Ju

ly 29,2009

Gawad Kalinga Turns Over 70 Houses To Pinut-an Beneficiaries

By Quirico M. Gorpido, Jr

Maasin City, Southern Leyte-.The Gawad Kalinga has turned over 70 housing units
recently to beneficiaries of brgy. Pinut-an, San Ricardo here in this province who
were victims of the traumatic tragedy at about 9:00p.m.on Dec. 19, 2003 in Panaon
lsland’s massive landslides.
The catastrophe which also badly hit the municipalities of Liloan and San
Francisco had left many people buried alive and destroyed many houses leaving
thousands of the inhabitants homeless.
Dr. Jerome Paler, Provincial GK Coordinator, disclosed that the aforesaid 70
duplex-type houses worth P60,000.00 each were a joint efforts from three donors,
like the Dioceses of Maasin which donated P1M, the Dept. of Social Welfare and
Development (DSWD) also P1M and P1.8M from the Canadian organization called A
Network of Church of the Poor (ANCOP) with the total amount of P4,
200,000.00.Gawad Kalinga, it was learned, was the implementing arm in the
realization of the housing projects until its completion.
Paler informed that the project has started its construction works in March 2008
and were completed in Dec.2008.He said the workers of the project were the
beneficiaries themselves. They conducted their works on shifting schedules as
their counterpart labor for owning their respective dwellings.
Paler said that foods for work were provided also by the DSWD office to the
landslide victims-beneficiaries during the 10-month duration of the construction
works. The newly-established village has a water system and electricity.
More than 2 years after the massive landslides, numerous victims-survivors of
the tragedy in the municipalities of Liloan and San Francisco were already having
their own houses provided by various local and foreign donors. Pintuyan was later
attended to by other domestic and international donors mostly from the
humanitarian institutions. The donated houses named after the donors located in
various construction sites, have also installed water systems and electricity
installed by SOLECO.It bore the names, among others, like GMA Village, PNOC
Village, Red Cross Village, Gawad Kalinga Village, Aboitez Village, Habitat For
Humanity Village.
Akin to the latest finished housing units, these aforementioned houses were
also built by the beneficiaries with the help of many volunteer workers from
different private and government agencies in Southern Leyte including that from
Cebu and other parts of the Leyte Island.
Donors, among others, were the Australian government, Japanese government,USA,
Canada,GMA,ABS-CBN,PNOC,NPC,Aboitez Foundation, International Red Cross, religious
institutions,Germany,Taiwan,Fil-Americans,private institutions, Manila
Bulletin,Philstar,Philippine Daily Inquirer, Habitat For Humanity,Gawad
Kalinga,Buddhist International. Housing sites development like road constructions
and drainage systems were carried out by the DPWH Engineers and some Engineers
from other government departments. Private lots for the housing units were either
donated by the owners or were bought in cheaper prices by the provincial
government.
Earlier, a mass was conducted and officiated by Bishop Precioso Cantillas and
was assisted by some priests. It was attended by the recipients, some Couples For
Christ members, barangay officials and some folks in the barrio and the
neighboring barangays.
Pinut-an Barangay Captain Flory Anajao speaking in behalf of the constituents-
beneficiaries expressed his profuse thankfulness and gratitude to the Gawad
Kalinga officials and the 3 aforementioned donors for granting them free dwellings
which they can call their own.
 The affair was also attended by some DSWD personnel led by DSWD Regional
Director Leticia Corollo.
(Quirico M. Gorpido, Jr.)

Limasawa Island Celebrates Its 488th First Catholic Mass In The Philippines
By Quirico M. Gorpido, Jr.

