MAASIN ANTI-SMOKING ADVOCACY MANAGEMENT
By Maloney L. Samaco
Maasin City Mayor
I launched our anti-smoking campaign on World No-Tobacco Day on May 31, 2009. It was a Monday and during the flag ceremony I destroyed two reams of Marlboro blue seal before the employees of the city hall. The cigarettes were cut by scissors one by one and dumped into the trash bins. It ushered a formal declaration of a massive advocacy on the ill effects of tobacco smoking. Before that, the campaign was introduced by the World Health Organization and the Department of Health during a seminar on our health personnel on April 29, 2009 at Sabin Resort Hotel, Ormoc City.
Maasin Anti-Smoking Advocacy Movement began. What followed were a series of smoking cessation seminars in coordination with the DOH and the Bloomberg Foundation. I initiated the posting of No Smoking stickers on motorcabs. We conducted announcement using public address system on public places informing the people that our anti-smoking program is on. Our Healthy City Enforcers informed public utility vehicles at checkpoints of the anti-smoking laws implemented by the city government, especially on visitors and tourists.
We had conducted information drive in all barangays on Republic Act No. 9211, "An Act Regulating The Packaging, Use, Sale, Distribution and Advertisements of Tobacco Products and Other Purposes" and City Ordinance No. 2009-042 "The Smoke-Free Ordinance of the City of Maasin, Southern Leyte." Anti-smoking campaign were also conducted to all drivers of public utility vehicles including motorcabs and pedicabs.
The Seventh day Adventists supported us in our seminars. During their Visayas Youth Assembly held at Maasin City Forest Park, Adventists from all parts of the Visayas, including their pastors, manifested their appreciation on our political will to campaign our people against smoking. The Church continued supporting our endeavors through their prayers and always inspired us to continue our cause for the good health of our constituents
All other religious denominations through the association of the different pastors in Maasin, showed their support by inviting me in one of their meetings. They pledged their support by inspiring their church members to refrain from smoking. The program also earned the support of the Muslim community through their imam.
Of course the biggest inspiration came from the dominant Roman Catholic Church and religious organizations like Knights of Columbus and Gawad Kalinga who showed undying support to our advocacy.
Non-government organizations, civic clubs and private establishments helped us in our campaign by posting tarpaulins urging people to quit smoking. These includes pictures on the ill effects of tobacco. We removed cigarette advertisements, including billboards and signages.
The Maasin City Jail became a smoke-free city jail, the first in Region 8 and probably in the whole Philippines. It was not an easy task controlling smoking in a place where suspected criminals and convicts are housed. At first inmates protested and threatened to stage a hunger strike. I explained that it is for their own good. Non-smokers suffered much the consequences in a congested prison cell if smoking is tolerated. Later the Bureau of Jail and Management Penology (BJMP) Regional Director ordered that all jails in Eastern Visayas should follow the example of Maasin City.
I campaigned on all city employees to stop smoking. Certificate of non-smoker is required for all employees, permanent, casual or job order. Those who could not quit right away were required to undergo smoking cessation seminars. A single cigarette butt in the city hall is very rare. Even people who transacted business at the city hall were barred from smoking in the city hall premises. Employees wear badges "Serbisyong Walay Sigarilyo."
Maasin City College, owned and operated by the city government, is now the number one smoke-free college campus in Eastern Visayas and was awarded by the DOH. Mere position of cigarette, match or lighter in the MCC campus is strictly prohibited.Maasin City Forest Park at Sitio Danao, Malapoc Norte, where the Maasin City Zoo is situated, is declared as a smoke-free zone. In one activity participated by delegates all over the country, during the Boy Scouts of the
Philippines 7th National Rover Moot and One-Visayas Jamboree all participants, adult leaders and visitors were prohibited from smoking.
Motorcabs' and pedicabs' franchises were not renewed if they did not print No Smoking signs inside their vehicles. Smoking is strictly prohibited in public utility vehicles and in public places such as plaza, market, terminal, schools, hospitals, clinics, restaurants and other covered places. Public place is defined as a place where people converge including streets.
I was able to convince the management of the provincial hospital especially smoking doctors to refrain from their vices especially if patients could view them smoking. Besides the Province of Southern Leyte has passed an ordinance declaring the province as smoke-free. A smoking area was also designated in the cockpit.
Tobacco advertisements and promotions were prohibited. Tarpaulins showing the ill effects of a smoker's body and campaigning people to quit smoking abound the streets and public places instead.
Maasin won its first Red Orchid Award given by the Department of Health in coordination with the World Health Organization and the Bloomberg Foundation on May 31, 2010. Red orchid is the most sensitive of all varieties of orchids. When there's smoke due to pollution or cigarette, it withers. Maasin City is one of the only five local government units awarded the Red Orchid which include Davao City, Legaspi City, Talisayan in Misamis Oriental and Calauag in Quezon.
The search by the DOH is joined by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Civil Service Commission (CSC) in its quest for Kalusugang Pangkalahatan or Universal Health Care, living a healthy lifestyle in an environment free from tobacco smoke.
The DOH Red Orchid Awards winners are judged based on the strength of comprehensive efforts to implement a 100% Tobacco-Free Environment using the World Health Organization MPOWER initiative. MPOWER is an acronym that denotes the six proven tobacco control policies, namely: Monitor tobacco use and prevention policies; Protect people from tobacco smoke; Offer help to quit tobacco use; Warn against the dangers of tobacco; Enforce bans on tobacco advertising; and Raise taxes on tobacco.
The following year on May 31, 2011, Maasin City led all cities in receiving its second Red Orchid Award. Davao City, Roxas City, Balanga City and Legaspi City also were awarded. There were also 13 municipalities who received the Red Orchid, including Pintuyan and Naval, who conducted seminars and learned the techniques in Maasin.
During the awarding, I met Running Priest Father Robert Reyes, a staunch advocate of anti-smoking. In his runs, he spread the word on the killer effects of tobacco. We had conducted also our Takbo Kontra Tabako on May 23, 2011 one day before my birthday. It was a run for a cause and all the proceeds were given as financial assistance to victims of tobacco-related diseases.
We have promoted the No Smoking Home and gave stickers to residencial houses who wanted to make their houses smoke-free. The Blue Ribbon award was given to smoke free private establishments and the private sector who assisted us in our advocacy. We also conducted a search for Outstanding Smoke-Free Barangays or the Barangay Red Orchid Awards, following the format of the DOH Red Orchids Award.
We have established three smoking cessation clinics, at the City Health Offices I, II and III at Barangays Asuncion, San Rafael, and Manhilo, respectively. Smoking is considered as the fifth vital sign of a patient in our health offices, centers and stations. The Smoking Cessation Clinic is established at the Office of the City Mayor.
Volunteers' training was conducted to recruit anti-smoking volunteers among students, barangay tanods, Sangguniang Kabataan officials and members, and out-of-school youths and they were issued identification cards.
On May 29, 2012, Maasin City won the Hall of Fame by getting the third Red Orchid Award together with the other Hall of Famers Davao City, Legaspi City, Calauag in Quezon and Talisayan in Misamis Oriental at the Philippine International Convention Center, Pasay City. We were awarded a P500,000 project grant on tobacco control for us who won for three consecutive years.
There was DOH Caraga Region who conducted studies in Maasin. Four municipalites of Biliran and two of Southern Leyte became recipients of our seminar-trainings. The masteral students of Southwestern University from Cebu conducted their lakbay aral primarily to learn how effective the anti-tobacco program of Maasin is. Nursing students from different schools made a survey on our people on the lessening or quitting of their smoking habits.
DOH Calabarzon also visited Maasin for an educational tour. The Philippine Ports Authority also came to learn on how to make the ports tobacco free. I was invited by Tacloban City to conduct a seminar on their enforcers on how to implement the anti-smoking law.
I campaigned anti-smoking thoroughly to all barangay captains and other officials. A Barangay Red Orchid Award was conducted with big prizes awaiting the winners in the urban and rural category.
The 2012 Eastern Visayas Regional Athletic Association meet in Maasin became the first ever smoke-free EVRAA. Coaches, trainers and officials are prohibited from smoking to show good examples to their athletes.
When Maasin hosted the National Boxing Championships on February last year and the Batang Pinoy Visayas Qualifying Leg on September of last year. Both events were participated in by delegations from all parts of the county and were declared smoke-free, the first in the history of the two sporting events in the country.
I visited the different schools of the city and campaigned room to room on pupils and students. I warned them of the law prohibiting minors on buying cigarettes and cautioned them not to buy tobacco when told by thier fathers, uncles, grandfathers, and other elders. I also urged the children to tell their elders to quit smoking because of their concern for their health. I closed three stores who were selling cigarettes near the schools.
In a great show of political will and to show how serious we are in our anti-smoking campaign, I suspended all permits for the selling of cigarettes in the entire city. This is to give thorough investigation on the distances of stores from hospitals, medical, dental and optical clinics, health centers, nursing homes, dispensaries, laboratories, gas stations and storage areas, daycare centers, schools and colleges. I closed stores selling cigarettes near the schools. We do this for the concern of the health of our constituents especially the wives, mothers and children who are greatly affected by second-hand smoke.
Our campaign is primarily against the most common legal addictive drug, and that's the cigarette. In Maasin, we consider smoking as a form of addiction. While marijuana is medicinal, it is banned because of its addictive nature. And smoking is considered a habit forming vice, bad for the health, bad for the pocket, and bad for the future of our children. Smoking is considered as the first step towards drug addiction.
Sabado, Marso 29, 2014
Sabado, Marso 22, 2014
7TH STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS
FEBRUARY 17, 2014 8:00 A.M.
MAASIN CITY GYM
Thank you Madam Presiding Officer. City Vice Mayor Effie Abiera Sabandal, Members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod, SP Secretariat led by Maam Emma Rojas, SP Secretary, heads of offices, city employees, workers of the national line agencies, teachers and students of Maasin City College, punong barangays and kagawads, members of the media, members of the business community, private sector and nongovernment organizations, members of my family especially my Valentine Chona Samaco, visitors, ladies and gentlemen good morning.
Last year 2013 may not be a lucky year for some places, but as I have repeatedly declared, 13 is our lucky number. We were reelected by a landslide victory on May 13, 2013. I was lucky to have my golden birthday and silver wedding last year. And we were spared from big calamites and disasters last year.
Blue also was our lucky color. It is the color of the clear sky and the deep sea. It is the color most commonly associated with harmony, faithfulness, and confidence. True blue is an expression which means faithful and loyal. A bride in a wedding is encouraged to wear "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue," as a sign of loyalty and faithfulness. It is the color associated with Mama Mary. It was said that right after Yolanda, Maasin was covered by the color blue.
BUSINESS BOOM CITY
In 2013, business establishments kept increasing in Maasin City. It is evidenced by the increase in business tax collections that we had last year. In 2012, business taxes collected amounted to P16,570,249.31 and in 2013 it surged to P23,571,941.46. The increase was P7,001,692.15 or 41%. Real property tax collection increased by P1,032,882.28 or 11%. Fees and other charges collections increased by P1,185,708.86 or 15%. Economic enterprises yielded an increase of P638,916.51 or 3%.
Overall, the Office of the City Treasurer collected a total income of P62,997,166.66 or an improvement of P9,859,199.80 or 18% increase. This is attributed to the consumers from other cities and towns coming to Maasin City. The city is also embarking on an aggressive tax campaign in all barangays. We have also closed 10 delinquent business establishments who did not heed the call for the settlement of their obligations.
The demand for more consumer products in Maasin kept growing since more and more buyers from Leyte and Southern Leyte trooped to our city. We need to invite more department stores to open in Maasin City to answer the inflating needs of customers.
As of December 31, 2012, the total assessed value taxable for real properties is P606,016,610. As of June 30, 2013, the RPT assessed value taxable amounted to P676,757,620. For an increase of P70,741,010 in assessed value taxable or 11.67% increase. That's how valuable the land, buildings, and machineries in Maasin City are.
