Eugenio Vagni Released!

QuickPress

We share the joy of EugenioVagni, of his family and of his  friends for his release from the Abu- Sayyaf group last Sunday after almost 6 months of captivity!

See video: Eugenio-Vagni-freed-by-Abu-Sayyaf

 

Bulan Observer

Part I: The Mayor Behind The Mayor

Or, Democracy Is About The People, Not About A Family Or Clan

Nine Plus Nine Plus Nine Plus… A tongue twister, mental arithmetic or a case of obsession ? It could be a mixture of all these if we are referring to the maximum term  of  nine years  a Filipino local politician may hold office and his habit of adding another nine through his wife and another nine through his son and another nine through his grandson and so on. In practice we know this as dynastic politics. In a family of four, this would mean 36 years of rule already, but we should not forget that we have an extended family tradition in the Philippines,-  so this could mean more than 36 years!

Much has been written and debated about the phenomenon of dynasty in the Philippines’ political landscape but no substantial results has ever been achieved in form of legislation and the 1987 Constitution itself has not provided a clear definition and limitation of dynasty  from the very beginning. This existing loophole has been taken advantage by many political families in the Philippines. In fact we may call our nation a Loophole Republic of the Philippines, which is a republic based on the loopholes of law, at least when it comes to political power and other criminal actions. I even entertain the idea that the 1987 Constitution is itself the lobby work of traditional politicians- or political dynasties. There are rivalries naturally among these dynasties but they easily join forces together when it comes to finding ways to stabilize their status qou- or protect their interests.

The house of representatives  is the favorite meeting place of trapos where they work together primarily for their own interests and not really  for the ideals of  democracy. In fact, there are about  160 lawmakers representing the 250 political clans in the two chambers of the Philippine Congress- this according to the Center for People Empowerment in Governance.

Dynastic politics seems now to be deeply-rooted in our political character so that those who are born into a political dynasty claim an inherent responsibility- or pressured by family tradition- to rule and those who are born under the rule of  such a political dynasty seem to accept - or pressured to accept their destiny as such and consider political engagement as taboo. Many may have opposed this role but find no support from the rest who still are under the yoke of tradition. A tradition is like a frame that exerts pressure on the picture from all sides. This is how our society is being “kept” together- to one’s advantage and to the other’s disadvantage- depending from which angle you view it.

 Manila could serve as a platform in  breaking this tradition  being a cosmopolitan and a melting ground of all kinds political orientations, a neutral meeting place of politically-minded  Filipinos from different provinces where they feel released from the yoke of their respective local politics or where their hardwork and higher education find recognition, or where they are not pressured to certify their ownership of vast hectares of lands in order to join the political arena. This is the hope that remains but still, as we see it, is not easy to realize for Manila is also home to many traditional political dynasties with interests to be  protected. This battle is very much actual in today’s Manila for Arroyo seems to have not yet given up the hope of extending her tenure of power and is still finding out last-minute dirty tricks to incapacitate the opposition to secure herself and her  relatives.

Superficially, this tradition of political dynasty seems to be much more pronounced in the local or provincial governments. But it seems that, at least in Bulan, this does  not represent the tradition- but there are signs  today of breaking away from tradition.

According to some historians, dynastic politics was introduced to the Philippines by the Americans, not by the Spaniards,  when electoral politics was initially limited to wealthy people,  and when the Americans left in 1946 wealthy landowners “took the helm in leading the country to protect their business and other interest”. This is the paradox of history for we were supposed to learn from the Americans what  democratic governance was all about- a legacy they still claim today being the self-proclaimed champion of democracy. But colonialism was also an expression of vested interest among colonial powers at that time. So what would you expect?

 In my view, political dynasty chokes the progress of democratic growth of the locality. The main danger of relatives ruling in succession is the false impression it leaves to the people of the indispensability (defined by Thesaurus as the quality possessed by something that you cannot possibly do without) of these families in running the affairs of the town or province. The people become convinced of  their helplessness believing that the affairs of the government is vested only upon these families; or people resigning to the idea that that there is no one else among them who possesses the quality of good leadership and the sincerity of intention believing that the next one would enrich himself anyway so why not leave it to the ruling families for they are already rich and besides they have done something also for the town and they are nice and kind  to the teachers that they even pay their snacks during their seminars.

For me it is clear that when people reason out this way it is symptomatic that their understanding of democracy has been taken  away from them, mutilated slowly but surely during these 18, 27, 36 years or even more of being ruled by a single family or clan, that the people have been devalued and almost reduced to political lumpen proletariat. This is the result of  political power being monopolized by a few families for an extended period of time. People became  politically  decapitated, unable to make their choice- for there has been  no other choice. 

The following historical facts are taken from the  work of our past local historian Mr. Hizo with the assistance of Tony Gilana. Mr. Hizo was a quiet man I have personally known in the 60’s and 70’s in Canipaan. This work  can be found in the Municipal Building of Bulan in Barangay Aquino, printed on a wall together with the enlarged photos of past municipal mayors as well as  other historical facts. I copied it during our quick visit there. In any case I find the new location of the municipal building as  out-of-place  being away from the center of the towm, in fact almost hidden from the town. I prefer the old location because  of its centrality and the message of transparency and accessibility for the people. The old  familiar building of the Municipio still exists but for sure needs general repair and upgrading.

 In Bulan prominent political names who served as Gobernadorcillos (the title of town executive from 1801-1891-  the Gobernadocillo were elected from among the ranks of the Principalía by twelve senior Cabeza de Barangay) several times way back during the Spanish period were Vicente, Camposano, Mateo, Gueta, Gillego,Golpeo and Gerona. The Gerona whom I think was the most prominent political name in Bulan first appeared in Bulan municipal history in 1852 with Don Rafaêl Gerona and served two separate years as Gobernadorcillo to be followed some years later by Don Calixto and  Don Rufino Gerona. The Golpeo name  first appeared in 1857 with Don Sixto Golpeo.

The Asuncion first appeared in the municipal history of Bulan in 1898 with Don Zacarias Asuncion -my great grandfather- who served for two years as Capitanes Municipal  from 1892 to 1900, the title of Don was retained-  the title of office  being changed from Gobernadorcillo to Capitanes Municipal in 1893 with the passing of  the Maura Law which was  aimed at making the municipal governments in the Philippine Archipelago more effective and autonomous.  

From 1901- 1937  the title Capitanes Municipal was replaced by Presidentes Municipal- during the American colonial period from 1900-1942, a change from Spanish Monarchy to American Democracy. This period was the Gerona period in Bulan history for they dominated starting with Sr. (replacing the title  Don) Rufino, Sr. Salvador, Sr. Pascual and Sr. Federico Gerona, each serving a maximum of 1 or 2 years in different periods. During the Commonwealth Government  of the Philippines which started in 1934,  the name Golpeo re-appeared with Sr. Amado Golpeo, serving two consecutive terms as Presidentes Municipal from 1932-1934, and from 1935-1937.

From 1938 until the present time the name of town executive was changed to Mayor, the American counterpart, however the title Sr. was retained. The first elected Bulan Mayor from 1938 was Sr. Germiniano Gerado who served only for two years.

The name Asuncion re-appeared in 1941  during the Japanese occupation with Sr. Adonis Asuncion (my grandfather- and son of Don Zacharias Asuncion) who was elected town mayor in 1941 and worked as such till 1943, had to vacate his elected office for a year being hunted by the Japanese Imperial Army, replaced in 1943-44 by the Japanese-appointed Federico L. Gerona and Odon G. Goyala. Returning in 1945 after the Liberation, he continued his term until 1946. At this point it is interesting to ask who at that time in Bulan collaborated with the Japanese invaders.

The name De Castro first appeared in the history of Bulan in 1896 as can be found from the excerpt below taken from the Wikipedia:

“In October 1896, Don Teodoro De Castro y Zabala was arrested and incarcerated in Bilibid, because he was found in possession of letters written by anti-Spanish natives in Manila. Don Zacarias Asuncion and other residents suffered the same fate, for having no cedulas personales and for singing anti-Spanish songs.”

If the present De Castros in Bulan are related to Don Teodoro De Castro is a subject of our inquiry. 

How Socorro G. De Castro- who served as vice-governor of the province of Sorsogon from 1971-1975 before becoming representative of Bicol Region-V at the Interim Batasng Pambansa from 1979-1984- relates to the De Castros of Bulan is also a point of interest for all.

We hope that the family De Castro would provide us with the answer.

The De Castros became municipal mayors starting in 1968 with Luis De Castro, Sr.(who was able to serve Bulan for only two years), in  1979 with Alberto De Castro (first term as appointed, second term as elected) and  in 1995 with Guillermo De Castro (who served three terms) and in 2004 with Helen Cheng De Castro, the incumbent mayor and wife of Guillermo De Castro. If Mayor Helen De Castro would run and  be re-elected next year this would be her third term also.

From Luis De Castro to Mayor Helen De Castro, Bulan has been presided by the De Castro clan for a total of  24 years,-  27 years  if Helen De Casto would be re-elected next year. As of now husband and wife Guillermo and Helen De Castro have served for  15 years already.

It’s nice to serve one’s hometown and we take-off our hats to those who had faithfully and honestly served Bulan as town mayors. Self-interest is not always a negative attribute for man would not do anything under the sun freely if not for it. If  this is what  propels our Bulan leaders to serve the people honestly then we could only  be thankful for that. However, we know also that the mind is corrupted by possesion of political power extending over a long period of time and that the ambition for it already corrupts the mind also in some people. It is at this point that Self-Interest becomes a very dirty and primitive attribute within the context – or under the pretext- of  ”public service” and  “public trust” for  this becomes unequivocally synonymous with power-hoarding, plundering of public funds, bribery and corruption.

In this connection I express my deep gratitude to Ex-Vice Mayor Toby Gonzalez and Ex-Mayor Julian Ginete for their longest years as individuals spent faithfully serving the town of Bulan. For me these two were the most durable politicians that Bulan ever produced. Toby Gonzalez served many times as vice-mayor and as mayor in succession. Mr. Julian Ginete alone served  Bulan a total of 13 years as elected mayor in two separate periods, as vice-mayor and as mayor in succession.

They say that behind every successful man is a strong woman. In the Philippine setting, this could explain why after his term of office the wife takes over. Interestingly, it came from the opposition side  that for the first time in Philippine history, a wife continued the legacy and aspiration of the husband after being killed upon his return from exile; Corazon Aquino became president. Imelda Marcos did not become president of the Philippines but we know how she  dictated behind which practically led to the ruin and downfall of Ferdinand Marcos. Hence, a strong woman behind can also ruin a successful man, let us not forget this fact. Our Asian neighbor ex-Singapore premier Lee Kuan Yew was not damaged that much by his wife as Marcos was but her strong  character seems to be spotlighting only the  weaknesses of Lee Kuan Yew. This creates problems in him and casts public doubt upon him even until now with regards to running  their private businesses.

