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Showing posts with label Siruma. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Siruma. Show all posts

Monday, May 28, 2012

Babangon ang Siruma, Babangon ang Pilipinas

Isang nakakabinging panawagan ang pumukaw saaming lahat. Dala-dala ang malalaking bag, pusong busog sa pagmamahal, sariling handang magtaya ng kahit na ano para sa iba at isang boteng tubig, kami ay tumungo sa Siruma, Camarines Sur. 
Paul, Dhang, JP, Dhang, Rommel, Neng and Mikmik
Buwis buhay na experience and dinaanan namin papuntang Siruma. 
Mas bonus pang hampas ng mga halaman at malakas na buhos ng ulan. 

Dalawang batang BAYANI. 
Walang pinipiling edad ang pagsisilbi at pagbabahagi sa iba. 

We spent two days to prepare for the activity. 
We divided our group so that we could maximize our energies. Pero syempre, expect the unexpected. 
Dami agad changes, troubleshoot dito, troubleshoot jan. Biyahe dito, biyahe doon.
Pero lahat di sumusuko. Watching my KUYA's and ATE's work to make everything okay
is so moving. Sa isang newbie na katulad ko, nakaka-inspire yun.


Gawad Kalinga Volunteers work as if it's their first build, as if it's their first travel, as if lahat first.
Ibang klase ang energy level na galing sa puso, hindi nauubos, hindi nakakasawa.  

Tumulo ang mga pawis at luha habang tulong-tulong naming hinahanapan ng solusyon ang konting mga 
challenges na dumating.   

Isang mahapding kurot sa puso ang yakapin ang problema ng mga kababayan natin, pero lahat naman ay nasusulusyunan. Lahat naman ay nahahanapan ng paraan. 

Yun na nga, parang ang bilis ng araw at Day 0 na ng
 Save Siruma Build. 
We welcomed more or less 200 KBs and Volunteers from different Gawad Kalinga Villages of Cam.Sur.


Lahat hindi paawat na tumulong at magbahagi para sa iba. Katulad ng dinaan namin, hindi naging madali ang biyahe ng mga volunteers papuntang Siruma. 

Sinalubong sila ng malalaking alon, napakainit na araw at kumakalam na sikmura.
Mahirap, napakahirap, pero lahat ay nagsakripisyo upang matupad ang misyon na muling ibangon ang Siruma.

Sinalubong kaming lahat ng napakagandang tanawin. Indeed, the Philippines is the most beautiful place in the world.
(Taas bangko award ako sa statement na yan), pero totoo naman :)


San Miguel Bay


Pacific Ocean 

But more than this beautiful view is the reality that in the middle of this paradise, there are Filipino families who are in need of our help and assistance. 




Totoo, minsang mawawalan tayo ng gana na 
titigan ang mga ganitong pangyayari.
Sira-sirang bahay, komunidad na walang tubig at kuryente. 

Ngunit, patuloy na magbibigay ng pag-asa ang bawat isa saatin.

Napakagandang titigan na sa likod ng mga problema ng kahirapan, 
may mga taong handang magtaya ng sarili sa iba at sa bayan.

Sabi nga ng isang KB: "Tumutulong ako ngayon, kasi noon, ako naman yung tinulungan". Yun yun. 

Sino ang nagsabing hindi na uso ang BAYANIHAN?
Iba't ibang lugar ngunit iisang PUSO. Tunay kayong mga BAYANING PILIPINO.
Babangon ang Pilipinas. Ngayon na!



Lahat ng pawis na tumutulo ay galing saaming mga puso. - Patrick, GK Balatas

Lahat ay may mga ngiti sa mga labi, ang Siruma ay
napuno ng mga maliligaya at mapagmahal na puso, lahat sila'y tunay na BAYANING PILIPINO.

Hindi natapos ang lahat sa paggawa ng bahay.



Kasama ang mga bata, lahat ng mga GK Volunteers ay sumigaw:
Gawad Kalinga - Isang Milyong Bayani.
Isang Milyong Bayani - Walang Iwanan!

Ang boses ng mga batang ito ay parang gasolinang nagpaalab pa lalo sa apoy saaming mga puso. Lahat ay ginanahang magtrabaho. 

Habang nagpipinta, sinabi ko saaking sarili: I'm painting this house not for myself but for these kids. Sabi nila, kulang na ang oras, pero ano ba ang imposible kung tayong lahat ay magtutulungan?




Patuloy tayo sa paggawa ng mga komunidad ng pagkakaisa.

