Semana Santa (Holy Week) in Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro

An age old tradition in Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro every Holy Week

This tradition happens every Good Friday. It is a religious holiday observed primarily by Christians commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary. It is also known as Black Friday, Holy Friday, Great Friday or Easter Friday (referred as Friday in Easter week).

A yearly tradition in our town during holy week. They do this — whip their own backs — as a way to empathize with Jesus. I didn’t get a photo, but some of them carried large wooden crosses, just as Jesus did.

      Ginagawa natin ang mga sari-sariling tradisyon ng mga simbahan/church natin para maalala natin ang ginawa ng Diyos sa krus. Pero sana gawin mo ito hindi dahil OBLIGADO ka, kundi dahil NAIS MO, SA IYONG BUONG PUSO. 

 

(Photo Courtesy: C. Sucgang)

     Whenever you think you're worthless, always remember that Jesus died for you. You don’t need to make yourself suffer. All you need is a sincere heart and you’ll be forgiven. Spread the love, spread the Gospel. :)

Servant or Leader?

“Servant Leaders bring in the best talent in the business in order to accomplish their goal, even when that means they may be upstaged.” (russcanto)

As humans, we naturally organize people into two categories: servants and masters, or leaders and followers. But there is a third category that Jesus asks us to participate in… many knows it as the “servant leader”.

I’ve had small bits of leadership during my life, and this is never something that I’ve thought deeply about. Servant leading? Yeah, okay, totally. I’ve heard that term since I was a kid, in Sunday school and on mission trips.

But in the recent future I’ve suddenly begun to have real leadership positions… I have people working under me, and I have to lead WELL… and I’m glad that there is a learning curve, because I have a lot of work to do! I like to lead, but I’m not always necessarily GOOD at leading, I’ve found.

And then today I stumble upon John 13. (Well it wasn’t too much of a stumble, really - since I’m reading through John)

This is the chapter of the Bible where Jesus washes his disciples’ feet. Wow. It’s kind of crazy. He is the leader of ALL, and yet he’s stooping to do something dirty and menial, but he’s doing it FOR THEM. He isn’t too much of a leader to serve. Because the right kind of leader is one who serves. Yes, a leader is needed to stand up and give instructions and organize and hold people to deadlines and all that… but there’s also this part of being a leader - a very important part - that included being willing to SERVE those who are following you. To be willing to do their jobs, or even jobs below what they do, in order to help them or care for them.

I think the idea of a servant leader is nice and idealistic, but it’s not often seen. Sure, there is the perfect model that Christ gave us, but where else do we see this being carried out?

The modern business world often promotes an, “ahead at any/all costs” mentality. The modern world of church leadership often values flash, numbers, and giving rather than substance, service, and sacrifice. Don’t even get me started on the modeling that occurs within Hollywood and those of fame and status.

When you become a leader, you get a whole lot more responsibility. You become partially responsible for those who are following you, or working for you. It’s easy to just get caught up with finishing your task, and forget about serving those you are working with. (Courtesy: Natalie of http://coffeetimewithgod.tumblr.com/)

And I’m determined to learn how to NOT do that. Like Jesus.

“Whenever we have an opportunity or responsibility to influence the thinking, behavior, or development of others, the first choice we are called to make is whether to see the moment through the eyes of self-interest or for the benefit of those we are leading.”

—           Ken Blanchard

KHA COMMUNITY LIBRARY Project

          The KHA Community Library is a collaborative effort of Keep Hope Alive Youth Volunteers Organization, Salvacion Elementary School teachers, Barangay Officials, concerned citizens and local community people to design, build, and equip a public library open to a high-poverty neighborhoods/communities with low academic achievement in Maliwanag, Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro. This library will include new books, and other reading and instructional materials, a “Parenting Corner” for parents/guardian to visit the library, informal reading areas, Mangyan resource corner and separate areas for study and research, instruction, and group discussion. This will benefit the students and learners from the neighboring communities and public schools. 

         The community library project and its partners hope that a fun, safe and enlightening space in this project will contribute to a child’s love of books and will help them to develop critical reading and thinking skills. More so, the dream of the project stakeholders is that these spaces will engage the entire family and community more directly in the schools' learning effort through partnerships with extracurricular and educational programs.