After that it became  fashionable  in the Philippines that the  wife continues  the office. We have seen that among the Bayanis in Marikina (Fernando and Marides), the Lee in Sorsogon (Raul and Sally Lee), etc. In Bulan this fashion first started with the Gotladeras (Pantaleon And Nene)  and continued by the De Castros (Guillermo and Helen). Indeed, the first Lady becoming the town executive, and the former mayor or so becoming the first gentleman. If First-gentleman Arroyo  were gentle enough,  he would have been the first First- gentleman becoming the president, and Gloria the first woman president becoming the First Lady!

This funny configuration speaks a lot about the low level of politics in the Philippines. It speaks for everything other than a democracy; it speaks for clanism and dynastic politics; it speaks for patron politics and how these “stakeholders” build a network of interdependence to safeguard their power addiction. Behind a mayor is a mayor and a governor, behind a governor is a congressman and so on and so forth. This is the  framework beneath the sick Republic of the Philippines, sick for  being ruled not by the constitutional provision and a fine democratic culture but by power addiction of some clans.

Hence, where greed for power rules the town or country it is poor, corrupt and unpeaceful, and where the rule of law governs the town or country it is progressive and peaceful.

Peace be with you.

jun asuncion

Bulan Observer

 

 

 

 

Photos Of Bulan Airport Building Site

The Airport site is just a few minutes drive from  Barangay San Aquino. We came at about lunchtime and this explained probably (I hoped so) why we had seen only a handful workers along the future runway of the airport. The idea of an airport being built to be operational by next year naturally creates in anyone an image of a hectic building site with heavy machines, mixers, loads of cement and bricks, cranes, trucks, bulldozers, scaffolding , technical personnel and construction noise.This was not the case in Bulan airport building site for it was very silent, almost a deserted construction site. The few piles of sand and gravel and the few men with spades braving the sun  looked very pathetic and depressing. I spotted a parked vehiclea but it was a fish dealer truck! I doubted till my bones as I asked myself how on earth could they possibly build an airport with only a couple of spades, wondered whether the whole thing was just a joke.

  “Trust the  Filipino ingenuity”  is something we have often heard before. But this old phrase has always been overvalued in the Philippines as we take it as a positive attribute. But this is just  an excuse to comfort ourselves and divert us from the real cause of our under-development which is our inability to work seriously for our own country, make self-sacrifice for the benefit of all and to view oneself as part of the team of nation-builders. These qualities  should be enough to combat corruption which is the main destroyer of our nation, not our multi-ethnicity, but this  viscous selfish attitude that has glued our nation in decades of political and economic quagmire. I have seen multi-ethnic countries yet many of them are progressive because they value teamwork, handwork and thoughtfulness. In the current national administration under Gloria Arroyo administration I have not discovered any sense of deep thoughtfulness but a blinding reflection of avaristic colonialism and plastic patriotism. And if there is anything at all that’s  transparent in this administration it is the politic of lies and opportunism.

That’s the future runway. An airport should signal to Bulan Municipality an  era of modernization.

And this should be understood by Bulan leadership and the people alike. But this journey to a modern Bulan  is still a long, long  way to go. The Bulaneños must first  free themselves from the political dystonia that has been engraved in their cortex  after decades- or centuries- of political repression in the Philippines. Bulaneños still consider open political discussion and paticipation as dangerous; they twist their faces when asked about hot issues in Bulan, or hide their names and faces when they find the courage to say the truth. This  bad habit should be deactivated by now if we want to be modern and progressive. I believe that it is the political education that paves the way to economic progress. For as long as the people consider themselves as saling-kittens only in the political playground, they will not be able to help direct the course of Bulan development.

Exactly this attitude nourishes the so called political dynasties whose interest is really just to keep the people poor and dependent as they are while they continue to rule for decades, inculcating in  people’s mind the impression of their indispensability. A public office is not a private property that can just  be handed over to the next blood-line generation, and as a matter of propriety, public property should not be built within a private property. Last but not least, real democracy is not built upon the extent of private property but upon  the extent of  freedom of the individuals and the rule of law.

The Bulaneños should roll-up their sleeves now,  leave behind their saling-kitten dasein, unchain their minds and be self-confident. Bulan will never be progressive if the people still prefer to live in a dark and boggy political poultry.

The airport will be bringing in new opportunities for the town as well us strangers who might be interested to settle down in Bulan. Among them maybe Koreans who  someday might also eye for Bulan leadership. Koreans are now flooding the Philippines. This is the result of Arroyo’s unpatriotic economic policy: she boasts of driving out Filipinos abroad as Wow (Workers of the world) to find jobs  for her and be servants while she holds an open arm to the incoming foreign nationals like the Koreans who have money so that those servants left behind will find their masters, too. Arroyo’s  servants abroad-servants at home political policy attests to her thoughtlessness: indeed she’s a towering icon of Filipino ingenuity- not in a creative but in an opportunistic sense. So Bulaneños must wake up now before a  foreigner, this time a Korean, could snatch them of the town leadership.

With Bulan Airport, Bulan might find itself on the verge of a take-off someday. This woman in the photo told me these words when I talked with her: “Remember us when you come back next time”. I just wonder how the Bulan airport would affect her life  and the lives of these children living at the edge of the airport site. In any case I wish them a better future.

 

Of course I’ll remember this woman and the garden products we bought from her- fresh organic eggplants. But most of all, I’ll never forget the message I picked up from that short conversation with her which is to never give up. In her age I still sensed a tremendous life energy- the elan’vital, and the genuine rootedness in Bulan. Our president would pale and appear bloated beside her. An honest soul of Bulan is she, one with clean heart and intention and one who does n0t need to buy your vote for you to appreciate her or has to insert her name in every thing she does in every corner of Bulan. In fact I never know her name yet she made me realize the greatness that reside in  ordinary people that make up the town of Bulan. In fact, that very moment I envied her  for her serene spirit and for her lifestyle- a simple life, working on her garden and selling her products for a living. And I wished to trade places with her. But then I realized that it is just right to keep her where she is with her vegetable garden than for her to deal with sociopaths and psychotic minds everyday. In this sense, she has indeed a better life.

 Yet  Bulaneños would get what they deserve if their  greatness would  be expressed not through political slumber but through  political awakening. Progressive and democratically-inclined people are never silenced or manipulated because of  poverty but are motivated by it to to fight for progress and elect leaders who represent their needs and understand their longings.

 Soon these children will witness planes arriving and leaving Bulan everyday. They will be excited also seeing the many people who arrive  and leave Bulan each day. They are the young Bulan observers of today,  yet their minds are also full of dreams and expectations. Many might be dreaming of the possibilities of life beyond the clouds they see and the far away hills across the horizon where planes slowly disappear from their eyes. Yet, against their dreams and visions, I hope that a progressive Bulan of the future would hold them together and keep them home.

jun asuncion

Bulan Observer

 

 

 

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Life Goes On In Canipaan: The Faces Of Hope

In Remembrance Of Manay Edna

 by: jun asuncion

 

 

 

 

 

 

(click photo to view Teachers’ Gallery)

They were Manay Edna’s faithful daily companions in her work as a teacher to our young Tagabulans- her  teaching colleagues in the Bulan North Central School. We visited them one day in their school which is just across the street where our Manay Edna had lived.

Listening to their stories (of how they have reacted upon hearing what happened to their beloved co-teacher with whom they were working and exchanging jokes just 4 or 5 days ago)  and recollections about Manay Edna and also their concerns as teachers made me feel so much in touch with the noblest und human side of Bulan. In truth, at this very moment  I’d wished that all the people of Bulan were teachers. I was awed at how they were carefully attending to their newly-organized  and very modest library, with meager quantity of books and materials- and how proud they were with the computer they have with Internet connection.

This moment was a revelation for me of how the world is really unequal or unfair. I mean the unequal distribution of resources, materials, wealth and opportunities that are in this planet Earth: One computer and only a handful of reference books for the whole school while I have  in my  high-tech home office four computers with router and wireless Internet with complete peripheries. And books? I have a bigger library than this school, with many other books already shipped home and still boxes of books and magazines at the cellar waiting for the verdict- be shipped or be given away.

Abundant in materials, yet I felt humbly poor in the presence of Manay Edna’s co- teachers for I didn’t have their feeling of excitement over such a modest number of office materials-and their desire to have a better library with more books. I”ve sensed the opposite trend in me which is dismantling my library, disposing away my books and other materials I now consider more as a burden- a burden?, indeed a shameful thought in front of these teachers; and of how living in a materially rich society can rob you of your senses for the simplest things and disconnects you from your past, although I thought that I had never changed. But surely, time and circumstance can change your perception without you even noticing it.

Be that as it may. However, this  meeting with the teachers  reminded me of one of the best moments in my elementary years- the distribution of new books at the beginning of each school year, how I carried them home with such care and excitement and how Manay Edna would help me cover each book with kartolina or even pages of her of old magazines. I still recall vividly these two favorite books in Grade  2 under Mrs. Britanico- WeWork And Play and Fun At Home And Away. 

Those were indeed happy years of learning to read and write in Bulan. Thus, this meeting with the teachers reminded me of my beginning, of the virtue of simplicity, perseverance and the importance to have a dream that propels your life which in turn helps you endure the hardship and kakulangan (material deficiency) that a simple life brings with it. For although we tend to have a romantic understanding of a simple life, it is not that simple to be a teacher  if you have children to feed and send to school while you receive a meager salary, and life is surely not easy to be one among the eight children of a teacher.

But over and above these life’s situations, it is of remaining human and dignified that counts in the end in the face of  poverty- or even richness, and the quality of your person and the memories you left to the people you have known the time when you were still part of the rhythm of life. The memories and retrospection I’ve heard from Manay Edna’s co-teachers (and countless pupils!)  have shown me how my sister has been loved and treasured. For like them, my sister Edna also lived a very simple life.

Yes, life goes on in Canipaan if you would just  look at the faces of Manay Edna’s co-teachers- the faces of Hope.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The Bulan Town Fiesta

(Bulan Observer Quick Press)

 by: jun asuncion

The people of Bulan have just celebrated their Fiesta from May 30-31. A town Fiesta functions as a bonding mechanism for it stresses the cultural traditions we have as one people, highlighted by events such as Miss Bulan Coronation Night, Bulan Basketball Championship, colorful parade and marching music, singing  or dancing contest, different awarding ceremonies at the Plaza Rizal (now named as Freedom Park), the  carnival with fairs and circuses, games and magicians, the visiting Ferris wheel (I prefer to call it fairy’s wheel), visiting market  and vendors from all over Bicol showcasing their different products and food specialties and the many guests from the neighboring islands of San Jacinto and Masbate.

As a boy I always enjoyed the town fiesta for somehow the whole town vibrates with life, colors, images and sounds-for my senses becoming magical. I was not involved directly either in sports, dancing or musical competitions nor was I a part of the town  parade but somehow you feel you are a part of the whole thing. And I felt happy and excited, alive and  proud. A town fiesta is like celebrating the birthday of the town. It is an event for everybody, rich or poor. Everyone is supposed to feel happy and proud, every Bulaneño. It is a time with friends and relatives and an opportunity to know other people.

In my time in Bulan, when it comes to marching music, I remember with delight the Banda Duran, owned by Mr, Duran, whom I remember  also served as a town councillor at that time and he lived somewhere there in between of the now existing Solis Institute of  Technology and the Las Palmas Subdivision.

