Residents in Barangay Casoon benefit new multi-purpose hall

  

Davao de Oro --- The residents of Barangay Casoon in Monkayo town benefited the newly completed multi-purpose hall worth P2.6 million funded from the 20% Development Fund of PLGU-Davao de Oro on September 15, 2021.

Governor Jayvee Tyron L. Uy lead the ceremonial turn-over of key to the recipients and emphasized the importance of new building as part of the government's efforts to provide much needed infrastructure to the barangays and key sector.

The ceremony was also witnessed by Congressman Manuel E. Zamora, PEO PG Department Head, Engr. Roderick Digamon, LTC Aswani P Muti, Battalion Commander of 25th IB, PLT Richard V Mara, RPSB Team Leader Cluster 4, and other provincial and barangay officials.

Barangay Captain, Anastacio Esguerra thanked the governor for his unending support and programs to their barangay due to it's geographic location from the economic center.

 

"Kung kaniadto gihandom lang natu kini, apan karun ania na jud sa atuang lugar, mapasalamaton ug malipayon kami labina sa atuang gobernador nga gi priority niya ang atuang barangay nga mahatagan ug development programs sama niining bag-ong multi-purpose hall nga amoa gayung paga-ampingan ug gamiton sa saktong purpose niini", Esguerra said.

Meanwhile, the PHP20 million Level III Potable Water System is soon to rise in the said barangay under the Local Government Support Fund-Barangay Development Program of the NTF-ELCAC which will provide the entire village of sufficient water supply. (Rheafe Hortizano - Provincial Information Office, Photos by Ronel Alvarez)

TESDA, DTI conduct skills training to residents in Barangay Manurigao

Davao de Oro --- The Provincial office of Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) conducted skills training on "Squash Delight and Pickle Production" and "Packaging and Labeling of Products" to over 50 Mandaya scholars on September 16, 2021 at Sitio Macopa, Barangay Manurigao, New Bataan, Davao de Oro.

The program is a joint effort of the two agency with the end goal of helping the residents to generate income amid the pandemic and enable them to participate in local economic development activities.

TESDA Regional Director Engr. Lorenzo G. Macapili thanked the participants for expressing their eagerness to learn on how to make foods from vegetables and emphasized the role of both agencies in uplifting communities especially those identified as conflict-affected barangays.

"This activity is part of the poverty reduction programs of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) which aims to empower the residents of far-flung communities through various skills training", Macapili said.

In a statement, DTI Provincial Director Atty. Lucky Seigfred M. Balleque explained the importance of packaging and labelling of products in promoting their unique and quality of products in the market. At the end of the activity, each participant received food packs and training kits.

Present during the activity were TESDA Provincial Director Jasmin J. Neri, DNAS Administrator Nobernia O. Magpatoc, DTI Division Chief Patrick Kim D. Evangelio, TESDA-DdO EO Focal Person Mafel Joan N. Gamale, Barangay Captain Marcos Lino, and personnel from Philippine National Police and Armed Forces of the Philippines. (Rheafe Hortizano - Provincial Information Office of Davao de Oro)

Christ wants us to be apostles

 

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

THERE is no doubt we are all meant to be apostles of Christ, to be his ambassadors. That’s simply because we are meant to be like Christ, to be ‘another Christ,’ and so we also share in his redemptive mission which is a continuing affair as long as we are still in this world.

No wonder then that Christ would just choose his apostles seemingly at random. He would just pass by a certain place, and upon seeing someone, he would just say, “Come, follow me.” And wonder of wonders also, the person called would just follow him without question. In fact, it is said that the person called would leave everything behind (“relictis omnibus”).

We are all meant to be apostles of Christ with the lifelong concern for doing apostolate, taking advantage of all the occasions and situations in life. Vatican II spells it out very clearly. “The Christian vocation is by its very nature a vocation to the apostolate.” (Apostolicam actuositatem, 2) So, anyone who wants to be truly consistent to his Christian identity and calling should realize ever deeply that he is called to help others get closer to God. This is what apostolate is all about.

This duty actually springs first of all from our nature. We are not only individual people. We are also social beings. Our sociability is not an optional feature. It is part of our essence, violating which would be equivalent to violating our very own nature.

We can never live alone. We need to be with others. And more, we need to care for one another. We have to be responsible for one another. And while this caring and loving starts with the most immediate material human needs like food, clothing, etc., it has to go all the way to the spiritual and most important and ultimate need of ours.

That’s why we need to practice affection, compassion, understanding, patience and mercy on everyone. We have to understand though that all these can only take place if they spring and tend towards God, “the source of all good things” for us.

We need to be familiar with this Christian duty. We have to do apostolate, and we need to see to it that the zeal for it is always nourished, stoked and fanned to its most intense degree.

We have to understand though that in doing apostolate, we should rely only on Christ’s power. Thus, Christ in commissioning his apostles, told them  to “take nothing for the journey, neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money…” (cfr. Lk 9,1-6) He will provide for everything that we need.

On our part, we should just be as generous as we can be in carrying out that responsibility. “Without cost you have received. Without cost you are to give.” (Mt 10,8) For sure, with these words of Christ, we are strongly reminded to be generous, to give ourselves completely to God and to others, sparing and keeping nothing for ourselves, because God has been generous with us. 

We need to develop a keen sense of generosity and self-giving that is also a result of detachment. Let’s never forget that whatever we have comes from God who wants us to work for the common good. Thus, we hear St. Paul saying, “What do you have that you did not receive?” (1 Cor 4,7)

 * Chaplain Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE), Talamban, Cebu City

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com