RAIN OF FIRE

Shunt for life medical mission
CESAR G. BONILLA

LAOAG CITY -- One distinctive quality of Christian love is the ability to love our less fortunate brothers and sisters. The Shunt For Life Medical Mission spearheaded by its chairman Engineer Tony Bersamira and wife Zeny Bersamira led the treatment and operation of poor children afflicted with hydrocephalus and related diseases.

This mission was started when Dr. Lauro San Jose, (neurosurgeon) went to the United States to look for friends who could help him in the mission inasmuch that he had some connections with the Roque Ablan, Sr Memorial Hospital (formerly Ilocos Norte Provincial Hospital).

This great philanthropic endeavor started way back in the year 2002. Engineer Bersamira said this mission will continue with the support of friends, local hospital officials, devoted politicians especially Gov. Michael Marcos Keon for they have operated almost 105 patients within that span of six years and they had been looking for another 23 to 24 patients.

This medical mission is a living exemplar to those who have been gifted by God with talents which can be used for the glorification of the poor who cannot afford to go to the doctor for operation because of hardship and poverty.

The members of this medical mission: Gay Liwanag (Co-Chairman), Mel Madrid, Jun Calima, Ping Calima, Letty Carbonell, Tess Gaetos, Lita Tse, Chit Dumpit, OV Velasco, Auring Velasco,Jojo Andin, Ping Andin, Andy Conteras and Josie Conteras. I would like to give recognition to the members of this medical team especially Dr. Lauro San Jose (neurosurgeon) for a job well-done. We need more people like the caliber of his God-inspired team of the noble-hearted vision.
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Assurance of no summer brownouts can be a source of encouragement for business especially in the months of April and May. With the development of wind power projects in Ilocos Norte, there has been a renewable, environmentally friendly and economic source of power generation for the Ilocandia.

Dubbed “clean and green energy,” the wind farm site is located on a strip of a shoreline along the Bay of Bangui, Ilocos Norte. Wind mostly comes from north-northeast, from the sea towards land. The project is a 24.75 MW power generation plant consisting of 15 units Vestas. Each wind turbines rated 1.65 MW each.

This is a Danish-inspired project and aims to take its share in reducing the emission of harmful greenhouse gases causing the global warming. It also attracts more tourists due to Ilocandia’s ecological and coastal beauty and the wind farm’s ability to harness nature’s forces.

The students of La Consolacion College headed by Madam Sollay Felongco were inspired themselves by the natural splendor of the place. They appreciated so much the hospitality of the Ilocanos. To mention one of them -- the owner of Northview Hotel, Mr. and Mrs. Sherwin Santiago. The students were satisfied with the historical landmarks and unique cultural heritage of the Ilocanos.

The tourism and HRM students who visited Ilocos provinces were: Madel Samantila, Melanie Ipapo, Mai Keithleen Wright, Gretchen Marie Layno, Crisselle and Liana Kney Agbayani, Jewels Escalora, Analisa Domenden, Marah Isabel T. Refareal, Leanne Trinidad, Arra Kay Symaco, Kasmir Jon Trinidad, Jill Camille, Reyes, Reylyn Eugenio, Rose Ann Alicando, Cheza Sy, Yna Soriano and Jeetendra Vaswani and many more.
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The economy cannot afford long season of power interruptions. There is an influx of would-be investors and foreign dignitaries and there should be no brownouts and messy services.
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The ship of the government is facing affliction of Poseidon. The search for truth is being forced by the President’s arch enemies and detractors. Protesters and demonstrators have urged the President to take action on the Five Steps they have recommended to be done in seven days.

First, the President must order former National Economic and Development Authority Secretary-General Romulo Neri to resume his testimony before the Senate without any restriction or limitations regarding all public records pertaining to the NBN-ZTE deal.

Third and fourth steps, the group urged the President to suspend all those involved in the NBN deal fiasco and in the attempt to prevent whistleblower Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada, Jr. from testifying.

Fifth, the President should order a halt on any further attempts by the agencies of the government to harass Lozada and those who are testifying on behalf of the truth. There is no destabilization factor to reckon with except the rabid infusion of rational approach on the glaring political tension in this land.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo can provide a proper solution to the people’s demand for the truth by following the provision of the 1987 Constitution dealing with transparency. The search for truth can be done provided by law considering that millions of Filipino people are seeking for truth. ***
March is a graduation month, a rite of passage. When a graduate dons his toga and gratuitously accepts the diploma, and faces the public, he is a a product of years of education. Tests aced and tests flunked, once the focal point of school life, now take a back seat.

To some, the primary concern becomes personal fulfillment, to others wealth and still others recognition. Life in school can be so taxing and scary. Some students carry a fervent passion to be educated whereas others seem happy in just receiving a diploma without laboring much to supplement his little learning.

Some students rely on the generosity and kindness of instructors to give them a passing grade. They have ample time for nonsense extra-curricular activities but save nothing to increase what is inside their brains.

They are not active during class discussions because vices and poor foundation of the English language. But the great irony is they are trying to become popular inside their classrroms by being engrossed with texting, talking, extravagant display of clothes and disturbing their classmates. Many more eye sores inside the school campus but I have to end up here to give relevance to the creed of excellence. Education is the name.