I.             The goals of the Library Project are:

• Create uniquely designed library for elementary and high school pupils, Mangyan learners, as well as local community people that include new book collections and instructional materials
• Strengthen/instill the love of children in reading and support each school's curriculum and serve as the educational heart of the school and community
• Design a practical and replicable model of community-based educational sustainability resources for other public schools in the area.
• The project is an all-volunteer effort, and 100% of the book donations being raised will be spent on the revitalization of the library.
• The renovations of the first Library room will be completed by March 2015. The remaining two  rooms will be completed by the end of school year 2015-2016.

II.            The Site: Salvacion Elementary School – Maliwanag, Mansalay Oriental Mindoro

Salvacion Elementary School - Brgy. Maliwanag, Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro

The Official site of the Library Project

III.           Materials Needed

We need books and other reading/reference Materials. This project couldn’t exist without your donations 

Books We Need:

• Dictionaries(English-Tagalog)
• Encyclopedia
• ESL study guides
• Story books
• Leaflets/Maps
• Atlas
• Preparatory/Kindergarten textbooks
• Elementary textbooks
• High school textbooks (all subjects)
• College textbooks (intro level)
• Philippine and World history and fiction
• Laboratory/Science Materials
• Other reference/reading materials

We are happy to receive shipments of donated books.

c/o Elcana Gamol
School Principal
Salvacion Elementary School 

Maliwanag, Mansalay

Oriental Mindoro, Philippines, 5213

Or contact:

Shernan Gamol

+639494743512

sfgamol@yahoo.com.ph

'In His Steps' Medical Mission - Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro

Patient outside Medicare Hospital

Eyes and fingers probed the chainlink fence surrounding Mansalay Gymnasium, Mansalay, and Oriental Mindoro. From the air, the hundreds of people gathered in the sun looked like a town fair. In reality, they were in the middle of a multi-day wait for free medical and dental care.

The Team

In one day, a team of 50+ doctors, nurses and supporting volunteers from United States, Manila, Iloilo and Mansalay performed 100+ surgeries, invited 1000+ patients into the medical mission area and Medicare Hospital and provided 200+ people with dental care. The main stakeholder for this mission is the “In His Steps” medical ministry from Texas, U.S.A. with the effort of our very own Doc Celia Maliwanag and of course the local government.

Doc Cel Maliwanag

Aniway Cusi, a member of Mangyan Hanunuo tribe and a mother of two-year-old Mikoy, said she and his son waited for hours to get into the free medical mission after traveling about a half hour from their home in town proper. She pointed at Mikoy’s face, which had a minor case of scabies and white patch near his eye. The sun had irritated it.

Aniway and her son, Mikoy

Now that they were entertained, an answer was near. A simple check-up, injection and medicines would solve what a quack doctor had told them many months ago he could not treat.

“It’s a relief having doctors come here that can do what the doctors can’t do in Mansalay,” Cusi said. “I just want the doctors to be able to fix it so my son’s illness can grow up and be healthy.”

Volunteer Doctor from Africa

Mikay’s story is one of thousands. There is the old man who walked hours to gain sight through free eyeglasses, and then returned after few hours year just to say thank you. There is the teenage girl who had her hands tumor removed after years of agonizing it so badly.

Collecting Patient Data

Taking Vital Signs

Each resident’s vital signs were first taken before they could proceed to the doctor. Medical complaints ranged from fever, cough or colds to hypertension or diabetes. There were also varied patients, from a day-old baby to an eighty-ish grandmother. After the doctor examined them, they were given the appropriate medication. Or, if they needed more intervention, they were referred to the nearest hospital via ambulance. Some clients however went to the medical mission without any ailment to complain. They said that they were just there to ask for multivitamins which they have rightly received.

Ongoing surgery

Working doctors and nurses

After a few minutes of resting, we went back our posts. I am assigned to surgery. Cries burst and tears flowed as the vaccinations began and blood pressure apparatus pumped and whistled. It was a bit tiresome but all worth it. The smiles and the words of thanks are all you need to wipe the sweat dry and boost you energy back to normal. These are the times when I definitely tell myself I love my profession.

Senior citizens

“We have found that much of the need exists in the countryside where people don’t necessarily have the money or cultural inclination to go into the big cities,” said Medical Mission Director. “As a result, those needs are unmet.”

Team Nurses

It’s weird but it’s amazing how on the mission field and doing God’s work everything seems to disappear. Worries, anxieties, and things that seemed to matter don’t really anymore. God has a funny way of reprioritizing your life but if we’re honest it never really stays like that after the God rush is gone.