When it comes  to basketball, well , these were the Basketball dream teams of Bulan- and of my youth: The Warlords, The Lucky Guys and The Vigilantes! They dominated the basketball scene of  Bulan at that time. I still remember the faces of  their most famous players, the high scorers, the rebounders and the best forwards. But in Canipaan, there was once this young towering man with whom we used to play street basketball in Loilo Street who later made it  in the 1980’s to the Philippine Basketball Association with the Ginebra Team, whose coach was the mercurial Robert Jaworski: He was Dante Gonzalgo. I already knew at that time that he would be a very good basketball player- and he made it to the top.

Now about the beautiful side of the town Fiesta- the crowning of Miss Bulan. Well, young men were crazy at that time about the Miss Bulans. I was not for I was just a young boy then and there were only two Miss Bulans who remained in my memory: they were my cousins Aurora Salve Asuncion, daughter of uncle Salvador Asuncion of Canipaan and Cecilia Asuncion, daughter of my uncle Robert and auntie Terning Asuncion of Sabang. Yes, they were beautiful and graceful women of Bulan.

A town Fiesta is therefore  indispensable for it has many socio-cultural functions. It is the time when we celebrate as one people and recharge our battery after all the calamities that regularly visit Bulan and the hardship of daily life. We should use this collective event to strengthen ever more our solidarity and loyalty to our town and to our own people.

For me this is also the time to know more about the history of our town, connect oneself with it and reflect on where and how we are now as people of today’s Bulan. For this purpose, I have reprinted here the article from Wikipedia which deals with the facts and figures of  Bulan. I ask  permission to whoever wrote this informative article so I may reproduce it hereunder:

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 Bulan, Sorsogon 

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bulan is a 1st class municipality in the province of Sorsogon, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population 91,730 inhabitants.

Contents

1 A Brief History of Bulan

2 Geography

3 Economy

4 Telecommunications

5 Education                                                            

5.1 Primary Education

5.2 Secondary Education

5.3 Tertiary Education

6 Barangays

 

  A Brief History of Bulan

“The town of Bulan has a colorful and dramatic history which dates back to the pre-hispanic period. Legend, however, surrounds the name of Bulan.” The term “Bulan” in the local Bulaneño dialect, has several meanings. It may mean the month of the year, or the moon, or a luminary. According to a local historian, the great Valerio Zuñiga, the last meaning, taken in its truest intrinsic sense, is the more accepted term, due to the historical fact narrated by the “mga gurangan”, the old inhabitants of the town. They said that one night, a Spanish scouting expedition coming from the old seaport of Ticao, sailing northward and at the level of the seacoast of Otabi, saw a big and beautiful luminary, the moon, from the right side of their ship. Some of the natives who accompanied the Spanish explorers as guides and crew members, showed happiness and excitement when they saw the moon which radiated its silvery beams in the night. Asked by the Spaniards as to the cause of their excitement , they shouted, “Builan … builan” pointing at the same time to the moon which had caused their happiness. In memory of this happening, the Spaniards named the place, “Builan” when they landed.

Another version goes that one moonlit night, two fishermen ashore were apportioning their catch when the Spaniards who landed in the place approached them for information about the place. Thinking that they were being asked about the full moon rising in the east, they answered, “Bulan”.

Archaeological evidences point out that long before the coming of the Spaniards , the coasts of Sorsogonwere already thriving with communities of settlers dating back to as early as 4,000 B.C., when the Indonesians reached Southern Luzon. The archaeological findings excavated in San Juan, Magsaysay and Gate, which were evaluated to belong to the Ming and Sung Dynasty support the theories of historical researchers that the southernmost tip of Luzon, mentioned by Beyer and other historians, probably including Bulan, showed signs of civilization as far back as 960 A.D. Golden crowns, believed to exist from 91 B.C. to 79 A.D., were also excavated in Bulan. Historical records disclose that in 1569, an expedition led by Captain Luis Enriquez de Guzman and Fray Alonzo Jimenez, an Augustinian Friar , reached Sorsogon soil and found a small settlement of natives engaged in fishing and farming.

This settlement was believed to be Otavi. It was in Otaviwhere Fr. Jimenez, together with Fr. Juan Orta, celebrated the first Mass in Luzon. On May 16, 1572, Capitan-General Miguel Lopez de Legazpi divided what is now Sorsogon Province into various encomiendas, and he allocated “Bililan” (Bulan) as a royal encomienda, which, together with “Uban” (Juban), has a population of 280 or 70 whole tributes. In 1583, the Franciscans began their evangelical work in Sorsogon. Subsequently in 1646, the Franciscans formed Gate as a visita of Bulusan. In January 1690, Builan was constituted as a pueblo civil and Gate was chosen as the townsite. Fray Diego de Yepes assumed administration of the town and at the same time its parish priest. He left Builan sometime in 1696. The growth of Bulan as a town, however, would be arrested as it began to suffer from the pressures of intense Moro raids in Sorsogon which lasted up to the middle of the 19th century. In 1746, a very devastating Moro attack destroyed Gate, which was 12 kilometers distant from the coast. Builan was plundered and razed to the ground. Scores of natives were killed and injured. Women and children were taken as captives. Those who were able to survive escaped the town, fleeing to the hills and hinterlands, abandoning the town totally. For the next 55 years Bulan was erased from the maps.

Towards the latter part of 1799, a Spanish-mestizo from Casiguran, Don Agustin Camposano, came to Bulan to spearhead the re-establishment of the town. On January 1, 1801, the town was refounded along the banks of the “Mariboc River”, in what is now between Sitio Pawa and Barangay San Rafael. Builan, now spelled as “Bulan”, became a duly recognized pueblo under the Province of Albay, with Don Juan Vicente as the first “capitan” or “gobernadorcillo” and Father Manuel Bernardo as the first parish priest. The fortress of the old town, now referred to as “Banuang Daan” stands as a mute testimony to the dramatic rise of Bulan as a community. On May 15, 1801, Otavi was the first barrio recognized by the Municipal Government of Bulan. Later on, Gate, San Juan (Daan) and Buenavista (now part of Irosin) were recognized as barrios. Fifteen years later, sometime in 1815, a killer typhoon struck Bulan, killing many of its inhabitants, destroying their crops and properties. These forced many residents to move westward, to a safer place to avoid the imminent danger of the floods of the River Mariboc. On November 11, 1849, the Claveria Decree was issued in which new surnames for the inhabitants were adopted to facilitate identification.

In 1850, this decree was implemented in Bulan. The families of Bulanwere given new family names, most of which start with the letter “G”. In 1866, the municipal officials of Bulan decided to transfer the town to its present site. A cofradia, formed by Fr. Francisco Roque, was headed by Don Marcial Gillego, the capitan-municipal and an architect. This cofradia (religious confraternity composed of prominent citizens), was given the task of management in the planning and construction of the new town. In 1883, a cholera epidemic, the worst catastrophe to hit Bulankilled 810 persons or 22 percent of the population in a 3-month period. Many prominent citizens also died during that time. Since its founding, and despite some unhappy events in the life of its people, the town continually and steadily began its rise to prosperity. It surpassed other towns in terms of economic activities, and rivalled with the premiere seaport town of Sorsogon. It was now an important and crowded seaport engaging in commercial trade with seacoast towns of Samar and the islands of Ticao and Masbate, the neighbouring towns in Sorsogon and the city of Manila. By the time Sorsogon province became independent from Albay, in 1894, Bulan’s population rose to 11,000. The big Spanish firm engaged in copra and abaca export, the Gutierrez Hermanos, from Manila, established a town branch. Many Chinese traders resided in Bulan. While Bulan was spared the bloody turmoil of the 1896 Revolution, the Spanish Provincial Government undertook measures to preempt revolutionary activities in the towns, and placed under surveillance all persons suspected of bearing sympathy to the revolutionary cause. Arrests and imprisonments took place. In October 1896, Don Teodoro De Castro y Zabala was arrested and incarcerated in Bilibid, because he was found in possession of letters written by anti-Spanish natives in Manila. Don Zacarias Asuncion and other residents suffered the same fate, for having no cedulas personales and for singing anti-Spanish songs. It should be noted here, that on January 4, 1897, one of the sons of Bulan, Father Severino Diaz, a priest at the Nueva Caceres Cathedral, was shot in Bagumbayantogether with 14 other martyrs. They are now referred to as the “Martyrs of Bikol”. In November, 1898, Bulan was visited by three ranking revolutionary leaders, General Jose Ignacio Pawa, General Vicente Lukban, and Col. Pedro Aguinaldo. They declared Bulan under the New Philippine Republic. Elections were also held that year.

On January 21, 1900, at the height of the Philippine-American War, the Americans landed in Bulan. The American soldiers were under the command of Captain Charles Mclane and Lieutenant B.P. Dishky, of the A and B Company of the First Battalion. There was no resistance from the town. In fact, through the efforts and initiatives of the principales of Bulan headed by Don Rufino Gerona, the pacification campaign in Sorsogon gained ground. It was Don Rufino and company who caused the surrender of Col. Emeterio Funes, a provincial revolutionary leader, in 1901. Not to be forgotten during this period between the First Philippine Republic and the American Occupation is the name of Don Julian Gerona, an illustrious son of Bulan who figured prominently in national affairs. He was a friend of Rizal, Mabini and other revolutionary leaders. He also later on became the first Secretary to the First Philippine Assembly of 1907. The name of this Bulaneño will be etched in the annals of Philippine history. Under the Americans, the community of Bulanflourished. Education, trade and commerce, politics and religion were given ample freedom to prosper. The people started organizing labor unions, political parties and community movements. The setting up of womens’ clubs as the Club de la Mujer, and the Jota de Leche and scouting movements were encouraged. When the Second World War broke out, the Japanese Forces occupied Bulan in December 13-14, 1941. Bulan at first offered no resistance to the Japanese invaders who held camp in various parts of the town. Many young soldiers and officers from Bulan though, fought in the battlefields of Bataan and Corregidor.

Many lost their lives and did not return back. Those who survived Bataan, Corregidor and the Death March came back, organized guerillagroups and fought sporadic battles with the Japanese. There were also incidents of deathat the hands of the Japanese Imperial Army, especially that of the thirteen men, mostly Chinese, who were executed in Gate in June 1942. It was also a sad period that the guerilla groups in Bulan were divided into two major factions, the Lapuz group and the Escudero group. Many soldiers and citizens died, suffered and became victims to this bloody rivalry. With the coming of the American Liberation Forces, the guerillas eventually united, but the town of Bulan was burned by the Japanese forces who retreated to Magallanes. There were many atrocities committed during this time. Bulan was liberated from the Japanese by October 1944.

