepared for volleyball and lawn tennis in case it rains so the games won’t be interrupted.
There was only one reported case of theft during the EVRAA. It happened at the Maasin City National High School where the Calbayog City delegation was housed. I was ashamed of the incident because when we were in Calbayog during the EVRAA 2011 we were safe from robbers because of the tight security of the PNP and the Army. The PNP caught the robber and we presented him to the delegation. He could no longer return the robbed money so I paid the victim more than the amount stolen from her. She was a mother of a badminton athlete. The suspect was a known thief and robber with a psychological disorder in Barangay Combado where the city high school was situated.
Officials gave positive feedbacks on our hosting. They would want to be back to Maasin in the future hosting of the regional meet. They appreciated our Smoke-Free EVRAA and those officials who were smokers were able to reduce if not eradicate their smoking vice. I told them, “I helped extend your life by several minutes or even hours and days.”
All posts in the poblacion area were marked with tarpaulins indicating “Thank You for Observing our No Smoking Policy.” These also include billeting quarters and playing venues.
True to its theme “School Sports: Avenue for a Healthy Lifestyle,” the EVRAA 2012 was the first ever “Smoke-Free EVRAA.” For it was held in the city that cares for the health.
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