Medical Volunteers

Team RNHeals 

Team Manila Nurses

New Friends

Access to healthcare should never be exclusive to those who can afford and to those who are living near the source of medications, etc. So, clap clap for activities like this. I’m so looking forward to the next. Everyone can make a difference in his/her own little ways. I hope to start changing the world. -shernan

Find solutions to some of life's difficult problems

      

 We live in troubled times, from personal issues to world crises, economic challenges to challenging relationships. Stress has become a common part of our everyday lives. Some individuals manage to cope and keep things in healthy perspective. For others, these challenges can result in unhealthy reactions like anxiety, depression, and even alcohol abuse. However, it's often hard to judge when normal feelings of worry, fear, and stress cross the line and become a serious condition that impacts both your emotional and physical health. With proper evaluation, anxiety disorders are treatable. Through medication or psychological therapy, or both, they can be brought under control.

     The good news is that there are real solutions to these serious issues. Understanding why someone is anxious, depressed, or abusing alcohol is the first step. Knowing the treatment options—both medical and therapeutic—is critical to resolving these difficult problems. If you have ever suffered from depression or been close to someone who has, you know that this illness cannot be wished away or relieved at will. Depression can have enormous depth and staying power, but there are a variety of medications and treatments that provide real help. A recent study showed that for those who stuck with treatment, depression lifted completely in seven out of 10 people, and others experienced relief of many symptoms. But discovering which treatment options work best requires knowledge and perseverance.

Young Filipinos clueless about Edsa People Power

      This, apparently, is the reality now in the Philippines: Young people clueless about their own history, both recent and not-too-recent.

       But this is hardly surprising because, in Philippine classrooms, the teaching of history and social studies have been de-emphasized, with the schools now preparing Filipino students to study for courses that could land them a job abroad either as electricians, nurses, computer technicians, chambermaids, domestic helpers and waiters. Social studies and current events have been pushed aside.

       Filipinos are becoming a people without a sense of history. This is sad because I don’t think a country can move forward without appreciating its past and learning from it. This is probably why, 25 years after the People Power revolt, Filipinos are still grappling with its meaning and unable to harness the lessons from that experience for the good of the country.(Courtesy: James Cordova)

Where Were You?

Sec. Edwin Lacierda recounting what it was like to be at EDSA People Power 1. Another memory - a fierce commitment to stay on that stretch of road and its environs, because to leave the area, even for a while, felt like you were turning your back on your country. A nice recollection of those vanished days.

       20 years ago, when we were still law students, we felt a breath of fresh air stirring in our midst when Cardinal Sin called out the people to protect the soldiers.

     To us, we wondered what all that meant. At that time, we just finished studying the 1973 Constitution or the Marcos Constitution and I recall that not even the commentaries of Fr. Bernas spoke negatively of that charter, al least not as openly as he does now in his Inquirer columns.

But while the atmosphere of martial law prevailed in those days, pre-EDSA circa 1985-86 was a joy in law school. While our classes were held in the evenings, we full time law students would join the rallies in Makati in the afternoon and stormed Security Bank which when they saw the rallyists would immediately roll down their steel doors.

We would walk the length and breadth of Ayala Avenue to the cheering Makati office personnel who would open their windows from buildings high up and rain down their yellow confetti, presumably shredded from the PLDT yellow pages, cheering us on. We would sing Bayan Ko, listen to speeches, both fiery and hilarious, interspersed with chanting and sloganeering but all the same, critical of Marcos and his cronies.

     In law school, there were a handful of Marcos loyalists holdouts and among them were the daughter of then Defense Secretary Juan Ponce Enrile, the youngest son of a former Minister of Justice and whose other famous brother is a lawyer turned news personality and a wine connoisseur, the son of a former PBA commissioner, the brother of a TV female news personality, and the sister of a famous fashion designer. And to their credit, they did not shirk from their belief that Marcos was their man. Before the snap elections, they would wear Marcos red t-shirts while most of us would wear Ninoy or Cory yellow. While the battle for the hearts and minds was fought in the streets, the law school was not immune from occasional outbursts of “Cory”"Cory" "Cory" and “Marcos pa rin”. It was simply unacceptable to fence sit during those heady days.

     When the snap election was held, we were taking up Election Law and our professor, Atty. Rogelio Nicandro, suggested to us that those who volunteered in any form or manner during the snap elections would get credit. Immediately, droves applied as NAMFREL volunteers and I was assigned to Xavier school to monitor the elections in San Juan. Even FPJ’s daughter was a NAMFREL volunteer in San Juan.

