A Dinner for a Cause

by Grace Almedilla

COMPOSTELA VALLEY PROVINCE-----The Provincial Government has scheduled a  Dinner for a Cause on February 20 at the Function Room 3, SMX Convention Center of SM Lanang, Davao City  at 6:00 p.m.  This is in partnership with the Gawad Kalinga Development Foundation, Inc.

The dinner proceeds shall support the rebuilding efforts of the province in repairing school classrooms, Daycare Centers, and school facilities in the typhoon hardly hit municipalities:  Laak, Monkayo, Montevista, Compostela, and New Bataan.

Governor Arturo T. Uy created a Provincial Committee to facilitate the preparation of the coming activity dubbed as “Kalinga sa Kabataan Dinner for a Cause” for the typhoon victims, delegating Vice Governor Ramil L. Gentugaya to lead the Committee.

According to Executive Assistant IV Isabelo L. Melendres that the province is inviting those who have generous hearts to take part of the endeavor.  A gate pass pass shall be issued and stubs of raffle tickets shall be sold to those who will join.  Each stub costs P25,000.00 containing 25 raffle tickets.  These tickets will be drawn at the Capitol on March 8, 2013 during the celebration of the 6th Bulawan Festival and 15th Founding Anniversary of Compostela Valley. 

Amazing prizes await the lucky winners.  The 1^st Prize Winner shall own a brand new Mitsubishi 4X2 Pick-up.  There will be 2 winners for the 2^nd Prize with Yamaha YBR as the winning items.  Another 2 winners for the 3^rd Prize who will each receive a Honda Scooter while the Consolation Prizes are 4 Samsung Galaxy III Cellular Phones and another 2 Samsung Tab units. 

In his recent visit to the province, it is also reported that TV Host Boy Abunda has bought 100 raffle tickets to support the program.  (grace almedilla/ gilbert m. cabahug, ids-comval)

Child Actors in The Philippines...

...maybe child exploitation?

First I should say that I am not against child actors, as long as they do this job in the time they are free of school. A good education is the best a child can get. Big money from a young acting career is not as good as a decent education.
And this is where this post is about.

The Philippines has many child actors, performing in series, soaps and daily tv-shows. Knowing how much time it cost to shoot a film or a soap, or even performing in a daily tv noon show, I wonder if these children have a proper education.

To make things worse, child talents are poorly developed and injudiciously handled. They’re made to work too long, cry too much, perform in a fake and knee-jerk fashion, are thrust into the potentially harmful company of jaded adults, and are exploited even by their own families, some of whom persuade or even force them to be their clans’ breadwinners. 

Here is more:

www.expatinthephilippines.com

 

WORLD FAMOUS SINULOG FESTIVAL 2013 TRAVEL, CULTURE, ADVENTURE...

Maybank injects US$100m into Philippine operations

Maybank also started building in Davao City.
Check out more here:

Maybank injects US$100m into Philippine operations

The German Ambassador For the Philippines/Der deutsche Botschafter auf den Philippinen

is 

During my last Manila trip I got the chance to meet German Ambassador for the Philippines, Dr. Joachim Heidorn in the Embassy in Makati City/Manila. He took a lot of time allowing me to talk with him about "God and the whole world" - as a saying goes...

Dr. Heidorn is indeed a incredible statesman.

He was born in Hanover, Lower-Saxony in 1951, is married and has three children. He received his Ph.D. in Political Sociology in the University Marburg.

Dr. Heidorn stayed in several countries in the past, i.e. in the German Embassy London - as Deputy Head also in the German Embassies in Tripoli, Colombo (Sri Lanka) and Riad (Saudi Arabia). As he told me: Colombo was his most challenging time so far.

From 2008 till 2011 Dr. Heidorn became German Ambassador in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Since October 2011 he appointed in the Philippines.

Yes, it has been his wish to stay in the Philippines as German Ambassador. Long time ago he has been visited the Philippines as a tourist and fell in love to this tropical nation and its people. His family and he are feeling very well here and are well established already. 

Dr. Joachim Heidorn likes diving, the Beatles and reading. His favourite books is Thomas Mann's "Buddenbrooks".

The German Ambassador in Manila Dr. Joachim Heidorn: a very pleasant representative of the Federal Republic of Germany in the Philippines.

Thank you very much Ambassador for taking time and allowing me to ask many questions.

Philippine German Month February 2013

ComVal Suffers More...

COMPOSTELA VALLEY PROVINCE (Jan. 23)----- The rain has stopped but the Provincial, Municipal, and Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction Management Councils remain ready with their respective rescue teams and keep on watch for any sudden change of the weather condition.