WHY WHY WHY YOLANDA
She was named Yolanda, feminine in name yet super masculine in strength. For she was a Super Typhoon which struck Visayas that uneventful morning on Friday, November 8, 2013. Yolanda or Haiyan as known internationally has gained infamy as the strongest storm ever known on record to make landfall. We fought Yolanda by giving intense warning three days before and implemented forced evacuation on hard-headed residents along the shore and rivers and landslide-prone areas. Disaster risk reduction management council worked immediately. Everybody worked hand-in-hand including the police, firemen, rescuers, maintenance men, health workers, social workers, and barangay folks.
Yolanda's average strength of 315 kph during landfall surpassed the previous record set in 1969 by Hurricane Camille, which registered 306 kph winds when it landed in Mississippi in the United States.
Though we received a Signal No. 4, Maasin City and even Southern Leyte had zero casualty, but Tacloban and Leyte were not as lucky. About 10,000 people perished there. Storm surge was not anticipated and it damaged houses and buildings and swept people away. Tsunami-like waves engulfed the city trapping several residents. In our city, we distributed relief to 3,000 families and cleared all roads of trees and debris. But we helped Tacloban and Leyte amidst our own clearing operations. Their injury is bigger and more brutal. They needed more supporters in their cause to survive. But just like what Manny Pacquiao cried after his devastating KO loss to Juan Manuel Marquez, Eastern Visayas shouts to the whole world: "We will rise again." And he did by beating Brandon Rios.
For Tacloban, Ormoc, Leyte and Samar its just like starting over again. I went to Tacloban and Ormoc handing out donations to Mayor Alfred Romualdez and
Mayor Edward Codilla. Our city was the first LGU to deliver relief goods to Ormoc in cooperation with the Gawad Kalinga three days after Yolanda hit the city. We also sent our rescue team to help in the retrieval operations of cadavers in Tacloban where they were able to retrieve 128 dead bodies and placed inside bodybags. Another team was sent to Tacloban to assist DSWD in packing of the relief goods. The Maasin Cooperative Development Council distributed 1,000 food packs at Tanuaun, Leyte. I also traveled to Guiuan, Eastern Samar and gave some relief.
Several government and nongovernment organizations from Maasin helped the Yolanda stricken areas. The city was always there to assist especially in transportation. We also let them borrow our water purifier machine and our fire truck.
Pickupline:
Boy: Dai, si Yolanda ka ba?
Girl: Bakit?
Boy: Na storm surge ang puso ko sayo.
Boy: Ibibili kita ng salbabida
Girl: Bakit?
Boy: Malulunod ka sa baha ng pagmamahal ko.
ITS MORE FUN IN MAASIN CITY
Our Vision states that we envision Maasin City as the center of sports excellence, eco-recreation and pilgrimage in this part of the Visayas.
The number of tourist arrivals in Maasin City ballooned from 48,093 in 2012 to 181,008 tourists in 2013. These include guests in our hotels, pension houses and resorts. This does not include the unrecorded visitors of our city.
Our festivals were the Sakay-sakay Festival in January, Pabulhon and Ajonay festival in August, and Christmas Song and Dance and Parol Festival in December. However because of Yolanda, the December Festivals were cancelled.
Since the time of our great-grandparents, fluvial procession or sakay-sakay has been a tradition every January as part of the festivities of the Holy Child Sto. Niño. The Sinulog celebration in Cebu welded its influence to Maasin since the original Sto. Niño image was brought by Ferdinand Magellan as a gift to Rajah Humabon and Queen Juana. The sinulog festivities spread to the different parts of the Visayas and the whole country, including Maasin.
Sinulog celebrations in Maasin at the start were only limited to drum beats and dances at the church premises. Then families began to celebrate the occasion in their respective homes. Then clans organized panaaran or devotion to the Holy Child whom they believe to shower graces and blessings.
The Knighthawks organized street dancing contests along the streets of Maasin which culminate in dance presentations at the Anatalio Gaviola Plaza. But due to financial constraints it was stopped. Without the Sinulog dance contests the fluvial processions continued to grace the seas of Maasin every third Sunday of the year. It was the official church declared feast day for Senor Sto. Niño and no longer the original January 15.
Then came the time when the city government revived the contests for Sakay-sakay with pumpboat and banca categories, icon decoration, and higante contests and later on dance presentations.
There was a time when Maasin became a new city and it sent contingents to the Cebu Sinulog Grand Parade. That was during the Mardi Gras in 2001, 2002 and 2003. However, there were clamors for improving the Sto. Niño festivities in Maasin rather than spending millions to Cebu City. Thus the Sakay-sakay Festival was institutionalized as the premier religious festival in the city. In fact, it is now the number one Holy Child Fluvial Festival in Region 8.
Held every Charter Day and Fiesta Celebration, Pabulhon Festival showcases the agricultural and aqua-marine products of the different barangays in Maasin.
The term pabulhon comes from the original Maasinhon word bulhon meaning cooperation, volunteerism, unity and helping one another. In Tagalog it means bayanihan.
The farmers of the olden times had no modern tractors or farm implements. So they had to resort to grouping themselves and take turns in working as a cluster to ease up the effort in cleaning and planting in a member’s farm. They did this until all the farms of the colleagues had been worked at.
Thus the essence of the Pabulhon Festival is the teamwork done in promoting agri-aqua products. During the fair, booths were being set up by cluster of barangays, they display their agricultural produce for viewing and selling. There were contests on the biggest, longest, heaviest crops or fruits called pinaka contest. To add color and glamor to the fair, garden shows are also set up to showcase the plant and flower industry of the city.
Usually the fair opens on the 9th of August or the day before the Charter Day Celebration at the Anatalio Gaviola Plaza. In 2008, the guest of honor in the first day was Senator Manny Villar. In 2009, the ribbon was cut by no less than President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo during its opening.
On the 10th of August, the Pabulhon games are conducted in the afternoon. It usually consists of coconut husking, abaca stripping, cooking, tuba drinking, regatta, piglet catching, carabao racing, among other contests. It is participated in by farmers, fisherfolks, rural improvement club members and barangay officials.
On the 16th of August, the awarding ceremony is held. Contest winners of the Pabulhon Games are awarded usually with cash prizes. Booth champions including the pinaka contest winners are also recognized. The garden show winners are also identified.
On the 15th of August, the feast day of Our Lady of Assumption, the Ajonay Festival entertains the thousands of visitors, pilgrims and tourists along the streets of the poblacion. It culminates at the City Gym where they present their dance festivals. Ajonay is a Maasinhon term which means unity, solidarity and teamwork, in the words of Governor Roger Mercado. Ajonay has its own drum beat and dance steps which were officially adopted based on the collaboration of choreographers from Maasin and Cebu.
During Christmas, the mechanized Santa Claus effigy riding a mechanized moving sleigh attracts children from all parts of the city and the neighboring towns. A belen or Christmas nativity scene is also assembled consisting of characters with moving parts at the city hall.
Pickupline:
Boy: Kung ako'y pamasahe, ikaw naman ay gasolina.
Girl: Bakit?
Boy: Ikaw kasi ang dahilan kung bakit ako nagmamahal.
MIRACLE CITY
Maasin City is a major religious pilgrimage hub in this part of the Visayas region. Three major pilgrimage shrines are found in the city. They are Montecueva Shrine, Our Lady of Assumption Shrine and Saint Francis Xavier Shrine. The three shrines are among the top ten tourist destinations in Eastern Visayas.
Thousands of devotees all over the diocese and even all over Visayas Region and other parts of the country come to the shrines of Maasin to ask for blessings.
Montecueva or Cave in a Mountain is officially called the Shrine of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus. The Diocese of Maasin put together the different features of the shrine. These include the statue of the Patroness Our Lady of Assumption overlooking the vast Camiguin Sea erected in 1992 by lot owner Atty. Joaquin Chung, the statue of the Pieta, a multi-purpose hall, a chapel for masses held outside the cave, a canteen, the Stations of the Cross, among others. Bishop Precioso D. Cantillas grants indulgence to the pilgrims of Montecueva, with corresponding sacraments to take. It was said that Atty. Chung had a dream that the Patroness asked him to build a shrine. He later turned it over to the diocese.
FEBRUARY 17, 2014 8:00 A.M.
MAASIN CITY GYM
Thank you Madam Presiding Officer. City Vice Mayor Effie Abiera Sabandal, Members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod, SP Secretariat led by Maam Emma Rojas, SP Secretary, heads of offices, city employees, workers of the national line agencies, teachers and students of Maasin City College, punong barangays and kagawads, members of the media, members of the business community, private sector and nongovernment organizations, members of my family especially my Valentine Chona Samaco, visitors, ladies and gentlemen good morning.
Last year 2013 may not be a lucky year for some places, but as I have repeatedly declared, 13 is our lucky number. We were reelected by a landslide victory on May 13, 2013. I was lucky to have my golden birthday and silver wedding last year. And we were spared from big calamites and disasters last year.
Blue also was our lucky color. It is the color of the clear sky and the deep sea. It is the color most commonly associated with harmony, faithfulness, and confidence. True blue is an expression which means faithful and loyal. A bride in a wedding is encouraged to wear "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue," as a sign of loyalty and faithfulness. It is the color associated with Mama Mary. It was said that right after Yolanda, Maasin was covered by the color blue.
BUSINESS BOOM CITY
In 2013, business establishments kept increasing in Maasin City. It is evidenced by the increase in business tax collections that we had last year. In 2012, business taxes collected amounted to P16,570,249.31 and in 2013 it surged to P23,571,941.46. The increase was P7,001,692.15 or 41%. Real property tax collection increased by P1,032,882.28 or 11%. Fees and other charges collections increased by P1,185,708.86 or 15%. Economic enterprises yielded an increase of P638,916.51 or 3%.
Overall, the Office of the City Treasurer collected a total income of P62,997,166.66 or an improvement of P9,859,199.80 or 18% increase. This is attributed to the consumers from other cities and towns coming to Maasin City. The city is also embarking on an aggressive tax campaign in all barangays. We have also closed 10 delinquent business establishments who did not heed the call for the settlement of their obligations.
The demand for more consumer products in Maasin kept growing since more and more buyers from Leyte and Southern Leyte trooped to our city. We need to invite more department stores to open in Maasin City to answer the inflating needs of customers.
As of December 31, 2012, the total assessed value taxable for real properties is P606,016,610. As of June 30, 2013, the RPT assessed value taxable amounted to P676,757,620. For an increase of P70,741,010 in assessed value taxable or 11.67% increase. That's how valuable the land, buildings, and machineries in Maasin City are.
WHY WHY WHY YOLANDA
She was named Yolanda, feminine in name yet super masculine in strength. For she was a Super Typhoon which struck Visayas that uneventful morning on Friday, November 8, 2013. Yolanda or Haiyan as known internationally has gained infamy as the strongest storm ever known on record to make landfall. We fought Yolanda by giving intense warning three days before and implemented forced evacuation on hard-headed residents along the shore and rivers and landslide-prone areas. Disaster risk reduction management council worked immediately. Everybody worked hand-in-hand including the police, firemen, rescuers, maintenance men, health workers, social workers, and barangay folks.
Yolanda's average strength of 315 kph during landfall surpassed the previous record set in 1969 by Hurricane Camille, which registered 306 kph winds when it landed in Mississippi in the United States.
Though we received a Signal No. 4, Maasin City and even Southern Leyte had zero casualty, but Tacloban and Leyte were not as lucky. About 10,000 people perished there. Storm surge was not anticipated and it damaged houses and buildings and swept people away. Tsunami-like waves engulfed the city trapping several residents. In our city, we distributed relief to 3,000 families and cleared all roads of trees and debris. But we helped Tacloban and Leyte amidst our own clearing operations. Their injury is bigger and more brutal. They needed more supporters in their cause to survive. But just like what Manny Pacquiao cried after his devastating KO loss to Juan Manuel Marquez, Eastern Visayas shouts to the whole world: "We will rise again." And he did by beating Brandon Rios.