The air-raid shelters and wartunnels at Imelda, Sta. Remedios, Layuan, San Francisco and other places remain as grim reminders of that dark period in Bulan’s history. The process of reconstruction and rebuilding of the town took place after the Liberation. The people of Bulantook to the task, as withother communities in the Philippines, in an effort to regain what was lost during the war. Politics was lively, as with socio-economic activities and religion. Schools flourished, barrios were organized and constituted, citizens’ organizations grew, population increased. By 1960, there were 54,180 persons recorded, up from 13,431 in 1903. By 1972, there were already 63 barangays in Bulan, compared to eleven in 1900. The declaration of Martial Law in 1972 proved to be another chapter in the history of Bulan. It was a period of uneasy predicaments. During these times, many young students from Bulan became involved in activism espousing socialist and radical change. It was brought about by excesses in politics and government, and a desperate look at the deterioration of the quality of life in many levels of Philippine Society. At first, the people of Bulan welcomed the declaration of Martial Law and its promise of a New Society. But as the turn of events deteriorated, people became fearful of the times. From 1973 to 1975, the far-flung barangays and sitios, especially the isolated ones, notably Gabod, Marinab, and the northern barangays became virtual battlefields of the warring government military forces and NPArebels. There were reports of atrocities by both sides, and many barangay residents fled their homes to escape being caught in the crossfire. Proof of this was the rapid decline of population in barrios. Up to the present, there are still pockets of armed resistance offered by the NPA in the hills and barangays of Bulan. Prominent names of Bulan citizens who joined the rebel movements of the 1970’s were the late Antonio Ariado, Ms. Nanette Vytiaco and many others. In the 1986 EDSA Revolt, a son of Bulan stood out in the national scene. Hw was Colonel Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan, who later on became a rebel military officer and then a Senator of the Philippine Republic.

The events of 1986 brought new changes in local leadership and in the aspects of Bulan’s community life. In the year 2001, Bulan celebrates her 200th year anniversary or bicentennial, since being refounded along the banks of the Mariboc River. Through the years, Bulan was able to withstand the tests of time, thanks to the resiliency and grace of her people. Bulantoday stands proud for her history and yet humble with the lessons of time. She is now at the forefront of rapid socio-economic and political changes confronting many communities of Philippine Society and in a few years, she will perhaps be Sorsogon’s foremost town. The People of Bulan, a product of the complicated interplay of time, events, race and culture, exudes a character bothcomplex and simple. It is this character that makes him bothreligious and irreverent; stubborn, courageous and proud yet warm and accommodating. He can bend withthe wind but remain strong as not to break. And this character has carried him through both fortunate and difficult times.

The People of Bulan has been shaped by the events of history and has himself shaped history. It is this that will carry this people on, this town on, to the next millennium.

Geography

The Municipality of Bulan is strategically located at the southwestern most tip of the island of Luzon and is a premier town in the Province of Sorsogon. It has an area of exactly 20,094 hectares and is the terminal and burgeoning center of trade and commerce of its neighboring towns. It comprises fifty-five (55) barangays and eight (8) zones and is populated by people of diversified origin. This municipality is bounded on the North by the Municipality of Magallanes, on the East by the municipalities of Juban and Sorsogon, on the South by the Municipality of Matnog, and on the West by Ticao Pass. It has a distance of 667 kilometers from Manila, 63 kilometers from the province’s capital- Sorsogon City, 20 kilometers from the town of Irosin, Sorsogon and 30 Kilometers from the town of Matnog.

Economy

Residents of the Bulan is now looking forward on its cityhood because of its rapid-economic growth considering the fact that it is sited as the richest municipality in the province and 5th among the 1st class municipalities in BicolRegion with an average annual income of Php 58.8M. If it happens, Bulan will be the second city in the province and will be the 9th in the region.

Major export of this town are from its coastal waters, agricultural lands produce copra, abaca fiber.

Most of the revenues come from the fishing port of Bulan and businesses.

There are three commercial banks in Bulan with two ATM. These are the Philippine National Bank, Metrobank (withATM), and the Allied Bank(with ATM), and Rural Bank of San Jacinto, Masbate.

There are also lending institutions like Intertrade, GSAC, and FALPSI that are very popular to SMEs.

Telecommunications

Bulan has fixed landline phones from Digitel and PLDT. Mobile or cellular networks are Globe and Smart Telecommunications Companies. Sun Cellular is also serving on the area

Education

 Primary Education

The Primary Education in Bulan are divided into two Districts, The Bulan North District comprising all the Barangays towards the North coastal Barangays, to the interior land locked northern Barangays. The Bulan South District comprises the southern Coastal Barangays.

Secondary Education

Bulan has many secondary educational institutions. The Largest public high school is Bulan National High School. Formerly, it was the Bulan High School/Bulan Vocational High School, before the former was converted in to Sorsogon State College Bulan Campus. BNHS has satellite Campuses at Barangays Otavi, Beguin, J.P. Laurel, San Juan Bag-o.

There are various private secondary schools. The St. Louise De Marillac School (Formerly Colegio de la Inmaculada Concepcion) a Catholic school run by the Daughters of Charity religious congregation, Saint Bonaventure Academy of Butag, the Southern Luzon Institute-Kenerino Ramirez Asuncion Memorial School (SLI-KRAMS), Solis Institute of Technology, and A.G. Villaroya Technological Foundation Institute.

Tertiary Education

Sorsogon State College (Institute of Management and Information Technology)

R.G. De Castro Colleges (formerly Quezon Academy)

SLI-KRAMS (Kenerino Asuncion Memorial School)

Solis Institute of Technology

A.G. Villaroya (Post-Secondary courses only)

Sun Yat Sen Memorial College (before Dr. Sun Yat Sen Memorial School)

Barangays

Bulan is politically subdivided into 63 barangays.

A. Bonifacio (Tinurilan)

Abad Santos (Kambal)

Aguinaldo (Lipata Dako)

Antipolo

Aquino (Imelda)

Bical

Beguin

Bonga

Butag

Cadandanan

Calomagon

Calpi

Cocok-Cabitan

Daganas

Danao

Dolos

E. Quirino (Pinangomhan)

Fabrica

G. Del Pilar (Tanga)

Gate

Inararan

J. Gerona (Biton)

J.P. Laurel (Pon-od)

Jamorawon

Libertad (Calle Putol)

Lajong

Magsaysay (Bongog)

Managa-naga

Marinab

Nasuje

Montecalvario

N. Roque (Calayugan)

Namo

Obrero

Osmeña (Lipata Saday)

Otavi

Padre Diaz

Palale

Quezon (Cabarawan)

R. Gerona

Recto

Roxas (Busay)

Sagrada

San Francisco (Polot)

San Isidro (Cabugaan)

San Juan Bag-o

San Juan Daan

San Rafael (Togbongon)

San Ramon

San Vicente

Sta. Remedios

Sta. Teresita (Trece)

Sigad

Somagongsong

Taromata

Zone 1 (Ilawod)

Zone 2 (Sabang)

Zone 3 (Central)

Zone 4 (Central)

Zone 5 (Canipaan)

Zone 6 (Baybay)

Zone 7 (Iraya)

Zone 8 (Loyo)

—————————–end—————————-

The Eye Of The Storm

There is also calmness not only before but after the storm only that there is much to be done: rebuild bridges or homes, look for missing friends or family members, nurse the wounded and eventually bury the dead.

For the government and rescue leaders that’s the time for damage assessment and evaluation of its disaster management performance: To what extent ist the damage to persons, crops and infrastructures? How did the rescue team perform according to  its operating standards, in which area is it especially successful and in which did  it miserably fail?

These are routine questions asked after any disaster. The main thing however is to draw concrete lessons from the whole event and use them to improve the disaster management system- and put more money in it in terms of personnel training and acquisition of technical facilities and equipments.

It is wise to invest in such things because typhoons and flooding will continue to be our number one natural calamities as opposed to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions or meteoric attacks.

So why not consider this problem seriously and sincerely by now by creating an expert group that will study the general patterns of typhoons as they enter Bulan and how flooding  generally develop by pinpointing flood „epicenters“ in Bulan. The main goal of this is to gather Bulan-specific data (histories of typhoons and floods, catch-basins, damages, etc…) that will guide any program related to typhoon and flood management. Scientific prediction is never based on an empty paper or entrails of chicken but on collection of data. Therefore, any disaster management not based on the locally-collected data is blind, incomplete, unsystematic and not optimized. This is more costly in the long run. Whereas prediction and estimates supported by science is effective and less-costly with time.

Again, flooding reminds  us of one important aspect which is adequate canal systems under the streets of Bulan and construction of pumphouses in key areas of Bulan. As I have seen we have no canal system that channels household and rain waters to a place outside the town or ideally to a sewerage plant. Functioning underground canals reduce the water level above in case of flood.

The whole thing demands political will and people’s participation- and attitudinal change! A town official may take pride of his great income and luxurious life style only if such problems had been solved first and when he doesn’t have to leave his luxury house and flee uphill in times of flood. Otherwise, such a display of luxury and vanity is out of place  and only attest to illegal practices which choke the town people and flood the town with unsolved problems. This being-out-of -place reminds me of Iglesia Ni Kristo church amidst the shanties, making the poor people appear dirtier and poorer against such a well-built and cleanly-maintained Gothic religious edifice. You’ll intuitively know why these poor people near such a church  are ten-percent poorer than those who are far away  from it. The good thing is that you can run away from such a religious mafia and settle somewhere else.

In any case, we don’t want  the town people to appear dirtier and poorer beside the municipal building or beside their municipal officers and their families. But when the government behaves like an Iglesia Ni Kristo establishment, then there is a grave problem  for you cannot run away from it. People will be more than just  ten-percent poorer, and if you live far from the town you maybe  much more impoverished. However, be it the church or the government that’s making the people  poor, the people must not only be self-reliant but must be politically conscious and active and must resist the corrosion of their collective values.

There is, however, one stumbling block to the collective- and that is the problem of jealousy that looms in each Bulaneño. This may sound very ordinary but this is the crab mentality that we have been talking about which is very real not only in paper but in the daily life of Bulaneños. But we display such mentality (or emotion) rather discretely- and quietly in the true sense of the word.  In short, we don’t talk about things over which we are jealous  for some reasons. Not to talk about something  is almost synonymous with not supporting that something.

Exactly the same with things or topics that we hide or want to avoid. You would easily sense that somebody is hiding or avoiding something by the contortion of his face, the sudden jerking of the body to one side as if avoiding a Pacquiao  left uppercut  once you hit a hot issue-  or one simply hides  behind somebody as you pass by to prevent you from smelling the pungent odor of  his or her dishonesty.

Not many things escape your eyes when you come to observe things and people. But it’s funny to find out that those who are observing you are usually the people you come to observe.

So be calm and let the eye of the storm go by.

 

jun asuncion

Bulan Observer

Pawa Hospital Is Sick: Let’s Do Something And Help

My email and open letter to the president of the Philippine Hospital Association (PHA).

May 27, 2009

Bulan, Sorsogon

 

To the incumbent president of the Philippine Hospital Association (PHA):

Dear Sir:

I am fascinated by your motto Take That Big Leap to the issue of strengthening the hospitals of the Philippines which I copied from the PHA website and reproduced hereunder :

“TAKING THE BIG LEAP, STRENGTHENING THE HOSPITALS OF THE FUTURE”

 

I come from Bulan, Sorsogon, Region 5 and also would like that our Pawa Hospital not be forever forgotten and left behind but be part of that Big Leap. I am not for strengthening our hospitals of the future but of the hospitals that exist today. Pawa is a member of PHA and has been around for many years already but it hasn’t improved since its establishment but deteriorated. It is very weak and very sick and requires strengthening now!

