Congratulations, Polillo Carmelians! Your brave efforts during this time of COVID-19 were rewarded. Lilibeth Encina and Yolanda Pamintuan who led this trailblazing effort reported that they have raised nearly 470,000 pesos (about $9,700) raised so far exceeding their goal of 420,000 pesos (about $8,750). This means they will not only offer scholarships to poor students,…
By Rudy ArizalaOn the 75th Anniversary of the United Nations this year allow me to recall what I observed before that at its inception in 1945, the 1945 UN Charter pompously declared that the United Nations has been established to prevent succeeding generations from the scourge of war which twice in our lifetime has brought…
Editor’s Note: Ambassador Rodolfo “Rudy” Arizala celebrates his 91st birthday. In his honor, here’s an article written by Colleen Smith, a writer from Denver and a member of the MIF board, and published in our book, “Labong ng Kawayan: Walking the Streets and Pathways of Infanta.” Happy 91st birthday, Ambassador Arizala! “From Adversity to Diplomacy”By…
By Mila Glodava With schools about to start or have started, Metro Infanta Foundation (MIF) will take a look at how it has made education a top priority since inception. It remains so to this day as expressed in it’s mission statement: To promote unity and solidarity through education, providing forums of discussions, identifying and…
Congratulations! to Infanta’s MLQ Awardees By Rudy Arizala Editor’s Note: On this day, August 19, Quezon Province presents the Quezon Medalya ng Karangalan (MLK). In 2020 Quezon Province honored seven outstanding citizens in various fields. No one from Infanta received the honor however. In August 2005 Ambassador Rudy Arizala, who received the honor himself, wrote…
Editor’s note: Former Ambassador Rudy Arizala has written extensively for Metro Infanta Foundation, not only on Infanta, but also of Philippine historical interests By Rodolfo A. Arizala Santiago, Chile. As everybody knows, August is the month when Philippine Commonwealth President Manuel L. Quezon of Baler, Tayabas (now Maria Aurora province), was born. It was also…
By Mila Glodava Kudos to the Polillo Carmelians. They took seriously the sentiment they expressed at a dinner meeting with me in February 2020. They decided to help Sr. Gloria de la Cruz, SPC, principal of Mt. Carmel School Of Polillo, increase the enrollment for SY 2020-2021. With an initial deposit of 26,850 pesos ($548) collected at…
By Mila Glodava My former students, especially Batch ‘73, at Mt. Carmel High School on Polillo Island in Quezon Provine, impress me very much. Although I taught them for only three years, they have always been close to me and kept in touch with me after I left for the United States in 1972. With…
By Mila Glodava On the feast day of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, I like to pay tribute to the Carmelites who left the comfort of their homes in 1947 not only to become priests a religious but also to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ, the Kingdom of God, in the far flung…
By Mila Glodava In 2014, Metro Infanta Foundation (MIF) raised $25,000 to help the Diocese of Borongan after the Supertyphoon Haiyan. The youth of St. Thomas More Parish (STM) in Centennial, Colorado, not only helped raise the funds, but also spent their summer vacation in July 2014. They helped build a few of the 30…