For Tacloban, Ormoc, Leyte and Samar its just like starting over again. I went to Tacloban and Ormoc handing out donations to Mayor Alfred Romualdez and
Mayor Edward Codilla. Our city was the first LGU to deliver relief goods to Ormoc in cooperation with the Gawad Kalinga three days after Yolanda hit the city. We also sent our rescue team to help in the retrieval operations of cadavers in Tacloban where they were able to retrieve 128 dead bodies and placed inside bodybags. Another team was sent to Tacloban to assist DSWD in packing of the relief goods. The Maasin Cooperative Development Council distributed 1,000 food packs at Tanuaun, Leyte. I also traveled to Guiuan, Eastern Samar and gave some relief.
Several government and nongovernment organizations from Maasin helped the Yolanda stricken areas. The city was always there to assist especially in transportation. We also let them borrow our water purifier machine and our fire truck.
Pickupline:
Boy: Dai, si Yolanda ka ba?
Girl: Bakit?
Boy: Na storm surge ang puso ko sayo.
Boy: Ibibili kita ng salbabida
Girl: Bakit?
Boy: Malulunod ka sa baha ng pagmamahal ko.
ITS MORE FUN IN MAASIN CITY
Our Vision states that we envision Maasin City as the center of sports excellence, eco-recreation and pilgrimage in this part of the Visayas.
The number of tourist arrivals in Maasin City ballooned from 48,093 in 2012 to 181,008 tourists in 2013. These include guests in our hotels, pension houses and resorts. This does not include the unrecorded visitors of our city.
Our festivals were the Sakay-sakay Festival in January, Pabulhon and Ajonay festival in August, and Christmas Song and Dance and Parol Festival in December. However because of Yolanda, the December Festivals were cancelled.
Since the time of our great-grandparents, fluvial procession or sakay-sakay has been a tradition every January as part of the festivities of the Holy Child Sto. Niño. The Sinulog celebration in Cebu welded its influence to Maasin since the original Sto. Niño image was brought by Ferdinand Magellan as a gift to Rajah Humabon and Queen Juana. The sinulog festivities spread to the different parts of the Visayas and the whole country, including Maasin.
Sinulog celebrations in Maasin at the start were only limited to drum beats and dances at the church premises. Then families began to celebrate the occasion in their respective homes. Then clans organized panaaran or devotion to the Holy Child whom they believe to shower graces and blessings.
The Knighthawks organized street dancing contests along the streets of Maasin which culminate in dance presentations at the Anatalio Gaviola Plaza. But due to financial constraints it was stopped. Without the Sinulog dance contests the fluvial processions continued to grace the seas of Maasin every third Sunday of the year. It was the official church declared feast day for Senor Sto. Niño and no longer the original January 15.
Then came the time when the city government revived the contests for Sakay-sakay with pumpboat and banca categories, icon decoration, and higante contests and later on dance presentations.
There was a time when Maasin became a new city and it sent contingents to the Cebu Sinulog Grand Parade. That was during the Mardi Gras in 2001, 2002 and 2003. However, there were clamors for improving the Sto. Niño festivities in Maasin rather than spending millions to Cebu City. Thus the Sakay-sakay Festival was institutionalized as the premier religious festival in the city. In fact, it is now the number one Holy Child Fluvial Festival in Region 8.
Held every Charter Day and Fiesta Celebration, Pabulhon Festival showcases the agricultural and aqua-marine products of the different barangays in Maasin.
The term pabulhon comes from the original Maasinhon word bulhon meaning cooperation, volunteerism, unity and helping one another. In Tagalog it means bayanihan.
The farmers of the olden times had no modern tractors or farm implements. So they had to resort to grouping themselves and take turns in working as a cluster to ease up the effort in cleaning and planting in a member’s farm. They did this until all the farms of the colleagues had been worked at.
Thus the essence of the Pabulhon Festival is the teamwork done in promoting agri-aqua products. During the fair, booths were being set up by cluster of barangays, they display their agricultural produce for viewing and selling. There were contests on the biggest, longest, heaviest crops or fruits called pinaka contest. To add color and glamor to the fair, garden shows are also set up to showcase the plant and flower industry of the city.
Usually the fair opens on the 9th of August or the day before the Charter Day Celebration at the Anatalio Gaviola Plaza. In 2008, the guest of honor in the first day was Senator Manny Villar. In 2009, the ribbon was cut by no less than President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo during its opening.
On the 10th of August, the Pabulhon games are conducted in the afternoon. It usually consists of coconut husking, abaca stripping, cooking, tuba drinking, regatta, piglet catching, carabao racing, among other contests. It is participated in by farmers, fisherfolks, rural improvement club members and barangay officials.
On the 16th of August, the awarding ceremony is held. Contest winners of the Pabulhon Games are awarded usually with cash prizes. Booth champions including the pinaka contest winners are also recognized. The garden show winners are also identified.
On the 15th of August, the feast day of Our Lady of Assumption, the Ajonay Festival entertains the thousands of visitors, pilgrims and tourists along the streets of the poblacion. It culminates at the City Gym where they present their dance festivals. Ajonay is a Maasinhon term which means unity, solidarity and teamwork, in the words of Governor Roger Mercado. Ajonay has its own drum beat and dance steps which were officially adopted based on the collaboration of choreographers from Maasin and Cebu.
During Christmas, the mechanized Santa Claus effigy riding a mechanized moving sleigh attracts children from all parts of the city and the neighboring towns. A belen or Christmas nativity scene is also assembled consisting of characters with moving parts at the city hall.
Pickupline:
Boy: Kung ako'y pamasahe, ikaw naman ay gasolina.
Girl: Bakit?
Boy: Ikaw kasi ang dahilan kung bakit ako nagmamahal.
MIRACLE CITY
Maasin City is a major religious pilgrimage hub in this part of the Visayas region. Three major pilgrimage shrines are found in the city. They are Montecueva Shrine, Our Lady of Assumption Shrine and Saint Francis Xavier Shrine. The three shrines are among the top ten tourist destinations in Eastern Visayas.
Thousands of devotees all over the diocese and even all over Visayas Region and other parts of the country come to the shrines of Maasin to ask for blessings.
Montecueva or Cave in a Mountain is officially called the Shrine of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus. The Diocese of Maasin put together the different features of the shrine. These include the statue of the Patroness Our Lady of Assumption overlooking the vast Camiguin Sea erected in 1992 by lot owner Atty. Joaquin Chung, the statue of the Pieta, a multi-purpose hall, a chapel for masses held outside the cave, a canteen, the Stations of the Cross, among others. Bishop Precioso D. Cantillas grants indulgence to the pilgrims of Montecueva, with corresponding sacraments to take. It was said that Atty. Chung had a dream that the Patroness asked him to build a shrine. He later turned it over to the diocese.
The Our Lady of Assumption Shrine at Jalleca Hills is a 36-foot giant statue of Mama Mary. Construction started in 1994 and was inspired by its founder Mrs. Milagros Castro. It was said that the Patroness appeared before her in a dream and told her to construct a shrine atop a mountain overlooking the coastal areas of Maasin.
The mountain in her dream was identified to be somewhere in Barangay Mantahan and the lot was owned by the Jarabe, Leyson, Llevares and Cadavos familes who donated the site for the shrine, thus the name Jalleca Hills. The construction had the blessings and support of then Bishop Vicente Ataviado.
The mountain in her dream was identified to be somewhere in Barangay Mantahan and the lot was owned by the Jarabe, Leyson, Llevares and Cadavos familes who donated the site for the shrine, thus the name Jalleca Hills. The construction had the blessings and support of then Bishop Vicente Ataviado.
It was my mother Engr. Esperanza Samaco, the first lady district engineer in Eastern Visayas, who helped Mrs. Castro in the initial stages of the planning and construction of the shrine. It was former Councilor Salvador Abiera who supervised the construction and former Councilor Lupo Kirong who sculpted the giant statue of the Blessed Mother.
According to Kirong, my former colleague in the Municipal Council, the erection of the 36-foot statue was a miracle in itself. For he himself could not believe if the giant structure could be assembled successfully.
The Our Lady of Assumption Shrine Association was organized in 1992 to raise funds and manage the affairs of the shrine. A chapel was constructed later at thback of the statue and the Stations of the Cross along its 235 steps. There is also a rectory and a prayer room at the back of the chapel. The chapel’s altar features the coronation of Mama Mary with the Blessed Trinity and the seven archangels. The giant image of Christ the King is also built. It is now turned over to the Diocese of Maasin.
Since the shrine was built, Maasin was never hit by a typhoon. Unlike the previous years, when almost every year, typhoons would devastate the town, being situated in a typhoon belt. There were several instances when PAG-ASA would forecast that a typhoon would pass by Maasin, but suddenly it would change course. We were hit by Basyang this year but not as strong as Besing, Nitang and Ruping.
From Jalleca Hills on the shrine, one can catch a good view of the whole city, the picturesque Maasin by the sea. Both Marian shrines were flocked by pilgrims and devotees especially during Holy Week and Mama Mary’s Birthday every September 8.
The third popular shrine in Maasin is the Saint Francis Xavier Shrine, locally known as San Francisco Javier or Dagkutanan, at Barangay Hanginan. One can reach the chapel where the icon was housed by trekking the two-kilometer route from the highway at Barangay Isagani. Or one can reach it through the road from Barangay Soro-soro by vehicle through the uphill access road until the junction. Then the climb through the concrete stairs will now be shorter. There are more than 300 of these steps leading to the village where the chapel is situated.
The scenic mountain views greet every visitor. You can also get a relaxing sight of the sea and the surrounding islands of Bohol, Limasawa and during very fair weather Camiguin. The air is soothing amidst the heat of the sun, thus the place is called Hanginan.
The miraculous icon was privately owned by a big family from the time of the Spanish Jesuits then handed over through generations. Sometimes the icon would be brought to Isagani chapel along the highway. But still people would climb to Hanginan for sacrifice.
The saint is a favorite of soldiers and students. Most of them are soldiers who are going to combat and students who are about to take the Board examinations. Many testified that their prayers were answered by Saint Francis Xavier when they prayed in Hanginan.
During Good Fridays, the shrine is full of thousands of pilgrims. It is the peak season for pilgrimage. Usually San Francisco followers would flock Hanginan on Fridays. But today, everyday of the week, we see pilgrims climbing the steps to the chapel for blessings. The feast of the saint is held every December 3. Many devotees would offer food for other visitors during fiestas and Good Fridays.
There was even a story that the icon was originally intended for San Francisco at Panaon Island in Southern Leyte and the image of San Isidro Labrador was aimed for Hanginan. But fate had it that they were interchanged and the patron saint of San Francisco is now now San Isidro, while the San Francisco Javier went to Hanginan.
The original image of the Our Lady of Assumption at the Maasin Cathedral is believed to be miraculous. During Her fiesta every August 15 thousands of devotees would flock to the church to pay homage to the Blessed Mother.
Stories of our great grandparents had it that a beautiful lady believed to be the Patroness would be standing by the sea when a typhoon hit Maasin. She was said to pacify the storm and the big waves.
There was also a story of thieves trying to steal the icon of the Blessed Mother to be sold as an antique for a bigger price. But they could not lift the sack where they placed the wooden statue because it became very heavy. So they just left it behind the fence of the church just across Saint Joseph College. When it was picked up to be returned back to its location in the cathedral, its weight became normal.
Processions during Good Fridays are joined by tens of thousands of devotees. There are several saint images or caro which were owned by religious families in Maasin. Our own Abiera-Samaco-Narit clan had the San Pedro, Salome and Agony in the Garden images. Other icons during the procession are San Juan Evangelista, Maria Magdalena, Veronica, Jesus Nazareno, Santo Intiero, and Dolorosa.
Pickupline:
Boy: Sana posporo ka… at posporo din ako.
Girl: Bakit?
Boy: Para match tayo!
SPORTS CITY
The National Boxing Championships was held on February 17-23 in Maasin City. It was attended by Ed Picson, the ABAP Executive Director who was with his wife Karina Picson, an AIBA-accredited jury/international technical official (ITO). Twenty four teams sent a total of 132 boxers, including lady fighters.
