This is a meeting place for all natives of Bulan (Sorsogon, Philippines ) who care about their beautiful town. Naturally visitors from all over the world are welcome to discover what’s happening in our picturesque coastal town. We react to the developments in the political area. However, this is not limited to political reporting only but is open to all important subjects happening in Bulan. In short it’s all about life in Bulan. We promote exchange of information and connect with groups of people in Bulan who have dreams and visions, concrete plans and projects for our lovely town.
The long-term objective is to create a huge Bulan On-Line Community that observes, reacts and exposes injustice and corruption in our town, crime against its people and its environment for the whole world to know it. This site is non-partisan and is wholly dedicated in representing the interests of the town. We give merit to whom merit is due, demerit to whom it is due,- this could involve the same person or group of persons, the government or the opposition. It is this neutrality, unbiased position that one can side totally to the facts and arguments that put Bulan forward. A fact or argument that puts Bulan forward is anything that is free of selfish interest, respects the individual and the town as a whole, guarantees freedom of expression and democratic principles, advances the moral and political culture and consciousness of the people. Hence, Progress is the process of upgrading (not of downgrading) the moral, political and democratic consciousness of the people of Bulan. Any political argument or result which deserves a merit or demerit is to be based on this simple criterion.
As in any democracy, plurality of views and opinions is an integral part of the society. Nevertheless, we should strive for responsible way of expressing such opinions and the public should exercise a differentiated reaction to such opinions. This is one basic attitude that facilitates positive change at the same time supporting and maintaining services and institutions already functioning. Though I have written somewhere else that we are not personal enemies in a democratic system on account of diverging views and opinions, I also agree that any person makes himself or herself an enemy of democratic Bulan when his or her action does not put Bulan forward as explained above. Thus, it is not a fight for fighting sake only that we join hands together but a fight to protect the integrity of Bulan.
It must be known, however, that Bulan Observer distances itself from and condemns any use of violence and direct threat to life to any person in Bulan.
Big thanks to the smiling faces of Bulan North Central School pupils you can see above! Bulan deserves a bright future! (photo: jun a. / November 2005)
jun asuncion
administrator All rights reserved © Bulan Observer
email: junasun05@yahoo.com
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10 Comments
April 19, 2008 at 11:37 am
This is nice. Thanks for sharing and may you attain what you are advocating for. I added your link to my blog, http://biklish.wordpress.com
April 27, 2008 at 4:32 am
Thanks jacarizo for your visit, your site is fantastic, a must-see for tagabulans!
Thank you for connecting.
jun asuncion
May 5, 2008 at 9:58 am
juna,
how do i send articles for posting? i have one, can you help me out. thanks and regards…
May 5, 2008 at 8:05 pm
To rudyb,
Nice to hear something from you again. You have two possibilities:
1. Write and send your article using the e-mail address above.
2. Write ( or paste from microsoft Word) directly on this -Leave a Reply- space like when you are writing a comment, but it will be posted as an independent article, just don’t forget the title of your article.
Thanks and ’til then!
jun asuncion
November 23, 2008 at 9:00 am
mabuhay
May 13, 2009 at 4:01 pm
hello jun. this is your pinsan, fr.glen. my condolences again for the sudden passing away of our dear Manay Edna (it was a blessing in disguise for me to arrive at Bulan at the height of typhoon Dante; i think Manay Edna travelled with me all the way to Bulan, keeping safe my way home, as i intended to attend her funeral). i do miss her more than ever now, knowing that we were the ones left in Bulan during those troubled times in Canipaan… in any case, my prayers are with her and rest assured of the daily masses intended for her here in my place, Sacred Heart of Jesus Chaplaincy, Sangat, San Fernando, Cebu.
somebody told me about Bulan Observer and i find this exemplary! this makes it easy for me to see Bulan in a quick way, and more so, in connecting with u! aahhhh…finally, “Bulan in Cebu”!
