Malinao, Albay

Saturday, February 3, 2007

The Bicol Regions of Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Albay and Sorsogon were hit with a 1-2-3-4-5 punch of Typhoon Milenyo (Sept 27, 2006), relocation due to Mayon eruption, Typhoon Reming (Nov. 30, 2006), Seniang (December 7-12, 2006), and the Mayon landslide. The needs were great and FTH tried to put together 3 teams and CFO had 2 teams to meet the challenge. This is the 7th leg of a 10-town tour of FtH in the Bicol Region.

Saturday, February 3, 2007- We left Catanduanes through the Port of San Andres (formerly Calolbon), which is closer to Tabaco than Virac. It is also with the 9:00AM ferry compared to the afternoon schedule of the ferry from Virac. After a hearty breakfast of the Pinoy kind, we bid our host goodbye, concerned that we might be late for the ferry. Vic said that the owner of the ferry is a friend of Mayor Zito and the ferry will not leave without the FtH volunteers on board. True enough, we were booked in the first class section of the ferry, courtesy of Mayor Zito.

The ferry took almost 4 hours to cross the Lagonoy Gulf to Tabaco, Albay. We were greeted at Tabaco by the associates of Fr. Shiapno of Manilao Parish and the Local Government Unit. Vic went on to prepare the FtH visit in San Jose (Camarines Sur) and we proceeded to Manilao, a short trip from Tabaco. We arrived in Malinao around 2:00 PM, with the scheduled gift giving at 10:30 AM. The gift giving was done in a covered court next to the church, with part of the roof blown away by the typhoon. After the usual welcome and thank you and talk about CFO and FtH, some kids performed with singing and dancing; we started with the relief giving to 200 families of the recent typhoons who have been waiting since 10 AM that morning. Affter the gift giving, we had a very late lunch at the church and we talked about possible livelihood and Feeding Projects. The Mayor’s office offered to take the FtH volunteers to the next mission in Polangui, Albay.

NOTES: Through some mutual friends, Fr. Shiapno and the mayor’s sister attended the FtH gift giving in Paranaque last January 20, 2007 and requested FtH to visit Malinao who is in dire need of some assistance. With some donations to FtH for Virac and Polangui, FtH decided to include Malinao in the tour. Fr. Shiapno was very grateful for the FtH assistance on very short notice and you can really “see” his happiness for FtH being there. Although a little on the healthy side, Fr. Shiapno was moving around like a kid with a new toy.

The preparation done by the CFO staff in coordinating the procurement and packing of the gifts, arrangement for the hotels and transportation for the volunteers, scheduling the gift giving with the local government units (LGU) and non-government officials (NGO) is incredible! And the bits and pieces of the puzzle all fall into its places. There were some delays and breakdowns but all were manageable and we were able to carry out the missions.

It was a fun trip of nine days. After 2 bottles of Robitussin DM, 30 capsules of anti-biotic provided by Nurse Malu in Bulan, a bottle of Listerine to gargle my sore throat, living in a hand carry luggage and a back pack of video camera, flashlight, camera, bottled water and TP; using one shoes and a pair of slippers; sleeping in 6 hotels with somebody snoring like me and me coughing all the time; practicing my ballrooms moves in 2 nights and after one breakfast; having a night swim in a hot spring in Irosin; having my $50 shoes repaired expertly by a child labor for $1 using his agile hands and crude tools; seeing the smiles of about 2,050 recipients having Christmas gifts in January; being able to locate the sites of eight (8) classrooms to be donated through FtH, I will do it again for FEED THE HUNGRY and the poor people of Bicol. If there’s a will, HE will show the way!

Pablito
Sunday, February 25, 2007