Limasawa Island, Southern Leyte-Limasawa Island, through the Diocese of Maasin led
by Bishop Precioso Cantillas together with about 60 parish priests, has celebrated
the 488th First Catholic Mass in the Philippines last March 31, 2009 atop a hill
where a big cross was erected and a chapel was constructed here in this tadpole-
shape island.
This kind of celebration was competed and contested during the past several
years by other claimer Masao near Butuan City in Mindanao as the site also of the
First Catholic Mass, it was learned.
However, based on Pigafetta’s diary, the chronicler of Ferdinand Magellan’s
voyage around the world, the description of an island reportedly fits to that of
Limasawa, but not to Masao.In the past, there were Spanish artifacts unearthed and
found in Limasawa Island. While such kind of artifacts were also seen in Masao’s
museum, according to unofficial reports. Nevertheless, the weight of the argument
lies on the right place where Magellan and his men landed to also look for food.
The aforesaid controversy was settled many years ago when a law RA2733 was
passed in Congress officially declaring Limasawa Island as the site of the First
Catholic Mass in the Philippines and as the National Shrine.
Prior to the celebration of the Firs Catholic Mass, Senator Ramon “Bong”
Revilla, Jr., the keynote speaker was introduced by incumbent Governor Damian
Mercado. The Governor mentioned some of the guest speaker’s different positions in
both the government and the private sector. Like being the Governor of the
province of Cavite at the age of 28 and later on as a Senator passing many
beneficial bills approved into laws.
Mercado also cited various citations and awards by the actor-turned-politician in
the local and international scene.
The actor-turned senator was warmly welcome by the islanders and many rushed
closer to him including the visitors to shake his hands.
Revilla in his short speech expressed his thankfulness to the invitation as he
also wants to see the situation of the people in Limasawa Island. He said that
unity is one of the ingredients needed in the development of any community. He
also encouraged the inhabitants here to develop more the place as one of the
tourist attractions of the country and invite local and foreign tourists as well
to come to the idyllic island. The guest speaker also expressed his willingness to
extend financial assistance for infrastructure in the island with a counterpart
from
his colleague in Congress in the person of Congressman Roger Mercado.
Other speakers were Governor Mercado, Congressman Mercado, Vice-Governor
Miguel Maamo,11 and Limasawa Mayor Melchor Petracorta.After the Catholic Mass,
Revilla and party flown to Cebu City aboard a helicopter that landed at the
school’s playground for another speaking engagement on the same day before
proceeding to Manila.

Sinugdan (The Beginning) Festival

After the mass held at the hilltop chapel where a big cross was believed to be
erected by Magellan’s men right after the very first Catholic Mass (as narrated by
the historian), the so-called Sinugdan Festival followed. Six groups of dancers by
21-member for each group representing the 6 barangays of the island have
entertained the visitors coming from various places here in region 8(Leyte and
Samar) with their kind of dancing-style presentations. Each group has a Muse which
added more attraction during the dancing period to the delight of the crowd. The
excruciating heat of the noonday sun did not deter the performers’ enthusiasm as
they danced with gusto coupled with the glimmering reflection of sweats oozing
from their bodies.
A few meters away from the playground venue is another small chapel that
housed a big cross, the life-size statues of Ferdinand Magellan, Pigafetta, priest
Pdreo de Valderrama. There were also paintings of Magellan’s ships and his men and
the holding of the First Catholic Mass in the Philippines.
A short historic account engraved on a marker placed at the right side of the
chapel’s entrance door is worth a quoting: “First Mass: Celebrated here on Eastern
Sundayi,31 March 1521, when Magellan landed on this island of Limasawa on his
voyage around the world. Early in the morning Magellan sent ashore priest Pedro de
Valderrama with men to prepare a Mass and inform Rajah Kolambu, through an
interpreter, that he and his men would land to attend. The Rajah showed consent by
sending gifts. As Magellan and his men approached the shore, a salvo of six guns
was fired as a sign of peace. Rajahs Kolambu and Si-agu each embraced Magellan,
flanked him and together with the sailors, they marched to the place of worship.
During the Mass the Rajahs were on their knees with clasped hands. At the
elevation, the ships fired all their artillery in response to the musket signal
from the shore.”
Other activities in connection with the three-day anniversary celebration
were: a)Sailboat race,b)9-man boat paddling)Marathon)Bancarrera
Also present, among others, were SOLERT,some other Govt. Officials and
employees, heads of line agencies, some municipal mayors, SBs and SPs members,ABC
President Nacional “Nikko” Mercado,Karina Tiopes,Regional Tourism
Director;PhilHealth personnel led by Dr,Elizabeth S. Fernandez, new PNP Regional
Director General Mario San Diego;PNP Provincial Officers led by Nilo Donayre;
Region 8 Philippine Army Commander led by Maj. General Arturo Tabaquero; former SP
member Helen Fernandez-Yusingco,ABS-CBN, Action Channel, region 8’s print and
broadcast media.
The island municipality that can be encircled thru sea travel by a motorized
boat for less than an hour on calm sea, has only 6 barangays,namely,Triana,
Cabulihan, San Agustin,San Bernardo,Lugsungan and Magallanes,the very place where
Magellan and his men had set foot.
Majority of the visitors, government officials and employees, the press and
other attendees were brought to the island by a service navy boat M/V Batangas
that left at 6:00 a.m. at Maasin Pier on March 31, 2009. Other visitors and
officials who came late at the pier went to the island via a 45-minute non-stop
drive to Padre Burgos where they took a less than an hour ride on motorized boats
to Limasawa Island.(Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.).