Gawad Kalinga is re-empowering and re-building the Philippines, one house, one community at a time.

Sa bawat pukpok ng pako, sa bawat halo ng simento, sa bawat hallow block na pasan, isang pamilyang Pilipino ang tinutulungan na makaahon sa kahirapan. 

The whole activity was ended by a boodle fight.
Ito ang pinaka-masarap na kainan na napuntahan ko. Para saakin mas mahalaga pa ito sa kainan sa isang magarang restaurant.
Dito ang mga kasama mo ay mga tunay na tao, dito ang mga kasama mo ay mga tunay na bayani.



Found a home in Gawad Kalinga. 
Sana'y patuloy tayong maging bukas sa mga panawagan ng Panginoon 
para magsilbi.

Sa kahit na anong paraan, sa kahit saang lugar, sa kahit na anong pangyayari, ang puso ng isang mapagmahal na Pilipino ang iiral.

Patuloy akong maniniwala na babangon ang Siruma, 
BABANGON ang Pilipinas.






Photos:
Dhang Tecson, Gawad Kalinga
Paul Tamisin Garcia, Gawad Kalinga
Leah Patrocinio-Dizon, GK - Bongliw





Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Ma ma ma MY SIruma


 
Finally! Got the chance to enjoy the summer vacation. Our destination: the beautiful paradise of Siruma, my hometown, my hiding place, my love.
 
It was Friday the 13th when we decided to finally leave Naga. Original plan was to take the fuso (boat) to Siruma via Tinambac port but for some mystical and dark reasons of this superstitious day, we were convinced to ride the jeep to Siruma which took 8 lovely hours from our supposedly 2-hour trip.

 
 

The powerful jeep. 
 
It was a fun and exciting 8-hour trip. We got the chance to see the beautiful view of Tinambac and Siruma. More than this, the trip made me realize how inefficient and ineffective the government of the 3rd district was in implementing road construction projects.


 

 Ralph's EPIC FAIL moment.
 

 The road may be exciting for us but I know this is a serious issue to the locals of Tinambac and Siruma.


 Nonetheless, Ralph, Marlon and I had fun riding the jeep on the "topload".


The 8-hr rough road trip was all worth it! We were welcomed by a beautiful view of 
San Miguel Bay and the Pacific Ocean.

San Miguel Bay (LEFT) - Pacific Ocean (RIGHT)

DAY 2

Devoted the whole day to have an intimate bonding with the SEA.
I've been always proud of our beach. As soon as we arrive at Amuris Resort
 (government-owned - open-to-all resort) I heard my friends saying - WOW! Beautiful! etc.
Ahhh. Ayos! Nagustuhan rin nila.

 

 

 

Say what? This isn't Boracay and will never be Boracay. This is only in SIRUMA! :)


Marlon and Ralph


Me and Edda

 

Marlon, our beautiful mermaid. 

LOVELY SEA! Good thing about this place: UNTOUCHED by irresponsible tourist.

Ended the night with some sort of a meeting with the Mayor. Happy to know that she's pro-environment.
Would be helping her implement some environmental programs for Siruma. I'm excited!

Gin and Chippy accompanied us all night.
 Kuya Joan (Mama's powerful right hand) was so strict. He didn't allow us to HOHOL outside the house.

DAY 3


Again, a special reunion with the sea. 



 

 So sad. We didn't got the chance to visit the other resort, Angelica, which is managed by my kinakapitid.
Siruma is giving us more reasons to really go back.

After this, we went home and had a feast! Edda and Kuya Joan (oooy <3) cooked ginataang bangkulis, prinitong bangkulis,
and pancit. We also got a special package from Coke. Haha. Thank you Coke! #Chos

We took the 1.5-hr fuso trip back to Naga, way way way shorter than jeep trip.


Some notes:
 1. You don't need a lot of money to enjoy the lovely Siruma. 
2. People are very nice especially Kuya Joan (nice Edda), Patrick (nice Marlon), Phillip (nice Ralph) and more.
3. Ginebra San Miguel is an awesome drink. It drives the locals crazy! HAHAHA
4. Bring toothbrush. You can't HOHOL if KWAYTIANGMAWTMELCH. (mabaho ang bibig mo) :))
5. Love the environment. Mother Earth has special ways of saying THANKS to those who love her.

Will miss you, Siruma! Until we meet again. I will always be proud of you! 

  


Nagmamahal,

RAMBOY :D
(Ramboy is my nickname in Siruma. It is the only place where I openly appreciate this "manly" nickname")

Photos: Marlon Martirez