May 13, 2009 at 7:26 pm
To Fr. Glen,
It’s nice to hear something from you Fr. Glen. I have not written a word here in Bulan Observer since I left our town. You know, though my mind is still there I prefer just to sit quietly at the moment as I try to sort out things I have experienced there- aside from Manay Edna’s sad affair: the typhoons and the flood, the relatives I haven’t seen for ages, old classmates, Bulan and its people, etc. Besides, I have seen things behind appearances and these are what occupy my thinking at the moment.
You may hate or love things you experienced yourself in Bulan during your short stay there but it’s just alright, that’s why you call it home.
Home is where this ambivalence starts early in one’s life: you hate it and so flee from it only to dream about coming home someday, to be back to the place where your ancestors had been buried.
My warmest greetings to the people in Sangat, San Fernando. May we reach out more Tagabulans who reside there and help in our little way awaken in them this “ambivalence” that they have about Bulan. This is true politics when people come together and be re-connected to one another based on common origin. On the other hand, a political practice that disperses people away from home is not true politics but opportunism.
I’ll be writing down bit by bit my Bulan experience, my views and concerns arising from these experiences in the coming days. And I have documents to back them up.
Meanwhile join me in my quiet place as I try to reflect on the meaning of our Manay Edna’s traces of existence.
jun asuncion
August 19, 2009 at 5:48 am
meron po bang ordinance sa bulan, sorsogon about helmet na pwedeng di na mahelmet dahil sa mga nayayaring patayan? pwede po makakuha ng kopya?tnx..and more power.
August 20, 2009 at 5:36 am
Good Morning Jun, and also to Jean So:
This is about Jean’s query if there is an ordinance on the use of helmets.
Yes, we have an ordinance on the use of helmets. As a matter of fact, this municipal ordinance is in consonance with the national law on the use of helmets, in order to provide safety to motorcycle riders. If you would like a copy of the ordinance, please feel free to come to the SB Secretary. It is a public document which you can access.
The use of helmets by criminals to avoid being detected or identified, while doing a felony, is a police problem. In fact , we have taken this up in our Local Peace and Order Council meetings.
Just the same, we encourage you to use helmets, especially on long distance travels, and along hi-ways, for your own personal safety and the safety of those riding with you.
Thanks much and mabuhay po kayo, Jean.
August 21, 2009 at 3:48 am
Thank you Jean for your visit and PIO-Bulan for your prompt reply to Jean’s query. This shows the need for a Bulan Website where the PIO- workers can attend to the people’s needs like this one and where people can download related documents and information by themselves.
The law or ordinance should remain as such and should be enforced and be followed. For police to prohibit the use of helmets (because of some criminals taking advantage of it) while driving a motorcycle for driver and backriders is a violation of the existing LTO ordinance. This happened in some areas in the Philippines.
A criminal activity should not override existing law even when it conflicts with police work. The ordinance on the use of helmet was created for the security of the people driving motorized bicycles- and, whether we like it or not, this includes some motorcyclists with criminal intention themselves! That’s the paradox in every law, it seems. The right to life, for example. criminalizes some forms of euthanasia and collides with the right to self-determination, and so is a political Anti-dynasty law that would automatically bar any member of a political dynasty from an elected public position even when highly qualified.
The helmet is also figurative of power protecting some people- like many of our corrupt politicians, public officials and greedy businessmen-and women like contractors, etc. Protected by the helmet they wear (their office, high economic status and connections), they go on with their habit of amassing personal wealth ( or other crimes) at the expense of the country or town whose people they are supposed to serve. They go on with their felony unnoticed to the public, very much the same with the motorcycle gang in the streets. And the “helmet” protects them from being persecuted for reason of their status or office, as in the case of diplomatic immunity (Vienna Convention of 1961).
The world knows that the Arroyo family have a huge collection of helmets-especially the first gentleman. We can only hope that in Bulan helmets aren’t worn by our public officials- except of course when they are motorcycling.
This is the dilemma of human societies. But in many cases, it is the character and intention that is defective, not the law.
