Iloilo Lifestyle

Nancy Unarse, who does her morning walks at the Leganes Plaza, lamented the waste management practices in the town after seeing the litter of garbage everywhere. “For a long time, I wanted to do something, but I was working then,” she said. When she retired from work, she brought up the idea to her fellow morning walkers and joggers, who also expressed their support. Taking action, the group held their first meeting on July 16, 2013 with 62 individuals wanting to volunteer. The group was named Volunteers for a Better Leganes and the members have set out to make the town litter-free, beautiful and sustainable.

“Our first program is the beautification of Leganes,” Unarse, the group’s president said. “So, we cleaned and planted greens on the plaza every Saturday and Sunday. Now, we are working here every day,” she said. Currently, they have 20 active members, with some coming from the youth sector. Now, the grounds around the plaza are filled with plants and flowers, providing delight to walker…

“Civil society should tell barangay officials, ‘kami ang boss nyo’,” said Atty. Pearl Garganera-Gauzon, volunteer from Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV). Thus, she urged residents to use their freewill to vote for the deserving candidates during the barangay elections on October 28.
“If we want our country to progress, we all should help. Indi ta pag-depend sa tawo nga ara sa poder,” she said. Gauzon said this during the second instalment of the PPCRV and Mission-Pagdihon, Inc. voters’ education activity in Iloilo City’s Gawad Kalinga Villages. The first activity was last October 20 at the GK Villages at Brgy. San Isidro, Jaro, Iloilo City. The second was last October 26 at GK Sooc in Arevalo, Iloilo City.

PPCRV AND MISSION Gauzon narrated that PPCRV was created during the time of the late former President Ferdinand Marcos because corruption was already rampant then. Then, the pork barrel scam happened in our time. Recognizing that corruption is related to the kind of off…

Civil society, which comprises you and me, are urged to participate in politics and governance in order to propel the community and the country to progress. One way of participating is to exercise one’s right to vote. Another way is to support the government’s projects and laws. Third is to help stop the cycle of corruption by refraining from becoming a recipient of vote-buying. These are the important points highlighted during the candidates’ forum and voters’ education activity held by the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting, Mission-Pagdihon, Inc. and Searching Souls Society in Brgy. Libongcogon, Zarraga, Iloilo last October 26, 2013.
The initiative was in preparation for the October 28 barangay elections.

“We have the moral and social obligation to know our candidates and to vote with our conscience. It’s not enough that we vote because somebody said this and that. We have to do our part in knowing our candidates,” Gemma Sumague, volunteer of PPCRV-Zarraga and Mission-…

Mission (Movement of Imaginals For Sustainable Societies Through Initiatives, Organizing and Networking), Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting and Gawad Kalinga-Iloilo have partnered to bring voters’ education for the residents of GK Iloilo in preparation for the barangay elections on October 28, 2013. The first activity was held for the four GK villages at Brgy. San Isidro, Jaro, Iloilo City last October 19, Sunday. The participating villages were GK Peco Village, GK Cacho Village, GK Don Delfin Village and GK Assumption Village.

This coming October 27, the activity will be held at the GK Village in Sooc, Mandurriao.

The program started with a prayer led by GK Peco Village President Rodel Columna. It was followed with a welcome address from GK Don Delfin Village Project Director Glenn Gentozala. Both were introduced by Rodel Jaca, over-all coordinator of GK-Iloilo.

Aurora Hugo, member of Mission, explained that the initiative is under Iloilo Padayon, a social media movement bro…

Farmers and fisherfolk from a village in Sicogon Island, Carles, Iloilo have been camping outside the Department of Interior and Local Government in Fort San Pedro, Iloilo for three days now in order to seek assistance in their clamor for a land they call theirs as well as protection from alleged harassment from armed men.

“We, the natives of Sicogon as well as the farmer-beneficiaries of the CARP (Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program) are being driven away by SIDECO from our homes,” said Amelia dela Cruz, vice president of the Federation of Sicogon Island Farmers and Fishers Association and president of the same sector’s barangay association in Fernando, Sicogon.

Dela Cruz is referring to the 50-hectare public land in Brgy. Fernando, their relocation site. Previously, they stayed in a 22-hectare land but they were relocated in the 1970’s when SIDECO (Sicogon Development Corporation) started its resort development operations, she said.

She said that since 2008, they have been asking the…

Admitting that this would cause the ire of his fellow persons with disabilities, the new president of the Federation of PWD Associations in Iloilo City expressed that they need to be more responsible if they want to be part of the mainstream.

“We need to change our mindset,” said Mark Espesor, president of the FPWDA and also the head of the Association of Persons with Cerebral Palsy.

“We are used to blaming others and insisting that things should be this way or that way. But they should also learn to understand that the other person may be having difficulties in providing for what you want,” he said.

While there is an existing law that promotes the welfare of PWDs, Espesor said this should not be misinterpreted. “If PWDs have the right to live here, so do others, too. Let’s promote respect so we can have harmony,” he said.

“In my term as federation president, I’d like this practiced. I know this issue is critical and some PWDs may not like what I say, but I believe this is what we need. L…

She started with only P200 as capital in 2005. Eight years later, Ma. Ferlina “Jojo” Galvan, Jr. through her business Fruit of Life Enterprises, is now selling the coconut-based products she developed in malls and abroad as well as provide income to many farmers in Aklan.

“I am an agriculturist of the Philippine Coconut Authority in Aklan, so I know the technology. My first product was one liter of virgin coconut oil. The Bible said, give out your first fruit and that’s what I did. I gave it to my mother and to an officemate who had been suffering from psoriasis for many years. Now, my officemate is cured,” she told TNT Libre during the Aklan Product Expo 2013 at the SM City Event Center, which runs from Sept. 30 to October 6.

“We saw the benefits of virgin coconut oil. It cures almost all kinds of illnesses,” she said.

She sources the raw products from their own plantation and from other coconut farmers, whom she also trains.

Aklan’s 17 municipalities are mostly into coconut farming.

“Whe…

Amid concerns on whether or not the country is ready to compete with its ASEAN neighbours in 2015 when the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) takes effect, an Ilonggo businessman shares how Western Visayas can contribute to the country’s capability to do so.

“First, audit the environment, map the strengths and weaknesses of the region against threats and opportunities of neigboring countries and use these for business planning,” said Terence Uygongco, vice chairman of the Iloilo Business Club, sharing an article by Junie del Mundo of Management Association of the Philippines.

Uygongco cited Malaysia’s experience wherein the country has learned to accept that rice production has no comparative advantage in efficient production thus they shifted from 90% rice sufficiency to 65% of the country’s needs.  Then, they ventured into palm oil production and became the biggest producer.

“There should be government direction as to what we can and cannot do,” he said. “Second is the Brand.  Strengthen the …

There are several attainable ways that Ilonggos can do in order to help the Philippine economy progress and be competitive, according to the former chief of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA).

“According to a book of Ruchin Sharma, the Philippines is the new economy to watch, like Turkey and Indonesia. But Filipinos have to do their share,” Dr. Cielito Habito said.

First, Filipinos should demand good governance from its political leaders, but we should also deserve it.

In the midst of protests against the pork barrel system in government, Habito shared that a friend told him, “Bakit sila nag-iingay eh nagastos na?”

“This is not the attitude that will get our nation anywhere. We get the leaders that we deserve.  So, invest on good political leaders. Solita Monsod said that if we abolish the pork barrel, there is no need to spend millions for campaigning,” he said.

Sharma said the quality of political leadership is crucial to becoming a breakout nation,” he said.

Second, stabi…