Fiesta 2009

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Iriga City hosts 4th PAGSO confab

The 4th National Convention of the Philippine Association of General Services Officers (PAGSO) will be hosted by Iriga City on May 13-17, 2009. The convention’s theme for this year is “PAGSO’s Responsive on Global Challenges in the midst of Climate Change”

Mayor Madelaine Alfelor-Gazmen welcomed the challenges involved in an undertaking of this magnitude as she mobilized all the department’s of the city government to ensure the success of the gathering. All hotels, restaurants and other business establishments were also briefed on the upcoming event as the city expects more than 500 delegates from 79 provinces composing the 17 regions of the Philippines. Previous conventions were held in the premiere locations of Quezon City, Palawan and Cebu City.

Invited for the affair are Senator Manny Villar, Congressman Felix “Nancing” Alfelor, Gov. Joey Salceda of Albay, Mayor Jessie Robredo of Naga City, Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez and former DBM Secretary Emilia Boncodin.

The convention will be held at the City Plaza Hotel which was the old Ibalon Hotel. A modern convention hall is being constructed right in front of the Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto and expected to be finished just in time for the event’s opening on May 13.

The PAGSO secretariat praised the local government for its cooperation and unwavering commitment as evidenced by the enthusiasm of Mayor Madel and her department heads during the initial conferences between the PAGSO National Secretariat and their local counterparts.

from Bicol Mail

Bulalakaw

Amay na inab'tan
sa tungka
a mata ka uliling gab-i.
Bulan nang gimata
sa langit;
Kiritkirit na nangagsisiritsit.

Liwanag na malumlom,
mangasul
na para inoram sa aldow,
mga pisog, nakabitin
a langit
nakatan-aw na mga bituon.

Sa isip, nagkurit
sa gab-i
mga pisog na nangagka-urolog
mga bungang nagkindat
sa pisngi,
mga luwang nagturo sa buot.

-ni Jonher Amoroso Canieba-

PERFECT EXAMPLE OF LAKAS NG LOOB...

Pinadara adi ku pinsan ko and it reminded me of an experience i had a couple of months ago, so i thought it would be nice to post it here.
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PERFECT EXAMPLE OF LAKAS NG LOOB...

Bill Gates organized an enormous session to recruit a new
Chairman for Microsoft Europe.

5000 candidates
assembled in a large room.

One candidate was
MARIO DIMAYUGA,a filipino.

Bill Gates: "Thank you for coming. Those who do not
know JAVA may leave."

2,000 people left the room.

MARIO said to himself, "I do not know JAVA but I have nothing to
lose if I stay. I'll give it a try."

Bill Gates: "Candidates who never had experience of
managing more than 100 people may leave."

2000 people left the room.

Mario said to himself, "I never managed anybody but myself but I have nothing to lose if I stay. What can happen to me?" So he stayed.

Bill Gates: "Candidates who do not have management diplomas may leave."

500 people left the room.

Mario said to himself, "I left school at 15 but what have I got to
lose?" So he stayed in the room.

Lastly, Bill Gates asked the candidates who do not speak
Serbo- Croat to leave.

498 people left the room.

Mario says to himself, "I do not speak one word of Serbo-Croat but
what do I have to lose?"

So he stayed and found himself with one other candidate.

Everyone else had gone.

Bill Gates joined them and said "Apparently you two are the only candidates who speak Serbo-Croat, so I'd now like to hear you converse in that language."

Calmly, Mario turned to the other candidate and said,

"Kumusta ka, pare ko."

The other candidate answered,
"Mabuti naman, ikaw?"

YEARS OF CHAMPIONING CAREGIVERS' CAUSE PAYS OFF*

Pura Velasco has been waiting 20 years for this day.

Since her arrival in Canada as a foreign caregiver in 1989, the 59-year-old Filipina has been advocating for the rights of desperate foreign caregivers in Canada.

Yesterday, that work was vindicated.

When Ontario Minister of Labour Peter Fonseca rose in the Legislature to announce his government is introducing legislation to protect exploited caregivers, the soft-spoken, 4-foot-11 Velasco saw years of volunteer work finally pay off.

"After so many years of believing something would happen, I still could not believe it," she said.

Almost immediately after her arrival in Toronto in 1989 from Vienna, where she was a migrant caregiver, Velasco took on the cause of her Filipina compatriots in Canada.

"I was already a student activist in (the Philippines). It's something I cannot stand if I know that the rights of other people are being disrespected.

"Your heart will tell you that you can't let it go, and that you have to challenge the oppressor."

A year later, Velasco was appearing before a standing committee

in Ottawa voicing concerns about the lack of protection for foreign caregivers.

Over the past decade, the widowed Velasco has confronted federal politicians, led rallies, organized meetings and rescued nannies from abusive homes.

She has gone to court to help frightened nannies state their cases to judges, and has also sat on federal committees pushing for legislative change.

"I have no regrets. A lot of people would be tempted to back down because it took so long for government officials to act. It's not fair at all. But it's all really, really worth it now."

- Dale Brazao, Robert Cribb
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*This article was taken from and was originally published in http://www.thestar.com/