2012 London Olympian Mark Anthony Barriga graced the National Boxing Championships together with Jade Bornea, the World Youth Boxing Championships bronze medalist. The two world class boxers face each other on top of the ring in an exhibition.
Davao del Norte was the overall champion with 7 gold and 2 silver medals. Second was Bago City, third Misamis Oriental, fourth General Santos, fifth Mandaue and sixth Maasin City with 1 gold, 3 silvers, 1 bronze medal.
The lone gold medalist for the host Maasin City was a lady boxer in the person of Ruby Nicanor. She won the gold in the junior girls' flyweight division and she was able to train at the ABAP camp in Baguio City for the national team with another Maasin boxer Edillo Abrea.
The ABAP National Boxing Championships was the first national sporting event ever to be hosted in Maasin City and in the whole province. The delegates and ABAP gave us an excellent rating for our hosting, the best so far according to Ed Picson. The delegation officials wanted to elect me as ABAP national Board Member in the elections in Manila last year but I politely turned it down to give way to the former governor Raul Daza.
Adonis Aguelo impressed thousands of hometown crowd last May 21 when he knocked Gadwin Tubigon out in the third round to capture the vacant Philippine
Boxing Federation super featherweight title. The boxing event was dubbed "Kadaugan sa Maasin" in line with the 50th birthday celebration of the city mayor and a thanksgiving of the recent election victory.
On February 15, 2013 Aguelo won over Sho Arai in Tokyo, Japan. Aguelo inflicted the Japanese his first professional loss by a majority decision. The unbeaten Arai was heavily favored but Aguelo turned the tide during the fight before the adverse crowd. On August 24, Aguelo fought in Osaka, Japan against Japanese undefeated boxer Ryuto Kyoguchi. The eight-round bout ended in a split draw.
The development of boxing in Maasin City has earned another boost when the renowned ALA Boxing Gym offered to train boxers from Maasin in their modern boxing facilities. Maasin City is now included in the ALA-Summit Drinking Water Amateur Boxing Series with the initial boxing card on February 12 at the Integrated Bus Terminal. ALA Promotions has confidence on the sports development program of the city that is why they recommend Maasin to be included in the highly prestigious amateur boxing series. The other series were held in Cebu City, Dumaguete City and Tagbilaran City. Every month there were bouts held in the barangays for the grassroots program.
“Prince” Albert Pagara of Barangay Lib-og now with the famed ALA Gym stopped Jilo Merlin in the third round of the main event of the “ALA-Cobra Tunay na Lakas Sinulog Boxing” at the Gaisano Country Mall Carpark on January 20. On April 6 Pagara won against Jessie Tuyor of Zamboanga Del Norte by unanimous decision in the main event of a fight card held in Dauin, Negros Oriental. Albert Pagara continued his unbeaten record by outclassing Khunkhiri Wor Wisaruth of Thailand by 2nd round TKO at the undercard of the Pinoy Pride XXI at Solaire Resort Hotel and Casino, Pasay City on July 13.
Pagara used his tremendous speed and boxing skills to beat the rough fighting Gadwin Tubigon by unanimous decision in a ten-round bout in Dumaguete City last December 7. The 19 year old Pagara keeps his immaculate record at 18-0 with 12KO’s. Albert Pagara is groomed to be the first boxer born in Maasin City to become a legitimate world boxing champion.
Elder brother Jason Pagara successfully defended his World Boxing Organization (WBO) international light welterweight title on May 25 at the Waterfront Hotel and Casino in Cebu City. It was a convincing unanimous decision win over Aaron Herrera of Mexico.
Jason Pagara also successfully defended his WBO International light welterweight belt with a lopsided unanimous decision over Vladimir Baez of the Dominican Republic. It was held during the mega boxing promotion Pinoy Pride XXIII at the Araneta Coliseum on November 30.
During the 53rd Founding Anniversary of the Province of Southern Leyte invitational boxing tournament on June 26-28, Maasin City bagged the overall championship by winning 3 golds, 1 silver and 2 bronzes. Leyte Sports Academy was second placer, Camiguin Tiger Boxing Stable got third place.
Cebu City exerted its superiority in boxing when it harvested six golds, two silvers and two bronzes at the end of the Batang Pinoy Visayas Qualifying Leg boxing tournament in Maasin City on September 24-28. Held before a huge crowd at the city bus terminal beside Metro Hi-Per Maasin, the Cebuano boxers prevailed over Mandaue City who placed second with two golds, two silvers and one bronze medal. Bacolod City was third winning two golds and two bronzes.
Host Maasin placed fourth with one gold, two silvers and three bronzes. The gold was won by Romie Evale who edged Hergie Gemeda of Cebu by split decision in the 42kg. Light pin weight category.
On November 24, we were using a generator set to supply power to our LCD projector and Cignal equipment to televise the Manny Pacquiao vs. Brandon Rios Clash in Cotai and the news circulated like bush fire in this city without electricity since Yolanda struck. No restaurants showed the fight and at home if you can't buy pay-per-view you have to bear with the delayed TV show. So our citizens from all walks of life, about 5,000 of them filled the City Gym to the rafters, trooped to the free live telecast we prepared for their entertainment. It took almost an hour to empty the Gym of the viewing public. People were smiling when I went with the flow of the crowd towards the exit.
Host Maasin City boxers snatched most of the wins, with only one loser, in the Christmas Open/Invitational Boxing Tournament held last December 17 at the Maasin City Gym. There were twenty three bouts all in all which served as a Christmas highlight to this City who was spared from the casualties of the supertyphoon. We invited the Tacloban City team headed by national referees Nelson Factoranan and Romnick Villegas. They were able to buy some food to be brought back to their typhoon ravaged place.
Some 1,200 athletes joined the opening ceremony of the Batang Pinoy Visayas Qualifying Leg of the National Youth Games in Maasin City. More than 3,000 delegates including officials graced the parade that started at the Anatalio Gaviola Plaza and marched around the poblacion main streets. The venue of the opening ceremony which is the Maasin City Gym was a full house and were filled to the rafters.
Forty one LGUs from barangays, municipalities, cities, and provinces sent athletes and officials. Governor Roger Mercado, who headed the strong Southern Leyte delegation, gave the welcome message in behalf of the province while yours truly welcomed the delegates in behalf of the city. The entrance of the torch and lighting of the urn was the highlight of the ceremony. Yours truly carried the torch and lighted the urn in a very colorful and exciting display of fireworks which wowed the audience and the visitors.
The Batang Pinoy Visayas final medal tally:
LGU-Gold-Silver-Bronze-Total Medals
1. Cebu City 87-61-34-182
2. Bohol Province 29-19-14-62
3. Iloilo City 18-4-7-29
4. Bacolod City 15-6-12-33
5. Maasin City 9-23-36-68
6. Iloilo Province 9-21-13-43
7. Mandaue City 8-8-7-23
8. Province of Leyte 7-13-12-32
9. Baybay City 6-9-6-21
10. Province of Iloilo 6-6-3-15
Maasin City placed second to Cebu City in the total number of medals.
According to Atty. Jay Alano, Batang Pinoy Executive Director of the Philippine Sports Commission: "This is a well-attended Batang Pinoy and the hosting is excellent."
Then together with four city councilors Hon. Geneston, Hon. Cardoza, Hon. Generan and Hon. Taborada, we led the 50 athletes and officials of Maasin City delegation to the National Batang Pinoy in Bavolod City.
Romie Evale won the bronze in boxing light pinweight division at the Batang Pinoy National Finals. He lost a controversial decision to his opponent from Cagayan de Oro in what could have been a silver medal and a chance to fight for the gold. Anyway Congrats Romie!
Maasin City won the bronze medal in gymnastics cheerleading with 15 medals awarded individually. Paranaque City won the gold and Calamba City won the silver.
Our futsal team were not as lucky. We almost defeated host Bacolod City with a score of 3-4. But another host Negros Occidental employed rugged physical plays and hurt our players causing a near riot of the game. The Ilonggos were afraid to lose their favorite game in their own homecourt. Our boys defaulted the game at score 0-0 and headed for home immediately for safety.
During the opening ceremony, PSC Commissioner Jolly Gomez whisphered to me: "Mas maganda ang opening sa Maasin." Almost all Visayas delegates commented that the hosting was much better in Maasin.
The Legends of Philippine Basketball, the former Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) superstars, played an exhibition game with the Maasin City selection at the Maasin City Gymnasium for the 13th Charter Day Celebration.
The Legends, this time made up of Alvin Patrimonio, Gerry Codinera, Rene Hawkins, Noli Locsin, Paul Alvarez, Vince Hizon, Kenneth Duremdes, Rey Evangelista, Bonel Balingit, and Allan Garrido, once again came to Maasin City to play with the local talents. Another member of the Legends, Peter Naron, opted to play for the Maasin City squad, he being born in the then town of Maasin.
The Maasin team was reinforced by Eliud Poligrates, now a PBA player at Air 21 Express, topscored with 46 points including six three-point shots. At the start of the opening tip, the younger and fresher Maasin City players showed aggressiveness on both ends of the court. Maasin won by eight points, 117-109.
The first triathlon in the city in ten years, Triathlon sa Maasin, began with the swimming lap started at the port area to the reclamation area at the back of the city hall. The participants were having a hard time because of the big waves due to the southwest monsoon. The bike lap was from the city hall to Barangay Tam-is and back for 20 kilometers. The third lap was a five kilometer run around the poblacion.
For 35 and under the winner was Emmanuel Commendador of San Miguel, Bohol. Maasin City's Urbano Baculanta was second in the 36 and above category, while the winner was Roger Baronda of Ormoc City. The Women's Category was won by Aimee Dequina of Tagbilaran City.
PICKUP LINES
Boy: Kung bola ka, at ako ang player.. Maso-shoot ba kita? …Hindi.
Girl: Bakit?
Boy: Kasi lagi kitang ma-mi-miss! …
DILG FAMILY
We have formulated the Executive Legislative Agenda (ELA) and the Capability Buidling Development (CapDev) Program in coordination with the Department of Interior and Local Government.
We have already won the silver Seal of Good Housekeeping Award and we are targetting the gold award hopefully this year.We were second to Tacloban City who won first place with Ormoc at third place in the Gawad Pamana ng Lahi in the city category in the regional level. With due respect to my good friends Mayor Romualdez and Mayor Codilla, we will aim for the top spot this year.
I met Secretary Roxas during the League of Cities of the Philippines elections at Crowne Plaza Hotel, Quezon City. I personally thanked him of our projects Guadalupe Port and Maasin Airport expansion which were released during his time as DOTC secretary. Maraming Salamat Secretary Roxas.
Last year, the Maasin City Police Station handled and investigated 516 crimes and complaints of which 299 were index crimes and 217 non-index crimes. Of these 91 cases were cleared at 17.64% while there were only 75 cases that were considered solved at 14. 53%.
On illegal drugs, there were 6 operations conducted, with 7 persons arrested, including 1 minor referred to CSWD and 16 cases filed. On illegal gambling, there were 12 operations and 11 persons arrested including 2 minors referred to CSWD and 12 cases filed. On illegal fishing, 12 persons were arrested and 3 cases filed. For loose fireams, 2 persons were arrested.
In coordination with the PNP SOCO, we have conducted series of drug tests to our city hall employees. There were 15 employees found positive of shabu and marijuana, including 3 regular, 2 casual and 10 job order employees. They were metted 2 months suspension. One employee was caught sniffing shabu by picture and was discharged from service. The policy of the Mayor is to clean the city hall surroundings with drug users because its difficult to clean the whole city if the city hall itself is filled with drug users.
Our program is Maasin Against Shabu and Marijuana (MASAM). We require casual and job order employees male and female to sign in their contract that they submit themslves to drug test anytime the city government would require them. I also require permanent employees to do the same as a requirement for their February second quinsina payroll.
Pickupline:
Taga City Hall ka ba?
Bakit?
Kasi si ka adik sa druga adik ka sa tarabaho mo.