       In one instance, there were Marcos volunteers who entered the Xavier precinct wearing Marcos red and they were told it was prohibited by law and was asked to leave. Of course, being Marcos country, they haughtily refused and even shouted “Marcos pa rin”. We retorted and chanted back “Cory” “Cory” drowning their arrogance till they decided to leave the election premises. And naturally, all those who volunteered got a grade of 90 in Election Law.

      When Cardinal Sin called out the people to support the RAM boys, some of us were set to attend the ordination rites of Fr. Louie David in Ateneo Loyola. Some of us never made it to the ordination because we got detoured at EDSA and just about decided to stay on not knowing where this would lead to.

      I remember at one point standing at the foot of the stage at Camp Crame where Fidel Ramos, Juan Ponce Enrile, Mel Lopez and some other political personalities were giving out their pep talk. This was the time when Ramos was jumping and telling us that it will be over soon. We were cheering them on and so hopeful that the dictator would be gone. It turned out that he was giving us a pep talk because they heard rumors that Marcos was going to send out his troops and tanks for the last time to quell the revolt.

       My memory may not be so clear at this point but that scene where Ramos was jumping on the stage and my face was clearly evident among the throng was immortalized in Mr. Arillo’s book. Unfortunately, having no sense of history and no regard for posterity at that time, I failed to get hold of his book and have not seen a copy since.

        We stayed and slept in EDSA. We faced the tanks and soldiers. We befriended nameless people. We shared food and drinks as though we were long lost confreres. More than a rally, all of us came to EDSA to break bread and fellowship with all who were willing to stand in the line of fire and take the bullet, as it were, for freedom and change of government. Like the namesake of the street, it was truly an epiphany of saints, men and women of goodwill who believed that corruption and bad government should not last a day longer.

       It was 20 years ago. Many of us have become disillusioned and some like Ignacio Bunye have the temerity to say EDSA is no longer relevant. 20 years ago, I was willing to die for my country. I have no reason to depart from that belief 20 years hence, present leadership notwithstanding and apathy being the new social cancer.

       Like Leah Navarro when interviewed by Newsbreak Magazine, I want my country back too.

My Birthday Wish

I am turning a year older tomorrow, and I always get asked what I want for my birthday and I am epically awful at thinking of material things I want.  It’s time to put material things aside and remember those who paved the way for me. Every year I know what I want — I want to be able to make an impact to the lives of my adopted kids in my community (Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro). I usually do this every year since 2008. I know it’s not everyday that you get to help people around you and not everyone has the heart and passion to reach out to those who are in need. 

For those who don’t know, I started a charity works and a volunteer’s organization (Keep Hope Alive) in 2008, a lifetime commitment for queer children who experience poverty, hunger and depression. I firmly believe that to bring change to our world we need to keep as many queer and questioning and amazing young people in this world as possible before anything else we do matters, and Keep Hope Alive helps me do that. Every act of involvement says you believe in the idea of making the world a better place. Children will not remember you for the material things you provided, but for the feeling that you cherished them. I admire those people who do and pray for the hearts of those who don’t that someday their hearts will be touched and be able to share their blessings.

I’ve been thinking about this for a while, and it’s really the thing that will make me most happy second to serving God and family. In giving, I believe nothing is too little, no matter how small. Napakasarap sa feeling na nakakapagpasaya at nakakatulong ka sa mga tao lalo na sa mga musmos sa paligid mo. Ako aaminin kong wala akong pakialam sa mga batang palaboy-laboy lamang sa lansangan nung bata pa ako, dahil unang-una hindi ko naman sila kaano-ano. Pero nung nakita ko kung gaano sila kasaya sa ginagawa kong pagtulong, narealize ko na lahat ng tao sa mundong ito ay dapat pangalagaan ang isa’t isa sapagkat tayo’y mga nilikha ng diyos na may kaakibat na responsibilidad para magserve. Lalo na kapag nakaka-angat ka or kaya blessed ka with good job and family na di nararanasan ng mga batang ito. I know money is hard, and charity can be very personal, but God’s provision is immeasurable.

I’m very excited for my birthday tomorrow. Another wish will come to pass. I’m excited to see more children to be fed and be inspired with the feeding and healthy teeth program we prepared. To all the people, friends and my family who helped and supported me with this passion and advocacy, thank you is not enough. Let God deal with your good deeds. To some people just reading this and knowing and respecting that this is something I care about means a lot to me. J

Playing with the kids. These kids loved to be cuddled. As soon as their done with handwashing they ran towards me and asked me to carry them on our back. (piggy back ride)