Here is a related news article published by the Philippine Information Agency PIA
PIA Press Release
2008/11/21
LTO, PNP warn motorbike drivers, riders vs driving without helmet
by Rizalie A. Calibo
Siquijor (21 November) — Motorcycle drivers and backriders, beware! the Land Transportation Office here will strictly implement the ‘no helmet, no travel policy’ anytime soon, says Supervising Transportation Regulation Officer Gerald Dominguez.
Dominguez said LTO officers from the region will be coming to Siquijor starting next week to effect the law. He said drivers and backriders found not wearing helmets while traveling will be fined P1,500 each aside from the other violations the officers may find in the operation.
The warning was also backed up by Police Superintendent Efren H. Ysulat, Provincial Director of the Philippine National Police (PNP) here during the Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) meeting Wednesday at the Provincial Capitol, Siquijor, Siquijor.
Ysulat said he has instructed all his men to enforce the law and be the role models for all motorists to follow. He said, however that he has given his men until the end of this month to acquire helmets so that by December 1 all of them will already be wearing helmets when driving. He also said he has tried talking with the LTO to give time for the operators/passengers to acquire helmets and possibly fully implement the law in January of next year yet.
But Dominguez said, the regional office has already given him a go signal and that he is bound to implement it full force as soon as he is done with his information drive.
Dominguez explained that the law is for the protection of drivers and passengers from accidents and to prevent the aggravation of vehicular accidents.
Deaths and injuries from motorcycles accidents has been one of the issues tackled in the previous PPOC meetings so that Dominguez said it is high time we put teeth to the law.
“Wearing of helmets is a safety measure for all motorcycles drivers and passengers to prevent possible head and brain injury or even untimely death,” he said quoting the memorandum circular issued to their office.
According the World Health Organization (WHO) road accidents have become major public health problem in Asia and the Pacific. 10 million people are severely injured or killed annually on the region’s roads, the WHO said.
With Asia accounting for only 16% of the world’s vehicles, road deaths rose by nearly 40% between 1987 and 1995 – while in developed nations, it fell by about 10% because of better safety measures.
The WHO reported that “most motorcycle deaths are a result of head injuries. While wearing a helmet correctly can cut the risk of death by almost 40 percent, many countries do not strictly enforce laws covering the use of helmets.
Key safety measures include seat belts and helmets, speed and alcohol intake restrictions, enhanced vehicle standards and road design and conditions, WHO said.
Most injuries among motorcycle riders are to the head, so helmets could significantly reduce road trauma, WHO said.
Earlier this year, Rep. Narciso D. Santiago III has also filed House Bill 4751, a bill pushing for the mandatory use of helmets when riding bicycles, non-motorized scooters, roller skates or roller blades and skateboards.
In filing the bill, the solon said riding anything with wheels is very dangerous and most of the time, people are exposed to various injuries, especially head traumas.
He said it is common knowledge that majority of Filipinos do not wear helmets or any protective gear when they ride bikes and scooters, or use roller skates, roller blades and skateboards.
The bill provides that a person who intends to ride a bike, non-motorized scooter, roller blades or roller skates and skateboard must wear helmets properly, and other headgears for this purpose, set by an appropriate government agency or by any applicable international standards.
In case there is an offender, he or she will initially receive a warning informing him or her of the requirements under this act.
The measure also provides for the distribution of educational materials on bicycle helmet use. Repeat offenders however, or parents or guardians of minors who are repeat offenders, will be fined P500.00 for each repeated offense.
Based on HB 4751, or the “Safe Riders Act of 2008″, this bill will apply at all times while a bicycle, non motorized scooters, roller skates or roller blades and skateboards are being operated on any street, roads, parks or other property open to the public or used by the public for pedestrian or vehicular traffic as well as for places of recreation.
This act shall also apply at all times to any person who is riding a bike or non-motorized scooter including a person who is a passenger to these wheeled contraptions.
Santiago said this bill aims to remedy the “vacuum” in the law since there is still no legislation promoting the use of helmets even as skateboards, scooters, roller blades or roller skates are being used.