Girl: Nanigarilyo ka ba?
Boy: Hindi
Girl: Kaya pala lumilitaw ang kagwapohan mo.
Five inmates from the Maasin City Jail passed the accreditation and equivalency test given by the DepEd. Several religious and nongovernment organizations took care of the spiritual as well as other needs of our city jail boarders. They include the Our Lady of Assumption Parish, Divine Mercy, Edmund Rice Youth Services, Catholic Women's League and Precious Blood of Christ Community, El Shaddai, Ang Dating Daan, Jesus is Lord, UCCP, Limasawa Development Foundation, College of Maasin and Philippine Sports Commission.
For more than one month Bureau of Fire Protection Maasin helped in the rescue and retrieval operations in Yolanda hit areas. Our BFP rescue ambulance is back in service.
MAASIN CITY COLLEGE "EDUCATION IN ACTION"
Maasin City College was established by City Ordinance No. 2006-033, authored by yours truly, along with its vision to provide affordable quality education for the masses wih the motto "Education in Action."
On February of last year, the 6th College Day Celebration was held. On April the 5th Commencement Exercises was conducted with Engr. Socorro Ramos,
CHED Chief Education Program Specialist of Region 8, was the Keynote Speaker. There were 167 graduates, 25 for B Agriculture, 82 for BS Public Administration, 16 for BS Social Work, and 44 for BS Tourism.
On October 2013, the 6th Commencement Exercises was held with Engr. Dominador Clavejo, Provincial Director of the Department of Science and Technology as the Keynote Speaker. There were 60 graduates, 27 of BS Public Administration and 33 of BS Social Work.
16 out of 17 board takers passed the Licensure Examination on Social Work with a very high 94. 12% school passing rate among the top ten schools in the entire country. There were also 2 board passers in Agriculture.
MCC offered a new course Diploma in Agricultural Technology in June. We have conducted the 7th Intramurals Celebration in September.
There are 11 Masters degree holder and 1 PhD holder among the MCC faculty members. All other faculty members are enrolled in post graduate studies. A total of 22 out-of-school youth are benificiaries of the Alay Lakad Movement scholarship program.
Maasin City College is now the new site of the Senator Ruperto Kangleon Museum in a turnover ceremony during his 55th death anniversary last February 27, 2013.
Maasin City College is recognized by the Boy Scouts of the Philippines National Council as the only college in the whole country providing Rover Scouting in its NSTP program.
MCC-RCY was awarded as one of the most active Red Cross Youth Chapter in the entire Southern Leyte. For the second year in a row, MCC is the winner of
the SK inter-collegiate Quiz Bowl last August. MCC Band also emerged champion in the inter-collegiate band competition for Leyte and Southern Leyte. Truly MCC is Education in Acion.
Pickupline:
Boy: Taga MCC ka?
Girl Oo Bakit?
Boy: Maganda ang record ng school nyo, kasing ganda mo.
Boy: Sana exam mo nalang ako...
Girl: Bakit?
Boy: Para sagutin mo rin ako.
ANTI-SMOKING AND NUTRITION
Maasin City was awarded with the 2nd CROWN Maintenance Award by the National Nutrition Council in which th members of the City Nutrition Committee received the award at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City. One more year and we will become a Hall of Famer or National Honor Awardee. We also received as the award as the Most Outstanding City Nutrition Committee in Region 8 through a ceremony at the PNP Regional Office, Palo, Leyte.
We launched the Adopt a Malnourished Child Program and all city hall offices including national line agencies responded to the call. Nongovernment organizations and the private sector sponsored a child each. Almost a hundred severely underweight and underweight preschoolers were recepients of the supplemental feeding program good for 4 months or 120 days.
Our anti-smoking campaign gained more national prominence when the National Boxing Championships and the Batang Pinoy Visayas Qualifying Leg were declared as smoke-free. We continue to conduct smoking cessation seminars, and make public utility vehicles and public places tobacco free.
MASAM AND AKSYON SOLUSYON INISYATIBO NETWORK (MAASIN), INC.
A non-government organization purely financed using private funds from contributions, MAASIN, INC. will engage in a Public Private Partnership Program with the city government to provide livelihood to our deserving farmers. The NGO will also erase the stigma brought by the Janet Napoles NGO controversy.
MAASIN INC. is a non-profit organization and will not receive any PDAF or any other government finances. It will spend on its own. The LGU will serve as a partner through technical assistance.
The members of MAASIN, INC. are the following: Engr. Mario Narit (businesman) - President, Hon. Danillo Duenas (barangay kagawad and former Liga Vice Pres.) - Vice President, Engr. Joselito Dolauta (businessman) - treasurer, and Ms. Malou Gonzales (Chinabank manager) - auditor. Members are Engr. Nereo Cepada (businessman), Ms. Danila Lanugan (agriculturist), Hon. Leonito Mundala (former barangay captain), Dr. Roberto Guarte (VSU Vice President), Mr. Serando Estrada (PNB manager), and Mr. Vic Cutamora (businessman). The Trsutees are: yours truly city mayor - Chairman, Atty. Feorillo Demeterio, Jr. - secretary, City Engr. Aniceto Narit, City Agriculturist Amado Acasio, and SP Livelihood Chairman Hon. Rene Hatayna. Congressman Damian Mercado is the Honorary Chairman.
The first ten recepients were properly screened and background investigated. They must be good borrowers, non alcoholics, non smokers, non drug users, non gamblers, non womanizers, industrious and team players. They are: Bactul II - Teresito Barrios, Bonifacio Siega, Sitio Malinao - Domingo Garcia, San Rafael - Reynaldo Revano, Rodolfo Tonido, Tommy Bitos, Malapoc Sur - Danilo Ambi, Carlos Pia, Manhilo - Jeremias Batistil, and San Isdiro - Felipe Padecio.
The recepients will be provided with piglets, feeds, medicines, and materials for pig pens. They will use cocopit technology of odorless pens. The counterpart of the recepients ang ilang kakugi. Tunga ang NGO sa ginansya sa nag-alima ug ang ginansya sa NGO igasto para scholar sa MCC.
Usa sa mamahimong dakong trabaho sa MAASIN INC. mao ang pag operate sa atong feedmill sa nursery. Kini ang modala sa maong feedmill ug mopalit sa mga java, dansalan, mais ug ubang produkto gikan sa mga mag-uuma aron himuon nga barato nga feeds sa atong mga baboy.
We also challenge other cooperatives, NGOs, civil society organizations, and people's organizations to engage on the same livestock raisng ventures. Para ugma damlag maluoy ang Ginoo di na mamalit ug baboy sa gawas anhi na lang sa Maasin.
OTHER SERVICES
Five hectares are planted with hybrid rice and 20 hectares of hybrid corn. We have a total of 2,032 hectares of rice planted. There are 30 farmer cooperators and 20 farmer adoptors trained on organic vegetable production. There are 11.5 hectares under the MIAN vegetable/tree production project. For the MASAM livelihood projects, we have 190 layer chicken, 92 swine breeding, 48 fishing project benificiaries, 60 RIC enterprise benificiaries.
Our city nursery and city forest park produced 18,000 tree seeedlings, maintained 320 hecatres of forest park, planted through the REDD Plus project 106 hectares of reforestation and 208 hactares of agroforestry.
Aid to Individual in Crisis Situation (AICS) were given to135 familes for food assistance, 234 for medicine assistance, 19 shelter assistance, 11 transportation assistance, 143 burial assiatnce, and 4 educational assistance. Senior Citizens had their twice a month Lakaw, Hataw, Sayaw. They have their Special Friends Night last August and Elderly Week Celebration last October. They were re-oriented on the Senior Citizens Law RA 9994.
Our Traffic Enforcers conducted seminars to 892 motorcab and potpot drivers, caught 227 astray dogs of these 50 were claimed and 177 disposed. They have issued a total of 779 citation tickets for different traffic violations.
We have a continued formulation of our Comprehensive Deevelopment Plan. Our city hall became the field office of the Professional Regulation Commission in which we accept renewal of professional licenses and they do not have to go to Tacloban anymore.
The DepEd Maasin City Division will soon have a new division office buidling worth almost P10 million now under construction. We have an agreement with DepEd to prepare for the full impelmentation of the K to 12. My term ends on June 2016 in time for the start of the senior high school classes. I have an agreement with the City Division to prepare our schools for the said program.
Pickup Line
Boy: Sana naging T na lang ako
Girl: Bakit?
Boy: Para I'm always right next to U
Boy: Google ka ba?
Girl: Bakit?
Boy: Sayo lahat ko natagpuan.
WE BUILD THIS CITY
Following were the major infrastructure projects undertaken last year:
Concreting of Barangay Roads - Guadalupe, Sitio Bolod-bolod Cabulihan, Tomoytomoy, Combado, Hanginan, Libertad, Pansaan, Sorosoro, Tungatunga, Mahayahay, San Isidro, Cagnituan, Gawisan, Libhu, and Basak. Except for Tungatunga which is a city road going to Maasin City College, all are barangay roads and the most difficult portions were concreted first.
Evacuation Center (Completion) - Bactul I, Rizal, Cambooc, Cabadiangan, Pinascuhan, San Agustin, Lanao, and Cagnituan. These were all completed and were
used during fiestas, graduations, programs, assemblies and during election campaigns including those who criticize them.
Evacuation Center (Phase III) - Tomoytomoy, Hinapu Gamay, Libertad, Pansaan, San Isidro, and Bato I.
Evacuation Center (Phase II) - Nonok Sur, Manhilo, and Lib-og.
Evacuation Center (Phase I) - Mambajao, Gawisan, and Nati.
These structures were provided appropriations with the help of the governor and the congressman. We will do our best to complete them before our term ends.
But be sure to present the tax declarations of their lots. Dili na matarabaho ng proyekto sa usa ka barangay kun ang lote dili naka ngalan sa barangay.
Maasin City Nature and Wildlife Conservation Camp/Maasin City Zoo. Slowly but surely we were tranforming Maasin City Zoo as a prime tourist destination in Eastern Visayas. Unfornately there were damages brought by Yolanda and we have to repair them.
Street Reblocking - Mantahan and Tagnipa. The works are ongoing in the city streets leading to DepEd So. Leyte Division and to the Integrated Bus and Jeepney Terminal.
Asphalt Overlay - Terminal Area. The terminal are which used to be an object of ridicule by our detractors is almost covered by asphalting. Except for some areas where constructions were underway.
Slope Protection - Acasia. We spent millions of pesos to protect the road leading to Lunas and Bontoc at the Acasia portion and to save the barangay gym and barangay hall from landslide.
Concreting and Road Improvement - Lib-og Relocation Site. The houses which were prone to storm surge and flashfloods will be relocated to the provincial relocation site at Lib-og. The city gave its counterpart by improving the access road.
Road Opening and Rehab - Cansirong to Matinao Farm to Market Road. The road connecting the two progressive barangays will soon be connected and the construction is ongoing.
One Classroom School Building - Pasay. This is used as an extension class for the primary graders. These pupils will no longer walk to Maria Clara Elementary School. These were also used as evacuation center during Yolanda.
Rehab of Existing Irrigation System - Libhu and Laboon. These projects for rice production were completed but unfortunately were damaged during Basyang.
Multi-Purpose Hall (Completion) - Sitio Coloquinia, Hantag. It is now used as a mini-gym and center of activities for the place.
Construction of Pathway - Cabulihan. We construct this project for easy access of the people from their houses to the main road especially during rainy season.
Improvement of Day Care Center - Tawid. We did this project for the day care preschoolers of the barangay.
Eatery 21 units and Fruit Stands 22 units at Terminal Area. The project is still ongoing. It will soon relocate the eateries at the terminal area to a more decent place. The videokes will become sound proof so that the teachers of Maasin Central School will no longer complain of the loud singing labi na sa mga jabag.
Maasin City College third floor. The completion of the third floor of MCC makes the then Maasin Commercial Complex (also abbreviated MCC) complete.