It is in a very desolate situation in all its aspects:

-the building has never been repaired as it looks dilapidated, dirty façade and moldy walls both outside and inside, dark corridors and broken floors, very poor illumination, dirty toilets and generally very poor sanitary hygiene. Indeed, by modern standard, it is a ruin but still continue to admit patients.

-the medical facilities and instruments  are practically missing, even the most basic ones like stethoscopes, blood pressure gadgets are very limited and partly defective, etc.

Yet, the medical personnel of Pawa are willing to work and continue helping their patients. But as we know, the lack of the right instruments and medicines and the very poor facilities limit also the capacities of medical workers no matter how good and willing they are.

Our local government has done something to increase the number of medical doctors in Pawa and help where it can. But technically, Pawa Hospital falls on the provincial responsibility, hence the LGU Bulan does not receive or does not possess the allocated budget for the maintenance of Pawa Hospital.

The photos I posted will speak louder than words. And should you come for a visit to Pawa Hospital you would- as a healthy person- hesitate to get inside in the interest of your health and hygiene. This would be understandable. You in turn would understand then what a sick patient has in mind being delivered in Pawa Hospital for “treatment and recovery”.

I ask you in your capacity as PHA president to do something for Pawa Hospital that would bring Pawa  to public consciousness and to governmment authorities directly responsible for this hospital and, last but not least, to any activities that would bring in financial resources for its repair or renovation and for the upgrade of its medical facilities.

I thank you for your attention and for all the efforts you will be undertaking for Pawa Hospital.

Sincerely yours,

Jun Asuncion

Bulan Observer

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At first glance, you might think this is a deserted military camp.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 But this is a hospital, the Pawa Hospital in Bulan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Young and friendly nurses at work. They deserve a cleaner and modern hospital to work to.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Admission room? No computers, not even a type writer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Oxygen tanks, perhaps empty, beside trash bins and broom.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sterile materials?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The very minimal medical materials, lacking medicines.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yet, a newly born Pawa baby.

 

Pawa Hospital should be improved and upgraded so that it can serve our people better.

Let’s create a forum to discuss ways how we can help and eventually create an aide scheme.

I have created under Categories on the right the Pawa Hospital Forum for this purpose.

Please help Pawa Hospital.

(View all photos.)

 

jun asuncion

—————————————————————————————

The Way To Bulan Eco-Park

By: jun asuncion +* LGU- Bulan Mayor Helen De Castro and Tony Boy Gilana

 

We have taken all these photos by ourselves on that sultry summer morning last April 2009.  As I was sorting out the photos for this documentary article, I realized that I couldn’t provide myself  the necessary informative captions for each photo.  So I called up Mayor Helen De Castro and asked her if she could help provide the needed information. I caught her right in the middle of a meeting about H1N1 Virus (Swine Flu) but she was really  kind enough to listen to my concerns and promised she would send Bulan Observer the materials. I also knew how busy her team was at this point because of the upcoming town Fiesta. So it took awhile, but we have patience for good things.

The purpose of this little documentary is to give readers of  Bulan Observer especially those who are away from home a visual tour of the Bulan Eco-Park so that they will have a concrete image of it. Interestingly enough, my own mental picture of the Eco-Park before my visit did not diverge far from the real picture of it – at least as far as I could roam around and shoot photos and videos of it. Lack of a guide and time prevented me from exploring the whole park for it is really big.

Now, with the additional captions written in our Bulan dialect and other article-related substantial information in English sent by LGU-Bulan, it is practically a guided tour as you go from one photo to the next. The added facts and updates  at the end of the report will  round up your knowledge about the park. So enjoy your way to Bulan Eco-Park!  jun asuncion

———

It was a nice April morning when we drove to  Calomagon  to visit the BulanEco-Park. It’s not far from the center of the town. After Somagonsong  we found the signboard on the left side. We were excited and took photos along the way to -and from the Eco-Park. (For your sound as you travel, click the first photo and then minimize your media player)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 A local Kiosk with young bystanders just passing the time, curios-looking eyes to passing strangers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Yet friendly and smiling faces.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Turn left again to a long and winding – and rough road, naturally.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Here’s the road in front of us, looking  quite and deserted, windless day, indeed a calm before the storm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 (A quarry pit over there?)

Photo No. 6:

*Mao tabi ini an inkukuwaan ta baras na pangtahob ta sa mga basura saato dumpsite. Regular (weekly) tabi na in-uusong, hinuhulog san heavy equipment unit an basura sa bangin. Pakahulog tabi, tatahuban ini san baras (soil cover).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Looking like a natural gate marking the border to another town.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Coconut plantation, an almost magical ambiance, like an oil painting from afar, palm leaves silvery and shining.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Here we are, the Welcome signboard.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The certiicate of recognition to our Mayor De Castro  for excellence in environmental governance on Solid waste Management.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 A symbol for natural harmony- at least the way I see it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo No. 12:

*Mao tabi ini an demo garden para saurbanagriculture o container gardening. Laom tabi sini na maipaimod sa mga tawo na sa halip na itapok an mga old containers o butangan (plastic, empty milk cans, platic cups, sako, nan iba pa) sa basurahan, pwede pa tabi ini gamiton bilang plant pots para sa mga ornamentals nan gulay). Intended/designed tabi ini lalo na sa mga urban areas o poblacion areas kun haen limitado o wara na tabi lugar para pagtanuman.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo No. 13:

*Parte tabi ini san kampanya san Lokal na Gobyerno sa pag-implementar san waste segregation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 A cow discretely resting beside a bahay kubo, seems to be observing us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo No. 15:

*Mao tabi ini an istruktura kun haen tabi naka locate an Materials Recovery Facility. Pagsakat tabi sin trak para magtapok basura, didi muna tabi ihuhulog an mga basura na puede pa pakinabangan nan ipabakal. Ini tabi na istruktura, hinati sa tolo na kuwarto (Lecture Room, Materials Recovery Facility, Ecology Center).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo No. 16.

*Lecture Room. Didi tabi inhihimo an briefing o orientation sa mga bisita (LGU, estudyante, empleyado, o grupo na interesado maaraman an programa san Municipio sa Solid Waste Management) sa Ecopark. Didi man tabi inhihimo an demo san paghimo san mga manalaen-laen na activators para sa composting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo No. 17.

“An sulod tabi san Lecture Room

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo No. 18.

*Mao tabi ini an section para sa Materials Recovery Facility.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo No. 19:

*Mao man tabi ini an section para sa Ecology Center. Showcase room tabi ini para sa mga recycled products, information, nan mga pictures/documentation san programa sa Solid Waste Management.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo No. 20:

*An nasa left side tabi na structure, sayo po sa mga rest areas o cottages sa Ecopark. An sa right side tabi, mao an vermiculture nan vermicomposting facility. Sa sulod man tabi sini nafacility an shredding area kun haen naka takod po an shredder.

An vermiculture nan vermicomposting facility tabi, sayo na proseso san composting kun haen an ginagamit tabi ulod. Sa Ecopark tabi, an species tabi na may-on, mao an African nightcrawler. Pinapakaon tabi ini na mga ulod sin shredded na mga nabubulok na basura (market waste, grass clippings, etc.), an manure tabi nira, mao an produkto san composting. Mao man tabi ini an ginagahoy na vermicompost na pwede gamiton bilang soil conditioner o fertilizer sa mga tinanom.

An kulay blue tabi, mao an sayo sa duwa na tanke tabi san tubi sa Ecopark na ginagamit pangsaribo sa mga tinanom nan sa operation san MRFnan composting facilities.

An kahiwasan tabi na nasa letrato, mao an inkokonduktaran san mga programa sa Ecopark pareho san Fiesta sa Kabubudlan (film showing, games, concert, disco, nan iba pa).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo No. 21:

*Mao tabi ini an tanke san tubi sa Ecopark. Ini tabi na inguguyod na tanke, mao tabi an nagdadara san tubi sa Ecopark

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo No. 22:

*Mga nakasako tabi ini na mga nabubulok na basura (balat nan iba pa na parte san prutas nan gulay, dahon, buto, nan iba pa) na hale sa Public Market. Ini tabi kukuwaon san in-charge sa composting facility para darahon sa shredding area para gilingon, paaguihon sa 2 weeks na anaerobic decomposition saka ipapakaon sa mga ulod.

Maiimod tabi sa upper left side san letrato an shredder. Sa upper right side naman tabi, an mga composting beds o vermi beds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo No. 23:

*Mao tabi ini an mga tanom na puno san gmelina (about 2 years old). Sa likod tabi ini san vermiculture nan vermicomposting facility.

May-on man tabi didi sin hukay (0.75m x 0.75m x 0.50m) na pag nag-uuran, nabubutangan tubi. Ini tabi nakukuwaan man tubi pangsaribo sa mga tinanom nan compost piles sa likod..

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo No. 24:

*Mao tabi ini an vermiculture nan vermicomposting beds. Kapag an shredded na basura tabi na binutang sa bed, halos puro manure na tabi san ulod, ibubutang na tabi ini na mga sako na may laman na fresh (although nag-agui na tabi ini sa 2-week na anaerobic decomposition process) na pagkaon para sa mga ulod. Mao tabi ini an paagui para makuwa an mga ulod nan mabalyo sa iba naman na beds.

Ini tabi na mga manure na, hahayaan mun-a tabi for 1 month sa lugar para maka-recover pa sin mga baby worms sa bed. After 1 month, pwede na tabi ini sakuhon nan i-stock sa bodega.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo No. 25:

*Mao tabi inian shredding machine na ginagamit sa shredding process. Sini-shred tabi an mga basura para mas madali malupa nan makaon san mga ulod.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo No. 26:

*An inkukuwaan tabi letrato san photographer mao tabian tree planting site san naka-agui na Fiesta sa Kabubudlan 2008. Sa left side tabi sini na lugar, mao man an campsite.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo No. 27:

*Mao tabi ini an close up picture san demo garden para saurbanagriculture o container gardening. An bubong tabi sini mao an pakanapan para sa ampalaya, karabasa, nan iba pa na nagkakanap na tinanom. Maiimod tabi an mga lata, sako nan plastic cups.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo No. 28:

*Sa sulod tabi ini san urban agriculture demo garden. Talong tabi ini na nasa sako. Pina-paimod lang tabi na an mga sako san semento, pwede man gamiton na patubuan san gulay/tinanom.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo No. 29:

*Sa sulod man tabi ini san urban agriculture demo garden. Mga kamatis tabi ini na nasa sako man san semento. An kawayan tabi sa taas san tinanom, mao an pakanapan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo No. 30:

*Sa sulod man tabi ini san urban agriculture demo garden. Manlaen-laen tabi na gulay an nakatanom didi sa mga sako.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo No. 31:

*Tanuman man tabi ini na kawayan. Naka-design lang tabi siya na A-Frame. An mga irog tabi sini, pwede ibutang sa mga roof top san balay.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo No. 32:

*Signage tabi ini san Opisina.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo No. 33:

*Mao tabi ini an Ecopark Office. Nagsisirbi man tabi ini stock room san Ecopark.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo No. 34:

*Signage tabi pakadto sa Campsite. Kaupod tabi sa letrato an mga Acacia mangium trees (about 1 ½ years old).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo No. 35:

*Pathway pakadto tabi sa rest areas o cottages. Maiimod man tabi an mga puno san Gmelina arborea nan Acacia mangium sa palibot.

