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| Featured Article |
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RCPS' Calayo Project: Dreams Do Work
April 12, 2009, Parañaque City
By D3830 PR Team, from the account of SAG Alex Yague |
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Calayo, a remote seaside Barangay in Nasugbu, Batangas, is an adopted community of RC Parañaque South (RCPS). Much like many other poor communities deprived of the modern comforts of living, it's people depend mainly on fishing for livelihood. RCPS built and donated a Community Livelihood Center and, for several years now, has been actively supporting Calayo to help uplift the lives of its residents, placing emphasis on environment, child care and education.
As a follow-up on the service activities conducted last December, D3830 clubs, led by RCPS, under the leadership of Pres. Ed Castillo, visited Calayo last March 28 to 30, 2009 to conduct livelihood seminars, dental services and launch a special program in ecology-friendly fishing practices. |
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Gov. Boyet Limon was present the whole time to lend a hand and provided the hospitality of his vacation house in Calayo to the visiting Rotarians. He also took them for a ride in his sailboat around the Batangas waters for their appreciation of the pristine beauty of this part of the country.
The project was made more meaningful by the participation of Rotary International Vice President Monty Audenart. Himself a dentist, Dr. Monty led the free dental service supported by 19 members of the Las Piñas Dental Society headed by its president, Dr. Belle Frondozo, wife of RGP Andrew Frondozo of RC Muntinlupa City Center, who also conducted a lecture on proper dental care to the children. The project team also turned over their donation of children's books to the delight of the Calayo kids. To commemorate RIVP Monty's visit to Calayo, one classroom for the Calayo Elementary School will be constructed in his honor by RCPS.
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| Other district officers who came to support the project were PDG Tony Quila, District Secretary Rene Aguirre and SAG Alex Yague, who also acted as the project's overall coordinator. The Calayo Project participating clubs and their Real Good Presidents are: |
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Club |
President |
Parañaque South (Lead Host) |
Ed Castillo |
Forbes Park |
Ed Escaño |
Las Piñas |
Boy Molina |
Makati Bonifacio |
Rick Loyola |
Makati Buendia |
Tony Ilagan |
Makati Cristo Rey |
Mon Favila |
Makati EDSA |
Jaz Rodriguez |
Makati Mckinley |
Bing Icamina |
Makati Nielsen |
DeoBC Cumarat |
Makati Poblacion |
Roman Leus |
Makati Uptown |
Mildred Vitangcol |
Muntinlupa Central |
Lilia Dinglasan |
Muntinlupa Filinvest |
Sweetie Gardiner |
Muntinlupa City Center |
Andrew Frondozo |
Parañaque Central |
Sonny Pilares |
Parañaque Lakambini |
Arlene Cañas |
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While the December activities covered learning seminars on environment protection (save the coral reef, save the Butanding (whale shark), anti-dynamite fishing) and child mortality reduction (feeding, medical service, water filter installation), this year's primary project activities were:
"Bantay" Fisheries
The program involved the organizing of the Calayo fisher folks into an environment-aware "Bantay Dagat" group who will help take care of the sea and guard it against illegal forms of fishing, such as using dynamites and cyanide, that are highly destructive to the marine eco-system. The members of the Calayo Bantay Fisheries group signed a memorandum of agreement that they will no longer engage in such destructive fishing methods.
In return, the D3830 Rotarians will make available fishing nets, bancas and boat engines on loan-basis, payable in two years without interest, to enable them to fish more effectively without resorting to illegal means. The program will follow the Grami System where five members availing the loan will guarantee each other until it's paid in full, and the funds made available to the next in line to avail the same. |
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To help them cope during the initial phase of the program, a fish shelter, locally referred to as "Payaw," will be constructed with the required materials to be funded by the participating Rotary clubs. Payaw is a structure made of fishing nets secured with bamboo poles and fashioned into an enclosure, but still allow free movement to the fishes who feed on palm leaves tied around on the nets. The residents may then be able to fish with hook and line for their daily consumption.
Livelihood Programs
Pres. DeoBC Cumarat of RC Makati Nielsen led the conduct of beauty parlor skills training for the Calayo women as a livelihood opportunity. A well respected beauty consultant to the rich and famous, Pres. DeoBC shared his professional experience and techniques in hairdressing, styling, cutting, manicure and pedicure services. He plans to put up a beauty center in Calayo to formally establish an income-generating shop for the trained beauticians, sustain a continuing training and help ensure the long term viability of the program.
Mrs. Gloria Campbell, the Filipina wife of Dupont Chairman Alex Campbell, has launched a jewelry-making training seminar, also intended for the women of Calayo as a livelihood activity. She is an avid jewelry-making enthusiast who finds joy in creating inexpensive, yet elegant jewelries made out of semi-precious stones and beads, making extra income while doing so. After training, Mrs. Campbell will be providing the materials and handle the distribution of produced jewelries at prestigious retail outlets. Mr. Alex Campbell, on the other hand, is an active environmentalist who takes time to mingle with rural folks at the grassroots level to teach them the proper ways of environment care. He has been supporting District 3830 in so many ways. |
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To ensure that the project team members are kept energized, PDG Joc-Joc Bolante sent a generous donation of sumptuous sea foods (crabs, lobsters, fresh fishes, etc.), while PE Imelda Sieteriales of RC Muntinlupa Filinvest tirelessly cooked for everyone during the 3-day activity.
Every Rotarians present surely enjoyed the heartwarming service activities in Calayo. But most certainly, they will, for a long time, treasure the joys of working and having fun together. |
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