For several years the upper floor has been a white elephant full of garbage and dirt and not completed. But now the once useless place is now a center of quality and affordable education for the masses. The MCC third floor houses 16 classrooms and some offices, an audio-visual room, a kitchen and dining room, and two hotel rooms and two dormitory rooms. The late Mayor Arturo Bascug who started the first floor construction and a portion of the second floor must be satisfied seing that the building which he envisioned is now almost complete.
According to Kirong, my former colleague in the Municipal Council, the erection of the 36-foot statue was a miracle in itself. For he himself could not believe if the giant structure could be assembled successfully.
The Our Lady of Assumption Shrine Association was organized in 1992 to raise funds and manage the affairs of the shrine. A chapel was constructed later at thback of the statue and the Stations of the Cross along its 235 steps. There is also a rectory and a prayer room at the back of the chapel. The chapel’s altar features the coronation of Mama Mary with the Blessed Trinity and the seven archangels. The giant image of Christ the King is also built. It is now turned over to the Diocese of Maasin.
Since the shrine was built, Maasin was never hit by a typhoon. Unlike the previous years, when almost every year, typhoons would devastate the town, being situated in a typhoon belt. There were several instances when PAG-ASA would forecast that a typhoon would pass by Maasin, but suddenly it would change course. We were hit by Basyang this year but not as strong as Besing, Nitang and Ruping.
From Jalleca Hills on the shrine, one can catch a good view of the whole city, the picturesque Maasin by the sea. Both Marian shrines were flocked by pilgrims and devotees especially during Holy Week and Mama Mary’s Birthday every September 8.
The third popular shrine in Maasin is the Saint Francis Xavier Shrine, locally known as San Francisco Javier or Dagkutanan, at Barangay Hanginan. One can reach the chapel where the icon was housed by trekking the two-kilometer route from the highway at Barangay Isagani. Or one can reach it through the road from Barangay Soro-soro by vehicle through the uphill access road until the junction. Then the climb through the concrete stairs will now be shorter. There are more than 300 of these steps leading to the village where the chapel is situated.
The scenic mountain views greet every visitor. You can also get a relaxing sight of the sea and the surrounding islands of Bohol, Limasawa and during very fair weather Camiguin. The air is soothing amidst the heat of the sun, thus the place is called Hanginan.
The miraculous icon was privately owned by a big family from the time of the Spanish Jesuits then handed over through generations. Sometimes the icon would be brought to Isagani chapel along the highway. But still people would climb to Hanginan for sacrifice.
The saint is a favorite of soldiers and students. Most of them are soldiers who are going to combat and students who are about to take the Board examinations. Many testified that their prayers were answered by Saint Francis Xavier when they prayed in Hanginan.
During Good Fridays, the shrine is full of thousands of pilgrims. It is the peak season for pilgrimage. Usually San Francisco followers would flock Hanginan on Fridays. But today, everyday of the week, we see pilgrims climbing the steps to the chapel for blessings. The feast of the saint is held every December 3. Many devotees would offer food for other visitors during fiestas and Good Fridays.
There was even a story that the icon was originally intended for San Francisco at Panaon Island in Southern Leyte and the image of San Isidro Labrador was aimed for Hanginan. But fate had it that they were interchanged and the patron saint of San Francisco is now now San Isidro, while the San Francisco Javier went to Hanginan.
The original image of the Our Lady of Assumption at the Maasin Cathedral is believed to be miraculous. During Her fiesta every August 15 thousands of devotees would flock to the church to pay homage to the Blessed Mother.
Stories of our great grandparents had it that a beautiful lady believed to be the Patroness would be standing by the sea when a typhoon hit Maasin. She was said to pacify the storm and the big waves.
There was also a story of thieves trying to steal the icon of the Blessed Mother to be sold as an antique for a bigger price. But they could not lift the sack where they placed the wooden statue because it became very heavy. So they just left it behind the fence of the church just across Saint Joseph College. When it was picked up to be returned back to its location in the cathedral, its weight became normal.
Processions during Good Fridays are joined by tens of thousands of devotees. There are several saint images or caro which were owned by religious families in Maasin. Our own Abiera-Samaco-Narit clan had the San Pedro, Salome and Agony in the Garden images. Other icons during the procession are San Juan Evangelista, Maria Magdalena, Veronica, Jesus Nazareno, Santo Intiero, and Dolorosa.
Pickupline:
Boy: Sana posporo ka… at posporo din ako.
Girl: Bakit?
Boy: Para match tayo!
SPORTS CITY
The National Boxing Championships was held on February 17-23 in Maasin City. It was attended by Ed Picson, the ABAP Executive Director who was with his wife Karina Picson, an AIBA-accredited jury/international technical official (ITO). Twenty four teams sent a total of 132 boxers, including lady fighters.
2012 London Olympian Mark Anthony Barriga graced the National Boxing Championships together with Jade Bornea, the World Youth Boxing Championships bronze medalist. The two world class boxers face each other on top of the ring in an exhibition.
Davao del Norte was the overall champion with 7 gold and 2 silver medals. Second was Bago City, third Misamis Oriental, fourth General Santos, fifth Mandaue and sixth Maasin City with 1 gold, 3 silvers, 1 bronze medal.
The lone gold medalist for the host Maasin City was a lady boxer in the person of Ruby Nicanor. She won the gold in the junior girls' flyweight division and she was able to train at the ABAP camp in Baguio City for the national team with another Maasin boxer Edillo Abrea.
The ABAP National Boxing Championships was the first national sporting event ever to be hosted in Maasin City and in the whole province. The delegates and ABAP gave us an excellent rating for our hosting, the best so far according to Ed Picson. The delegation officials wanted to elect me as ABAP national Board Member in the elections in Manila last year but I politely turned it down to give way to the former governor Raul Daza.
Adonis Aguelo impressed thousands of hometown crowd last May 21 when he knocked Gadwin Tubigon out in the third round to capture the vacant Philippine
Boxing Federation super featherweight title. The boxing event was dubbed "Kadaugan sa Maasin" in line with the 50th birthday celebration of the city mayor and a thanksgiving of the recent election victory.
On February 15, 2013 Aguelo won over Sho Arai in Tokyo, Japan. Aguelo inflicted the Japanese his first professional loss by a majority decision. The unbeaten Arai was heavily favored but Aguelo turned the tide during the fight before the adverse crowd. On August 24, Aguelo fought in Osaka, Japan against Japanese undefeated boxer Ryuto Kyoguchi. The eight-round bout ended in a split draw.
The development of boxing in Maasin City has earned another boost when the renowned ALA Boxing Gym offered to train boxers from Maasin in their modern boxing facilities. Maasin City is now included in the ALA-Summit Drinking Water Amateur Boxing Series with the initial boxing card on February 12 at the Integrated Bus Terminal. ALA Promotions has confidence on the sports development program of the city that is why they recommend Maasin to be included in the highly prestigious amateur boxing series. The other series were held in Cebu City, Dumaguete City and Tagbilaran City. Every month there were bouts held in the barangays for the grassroots program.
“Prince” Albert Pagara of Barangay Lib-og now with the famed ALA Gym stopped Jilo Merlin in the third round of the main event of the “ALA-Cobra Tunay na Lakas Sinulog Boxing” at the Gaisano Country Mall Carpark on January 20. On April 6 Pagara won against Jessie Tuyor of Zamboanga Del Norte by unanimous decision in the main event of a fight card held in Dauin, Negros Oriental. Albert Pagara continued his unbeaten record by outclassing Khunkhiri Wor Wisaruth of Thailand by 2nd round TKO at the undercard of the Pinoy Pride XXI at Solaire Resort Hotel and Casino, Pasay City on July 13.
Pagara used his tremendous speed and boxing skills to beat the rough fighting Gadwin Tubigon by unanimous decision in a ten-round bout in Dumaguete City last December 7. The 19 year old Pagara keeps his immaculate record at 18-0 with 12KO’s. Albert Pagara is groomed to be the first boxer born in Maasin City to become a legitimate world boxing champion.
Elder brother Jason Pagara successfully defended his World Boxing Organization (WBO) international light welterweight title on May 25 at the Waterfront Hotel and Casino in Cebu City. It was a convincing unanimous decision win over Aaron Herrera of Mexico.
Jason Pagara also successfully defended his WBO International light welterweight belt with a lopsided unanimous decision over Vladimir Baez of the Dominican Republic. It was held during the mega boxing promotion Pinoy Pride XXIII at the Araneta Coliseum on November 30.
During the 53rd Founding Anniversary of the Province of Southern Leyte invitational boxing tournament on June 26-28, Maasin City bagged the overall championship by winning 3 golds, 1 silver and 2 bronzes. Leyte Sports Academy was second placer, Camiguin Tiger Boxing Stable got third place.
Cebu City exerted its superiority in boxing when it harvested six golds, two silvers and two bronzes at the end of the Batang Pinoy Visayas Qualifying Leg boxing tournament in Maasin City on September 24-28. Held before a huge crowd at the city bus terminal beside Metro Hi-Per Maasin, the Cebuano boxers prevailed over Mandaue City who placed second with two golds, two silvers and one bronze medal. Bacolod City was third winning two golds and two bronzes.
Host Maasin placed fourth with one gold, two silvers and three bronzes. The gold was won by Romie Evale who edged Hergie Gemeda of Cebu by split decision in the 42kg. Light pin weight category.
On November 24, we were using a generator set to supply power to our LCD projector and Cignal equipment to televise the Manny Pacquiao vs. Brandon Rios Clash in Cotai and the news circulated like bush fire in this city without electricity since Yolanda struck. No restaurants showed the fight and at home if you can't buy pay-per-view you have to bear with the delayed TV show. So our citizens from all walks of life, about 5,000 of them filled the City Gym to the rafters, trooped to the free live telecast we prepared for their entertainment. It took almost an hour to empty the Gym of the viewing public. People were smiling when I went with the flow of the crowd towards the exit.
Host Maasin City boxers snatched most of the wins, with only one loser, in the Christmas Open/Invitational Boxing Tournament held last December 17 at the Maasin City Gym. There were twenty three bouts all in all which served as a Christmas highlight to this City who was spared from the casualties of the supertyphoon. We invited the Tacloban City team headed by national referees Nelson Factoranan and Romnick Villegas. They were able to buy some food to be brought back to their typhoon ravaged place.
Some 1,200 athletes joined the opening ceremony of the Batang Pinoy Visayas Qualifying Leg of the National Youth Games in Maasin City. More than 3,000 delegates including officials graced the parade that started at the Anatalio Gaviola Plaza and marched around the poblacion main streets. The venue of the opening ceremony which is the Maasin City Gym was a full house and were filled to the rafters.
Forty one LGUs from barangays, municipalities, cities, and provinces sent athletes and officials. Governor Roger Mercado, who headed the strong Southern Leyte delegation, gave the welcome message in behalf of the province while yours truly welcomed the delegates in behalf of the city. The entrance of the torch and lighting of the urn was the highlight of the ceremony. Yours truly carried the torch and lighted the urn in a very colorful and exciting display of fireworks which wowed the audience and the visitors.
The Batang Pinoy Visayas final medal tally:
LGU-Gold-Silver-Bronze-Total Medals
1. Cebu City 87-61-34-182
2. Bohol Province 29-19-14-62
3. Iloilo City 18-4-7-29
4. Bacolod City 15-6-12-33
5. Maasin City 9-23-36-68
6. Iloilo Province 9-21-13-43
7. Mandaue City 8-8-7-23
8. Province of Leyte 7-13-12-32
9. Baybay City 6-9-6-21
10. Province of Iloilo 6-6-3-15
Maasin City placed second to Cebu City in the total number of medals.
According to Atty. Jay Alano, Batang Pinoy Executive Director of the Philippine Sports Commission: "This is a well-attended Batang Pinoy and the hosting is excellent."
Then together with four city councilors Hon. Geneston, Hon. Cardoza, Hon. Generan and Hon. Taborada, we led the 50 athletes and officials of Maasin City delegation to the National Batang Pinoy in Bavolod City.
