Rotarians in Gingoog

Governments are run not just by elected and appointed public executives and employees – but also, by private individuals and civic and non-government organizations.  The private sector helps by, first, helping get people elected, and then monitoring their programs and actions, and putting in a reminder or two, with the expectation that they will not be charged with sedition, as what seems to be the current trend.  

We read a lot about Rotary clubs in Manila sponsoring fora, conducting medical missions, attending international conferences, holding balls in five-star hotels, and sponsoring projects aimed to help the underprivileged. Well, down south, the Rotary Club of Gingoog has its own though not publicized, concerns. Being an honorary member of Rotary Club Manila 101, I’m doing this local club a good turn.

This Rotary club has been holding discussions on relevant issues, at its regular venue, Larry’s Bar.  For example, three weeks ago, it sponsored a symposium on road safety and accident prevention, with Marissa E. Cajardo,  Land Transportation Office head of Gingoog City District,  as speaker. Among other things, she spoke about the need to make the public aware of keeping the roads safe. Lt. Col. Ariel I. Pontillas, the city’s chief of police, seconded this observation, saying that the city has the most number of vehicular accidents in the province of Misamis Oriental.  What brought the house down was when, in response to my question, she said women are more safety-conscious than male drivers; the men in the audience not surprisingly groaned in disbelief.

The club has some 30 members, mostly in their 40s, and engaged in  various businesses. Its newly elected officers  are Thaddeus Lugod, president; Noli Torres, vp; Rubio Lopez, secretary; Lemuel Valdevilla, treasurer; Besben Maquiso, executive secretary, and David Stephen Pascual, assistant governor.

Thad and Noli  took turns explaining the club’s projects. First is providing school supplies in two public elementary schools for many years, and sponsoring a dental clinic last Sunday. 

Last Sunday, with the support of Gingoog Mayor Eric Caniosa and Vice-Mayor Peter Unabia, the Rotary club joined Apo Kasoy Masonic Lodge in sponsoring a mobile dental clinic held in the basketball court in Barangay Kalagunoy, 22 kilometers north of Gingoog.  Six  dentists, members of the Philippine Dental Association of Agusan Norte chapter, spent a day off their busy dental schedules in Butuan City and extracted mostly molars of 20 children and adults in the barangay (population, 680, with 180 households). The dental team consisted of Drs. Rosept Ebarle-Bravo (NADC president), Rogelio Catapang, Maricel Dy, Ernesto Taclay, Eduardo Abacon, and Regil Duenas. 

The Apo Lodge is headed by Kent Patrick Lugod (a patient of Dr. Ebarle-Bravo whom he requested to bring her colleagues  to Gingoog), who came  with members Jesreel King de Torres, Maric Valdevilla, Judge Downey Valdevilla (ret.), Dominador Hernandez, Ervin Canosa and Crispin Hababag.  

I must mention that, on the initiative of Philippine Red Cross Governor Saeed Daof, a team from the city’s Red Cross chapter came with an ambulance and rescue vehicle. These joined the Department of Health bus that brought in  the dentists. The Red Cross team, made up of staffer Jennifer Magalona and volunteers,  took the blood pressure of the residents, to make sure they were well enough to undergo extractions (so far only one needed suturing of gums). The chapter administrator, Marlyn Avian, could not join her crew because of a previous engagement. 

The trip gifted us with the opportunity to visit the oolong and flower plantations in the barangay. Before we left we were served oolong tea, claimed by takers to help lower  blood pressure, treat diabetes and other pains and aches. Barangay Captain Marcial Dotaro took us  to Purok 5, a kilometer away from the center, to a large uphill area (more than 200 hectares) assigned by the national government  for planting the oolong plant. Three local boys had been sent to Taiwan to learn the mechanics of growing seedlings. The  mature leaves are harvested then processed in three machines to produce dark tea leaves that are sold in 10-gram sachets for P100. It takes a long time for the seedlings to grow, and there is a big demand for the product, Dotaro told us.

Then we drove to Puroks 1 to see  private plantations grown to breathtaking roses and chrysanthemums which are sold in Cagayan de Oro, Butuan and Gingoog flower markets. 

Except for the flower owners (who live in Gingoog), the barangay townsfolk live  simple lives, depending on the sale of  small crops of vegetables. Most of the houses are made of wooden slabs and corrugated iron roofing. But the children and women and men – at least the ones we saw walking in the streets looked happy, untroubled by the clutches of poverty and squabbling  prevailing in many places in the country.

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Privileged to be a Balik-Gingoog, I have been  appointed as  a member of the City Tourism Council. I’ve known  Audie Ocampo as a dedicated head of the city’s tourism department with bright ideas promoting  programs like the Kaliga and Lubi-Lubi festivals and Charter Day celebrations.  The tourism council, chaired by the energetic businessman Jose Bollozos, and the 28 members representing different sectors, is drawing up in-between activities.  Among these are the launching of the Binibining Gingoog pageant; the Little Mr & Miss Gingoog City, the May Santacruzan, photo and essay contests, a Mr. Gingoog competition (this is a new one, tickling the male members of the tourism council). This Saturday, a city-sponsored music and dance festival will be held at the city beach (no longer shall it be called Pahayahay); this will be the model for the city tourism council’s food and (band) music festival  to be held  Fridays and Saturdays, from 7 to 12 midnight, beginning Oct. 11 and 12. The weekend treat should draw tourists from the nearby municipalities, and, hopefully, says Bollozos, from Luzon and the Visayas. Another project is dressing up the Tatak commercial center in the old center of the city, with a sign saying, “Ato ni Gingoog”. 

A forthcoming attraction is the marathon to be held in December, which is already drawing hundreds of applications for participation by runners from different parts of the country. The marathon will have phases for the 42-kilometer runners, senior citizens and children.

To this column’s readers, come to Gingoog!

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