Website on line again! Recap of last few months
by Mila Glodava
The Metro Infanta Foundation is online again! It's been frustrating not being able to update the website in the last four months. Many events have come and gone and we've not been able to share them with you. Let's hope our service will not be interrupted again. We will also attempt to make our website a bit simpler in style and format than before.
Events we missed!
Babang-luksa (end of mourning) of the floods of Nov. 29. The Prelature of Infanta led the celebration of their new life after the floods with Mass, exhibits of farm produce, parade, theatrical production, and erection of a memorial for the flood hero, Father Charlito Cha, who died while saving hundreds of people. An article,"Quezon Folk Recover from Tragedy," written by Delfin Mallari, Jr. on said celebration appeared in the Philippine Daily Inquirer on Dec. 8, 2005.
Leyte landslide, Feb. 19, 2006. Mud and landslides buried the village of Guinsaugon in St. Bernard, Southern Leyte, killing almost all of its 1,800 population. One text message this writer received about this tragedy came from Rodel Conquilla, a grade 2-a school teacher. Father Nonong Pili sent us the message, "We are still alive down here. Please make a hole so we can breath. A lot of children trapped with me in my classroom."
CBS4 in Denver featured Metro Infanta Foundation and our outreach shortly after the Infanta floods, showing the devastation of the Infanta, Real and General Nakar areas. It also reported on the Medical Mission of the Greater Kansas City to Infanta.
The next day, Jack Green, an American who worked in the mining industry in the Philippines and now a resident of Arvada, donated $500 towards the victims of the Leyte landslide. The other day, a member of St. Vincent de Paul Society informed me that they will send them another $500. We have asked Socio Pastoral Institute to arrange the disbursement of these funds to the victims.
The CBS4 report also included a report of a $10,000 donation to Mt. Carmel School of Infanta to go towards the rehabilitation of their school building destroyed by the floods of 2004. This donation was part of more than $26,000 grants for scholarships and other causes supported by donors of Metro Infanta Foundation.
GMA declares State of Emergency, Feb. 24, 2006. Amidst rallies and calls by opposition for the president to resign, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo declared a state of emergency on Friday, Feb. 24, with a warning the opposition that their action will be dealt with with the full force of the law.
Magtangol G. Ofreneo died on Sunday, February 26, 2006. Beloved father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and father-in-law, Magtangol Gurango Ofreneo, 89, passed away peacefully on Sunday, February 26, 2006 at Simi Valley Adventist Hospital, Simi Valley, California, surrounded by his loving family, after a long illness.
Infanta town fiesta attracts reunions: MCHS Batch 1964 and the Ortiz Family were among those that took advantage of kababayans attending the fiesta but holding reunion gatherings. We hope to hear from them shortly. Because the MIF website was out of commission, we asked them to use our Guestbook to publicize their events. Let's hope both events had a successful celebration.
Personal note: In February, shortly after the Leyte landslide, I had a chance to visit the Philippines to promote a new family venture, a boy band called "Intensity." I met the group during our own family reunion in Batangas. To make the story short, they needed a producer and I said yes. The group, facilitated by Betsy Gutierez and Marissa Monte, started the record production in October, under "Kirsten Music and Entertainment. and The album with multi-award composer, Vehnee Saturno and upcoming songwriter Edwin Marollano was finished in March will be distributed exclusively by Ivory Records. The record album, with carrier single, "Kahit Pa ano" also includes Whitney Houston mega hit, "All At Once," as their revival song.
Because the record album was not quite finished during my visit, my family decided to give the group a soft launch (which happened to be the same day as the state of emergency) to allow me and some of my friends and family to see and hear the new boy band. We were not disappointed.
An article, "Charity: a unique mission for boy band" about them appeared in Sun Star. however there's a slight error in the article which seems to suggest that Intensity is part of Metro Infanta Foundation. It is not! It is personal business venture, which will give10 percent of its net income to charity as part of its policy. Because of my personal association with Metro Infanta Foundation, there's no doubt that Kirsten Music will consider the foundation as one of its beneficiaries.
Remember the $500 donated by Mr. Jack Green for the Leyte landslides? Well, at the Intensity party, my family and friends matched his donation so that we were able to send $1,000 to aid some victims of the landslide. This was our way of saying thank you to all those who helped us during our own Infanta tragedy of 2004.