Romie Evale won the bronze in boxing light pinweight division at the Batang Pinoy National Finals. He lost a controversial decision to his opponent from Cagayan de Oro in what could have been a silver medal and a chance to fight for the gold. Anyway Congrats Romie!
Maasin City won the bronze medal in gymnastics cheerleading with 15 medals awarded individually. Paranaque City won the gold and Calamba City won the silver.
Our futsal team were not as lucky. We almost defeated host Bacolod City with a score of 3-4. But another host Negros Occidental employed rugged physical plays and hurt our players causing a near riot of the game. The Ilonggos were afraid to lose their favorite game in their own homecourt. Our boys defaulted the game at score 0-0 and headed for home immediately for safety.
During the opening ceremony, PSC Commissioner Jolly Gomez whisphered to me: "Mas maganda ang opening sa Maasin." Almost all Visayas delegates commented that the hosting was much better in Maasin.
The Legends of Philippine Basketball, the former Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) superstars, played an exhibition game with the Maasin City selection at the Maasin City Gymnasium for the 13th Charter Day Celebration.
The Legends, this time made up of Alvin Patrimonio, Gerry Codinera, Rene Hawkins, Noli Locsin, Paul Alvarez, Vince Hizon, Kenneth Duremdes, Rey Evangelista, Bonel Balingit, and Allan Garrido, once again came to Maasin City to play with the local talents. Another member of the Legends, Peter Naron, opted to play for the Maasin City squad, he being born in the then town of Maasin.
The Maasin team was reinforced by Eliud Poligrates, now a PBA player at Air 21 Express, topscored with 46 points including six three-point shots. At the start of the opening tip, the younger and fresher Maasin City players showed aggressiveness on both ends of the court. Maasin won by eight points, 117-109.
The first triathlon in the city in ten years, Triathlon sa Maasin, began with the swimming lap started at the port area to the reclamation area at the back of the city hall. The participants were having a hard time because of the big waves due to the southwest monsoon. The bike lap was from the city hall to Barangay Tam-is and back for 20 kilometers. The third lap was a five kilometer run around the poblacion.
For 35 and under the winner was Emmanuel Commendador of San Miguel, Bohol. Maasin City's Urbano Baculanta was second in the 36 and above category, while the winner was Roger Baronda of Ormoc City. The Women's Category was won by Aimee Dequina of Tagbilaran City.
PICKUP LINES
Boy: Kung bola ka, at ako ang player.. Maso-shoot ba kita? …Hindi.
Girl: Bakit?
Boy: Kasi lagi kitang ma-mi-miss! …
DILG FAMILY
We have formulated the Executive Legislative Agenda (ELA) and the Capability Buidling Development (CapDev) Program in coordination with the Department of Interior and Local Government.
We have already won the silver Seal of Good Housekeeping Award and we are targetting the gold award hopefully this year.We were second to Tacloban City who won first place with Ormoc at third place in the Gawad Pamana ng Lahi in the city category in the regional level. With due respect to my good friends Mayor Romualdez and Mayor Codilla, we will aim for the top spot this year.
I met Secretary Roxas during the League of Cities of the Philippines elections at Crowne Plaza Hotel, Quezon City. I personally thanked him of our projects Guadalupe Port and Maasin Airport expansion which were released during his time as DOTC secretary. Maraming Salamat Secretary Roxas.
Last year, the Maasin City Police Station handled and investigated 516 crimes and complaints of which 299 were index crimes and 217 non-index crimes. Of these 91 cases were cleared at 17.64% while there were only 75 cases that were considered solved at 14. 53%.
On illegal drugs, there were 6 operations conducted, with 7 persons arrested, including 1 minor referred to CSWD and 16 cases filed. On illegal gambling, there were 12 operations and 11 persons arrested including 2 minors referred to CSWD and 12 cases filed. On illegal fishing, 12 persons were arrested and 3 cases filed. For loose fireams, 2 persons were arrested.
In coordination with the PNP SOCO, we have conducted series of drug tests to our city hall employees. There were 15 employees found positive of shabu and marijuana, including 3 regular, 2 casual and 10 job order employees. They were metted 2 months suspension. One employee was caught sniffing shabu by picture and was discharged from service. The policy of the Mayor is to clean the city hall surroundings with drug users because its difficult to clean the whole city if the city hall itself is filled with drug users.
Our program is Maasin Against Shabu and Marijuana (MASAM). We require casual and job order employees male and female to sign in their contract that they submit themslves to drug test anytime the city government would require them. I also require permanent employees to do the same as a requirement for their February second quinsina payroll.
Pickupline:
Taga City Hall ka ba?
Bakit?
Kasi si ka adik sa druga adik ka sa tarabaho mo.
Girl: Nanigarilyo ka ba?
Boy: Hindi
Girl: Kaya pala lumilitaw ang kagwapohan mo.
Five inmates from the Maasin City Jail passed the accreditation and equivalency test given by the DepEd. Several religious and nongovernment organizations took care of the spiritual as well as other needs of our city jail boarders. They include the Our Lady of Assumption Parish, Divine Mercy, Edmund Rice Youth Services, Catholic Women's League and Precious Blood of Christ Community, El Shaddai, Ang Dating Daan, Jesus is Lord, UCCP, Limasawa Development Foundation, College of Maasin and Philippine Sports Commission.
For more than one month Bureau of Fire Protection Maasin helped in the rescue and retrieval operations in Yolanda hit areas. Our BFP rescue ambulance is back in service.
MAASIN CITY COLLEGE "EDUCATION IN ACTION"
Maasin City College was established by City Ordinance No. 2006-033, authored by yours truly, along with its vision to provide affordable quality education for the masses wih the motto "Education in Action."
On February of last year, the 6th College Day Celebration was held. On April the 5th Commencement Exercises was conducted with Engr. Socorro Ramos,
CHED Chief Education Program Specialist of Region 8, was the Keynote Speaker. There were 167 graduates, 25 for B Agriculture, 82 for BS Public Administration, 16 for BS Social Work, and 44 for BS Tourism.
On October 2013, the 6th Commencement Exercises was held with Engr. Dominador Clavejo, Provincial Director of the Department of Science and Technology as the Keynote Speaker. There were 60 graduates, 27 of BS Public Administration and 33 of BS Social Work.
16 out of 17 board takers passed the Licensure Examination on Social Work with a very high 94. 12% school passing rate among the top ten schools in the entire country. There were also 2 board passers in Agriculture.
MCC offered a new course Diploma in Agricultural Technology in June. We have conducted the 7th Intramurals Celebration in September.
There are 11 Masters degree holder and 1 PhD holder among the MCC faculty members. All other faculty members are enrolled in post graduate studies. A total of 22 out-of-school youth are benificiaries of the Alay Lakad Movement scholarship program.
Maasin City College is now the new site of the Senator Ruperto Kangleon Museum in a turnover ceremony during his 55th death anniversary last February 27, 2013.
Maasin City College is recognized by the Boy Scouts of the Philippines National Council as the only college in the whole country providing Rover Scouting in its NSTP program.
MCC-RCY was awarded as one of the most active Red Cross Youth Chapter in the entire Southern Leyte. For the second year in a row, MCC is the winner of
the SK inter-collegiate Quiz Bowl last August. MCC Band also emerged champion in the inter-collegiate band competition for Leyte and Southern Leyte. Truly MCC is Education in Acion.
Pickupline:
Boy: Taga MCC ka?
Girl Oo Bakit?
Boy: Maganda ang record ng school nyo, kasing ganda mo.
Boy: Sana exam mo nalang ako...
Girl: Bakit?
Boy: Para sagutin mo rin ako.
ANTI-SMOKING AND NUTRITION
Maasin City was awarded with the 2nd CROWN Maintenance Award by the National Nutrition Council in which th members of the City Nutrition Committee received the award at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City. One more year and we will become a Hall of Famer or National Honor Awardee. We also received as the award as the Most Outstanding City Nutrition Committee in Region 8 through a ceremony at the PNP Regional Office, Palo, Leyte.
We launched the Adopt a Malnourished Child Program and all city hall offices including national line agencies responded to the call. Nongovernment organizations and the private sector sponsored a child each. Almost a hundred severely underweight and underweight preschoolers were recepients of the supplemental feeding program good for 4 months or 120 days.
Our anti-smoking campaign gained more national prominence when the National Boxing Championships and the Batang Pinoy Visayas Qualifying Leg were declared as smoke-free. We continue to conduct smoking cessation seminars, and make public utility vehicles and public places tobacco free.
MASAM AND AKSYON SOLUSYON INISYATIBO NETWORK (MAASIN), INC.
A non-government organization purely financed using private funds from contributions, MAASIN, INC. will engage in a Public Private Partnership Program with the city government to provide livelihood to our deserving farmers. The NGO will also erase the stigma brought by the Janet Napoles NGO controversy.
MAASIN INC. is a non-profit organization and will not receive any PDAF or any other government finances. It will spend on its own. The LGU will serve as a partner through technical assistance.
The members of MAASIN, INC. are the following: Engr. Mario Narit (businesman) - President, Hon. Danillo Duenas (barangay kagawad and former Liga Vice Pres.) - Vice President, Engr. Joselito Dolauta (businessman) - treasurer, and Ms. Malou Gonzales (Chinabank manager) - auditor. Members are Engr. Nereo Cepada (businessman), Ms. Danila Lanugan (agriculturist), Hon. Leonito Mundala (former barangay captain), Dr. Roberto Guarte (VSU Vice President), Mr. Serando Estrada (PNB manager), and Mr. Vic Cutamora (businessman). The Trsutees are: yours truly city mayor - Chairman, Atty. Feorillo Demeterio, Jr. - secretary, City Engr. Aniceto Narit, City Agriculturist Amado Acasio, and SP Livelihood Chairman Hon. Rene Hatayna. Congressman Damian Mercado is the Honorary Chairman.
The first ten recepients were properly screened and background investigated. They must be good borrowers, non alcoholics, non smokers, non drug users, non gamblers, non womanizers, industrious and team players. They are: Bactul II - Teresito Barrios, Bonifacio Siega, Sitio Malinao - Domingo Garcia, San Rafael - Reynaldo Revano, Rodolfo Tonido, Tommy Bitos, Malapoc Sur - Danilo Ambi, Carlos Pia, Manhilo - Jeremias Batistil, and San Isdiro - Felipe Padecio.
The recepients will be provided with piglets, feeds, medicines, and materials for pig pens. They will use cocopit technology of odorless pens. The counterpart of the recepients ang ilang kakugi. Tunga ang NGO sa ginansya sa nag-alima ug ang ginansya sa NGO igasto para scholar sa MCC.
Usa sa mamahimong dakong trabaho sa MAASIN INC. mao ang pag operate sa atong feedmill sa nursery. Kini ang modala sa maong feedmill ug mopalit sa mga java, dansalan, mais ug ubang produkto gikan sa mga mag-uuma aron himuon nga barato nga feeds sa atong mga baboy.
We also challenge other cooperatives, NGOs, civil society organizations, and people's organizations to engage on the same livestock raisng ventures. Para ugma damlag maluoy ang Ginoo di na mamalit ug baboy sa gawas anhi na lang sa Maasin.
OTHER SERVICES
Five hectares are planted with hybrid rice and 20 hectares of hybrid corn. We have a total of 2,032 hectares of rice planted. There are 30 farmer cooperators and 20 farmer adoptors trained on organic vegetable production. There are 11.5 hectares under the MIAN vegetable/tree production project. For the MASAM livelihood projects, we have 190 layer chicken, 92 swine breeding, 48 fishing project benificiaries, 60 RIC enterprise benificiaries.
Our city nursery and city forest park produced 18,000 tree seeedlings, maintained 320 hecatres of forest park, planted through the REDD Plus project 106 hectares of reforestation and 208 hactares of agroforestry.
Aid to Individual in Crisis Situation (AICS) were given to135 familes for food assistance, 234 for medicine assistance, 19 shelter assistance, 11 transportation assistance, 143 burial assiatnce, and 4 educational assistance. Senior Citizens had their twice a month Lakaw, Hataw, Sayaw. They have their Special Friends Night last August and Elderly Week Celebration last October. They were re-oriented on the Senior Citizens Law RA 9994.