  

 

 

 

 

 

Photo No. 36:

*Pathway pakadto tabi sa campsite

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo No. 37:

*Sayo sa mga rest areas/cottages. Kada rest area tabi, may signboard manungod sa solid waste management / waste segregation to inform the park goers about the policy of the LGU.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo No. 38:

*An sayo pa tabi sa duwa na tanke san tubi sa Ecopark. Naka-locate man tabi ini harane sa bungad san Ecopark. Inbubutangan man tabi ini tubi para pangsaribo man sa mga tinanom na nakatanom sa parte na ini san Ecopark.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Driving back after a relaxing time inside the park.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A good segment of the road, smooth driving.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 This time a quintet of Calomagon boys. I’m very happy to see them as they look very natural, uncontaminated and safe from the dangers of  too much civilization.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Towards the end of our journey before the exit to the town, a nipa hut  surrounded by flowering birds of paradise! They would cost a fortune in Europe.

 

If you would see the Eco-park as it is, it is surely a big accomplishment for our local government knowing that it is also a place where environmental agendas are being held every year. I would be very glad to see the Feast Of the Mountains, or to attend a lecture or workshop on solid waste management or global warming. How about a Music Festival- or a Jazz Festival? My own fantasy, as I walked on the ground of  Bulan Eco-park with my mind filled with ideas on how it could be improved  with time as Bulan progresses.

I would have wished it was a guided tour when I was there so that I could ask questions about things that were not clear for me. Maybe next time I would have this privilege. One thing that would make you happy are the young trees planted all over the Campsite and the well-kept paths. I wanted to know the names of the trees so I suggest that they’d be written in their local and scientific names. Included would be short information about each specific tree like distribution, importance to Bulan ecology, status ( endangered or not yet), etc.

I haven’t seen a source of drinking  water like a faucet , a well, water pump or  a grilling area , a multi-functional pavilion, garbage cans, a toilet and wash room for Park visitors. And I haven’t seen anybody there- except for a cow behind the signboard which says “Waste Segregation Suportado San KadaBulaneño”. Was that cow segregating also her waste? Cows by the way are one of the biggest culprits of this global warming. /  jun asuncion

—–

*LGU-Bulan Mayor Helen De Castro and Tony Boy Gilana

ANSWERS TO OTHER QUERIES OF MR. ASUNCION:

1. SPECIES OF FOREST TREES PLANTED AT THE ECOPARK:

Gmelina arborea (Gmelina) – exotic

Acacia mangium (Mangium) – exotic

Acacia auriculiformis (Acacia auri) – exotic

Swietenia Macrophylla (Big Leaf Mahogany) – exotic

 

Tinanom tabi ini na species maski aram ta na exotic tabi ini sa dahilan na ini tabi, fast growing kaya sa panahon tabi na nagbabatog pa lang an pag-develop san Ecopark, kaipuhan tabi shade. Although exotic tabi, widely distributed naman na tabi siya sa Pilipinas for how many years.

Pterocarpus indicus (Narra)

Albizia saman (Acacia, Rain Tree)

Leucaena leucocephala (Ipil-ipil)

Fruit trees:

Artocarpus heterophyllus (Langka)

Mangifera indica (Mango)

Carica papaya (Papaya)

Annona squamosa (Atemoya)

Canarium ovatum (Pili)

Cocos nucifera (Coconut)

Theobroma cacao (Cacao)

Ornamentals:

Gumamela

Mac Arthur Palm

Yellow Bell

Bougainvillea

Senyas

Santan

2. SOURCE OF DRINKING WATER / FAUCET / WELL / WATER PUMP /

GRILLING AREA

None yet, pero may plano na.

3. MULTI-FUNCTIONAL PAVILION SA ECOPARK

Sa niyan, an ginagamit lang tabi na area para sa mga activities, an kahiwasan san lugar na kahampang san vermiculture nan vermicomposting facility. Nagbubutang tabi stage nan big tents kun may mga lecture, demonstrations, programs, etc.

4. Garbage cans

Dire tabi kami nagbubutang san basurahan sa mga rest areas o cottages dahilan sa ini-encourage namo na paghale san mga park goers sa cottages, dara tabi nira an basura nira para ibutang sa garbage receptacles na naka-locate sa gilid san tinampo.

5. Toilet

Dire lang tabi siguro nakuwaan letrato an mga toilet rooms. May 3 sets (one cubicle for men, one cubicle for women) tabi na toilet strategically located tabi sa Ecopark. Pa-triangle tabi an location san mga toilet since masyadong malaki ang lugar. An sayo sa may campsite banda, an sayo sa may durho na cottage, an sayo sa may centro san Ecopark.

 

 BULAN SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

The “Bulaneño Ako, Basura Ko, Sini-segregate Ko!” Program is one of the priority thrusts of the Local Government Unit of Bulan. It was first conceptualized in 2004, launched in 2005 and strictly implemented in 2008. The program encompasses the whole solid waste management program of the LGUandwas designed for: a.) sanitation and environmental protection, b.) sound solid waste management systems, c.) provision and enhancement of livelihood opportunities through intensive resource recovery and recycling, and d.) minimization of public expenditures.

Prior to the program implementation, there were clear violations of RA 9003 which were really detrimental to the environment and lives of the people. Rampant burning of solid wastes in the household and in the municipal dumpsitewas prevalent. Throwing garbage at the different waterways seemed to be a normal scenario. Moreover, dumping of unsegregated wastes at the municipal dumpsite posed hazards not only to the environment but also to more than thirty (30) scavengers in the dumpsite seekingfor possible resources. Although Republic Act 9003 mandating all LGUstoimplement waste segregation and close all the existing open dumpsites was passed into law in 2001, implementation was difficult to materialize.

In 2004, the call for the execution of the mandates of the Act was very intense. It is the time when incumbent Mayor Helen C. De Castro decided to include Solid Waste Management (SWM) as one of her priority thrusts. To immediately act and address the existingsituation, Mayor De Castro formed a Technical Working Group (TWG). A plan of action was made and a series of multi-sectoral meetings, orientations and seminars for LGU key implementers and other stakeholders followed.

On June 30, 2005, the “Bulaneño Ako, Basura Ko, Sini-segregate Ko!” Program was officially launched. A month after, Mayor De Castro spearheaded the launching also of the Bulan Ecopark, with an aim of transformingthe existing open dumpsiteinto an ecological park. However, the first implementation of the program had not been successful. The problems were eventually traced to lack of regular monitoring and evaluation coupled with some operational deficiencies on the part of the LGU. Mayor De Castro realized the problem and tried to address it.

On November 2005, the Municipality of Bulan was enrolled to the DILGGO-FAR Project. In 2006, Mayor De Castro along with four (4) members of the TWG went to Linamon, Lanao Del Norte to attend the Replication Inception Workshop (RIW) on SWM. The good practices to be replicated then were the operation of Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) and the preparation of two (2) compost activators. On the same year, Mayor De Castro spearheaded the replication process. Relevant facilities were established and more intensive IECs on RA 9003 and Municipal Ordinance on SWMwerere-packaged. Finally, on March 24, 2008, the program was strictly enforced givingemphasis on the following; a.) strict implementation of waste segregation-at-source, b.) collection of segregated wastes-at-source, c.) application of waste treatment (4Rs) / alternative technologies, d.) implementation of segregated waste disposal system, and e.) conversion of waste disposal facility into an Ecological Park.

With the efforts of the LGU and the massive participation of the community, the program earned various awards and recognitions both from the local and national levels. In 2007, the municipality was an awardee of the prestigious DENR Saringaya Awards, LGU Category for excellence in Local Governance and Environmental Protection on the field of SWM. In 2008, the DILG through its Secretary, Hon. Ronaldo Puno declared the Municipality of Bulan as Model Town on SWM. In view of being a Model Town, Bulan was expected to host RIWsfor interested replicating LGUs all throughout the country. At present, four (4) LGUsfromfour (4) provinces and two (2) schools including the U.P. Diliman – National College of Public Administration and Governance (UP-NCPAG) have already visited Bulan for its SWM Program. In 2008 also, Mayor De Castro reaped the Punong BayanAward of Excellence for championing the program. No less than the Vice President of the Republic of the Philippines, Hon. Noli De Castro and LMP National President Hon. Ramon Guicogavethe award at the Manila Hotel during the LMP General Assembly.

At present, the program is workingand regular monitoringand evaluation is being observed. The Bulan Ecopark, a brainchild project of Mayor De Castro is continuously building a big space of hope in the big wide face of Mother Earth.

 

The program since has been enrolled and awarded by the DILG as Model Town on Solid Waste Management on October 2008 caters LGUs, barangays, schools, and other groups interested to visit, observe and replicate the program. Some of the LGUs and groups who have already visited Bulan for its SWMProgram are the following:

a. Personnel from Cataingan, Masbate

August 2008

b. Students from U.P. National College of Public Administration and

Governance (NCPAG), Diliman Campus

September 19-20, 2008

c. Youth for Environment in Schools Organization (YES-O)

Division of Sorsogon

October 28, 2008

d. Sorsogon National High School Students

November 20-21, 2008

e. Liga ng mga Barangay, Tigaon, Camarines Sur

December 15,. 2008

f. Barangay Officials of Poblacion, Sta. Elena, Camarines Norte

December 22, 2008

g. LGU Officials of Prieto Diaz, Sorsogon

January 9, 2009

h. South East Asia – Urban Environmental Management Application Project Executives

March 2, 2009

i. Members of Provincial Solid Waste Management Board (PSWMB), Sorsogon

March 20, 2009

———————-

Video Of BulanEco-Park coming soon.

—————————————————end——————————————

Sta. Remedios Charity Medical Clinic

 By: Angelita de Guzman Kowalewsky

(click Broschure photos to enlarge)

COMPASSION, yes, it was compassion for the sick, the helpless and the vulnerable, that made all of these happen. Sta. Remedios is a small village located in the town of Bulan, Sorsogon, the southern province of Luzon islands in the Philippines. This is the village where I grew up and saw the existing poverty that affects so many lives. It is COMPASSION for the people that drove me to help and make a difference in the lives of the sick and vulnerable, the hungry, the poor children who need education and food. And because of COMPASSION, and through hard work, sacrifice and strong belief that it can be done, Sta. Remedios Charity Clinic was founded. And this is …

 

HOW IT ALL BEGAN…

My name is Angelita de Guzman Kowalewsky and I have been a registered nurse for twenty five years. Three years ago, I went home to see my ailing mother confined in the local hospital. I brought with me precious medicines, antibiotics that were desperately needed. I went straight to the hospital from Ninoy Aquino International Airport which took fourteen hours by bus. I found my mother feeling better and getting ready to go home. While I was waiting for her, I had the chance to look around. I saw poor emaciated patients with sad look in their eyes, waiting for the family to bring back the much needed medicines from outside pharmacy. Apparently, the system in the hospital is for the physician to asses the condition of the patient, write prescription, and ask the family to buy the necessary medicine and medical supplies like IV tubing, IV fluids, etc. If the family has no money to buy the prescribed medicine and supplies, the patient will have to go home. I noticed some old gloves hanging by the window sill. The nurse told me that they had to wash the used gloves so that they can reuse it. I left the hospital with a heavy heart and feeling helpless. I wished I could do something to alleviate the suffering of those patients. I know in my heart that if they do not get the much needed medicine, they will die one by one.

