SJA Batch 90 & 94 bring smiles to Paknaan Lot 6.5 residents

SJA Batch 90 and 94 with the 6.5 residents and parishioners of Santo Nino 

Mike Alvan Pacalda, 6 of the 6.5 Relocation Site, barangay Paknaan, Mandaue City wants to be a policeman. He seemed to be inspired by what he sees on television but he bluntly said, there are a lot of “tokhangonon” in the area where he lived.

6 year old Mike Alvin Pacalda wants to be a cop. Interviewed by Jane Nelia 

          “Tokhang” or Oplan Toktok Hangyo is the Philippine National Police’s strategy in convincing suspected drug personality to return to the folds of the law.

 “Daghan badlongon sa amoa, ganahan nako sila dakpon (there are plenty of troublemakers in our place, I want to arrest them),” were the words of Dodong Mike.

Awaiting the fun..and the treats. 

            Mike and his sister Julie Mae, 8 are both taken cared by their grandmother Leticia Dela Peña. Their parents were separated and the mother had to work in Manila to support them.

           Lola Leonida Prendol, 84 also from the same address on the other hand, also

84 year old Leonida Prendol had consultation. 

tagged along her two grandchildren that Saturday to Santo  Nino Parisg grounds.

“Ganahan ko malipay sila samtang nagpa check-up sab ko (I want them to  enjoy while I have myself checked),” according to Lola Leonida.

                She said she dearly love her grandchildren as these two were the only remembrance of her only son who died just this October.

              

  And then here is  this three year old girl Baby Scarlet, who was checked for asthma that day. She was observed to be smiling and pretty though, according to her grandmother, she has some defects being born out of parents who were minors themselves.

Baby Scarlet 

Scarlet’s mama and papa were yet 16 and 17, went on their separate ways, leaving Scarlet to the Lola.

                But Scarlet was among the almost 200 children from 6.5 relocation site who were given early Christmas treats that Saturday.

            

   These and many more were the stories learned by the Saint Joseph Academy Batches 90 and 94 as they conducted a “Give Back Mission” that day in Paknaan.

Pharmacy section with Warren Judilla 

             Mostly Mandauehanons, the batch choose the residents that need the helped most, identified by Parish Priest Rev. Fr. Charles Louise Jayme, who is also a member of the batch.

               Fr. Charles in his homily during the celebration of the Holy Eucharist before the start of the event said the recipients should be delighted that the batch chose them to

Fr. Charles Louise Jayme 

avail of the treats and services, an early Christmas blessing. 

              "Ang katuyuan sa kalihokan nga gipahigayon ron sa Batch 90 ug 94 sa SJA, mahatagan ta og kahupayan sa gipamati sa panglawas.  Nagpahigayon ta sa misa aron mahimong kompleto ang atong buhaton, aron mahatagan pod og kahupayan ang espirituhanong bahin (The objective of the batch is to give relief to the ills of the body.  We are celebrating the Mass to complete, to give relief to our spiritual needs)," Fr. Charles said. 

              




  More than 60 residents availed of the check up with free medicines and 56 availed of the free dental services.

More than 50 tooth extractions after and still smiling--Dr. Lorraine Manatad, SJA Batch 9094, 

                The batch also sought the assistance of Mandaue City Social Welfare Services (SWS) which lent utensils and gave food ingredients for the feeding.

Mandaue City's Mobile Kitchen

            

          The batch gave out loot bags with candies and school supplies and some prizes and ice creams after the conduct of games.

Machos in Action -- Jose Noel Quimera and Hitliff Ruelo 

Tattoed with a heart --Hitliff Ruelo 

                Anna Rose Espiritu-Solis, elected batch president said, it wasn’t long time ago when she and her batch mates were children too and would greatly enjoy any activity such as this.

With his photographer's eye, Bryan Conejos 

Atty Mae Elaine Bathan a nd Faith Noval

                As students of SJA at that time, Solis said they haven’t got a chance to participate in feeding and medical missions.

“Now that we had grown and are already in our respective professions, we find it proper to partner with agencies and to giveback little that we have to fellow Mandauehanons that are until now on their way to make their lives better,” Solis said.

LR Amabelle Enriquez, Anna Rose Espirity, Nerizza Borbajo Riza Tolato, Jane Nelia and Jhoanne Remedio, Warren Judilla 

                











               The  batch is next year’s sponsor and initiator of the grand alumni homecoming of SJA in January.

The smiles and the giggles are all music to the ears. 

                

              Josephians grow up with a sole mission and vision to be in solidarity with the poor. At the end of the day, the recipients and the batch mates were all smiles, experiencing the fulfillment of being of help the simplest ways.