Our Traffic Enforcers conducted seminars to 892 motorcab and potpot drivers, caught 227 astray dogs of these 50 were claimed and 177 disposed. They have issued a total of 779 citation tickets for different traffic violations.
We have a continued formulation of our Comprehensive Deevelopment Plan. Our city hall became the field office of the Professional Regulation Commission in which we accept renewal of professional licenses and they do not have to go to Tacloban anymore.
The DepEd Maasin City Division will soon have a new division office buidling worth almost P10 million now under construction. We have an agreement with DepEd to prepare for the full impelmentation of the K to 12. My term ends on June 2016 in time for the start of the senior high school classes. I have an agreement with the City Division to prepare our schools for the said program.
Pickup Line
Boy: Sana naging T na lang ako
Girl: Bakit?
Boy: Para I'm always right next to U
Boy: Google ka ba?
Girl: Bakit?
Boy: Sayo lahat ko natagpuan.
WE BUILD THIS CITY
Following were the major infrastructure projects undertaken last year:
Concreting of Barangay Roads - Guadalupe, Sitio Bolod-bolod Cabulihan, Tomoytomoy, Combado, Hanginan, Libertad, Pansaan, Sorosoro, Tungatunga, Mahayahay, San Isidro, Cagnituan, Gawisan, Libhu, and Basak. Except for Tungatunga which is a city road going to Maasin City College, all are barangay roads and the most difficult portions were concreted first.
Evacuation Center (Completion) - Bactul I, Rizal, Cambooc, Cabadiangan, Pinascuhan, San Agustin, Lanao, and Cagnituan. These were all completed and were
used during fiestas, graduations, programs, assemblies and during election campaigns including those who criticize them.
Evacuation Center (Phase III) - Tomoytomoy, Hinapu Gamay, Libertad, Pansaan, San Isidro, and Bato I.
Evacuation Center (Phase II) - Nonok Sur, Manhilo, and Lib-og.
Evacuation Center (Phase I) - Mambajao, Gawisan, and Nati.
These structures were provided appropriations with the help of the governor and the congressman. We will do our best to complete them before our term ends.
But be sure to present the tax declarations of their lots. Dili na matarabaho ng proyekto sa usa ka barangay kun ang lote dili naka ngalan sa barangay.
Maasin City Nature and Wildlife Conservation Camp/Maasin City Zoo. Slowly but surely we were tranforming Maasin City Zoo as a prime tourist destination in Eastern Visayas. Unfornately there were damages brought by Yolanda and we have to repair them.
Street Reblocking - Mantahan and Tagnipa. The works are ongoing in the city streets leading to DepEd So. Leyte Division and to the Integrated Bus and Jeepney Terminal.
Asphalt Overlay - Terminal Area. The terminal are which used to be an object of ridicule by our detractors is almost covered by asphalting. Except for some areas where constructions were underway.
Slope Protection - Acasia. We spent millions of pesos to protect the road leading to Lunas and Bontoc at the Acasia portion and to save the barangay gym and barangay hall from landslide.
Concreting and Road Improvement - Lib-og Relocation Site. The houses which were prone to storm surge and flashfloods will be relocated to the provincial relocation site at Lib-og. The city gave its counterpart by improving the access road.
Road Opening and Rehab - Cansirong to Matinao Farm to Market Road. The road connecting the two progressive barangays will soon be connected and the construction is ongoing.
One Classroom School Building - Pasay. This is used as an extension class for the primary graders. These pupils will no longer walk to Maria Clara Elementary School. These were also used as evacuation center during Yolanda.
Rehab of Existing Irrigation System - Libhu and Laboon. These projects for rice production were completed but unfortunately were damaged during Basyang.
Multi-Purpose Hall (Completion) - Sitio Coloquinia, Hantag. It is now used as a mini-gym and center of activities for the place.
Construction of Pathway - Cabulihan. We construct this project for easy access of the people from their houses to the main road especially during rainy season.
Improvement of Day Care Center - Tawid. We did this project for the day care preschoolers of the barangay.
Eatery 21 units and Fruit Stands 22 units at Terminal Area. The project is still ongoing. It will soon relocate the eateries at the terminal area to a more decent place. The videokes will become sound proof so that the teachers of Maasin Central School will no longer complain of the loud singing labi na sa mga jabag.
Maasin City College third floor. The completion of the third floor of MCC makes the then Maasin Commercial Complex (also abbreviated MCC) complete.
For several years the upper floor has been a white elephant full of garbage and dirt and not completed. But now the once useless place is now a center of quality and affordable education for the masses. The MCC third floor houses 16 classrooms and some offices, an audio-visual room, a kitchen and dining room, and two hotel rooms and two dormitory rooms. The late Mayor Arturo Bascug who started the first floor construction and a portion of the second floor must be satisfied seing that the building which he envisioned is now almost complete.
Improvement of Maasin City Hall. Most of us gave our good impressions of a beautiful Capitol completed during the time of the then Gov. and now Cong. Damian Mercado. But nobody gave comment about the city hall. Although during the time of his mayorship, Cong. Mercado constructed the third floor, the legislative floor, when I was then city vice mayor. Now the facelifting and beautification of Barangay City Hall, the mother of all barangay halls, is ongoing and only then we can truly say that the city hall has vastly improved. I also gave my salute to the mayors who started the then municipal hall through Mayor Gerry Dator and Mayor Damian Mercado.
There are aslo ongoing concreting and reblocking of national roads including drainage systems and shoulders undertaken by the Department of Public Works and Highways and concreting of Acasia, Baugo, Lunas to Bontoc road by the provincial government through the efforts of Governor Roger Mercado.
Still we have some unfinished major infrastructure which due to some constratints have not started yet. But I will do my best to work on them before I finish my term in 2016. The proposed major projects are:
1. Expansion of the reclamation area
2. Improvement and beautification of the Anatalio Gaviola Plaza
3. MASAM swimming pool and beach
4. New Slaughterhouse
5. Ecopark and Sanitary Landfill at Libhu/Bactul I
5. Commercail buildings beside PNB and at the old Bagsakan through the Public Private Partnership Program
Barring any major hindrances, the Guadalupe port is scheduled to be completed on October 2014 and the Maasin Airport is scheduled to have its first commercial flight in 2015. Maraming Salamat Pangulong Noynoy Aquino.
Boy: Keyboard ka ba?
Girl: Bakit?
Boy: Type kasi kita.
Boy: Sana Papa at Mama na lang kita
Girl: Bakit?
Boy: Ang PAPAkasalan at MAMAhalin ko habang buhay.
LEGISLATIVE
The Sangguniang Panlungsod has conducted 52 regular sessions and one special session for the past year. They have seven joint sessions with the barangay council and allocated P100,000 each as financial assistance for their infrastructure projects.
1. Nati - evacuation center and multi-purpose hall
2. Baugo - barangay stage
3. Pananawan - pathway
4 Pinascuhan - barangay stage
5. Bagtican - barangays stage
6. Malapoc Norte - health center
7. Manhilo - footbridge at Hapitan Beach
The SP Members also released a total of P2.7 million for various priority projects in the barangays and some public schools.
I request the Sangguniang Panlugsod to pass the following Ordinances for the smooth implemetation of the programs of the Executive:
1. Amendment to the Traffic Ordinance making S. Bantug Street one way from corner R. Garces Street to E. Rafols St. to prevent traffic congestion at the Prince area.
2. Amendment to the Traffic Ordinance making the access roads to the Provincial Hospital one way streets.
3. Amendment to the Traffic Ordinance designating the northern portion of R. Kangleon Street from Asuncion to Combado along Tomas Oppus Pilot School as bicycle lanes and prohibiting the parking of vehicles therein.
4. Ordinance creating the City Anti-Smoking Control Council with corresponding special appropriation for anti-smoking campaign.
5. Ordinance creating the City Cooperative Development Council with corresponding special appropriation for the development of cooperatives.
6. Ordinance requiring business establishments with gross annual income of one million pesos to put up a close circuit television (CCTV) system.
7. Ordinance requiring all restaurants, department stores, hotels and pension houses to establish parking spaces.
I also request the SP members to attend at least one flag ceremony every month to be with our city employees.
Estudyante: Mayor si Totoy Bibo ka?
Mayor: Hindi ah, bakit?
Estudyante: Ang galing mong sumayaw.
Mayor: Hindi nga ako pumunta sa condo ni Deniece Cornejo. Pumunta ako kay Chona Samaco.
Mayor: Ma.. race track ka ba?
Wife: Bakit?
Mayor: Ang ganda ng curves mo!
Let me quote Henry Ford
Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.
Then the world's greatest basketball player Michael Jordan said
Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.
There are aslo ongoing concreting and reblocking of national roads including drainage systems and shoulders undertaken by the Department of Public Works and Highways and concreting of Acasia, Baugo, Lunas to Bontoc road by the provincial government through the efforts of Governor Roger Mercado.
Still we have some unfinished major infrastructure which due to some constratints have not started yet. But I will do my best to work on them before I finish my term in 2016. The proposed major projects are:
1. Expansion of the reclamation area
2. Improvement and beautification of the Anatalio Gaviola Plaza
3. MASAM swimming pool and beach
4. New Slaughterhouse
5. Ecopark and Sanitary Landfill at Libhu/Bactul I
5. Commercail buildings beside PNB and at the old Bagsakan through the Public Private Partnership Program
Barring any major hindrances, the Guadalupe port is scheduled to be completed on October 2014 and the Maasin Airport is scheduled to have its first commercial flight in 2015. Maraming Salamat Pangulong Noynoy Aquino.
Boy: Keyboard ka ba?
Girl: Bakit?
Boy: Type kasi kita.
Boy: Sana Papa at Mama na lang kita
Girl: Bakit?
Boy: Ang PAPAkasalan at MAMAhalin ko habang buhay.
LEGISLATIVE
The Sangguniang Panlungsod has conducted 52 regular sessions and one special session for the past year. They have seven joint sessions with the barangay council and allocated P100,000 each as financial assistance for their infrastructure projects.
1. Nati - evacuation center and multi-purpose hall
2. Baugo - barangay stage
3. Pananawan - pathway
4 Pinascuhan - barangay stage
5. Bagtican - barangays stage
6. Malapoc Norte - health center
7. Manhilo - footbridge at Hapitan Beach
The SP Members also released a total of P2.7 million for various priority projects in the barangays and some public schools.
I request the Sangguniang Panlugsod to pass the following Ordinances for the smooth implemetation of the programs of the Executive:
1. Amendment to the Traffic Ordinance making S. Bantug Street one way from corner R. Garces Street to E. Rafols St. to prevent traffic congestion at the Prince area.
2. Amendment to the Traffic Ordinance making the access roads to the Provincial Hospital one way streets.
3. Amendment to the Traffic Ordinance designating the northern portion of R. Kangleon Street from Asuncion to Combado along Tomas Oppus Pilot School as bicycle lanes and prohibiting the parking of vehicles therein.
4. Ordinance creating the City Anti-Smoking Control Council with corresponding special appropriation for anti-smoking campaign.
5. Ordinance creating the City Cooperative Development Council with corresponding special appropriation for the development of cooperatives.
6. Ordinance requiring business establishments with gross annual income of one million pesos to put up a close circuit television (CCTV) system.
7. Ordinance requiring all restaurants, department stores, hotels and pension houses to establish parking spaces.
I also request the SP members to attend at least one flag ceremony every month to be with our city employees.
Estudyante: Mayor si Totoy Bibo ka?
Mayor: Hindi ah, bakit?
Estudyante: Ang galing mong sumayaw.
Mayor: Hindi nga ako pumunta sa condo ni Deniece Cornejo. Pumunta ako kay Chona Samaco.
Mayor: Ma.. race track ka ba?
Wife: Bakit?
Mayor: Ang ganda ng curves mo!
Let me quote Henry Ford
Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.
Then the world's greatest basketball player Michael Jordan said
Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.
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