While I was at home, I noticed one of the carpenters looking very sad. My sister told me that the carpenter’s son, Aldo, and eighteen year old boy, was dying. He had an infected abscess at the right side of his back as big as a grapefruit. Apparently, out of desperation, the parents sold their only carabao (the animal which the family uses for plowing the field) and a pig to take their son to the provincial hospital. When the family could no longer afford the cost of the hospitalization and medicine, they brought him back home to die or wait for a miracle to happen. I asked the carpenter to take me to his house to see the boy. He was very emaciated and barely able to raise his hand to greet me. He was lying on a makeshift bamboo bed. He weighed between 85 to 90 lbs. I offered my help to the family. I told them that I brought with me the best antibiotics and medicines from America which my mother did not use. They brought Aldo to my house in a hammock. I called the local physician in town to help me. We started him an intravenous hydration, gave him antibiotics, multivitamins and nutritious food. After two days of treatment, Aldo was able to sit up and walk with the help of his mother. On the tenth day, he was well enough to go home. His abscess was completely healed except for a little hole where the pus material drained out. I gave him a three month supply of multivitamins. His parents were crying and very grateful. I told them to thank the Lord for I was just His instrument. My mother got well without using the medicines. Those medicines were actually intended for their son so that he may live. God had answered their prayer for a miracle.

The story of Aldo spread around like a wildfire in the village. People various ailments started to come to my house. The cases ranged from simple headaches to urinary tract infection, influenza, to children with fever and cough. There was this young woman who came to me and was crying. She had been sick for several months. She appeared to have the classic symptoms of UTI. I called the physician whom I befriended when we treated Aldo. She was treated for UTI and instructed to come back after a week. When she returned, her eyes were bright and happy. She is clutching a chicken with her husband behind. She told me that for the first time in months she was not in pain. She had no money but she wanted to give me the chicken as payment. I told her that she didn’t have to give me anything. The fact that she felt better was good enough for me. Her husband was smiling in the background and I knew that chicken (a rooster) was his pet.

These are a few of the examples why I want to build a clinic. It is for the people who need medical help. I promised the people in the village that I would come back and build them a clinic with free medicine and free consultation. I came back to the United States, worked hard, worked extra hours, saved money and prayed to God to help and guide me for the task that I was about to embark on was a tremendously great task.

May 25, 2005, the grand opening of:

STA. REMEDIOS CHARITY MEDICAL CLINIC

This charity clinic is dedicated to the people of Sta. Remedios Village especially those who cannot afford basic medical services so that the poorest man, woman and child can get the care they need. The clinic has a consultation room, a holding bed, 2 medicine cabinets, thermometer, and sphygmomanometer. It is a multipurpose clinic. It provides free medical check-ups, free medicine, milk for the children, nutritional supplements for the very old and malnourished, and education on sanitation, diabetes, environmental protection, ecology, and pregnancy and infant care. It also serves as a children’s library after clinic hours. The clinic is staffed by one physician and four helpers. Word spread that there is a clinic where poor people can avail of free medical check-up and treatment.

 Here are some photos of the Clinic:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                       

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

The following were some 0f the medical cases we have already encountered:

1. A man with a large cut on his leg- We did not have sutures so we had to send him to the provincial hospital which was a three-hour ride by tricycle.

2. A patient with pneumonia.

3. Several diabetic patients with problems of hypertension and hyperglycemia, renal failure, edema.

4. A five year old girl carried by her mother to the clinic (see picture in the brochure) She was severely malnourished and at risk of dying.

5. Several malnourished elderly patients suffering from abdominal pain (most probably from gastric ulcer) need nutritional supplements like Ensure plus, etc.

6. Several cases of influenza, gastroenteritis, typhoid, dengue, anemia

We are now serving many villages, patients from as far as the Island of Masbate which is across the San Juanico Strait. Very sick people accompanied by their families are crossing the sea by motorized canoe to seek medical help. This is the situation. We are running out of medicine and medical supplies. I had been supporting this clinic for over four years now. I need your help desperately. Please help save one more life. Let us all get together and continue these humanitarian services.

 

We need the following:

1. Over the counter medicines for cough, fever, pain, gastric ulcer, headache, hypertension, etc. We accept any medicine you can give.

2. Medicine samples: Don’t throw it away. We can use it.

3. Canned foods for malnourished old people and powdered milk for the children or anything you can give is very well appreciated

4. Multivitamins for children/infant, prenatal vitamins for women, vitamin supplements for men, women. Vit.b-12, B-6, Iron supplement, Vit. C, etc.

5. We need disposable thermometer to prevent cross-infection, Sphygmomanometer(blood pressure apparatus)

6. Old or new EKG machine and supplies

7. Surgical instruments for simple surgical procedures, sutures, scalpels lidocaine 1% or 2%

8. Infant warmer for newly born, forceps, stainless steel basins for durability

9. Medical supplies

Thank you very much for any help you can give. Every donation you give counts. All donations are tax deductible.

——————

Photos by jun and mila asuncion April 29, 2009

Bulan Observer

On this day we went to Sta. Remedios to visit the Clinic founded by Angelita de Guzman Kowalevsky. We have been wanting to see this Clinic for quite a time already and so we made use of this opportunity last month when we went home.

But when we came it was off the clinic hours so we haven’t seen any patient and medical workers but we were greeted by Angelita’s niece who toured us around the clinic.

The Clinic is small but it symbolizes something very big which is the love for one’s own people and the hope for brighter Bulan’s future. Love moves each of us to sacrifice ourselves to  help improve the situation; in the case of Angelita she used her profession to give something back to her humble beginning.

The hope lies in reaching out other people who would offer their help  to the Sta. Remedios Charity Medical Clinic in any form- for any help counts, as Angelita says.

For now Bulan Observer helps spread this hope  to all its readers from many different places. May we indeed get some positive reactions from the people and other  institutions who are in a better situation to help what has been started.

We  thank Angelita for her great efforts in realizing her vision to help. It is now for all of us to help her keep this vision alive.

For A Brighter Bulan!

jun asuncion

Part II: The MDCC And The Bulan Rescue Team

The Municipal Disaster Coordinating Council or  MDCC and the Bulan Rescue Team deserve once again the highest respect for their selfless efforts and efficient performance in saving the lives of many Bulaneños and of coordinating the whole disaster management at the height of  typhoon Dante last May 1 and 2.

Under the leadership of  Vice-mayor Gogola and the young  and competent Municipal Administrator Luis De Castro, Jr., the dangerous risks  to the lives of our town people had been maintained to the minimum. I’ve observed these men at work in a situation where I know would also have triggered the highest emergency alarm and stress even among most advanced cities in the world. Our men worked with the serenity of spirit, bravery and heroism of a real Bulaneño amidst the chaos in the whole of  Bulan and the limited technical resources they have at their disposal. And I approached them and talked with them to know more about the disaster from their own perspective-  with Vice-Mayor Gogola as he inspects the evacuees in Bulan South Central School and with Mr. Luis De Castro in the MDCC office which is  housed in the old Municipal vicinity as he instructs the men of the rescue Team.

Mr. Luis De Castro has retained this  attitude of thankfulness in the midst of a disaster for the very little effort our Canipaan Team has done to the very first wave of evacuees that occupied the Bulan North Central School in the early hours of May2. I sensed also a deep sincerity in him when he told me ” sana walang maging casualty” (we pray that there will be no casualty).

These words had warmed my wet body and wearied soul for actually I came to bury my sister this very day- and not to roam around in the flooded streets of Bulan, an experience I never had for the last decades. Bulaneños still care for Bulaneños is the insight I have learned in my short exchange of words with Mr. Luis De Castro, Jr. I also somehow felt rewarded in return for the indignation and caring that I felt when as a young boy our then mayor Mr. Luis de Castro, Sr. met his tragic end. I think this inter-connectedness-in some-ways- in -a -deeper -level is the essence of being one people.

Our Kudos then to our competent young leaders who can practically manage the town on their own and who are present not only in peaceful and joyful times but in times of great calamities that even reached international news reports. Born good leaders seem to be always  at the right place and time and are there when the whole town is in distress and when  the padabas need them the most.

I violated my argument that if pictures speak louder than words, then let them be, which means words are unnecessary. My defense is that I cannot photograph my thoughts and feelings so again, I used words to convey them in this short tribute to our leaders.

For now let these following images speak louder than me:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Municipal Adninistrator Luis De Castro, jr.  instructing his men.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 The silhoutte of Vice -mayor Gogola (middle figure) as he inspects the evacuees in Bulan South Central School.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some of the rescue men having their briefing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Getting set…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of the rubber rescue boats.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rescue men in action.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hold on tight, children! The water is wall-high.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A race against time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Clearing the waters from dangerous objects.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Push…..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and pull…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Young boys on the look out,  ready to help.

 

These are some of images of Bulaneños’  fight for survival on that stormy days.

 

jun asuncion

Bulan Observer                                 (photos by jun and mila asuncion)

Part I: The Storm Dante- Images Of Survival

 

Tuloy Po or Please Come In  is unmistakably Bulaneño hospitality…

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Even when Bulan is  under water brought about by the devastating typhoon Dante last May 1-2.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But who will come in, what kind of guests when pupils are on vacation and  who will dare when it is flooded?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They are the guests- evacuees; children from Managanaga fleeing from high waters that swallowed their bamboo huts, spending the night of heavy rains awake,  fearful and anxious about their situation. Storm Dante shows no mercy as it pounded Bulan with strong winds and heavy rains overnight.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The classrooms are  still closed and so they find their first refuge under the staircase; children and even a baby are wet, shivering from cold- and hunger.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Young Bulaneños- pretty girls and handsome boys- soaked in water, sleepless and hungry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 We come to their rescue during the first hours in the morning of May 2; nursing and comforting them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 As some fathers are  in great stress running and swimming back and forth to Managanaga to rescue their other children who are left behind.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And this is how it looks by now outside the Bulan North Central School; more families coming,  taking with them  their most important belongings as the waters continue to rise.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Women….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 whole family…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 And an old man escorted by his young ones.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A pig is precious, too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am astonished by the gracefulness in their bearing; they retain their dignity and calmness, as many walk through waters in a meditative posture- which shows that experience with floods is not extraordinary in the town of Bulan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A boy joining his family somewhere, behind him the man in a meditative rhythm opposing the currents.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The day when boats are in the streets of Canipaan…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and a raft made of banana trunks, in place of cars and tricycles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meanwhile, these families are now inside a classroom, given towels, hot drinks and biscuits.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Children now dry, visibly feeling better -at least for the time being-, and mothers continue watching over them.