                      Hail St. Joseph! --(fcc with reports from Jane Nelia, Photos by Bryan Conejos and Anna Marie Suico)

First LGBT Pride Month gipahigayon sa Mandaue City

 Kapin sa 3,000 ka mga membro ug supporters sa lesbians, bisexuals,  gays ug transvestites (LGBT) ang misalmot sa labing unang Pride March nga gipahigayon sa dakbayan sa Mandaue.

Si Atty. Regal Oliva, ang City Treasuer sa Mandaue City, nagkanayon nga misalmot ang kapin sa tres mil ka mga membro sa ug supporters sa nagkalain laing mga grupo sa LGBTs sa lalawigan sa Sugbo alang sa Pride March.

Matod ni Oliva, nga mao usab ang LGBT Champion sa dakbayan, nga mapasigarbohon nga mipaso ug mipakita sa ilang mga nagkadaiyang mga de kolor ngga costumes ang mga misalmot.

“We marched happy and proud for the world to know that we deserve our place in the community,” matod ni Oliva.

Si Atty. Elaine Bathan, ang chief of staff sa Mandaue City, nagkanayon sa iyang mensahe nga abli ang dakbayan ug hingusganon kining mudisiplina sa mga establisimento nga dili muhatag og makiangayon nga pagtagad sa mga LGBTs.

“The city of Mandaue is the first to pass the ordinance that everyone is equal regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity or expression (SOGIE) and we will continue to enforce that,” matod ni Bathan.

Gani aduna nay usa ka kompanya ang gipadad-an og warning tungod sa di makiangayon pagtagad sa usa ka empleyado nga LGBT member.

Didto usab dala ang iyang kapin ka mga membro sa LGBT si Lapulapu City Mayor Paz Radaza.

Nagpakita og mga talento ang mga nagkalain laing mga grupo didto pa lang sa parade hangtud nag abot sila sa atubangan sa Mandaue City Hall diin  gipahigayon ang programa.

Adunay mga paghatag og awards sa mga labing daghan, pinaka colorful, pinaka hugyaw.   Mihatag usab og mga advocacy statements ang mga nanguna sa maong sektor.

“What is happening right now was once a dream, there were conflicts  among LGBT groups but now we are one, I hope this will be sustained,” matod ni Maki Gingoyon, Miss Gay 2017 Mandaue.

Labing una kining Pride March gawas sa mga gipahigayon didto sa kauluhan. 

Gitinguha sa mga nagpasiugda nga mahimo kining tinuig na nga kalihokan.

Mandaue City among 3 cities nominated for funding assistance to become Low Carbon Model LGU

The City of Mandaue, Cebu, Philippines is among the three local government units (LGU) considered for funding for environmental sustainability efforts.

This October, there are three LGU's from among the 21 member Asia Pacific Economic Conference (APEC) economies who will be chosen to be given technical assistance for environment efforts.

In particular are the strategies leading to the reduction of carbon use.

In a press release, the nominees are Krasnoyarsk City, Russia; Mandaue City, Philippines and Subang Jaya, Malaysia.

According to Department of Energy Undersecretary Loreta Ayson, who is also the Philippines Senior Official on Energy, the Low Carbon Model Town (LCMT) Project of the APEC Energy Working Group (EWG) will be choosing in next month's gathering in Cebu, who will receive the technical assistance.

"We are constantly looking for potential LCMT candidates and it impresses me to find Mandaue City with such a comprehensive plan involving land use, green building and transportation,”  Ayson said.

Mandaue City accordingly has a clear target for reducing its CO₂ emissions and has long been crafting measures to establish a sustainable city to address air pollution and traffic congestion. 

Its proposed project consists of developing green growth areas and interconnecting these areas within Metro Cebu. An ordinance is also proposed promoting disaster-resilient buildings in the city.

The LCMT Project of the APEC EWG has been greatly instrumental in encouraging communities in the region to embark on city planning initiatives promoting low carbon technologies to manage the rapidly increasing energy consumption and consequently, mitigate the adverse effects of greenhouse gas emissions on the environment.    

 Previous winners include the city of Da Nang in Vietnam which implemented an innovative system of electric motorbikes and charging facilities. 

Samui Island in Thailand also got support for its feasibility study to utilize solar, wind and small hydro power; reliance on electric vehicles and reforestation and protection of existing forests. 

They also adapted Green technologies for resort and hotel developments such as solar water heaters, solar panels on rooftops, biomass power generation of kitchen waste and increased ventilation for natural cooling.

Mandaue is located on the central-eastern coastal region of Cebu, and is one of the three highly urbanized cities on the island and forms part of the Cebu Metropolitan area. It is connected by two bridges to the island of Mactan.  Mandaue is also known as the “furniture capital of the Philippines.”