Do you see slums or beautiful places? It’s one thing to be a missionary and purposely go into a slum to minister to the poor and I have nothing against that. However if you came to the Philippines to enjoy your vacation you may need to not go where you know there are slums. A friend just recently mentioned to me that he could not believe the filth, the poor and all the slums here in the Philippines. He said he appreciated America after seeing what he has seen here. I believe the Philippines as an experience is what you make of it, what you allow into your mind and what you screen out. What I mean is, sometimes you just need to look through the fog to see scenery just up ahead block out those undesirable sights from your memory, or just don’t see them,  and then you can see the beauty just beyond. I try to stay in the nicer areas away from the slums and the poor and also away from the crime and drugs. I stay on the main roads where all the parks and beautiful buildings are. I stay in areas there are known to be scenic. Comparing Philippine Slums to the so called nicer cleaner America is wrong also. How may slums are there in the US? Most of us nevr see them because we have been trained over time to avoid such places but they are their and just as filthy, trashy as the ones here. I was not able to sell my nice 4 bedroom house in Texas because there was a slum only blocks away and I mean a hue filthy full of poor rotten buildings demolished cars type of slum. No one wanted to live that close to this kind of area, every city has one or two or three. We middle class and upper class Americans tend to stay in the nicer cleaner neighborhoods avoiding the undesirable. We just don’t venture down that road because it ends up in a slum and you don’t want to get robbed or have your car carjacked, you’ve been there, how many times have you had to make a U-turn right in the middle of a road because it just didn’t look safe, I have. Most Americans in their clean neighborhoods do the exact same thing I do here they stay away from that slum, that filthy and the drugs so while you are here in the Philippines I suggest you practice the same thing here, and you will see the Philippines in a new light as the beautiful place it really is. There are plenty of nice areas to see here, areas where you don’t see slums.

Photos taken in nice “no slum here” areas. If you see a slum look the other way… Kids from the slums often come into towns to try to persuade you to give them a Peso or two, I always carry a few pesos with me so I can give them one if a hundred come I just walk away. IT happens… While Bogo has some slums, Medellin is almost completely free of slums. Move there and live happily ever after. I’m sure there are other areas just as nice and free of slums also, find them. This area is near the Toaist Temple in the hills behind Cebu City. This is a middle class and upper class neighborhood, you can walk the streets here pretty much free from crime, police are very frequent here. notice very little traffic, no jeepneys or tricycles allowed in this area.

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The row of houses in the other photos are the same houses on the right here.

Yes that’s the Riverfront Hotel and Casino taken from the Toaist Temple.

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HEART TO HEART: Reaching to the Poor and Needy

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After two years of preparation, the Medical Mission to Santa Rosa in Olango Island, Lapulapu City  on February 3-5, 2011 is all set to go. A team of doctors, nurses, local and Bisaya volunteers from Michigan will give free consultation and treatment to an expected 3,000 indigent island inhabitants.

The big event is jointly sponsored by Ang BISAYA of Michigan and the Far Eastern and American  Nurses Association (FANA) of Great Lakes.

Ang Bisaya Missigan1

This is the fourth medical mission of Ang BISAYA, a 28-year old support network of Cebuano-speaking Filipinos in Michigan dedicated to the preservation and celebration of the Bisayan cutural legacy.

“Athough many of our members could not come for the mission, I can assure the people of Santa Rosa that their thoughts and best wishes are with us,” says Dr. Ed Dizon, the event chairman.

“Our members worked so hard at fund raising to make sure as many as possible are seen and treated,” says Jojo Atillo, President of Ang BISAYA. “We want to let our countrymen know they are not forgotten.”

FANA president Van Ong procured the free medications from Dr. Ed Zarate, CEO of Pfizer Pakistan. He also obtained donations of equipment and supplies from the World Medical Relief facilitated by George Samson, President and CEO.

“We did a lot of volunteer work at the World Medical Relief to qualify for the donations’” says Van, a former two-term president of Ang BISAYA and current president of the Filipino American Community Council (FILAMCCO) the umbrella of 62 Filipino American Associations in Michigan.

Logistical support to promote goodwill for the medical mission was spearheaded by Rolly and Sylvia Comendador and the Mactan Rotary Club. They were so impressed with the close knit Bisayan ties during their Michigan visit last summer  they vontunteered to become involve with the mission.

A seminar on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Medical Emergencies will conduct lectures and hands on demonstration on the latest life saving techniques. Valuable certificates will be given to registered attendees upon completion of the educational sessions.

Mrs. Flora Gregorio Santos is the mission site designated contact person to coordinate with local volunteers and patient enrollment. Her sister Cora Gregorio-Zafra is a former Ang BISAYA president.

____________ Update March 14, 2011 Medical was held and what a success – the event was captured in photos seen on FaceBook type in the search bar – Ang Bisaya of Michigan: to view the event: TY to Sharon and Sarah of Tacloban  student nurses for the help in organizing and uploading the many photos!

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