 

 

 

 (click this photo to view the whole album)

 

 

 

A shy boy with sadness in his eyes in this dark room with no electricity and drinking water.

If pictures speak louder than words, then let them be.

jun asuncion        

Bulan Observer                                                          ( photos by jun asuncion)

My Dogs Georgie Boy And Lucie

 

By: Dora the Mouse

It was unusually cold in this particular winter night. The temperature tonight dropped down to - 17 degrees. I went out to get some firewood at the backyard and it was freezing cold. I live alone and no one is there to help me haul a few logs of firewood for the fireplace. My little Chihuahua dog was shivering from cold and stayed inside the house. I was a little bit scared going outside in the dark by myself getting the firewood. It was in this situation that I thought of getting a big dog for companion and as a guard dog.

Today I went to the dog pound and look for a big dog that I can adopt. I want to adopt a German shepherd but this German shepherd I was looking at was noisy and continuously barking and wants to bite me, on the other hand, there was this Samoyed white dog looking at me and was very quiet. He was looking at me with a sad look in his eyes as if telling me to adopt him. I went ahead and adopted this gentle white dog and took him home after paying a fee and getting his shots. I named him George.

George and I had been inseparable since then. When I watch TV, George watch the TV too. Everywhere I go, George went with me. One day, I decided to go to see my little (Ranchito) orchards up in the mountain. I planted a lot of fruit trees like peaches, nectarines, plums, cherries and pears. The trees started to have tiny buds of fruit and need some clearing of grass around the trees. I was so engrossed with what I was doing that it was already dark. George, my dog, sat right in front of me to protect me from anybody who was foolish enough to approach us. When my son finally arrived to pick me up, George gave a big growl and was ready to attack my son  and if he didn’t identify himself early enough, he could have been bitten. Samoyed dog are normally gentle, happy- go-lucky dog. That’s how protective this dog is.

I did a research about my Samoyed dog and this is what I found. The Samoyed derives its name from the Samoyedic people from Siberia. Samoyed dog is an all-white dog with a fluffy coat, upturned tail, and a characteristic smile. They were breed by a group of nomadic Samoyed people for herding and hunting deer. They were also use for pulling heavy carts and sleds. It is rare to find a Samoyed dog, aggressive, angry, and irritable. In 1889, they were brought to Europe for breeding but they mostly use for sole companion. They are very loyal and very friendly breed of dogs. I am very lucky to have my dog George with me.

One summer morning, I woke up feeling very sick and unable to get up. I was so sick that I can not even stand up. I called my son to come and see me. He lives about 30 miles from my house. Meanwhile, my little Chihuahua Lucie and George suddenly got on top of my bed and surrounded me. They normally don’t do this. I never allowed them on my bed, but this time, I think they can sense that there is something wrong with me. My son and the paramedics arrived and were trying to get me into the gurney, my two dogs were growling and refused to leave me. My son literally has to bodily take George and Lucie from me. I can sense that George was panicking and don’t want to leave me until I assured him that everything will be alright. I was confined in the hospital for five days. My son went back to my house to put some dog food and water for my dogs. Three days later, when my son went back to check my dogs and my house, the dog food was not touch. My dogs were very depressed and were not eating. I never realized how much dogs can love their master. I talked to my dog’s veterinarian and I was told that dogs can get depressed. I finally got better and went home after a few days. My dogs were very happy and I was very happy too. They started to eat and play again. Our lives went back to normal. I go to work early in the morning somehow, my dogs know exactly my time of arrival. They were all waiting and looking out the window. I can hear their happy barking. It’s a wonderful feeling to see these two dogs eagerly waiting for me.

I had been working for the past many, many years and had been supporting my relatives in the Philippines and my other charitable projects. I thought, I will spend a part of my life for myself and my dogs. It’s been my dream to travel and explore the 50 states of USA but never had the time or money to do it. I was busy raising my three children, helping my folks in the Philippines and my other projects. My children are now grown-ups and on their own. I have this charity project that I am happy to maintain and support that keeps me going too. I finally got the courage to realize my dream. I bought this 30 ft. motorhome big enough for my dogs and me. It has two separate beds in the back room, one for me and one for George and lucie. It has dining room with adjacent kitchen complete with microwave, oven, stove and a nice double sink, plenty of storage cupboard and it also has a refrigerator, a separate shower and a bathroom. It is like a self-contained home away from home. I gathered all the fishing gears, my late husband had accumulated for many years, cleaned them, bought some more baits and a big tackle box. Now I’m ready to go fishing. I went to the grocery to shop for non-perishable food and dog food. My children gave me a GPS system to help me find my way around. I am very poor in directions, it is pathetic. My children were worried for me to be traveling alone in this motorhome. Well, to relieved their worry, I bought this life size used manikin ,dressed it with a man’s clothes and put on an old man’s boots, complete with cowboy hat and sat it on the passenger side of the motorhome. See, I have a companion! They were all laughing. But you know what, it looks so real.

We went out on our first fishing trip in the motorhome. My dogs and I went to Gaviota, a seaside city park where they allow fishing where we stayed overnight. My dogs were restless and were vigilant. Every little noise, they bark and go to my bed and try to wake me up. It was an all night activity. I didn’t get enough sleep neither my dogs. But, after I had my first cup of freshly brewed black coffee, I realized that my dogs did a very good job of guarding the motorhome and me.

Well, this is what I can say about dogs in general. Whether the dog is pure breed, half mixed, native, or any kind of breed, dogs are generally very loyal animals. If properly trained and given a loving care, these dogs can give you back a thousand times more of love, loyalty and ready to be on the frontline for you. There were some instances that when a person was angry, he/she goes home and kick the dog instead. Please don’t do that. Kick the brick wall or a trunk of a tree to express you anger or frustration, not the dog. Dogs are precious like my dogs, Georgie Boy and Lucie. That is why there is this saying “Dogs are Man’s Best Friend” and it proved to be very true. Maybe, some of you can share wonderful dog stories, too.

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BULAN RESCUE TEAM ASSISTS MAGALLANES LANDSLIDE VICTIMS

Bulan, Sorsogon, May 8, 2009-

As a show of solidarity with the People of Magallanes Town, Bulan Town Mayor dispatched on May 6 & 7, the Bulan Rescue Team headed by Councilor Simmy Gerona to assist the residents of the landslide-ravaged barangays of Magallanes Town.

The team headed by Councilor Gerona also included Team Members Darius Razo & Antonio Amilano. They stayed in Magallanes where they helped and assisted in the transfer, by the use of the Bulan MDCC Rubberboat, of relief goods and people to areas which are in accessible by land transportation.

Magallanes Mayor Abelardo Arambulo immediately conveyed his gratitude to the people of Bulan, through Mayor De Castro’s office.

It can be recalled that the People of Bulan also pooled in their assistance to the People of Albay during the typhoon Reming and Mayon Volcano landslides where thousand were killed years back. Mayor De Castro sent a rescue and retrieval team to the devastated area. Several truckloads of relief goods and clean water were also dispatched by LGU-Bulan with the help of various volunteer groups and the whole community.

Meanwhile, Municipal Administrator Luis G. De Catsro, Jr., PIO Antonio G. Gilana and Ryan Cantre attended in Sorsogon City on May 6-7, a seminar workshop on Disaster Management and Risk Reduction sponsored by the Provincial Government, World Vision and Green Valley Development Foundation. They also trained on Rain Recording as part of the Disaster Preparedness Program of the Municipality.

 (PIO-Bulan)

BULAN TOWN BEARS BRUNT OF TYPHOON DANTE FLOODING; HEROISM DISPLAYED BY MANY BULANENOS

( LGU-PIO ) Bulan, Sorsogon, May 4, 2009 –

 Once more, the spirit of Bayanihan and volunteerism was displayed by many Bulanenos at the height of the massive rains and flooding brought about by Typhoon Dante on May 1-2, 2009. The Municipal Disaster Coordinating Council headed by Mayor Helen De Castro and Municipal Administrator Luis De Castro, provided the impetus in inspiring various groups to volunteer in evacuating families , saving lives and providing for relief operations at the height of one of the worst floods ever to hit Bulan Town in decades.

 Based on partial reports from 26 out of 63 barangays, 2,065 families comprising 10,233 persons were displaced by the floods. 85 houses were partially destroyed, 63 were totally damaged. The Rural Health Unit in Barangay Obrero was partially damaged, together with several schools reporting to be underwater causing destruction to various school facilities and documents. Damage to agriculture, livestock and fisheries was estimated to be around 13 million pesos. Infrastructure was severely affected amounting to 38 million pesos, mostly farm-to-market roads.

 The estimates can go higher with the reports coming in. Fortunately, due to the timely warning system of the Bulan Municipal Government, through the MDCC, majority of the Bulanenos were able to prepare. No casualty was recorded. It can be noted that Bulan people are very much aware of these alarm systems due to the consistent disaster management program of the Local Government Unit.

 The volunteerism of the Bulan organizations were once more brought to the fore with the participation of several responders like the PNP Municipal Station and 509th PPMG, The Philippine Army Scout Rangers based in San Isidro, Kabalikat Civicom 426, USWAG Bulan, TOFY, a youth group, DepED, and the various BDCCs of almost all barangays in Bulan. During the the height of the floods, barangay officials were busy, together with civic-hearted residents in evacuating and helping their community-members. Various areas of the National Highway all the way from Sta. Teresita to Zone 8 were submerged under water preventing all forms of land transportation. The floods started around 3 o’clock in the morning of May 2 and did not easily recede until around 5o’clock in the afternoon. Some areas in Bulan experienced up to 10 feet of floodwater.

 ( Bulan PIO ) PIO-LGU-Bulan 1

BULAN RESCUE TEAM SAVES FOUR FISHERMEN

Bulan PIO-LGU-Bulan 1

Bulan, Sorsogon, May 5, 2009 —

Four fishermen from Barangay Zone 7, Bulan, Sorsogon were rescued by the Bulan Rescue Team headed by Municipal Councilor Simmy Gerona on May 3, a day after Typhoon Dante hit the Bicol Region. These four fishermen, in an attempt to provide for their livelihood, braved the rough waters but unluckily their boat capsized off the Bulan shorelines. Fortunately, it was very timely that the Bulan Rescue Team was immediately informed of the incident and they responded to save the fishermen’s lives. The Bulan Rescue Team was organized by Mayor Helen C. De Castro in 2006 as a component of the Municipal Disaster Coordinating Council to respond to evacuation and rescue efforts during calamities and emergencies. It is headed by Administrator Luis De Castro and SB Member Simmy Gerona. Its members include Ryan Cantre, Antonio”Daday Amilano, and Victor Gubat, who were all involved in the rescue. The Bulan Rescue Team was also involved in the retrieval operations of several corpses involved in the Sulpicio Lines Princess of the Stars accident sometime last year. A day before, at the height of the massive flooding brought about by Typhoon Dante on May 1 and 2, the Bulan Rescue Team has its hands full in providing evacuation efforts to the residents of Barangays San Isidro and San Ramon.