There were family evacuees in the province as rains poured in since Friday evening (January 18).  Per flooding incident official report issued by the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) as of 8:00 a.m. of January 21, 2013, there were 2,143 families who vacated for safety to the identified evacuation centers.  As of 8:00 a.m. of January 22, the number of families became 441.  As the water subsides, those residents of flooded areas which are accessible already have started to go home.

Governor Arturo T. Uy being the Chairman of the PDRRM Council earlier issued an order for the suspension of classes in schools for the safety of the students and teachers considering the flood risks. But today, classes have resumed already.

PDRRM Officer Raul Villocino said that with the experienced weather disturbance, the people are advised to stay alert and abide to any issued public warnings and safety measures implemented by the local authorities. 

Thank you Grace Almedilla, ids-comval for your update...

 

Philippine German Month 2013

Enjoy - and more details right here...

Flood in Davao and its Neighbours

DAVAO CITY – More than 5,000 families or 25,000 individuals have been affected by the flooding that hit riverside villages here following non-stop rain since Saturday night.

The city government has called off classes from kindergarten to high school, in both public and private schools, Monday as the city continues to assess the extent of the damage from one of the worst flooding the city has experienced in the past years.

Emmanuel Jaldon, the chief of the Davao City Disaster Risk and Management Council (DCDRMC), said local officials have issued the warning as early 9 p.m. Saturday because of the overflowing of the Tamugan river, one of the main tributaries of the Davao river.

As a result, at least 12 barangays (villages) lining down Davao river was submerged in flood.

Jaldon, however, said some residents who have already been used to floods, refused to evacuate, which was the reason some of them were trapped.

“The problem is their coping threshold, most of them have already experienced the worst of flooding, so, they just don’t evacuate until the waters reach critical level,” he said. “They still stayed on the second floor of their houses, believing they still have a second chance.”

Jaldon also said the rain still continues in the upland areas of Davao City, and that as of 2:30 p.m. Sunday, the water continues to rise.

Dante Donayre, operations chief of the DCDRMC, said that despite the disaster-preparedness training held for community leaders in the past, the disaster-preparedness is still wanting in the community level as elected barangay officials still fail to re-echo these in the communities.

Malou Bermudo, chief of the City Social Services and Development Office (CSSDO), said a total of 5,165 families from 12 city barangays affected by the flood are now in different evacuation centers; among them, are 2,700 families from Buhangin area, which covered the Jade Valley and Juliville Subdivisions.

Choreyn Mae Dumape, 20, a resident of Jade Valley who was rescued from the top of their house, said her parents were still inside the village.

“My parents are still there,” Dumape said, adding that the water rose at around 1 a.m. Sunday.

In Compostela Valley, at least 178 families have left their homes, even as authorities forced some residents to evacuation centers as water levels in major rivers there continue to rise, threatening low-lying communities, according to Raul Villocino, provincial disaster officer.

In neighboring Davao del Norte province, over 800 people have been evacuated overnight as floodwater swamped the rice-producing municipalities of Kapalong, Sto. Tomas, Braulio Dujali and Asuncion, said Romulo Tagalo, Davao del Norte assistant administrator.

Those evacuated, according to Villocino, included 129 families in the villages of Andap, Cogonon and Cabinuangan, in New Bataan, the town which suffered the most number of casualties in last December’s killer storm.

At least 37 families also headed to the evacuation centers in Basak and Magsaysay villages in Nabunturan, while 12 families from Sitio (Sub-village) Pag-ibig, in the mining village of Mt. Diwalwal in Monkayo town sheltered at the village hall due to fear of a landslide, the disaster official said.

Waist-deep floodwater has submerged most of Maniki village, the center of Kapalong town, forcing many residents to flee to safer grounds, Mayor Edgardo Timbol said. Germelina Lacorte, Dennis Jay Santos, Karlos Manlupig, Ayan C. Mellejor and Frinston L. Lim, Inquirer Mindanao

How is the Weather in The Philippines?

Davao Light and Power Co. has now made weather updates and forecasts available to its customers and all readers of this website through its own website www.davao-light.com .

This has been made possible through the site's link to the Weather Philippines Foundation (WPF) website.

WPF provides localized and regularly updated weather forecasts in major cities in the Philippines, of course, including my new home town Davao City. Weather Data is transmitted every 10 minutes automatically.

Thanks a lot to Davao Light and Power Information Officer and friend, Mr. Rossano Luga.