Visit Father Franco in Bukidnon/Besuch bei Vater Franco in Bukidnon

 

(With very good friends Helen and another Klaus)

(Mit sehr guten Freunden Helen und einem anderen Klaus)

  

(Waiting for the first delicacies - Father Franco's secret receipt...)

(Warten auf die ersten Delikatessen nach Vater Franco's Geheimrezept...)

(Klaus, my mother, your's truly, Fr. Franco and Helen)

  

(Father Franco, a very well known icon in Mindanao)

  

It has been a wonderful trip to Bukidnon - to my friend, the Italian priest, Father Franco. Only through an incident, we met again in the Marco Polo Hotel during a press conference of the Club 888.

My wife Rossana, my mother Hildegard and myself enjoyed our stay with thim together with our very good friends Klaus and Helen.

Ja, es war schon eine wundervolle Fahrt nach Bukidnon, genauer gesagt nach Buda - ca. 1 Stunde Fahrtzeit von Davao entfernt. Nur durch Zufall traf ich Vater Franco bei einer Pressekonferenz des Clubs 888 im Marco Polo Hotel Davao City.

Meine Frau Rossana, meine Mutter Hildegard und ich hatten viel Freunde und Spass bei unserem Aufenthalt dort - zusammen mit unseren sehr guten Freunden Klaus und Helen.

Enjoy your meal: 10 different kinds of very special Pizza, red wine and a wonderful fruit liquor)

Na, dann guten Appetit: 10 verschiedene Spezialpizzen, Rotwein und ein wundervoller Obstler hinterher)

  

PROST! CHEERS! SALUTE!!!

  

German hospital in Buda

Das deutsche Krankenhaus in Buda

  

  

Parts of the 30ha lot surroundings Father Franco's sphere of acitivity

Teile des 30 Hektar grossen Gebietes in der Umgebung von Vater Franco's Wirkungskreis

  

It's done: Helen and Rossana reached the peak and summit cross!

Geschafft: Helen und Rossana am Gipfelkreuz!

  

Father Franco's place with vegetable plantage, orchid and other plants cultivation and

 rabbit breeding :

Vater Franco's Platz mit Gemueseplantage, Orchideen- und andere Pflanzenzucht und

Kaninchenzucht

  

Being a Rotary Club Member in The Philippines

 

(Guest of Honor and Speaker Miss Mary Ann "Baby" M. Montemayor, Small Hotels Association of Davao's Vice President, Mr. Ronald Go, Rotary Club of East Davao's President and this writer)

I am a member of the Rotary Club of East Davao (Journalism/Foreign Media) since almost two years now. I became the Vice Chairman for Public Relation and I am a member of the Special Committees as well as Director elect for the Rotary Year 2010-2011. 

Why did I join Rotary? Rotary is a global network of community volunteers. Rotary members are business and professional leaders, who provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards, and help build goodwill and peace in the world. Some 31,000 Rotary clubs in more than 165 countries carry out service projects in their local communities and abroad to address such critical issues as poverty, health, hunger, illiteracy, and the environment.

As an expatriat I found many important things to do in this institution. Service above ourselves... .

Last Tuesday I was honoured and indeed privileged to deliver the introduction speech for Miss Mary Ann "Baby" Montemayor, an incredible woman with awesome eductional-, business- and work backgrounds. She is indeed a very active woman, when it comes to 'hand loomed products from Mindanao", for example. arts, culture, ecology, and of course, tourism.

She received several major awards, for example, the Datu Bago Award, a local award given by the City of Davao. She attended several international conferences abroad. Kudos to her... .

Yes, being a Rotary Club member is indeed a wonderful opportunity to serve my new community - even being an expatriat.