By PERCY A OSTONAL
Michigan,USA
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| A 40kg-bag of cement costs P250. |
I DIDN’T realize the impact of my recent article “Mayor renews appeal for "bag of cement for a cause" donation not until I read comments on Facebook from Mambolenos around the world.
Making sure of reaching every "kababayan", I posted said story on Jose Panganiban Group and in just a matter of minutes, notes began streaming in.
Here are some of the comments:
Mrs Ofelia Palero Yassin (Nablus, Palestine): "Makakaasa po c. Mayor na anytime I have an xtra from my emergency expenses send ko na lang po sa Batch '81 jan sa atin.”
Ms Mary Fe Barcoma Dearth (overseas, undisclosed): "Please provide information on how to donate such as saan po ang drop off, etc. o kung pwede rin po pera ipadala kanino po ipapadala. Just a thought as people abroad may find the latter easier.”
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Ms Jenne G. Ramos (Hongkong): "Sino pa ba ang mag-tutulungan kundi tayo na rin … please count my support".
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Most recent message: (through Facebook): "Hello Mr Ostonal, thanks for the useful tip and would like to thank you and Mr Toribio for the initiative and all that. I just spoke to Vice-Mayor Non few minutes ago and he said that apparently, the response for this "bag of cement" movement is increasing. That is totally inspiring the people of JP around the globe to support the cause. Please accept my donation equivalent to 15 bags of cement. Btw mga kababayan, each bag of cement ( osts PHP250/ bag) is definitely helpful. Pls share by doing your bit … and as of my personal opinion … I am just thankful for our honest and dedicated local public servants … together, we can do this. God bless Mambulenos.
PS: “S'ya nga po pala, for transparency purposes, there will be postings or reports concerning JP developments achieved or realized over the past two years … please stand by Mabalos!!"
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Mr Francisco Espinar Rada
"God Bless you....Percy Ostonal for all you've done"
Writer's Note: The above statement of Mr Rada could have been inspired by the article I've written "Bag of cement for a cause", referring to the appeal by Mayor Dong Padilla to which, I myself, made a donation of 29 bags of cement on behalf of our mother, Mrs Mena A. Ostonal and children.)
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Mr Rommel Taladro (Arabian Food Supply "on the border")
"Mula po sa Batch'95 … makakaasa po si Mayor Dong Padilla".
Mr Ely Rebustillo (Madagascar): "Puwede … Sir" (positively responding to my donation request)
***
Mr Aldrin Toribio, currently based in Dublin, Ireland, native son of Parang, Jose Panganiban and the prime mover of" Unlad Panganiban Movement " simultaneously sent his appeal for said Community "bayanihan-type"project at Facebook and here's what he wrote:
Mr Aldrin Toribio, currently based in Dublin, Ireland, a native son of Parang, Jose Panganiban and the prime mover of" Unlad Panganiban Movement" simultaneously sent his appeal for said community "bayanihan-type"project on Facebook and here's what he wrote:
"Malapit na ang Grand Reunion sa JPNHS at meron sanang isang hiling na kung maaari na ang bawa't isang aatend ay mag-dodonate ng one (1) bag of cement for a cause ng ating Mayor Dong Padilla. Puwede ninyo na rin po na humingi ng kaunting tulong sa inyong mga kaibigan, kamag-anak, ka-opisina na magbigay ng kaunting donasyon … dahil dito bago dumating ang araw na iyon ay may isang sako o mahigit na semento kang donasyon. Ang layunin po nito ay upang patuloy na maipagtuloy ang mga kalsada sa ating bayan- … walang tutulong sa Jose Panganiban kundi ang mamamayan ng Panganiban … Mabuhay po tayong lahat".
There were 22 local and overseas JP residents who expressed approval of Mr Toribio's statement and although "that gathering moment" is yet to come … and if that occasion will personify one's patriotic duty by being a donor, it remains to be the biggest love anyone can ever give back to his home town.
The president of Mambolenos in America (MINA), Los Angeles , California Mr Edgar M Aler, will soon send his request to all its members for donations.
Just like what he did in the past solicitation for their club's medical mission and gift-giving projects in Jose Panganiban in 2009, he will be back again knocking on his friends’ businesses’ doors.
Although our fellow Mambolenos in Toronto, Canada don’t have official organization of their own, they were just like their counterpart in California that a mere "birthday or house warming occasions" ends up talking about our town and people.
My younger brother Pong, who settled in Metropolitan Toronto with his family, will spearhead the fundraising drive comes spring time.
Through the leadership of Mr Sammy Tatom and his wife Jo, JPNHS Batch "66 will be launching operation "Tulong Pa Semento Ng Mambulao" before the Grand Reunion on April 28-29,2012.
Mr Tatom said:"Kailangan gawin na natin ito, and let's make this real".
For transparency purposes, I was told that Mayor Dong Padilla prefers that donations should not be in CASH but rather in bag(s) of cement.
Any donation can be coordinated and coursed through his project staff, Office of the Mayor, Jose Panganiban, Camarines Norte.
(Percy A Ostonal co-founded MWBuzz with APH last October 2011 and is a regular writer-contributor and marketing consultant.)
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