Last March 27 and 28, 2009, the Rotary Club of Hundred Islands and Rotaract Club of PASS College joined the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office of the Municipality of Mabini, Pangasinan for an outreach at the Sitios of Dalupang, Talahib, Tambobong, Capontian and Tubey, all at Barangay Villacorta, Mabini, Pangasinan.
The trip started early morning of March 27, 2009 at the municipal hall grounds of Mabini. The 4 x 4 vehicle from Dalupang arrived to fetch the whole delegation. Upon arrival, it was loaded with non-prescription medicines, slippers and mosquito nets for the outreach from Rotary in addition to the individual baggages.
With the heavy downpour the night before, the vehicle chose to take the Infanta route to get to Talahib. It took four (4) hours travel passing through the interior barangays of Infanta up to its boundary in Barangay Pita which borders with Sitio Tambobong of Barangay Villacorta. It took two (2) hours to reach the boundary of Infanta and Mabini.
Somewhere after passing the boundary into Villacorta, an old woman of certain igorot tribe offered the taste of tapey, rice wine, made of red variety of rice. She shared the story that she and her two (2) children came from the highlands but the younger perished in an accident while ferrying their rice produce to the rice mill in Barangay Pita.
It took another two (2) hours of climbing and going down mountain trails before the vehicle finally reached the school grounds of Elementary School of Talahib and Dalupang situated in the sitio Talahib of Barangay Villacorta, Mabini. The host families were already preparing for the lunch for the graduation of Day Care Center pupils.
Before the graduation ceremonies, the Rotary Club of Hundred Islands and Rotaract Club of PASS College distributed the non-prescription medicines to the forty four (44) families from sitios of Dalupang, Talahib, Tambobong, Capontian and Tubey. As their were only thirty (30) pairs of slippers and six (6) pieces of mosquito nets, the distribution was by drawing of lots. Hundred Islands Rotary President Henry Onia was given the opportunity to introduce the Rotary Club and the projects it undertakes. As the radio signal of DzWM 864 kHz reaches the place, he invited the people to listen to his legal affairs program every 1:00 to 1:30 in the afternoon, from Monday to Saturday. Thereafter, the lunch of adobong manok was served.
The graduation ceremonies of the Day Care Center pupils followed with Rotarian Franklin Delano Braganza, in his capacity as Municipal Councilor served as the Guest of Honor and Speaker. The theme for the graduation ceremonies is “My education: My contribution to the Future.” The Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWD) represented the Department of Education in accepting the graduates. They will be enrolling as Grade I pupils by the coming school year in June.
After the graduation ceremonies, pictures for the Senior Citizen identification cards were taken. This outreach is an opportune time to update the records of the municipality on the senior citizens and other concerns of the MSWD. Pictures were also taken on their respective tribal councils.
In preparation for the graduation of elementary pupils the following day, the electric generator and the sound system has to be brought from Dalupang to Talahib. It was already dark when the generator set arrived. It was an opportunity to charge cellular phones which went low on batteries.
The dinner was roasted pork and lauya of the pigs four feet. Entertainment with tribal dances followed. The tribes of Ibaloy, Kankanaey and Kalinga have different tribal dances. Despite their difference in tribes, they have strong unity while sojourning in the highlands of Mabini. Rotarian Frank brought out his bottles of GSM blue which was coupled with the local tapey. The celebration stayed until the early part of the morning.
Day two – March 28, 2009. Graduation ceremonies of the Elementary School of Dalupang and Talahib. The group stayed until after lunch to witness the graduation ceremonies of six (6) pupils. Rotarian Frank Braganza served as the Guest of Honor and Speaker and the Mabini MSWD took the place of the Department of Education.
As a Commencement Speech, Rotarian Frank emphasized on the advantages of taking up further education beyond elementary. As a budding politician, he would propose to the Municipal Council the high school scholarship of these six (6) graduates.
To complete the morning rituals, the group took a refreshing dip at a nearby river. The breakfast of adobong pork and ginisang baguio beans was served.
A trek to the “Ules ti Serena” (The Mermaid’s Quilt) was launched by the Balincaguin Cave Conservation team which took one hour and thirty minutes of hiking to reach. The trek revealed the hidden beauty of the river in every bend. The municipality could also promote a mountain biking challenge and nature camping to the place.
After the graduation ceremonies, lunch of adobong manok, adobong baboy and dinardaraang pinaputok was served. The driver took a nap until 2:00 in the afternoon to prepare for the long haul back to Mabini.
The trip home took the Labrador exit. It took another four (4) hours to reach Mabini municipal grounds. The Labrador route is characterized by a steady climb up to 800 feet above sea level at the communication tower in an interior barangay of Labrador which will takes about two (2) hours aboard the 4 x 4 vehicle. This is followed by a long descent to Barangay Kadampat in Labrador.
As there are no other vehicles going in and out of Dalupang, the Rotaract Club of PASS College headed by incoming President Miguel Ison could not meet the requirement of their school to report right after lunch. Hundred Islands Rotary President Henry R. Onia nearly missed the grand ball of the Seselangen Barangay Fiesta.
Walang komento:
Mag-post ng isang Komento