Celebrating Gensan's Tuna Festival 2011

Today is the 43rd celebration of Gensan's Tuna Festival. And starting the celebration is the Ecumenical Service (Thanks Giving Mass) followed by the Charter Anniversary Program/Pamahaw Pasasalamat in front of the City Hall.

At nabigyan ako ng chance na maging bahagi nito by simply serving food to the people who where there to attend the mass. Ang daming sponsored na mga pagkain.  From arrozcaldo down to pineapple chunks!
Sobrang dami ng tao na hindi na namin sila mabilang at ma-control ng maayos.

But what really made my day was the fact that the people of General Santos City united by attending the mass thanking Our Almighty God for all the blessings na na-receive ng city natin. Kahit na ano pa ang estado nila sa buhay, mayaman o mahirap, lahat sila ay nagsama-sama para sa araw na ito.

Also, a big thanks to the private sectors who wholeheartedly took part of the Pamahaw ug Pasasalamat...
SFFAII, Cevceg, A & L Rabbi Ads, Crown Bookstore, GSC Chamber of Commerce and Ind., Inc., Golden State Colloge, Columbia, Gaisano Mall of Gensan, JV Industrial, Kainan ni Inay Julieta, Aquabest, Prime Water, MJT Builders, Ciara's Balloons and Party Needs Catering Services, Rotary Club of Midtown Gensan, Gensan RFM Printing Press, Gensan Ultimate, Pacifica Agrivet, KCC Mall of Gensan, Citifront, Petron, Rotary Club of Greater Gensan, South Cotabato Fil-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Ontario and DOLE Philippines Inc.


Thank you also for the fun-filled camaraderie to Ate Antoniette Gay Llido-Velasquez, AIM High Kabataan of General Santos City, Marianne Kathleen Dayap, King Tabaranza, Ciara Villasante, Twinkle Mae Tupas, Jelanie Kitay, Ozimar Ramizo and Arlyn Jane Quiapo!


Padayun sa pag-uswag General Santos! Hanggang sa susunod na Tuna Festival! Kita-kits ulit!!

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Letting him go..

PROMISE

Ang nag-iisang salita na kinaiinisan ko. I HATE that word actually, and i condemn the person who made a promise pero 'di naman tinupad. Talagang pinatunayan niya sa'kin that promises are made to be broken. And when it comes to trusting other people, you should be very careful about it.

It's been about three years or so since i last saw him. Since he made that stupid promise. That if i can wait for him, babalik siya. Two months lang naman daw ang palilipasin ko. So stupid of me to believe and trust his word. Two months became three years and here i am - still waiting for him. Crying over his picture. Missing him so much that it hurts. I even kept the tissue he gave when he took me out on my 17th birthday! Little did i know, wala na pala akong hinihintay! Wala na pa lang babalik!

To make things worst, I saw him! I freaking saw him 3 days ago at the Mall - with someone else in his arms! And with one turn of his head, he saw me. I looked straight into his eyes! And I was so stunned I couldn't move! You know what he did? He waved, came over and introduced his pregnant girlfriend! And that if I had the time, if i was free, I'm invited to their wedding this July! WTF! I was so shocked, i couldn't say a word! I just turned and walked away.

I know I was a bit rude but walking away was much better, much easier than slapping him in the face right there! I did the right thing naman di'ba? If you were in my shoes, anong ginawa mo? Just pretend and say hello and congratulations? Tell them that you'll try to come even if inside you your hurting? Or would you have confronted him? Asked why he never came back? Why he made that promise?

My mind's full of questions only he can answer. I can't even think straight. What if i went to see him after two months? What if i put effort and all my right connections so that i can see him while he was training for two months? What do you think? Kung ginawa ko ba yun, would it make any difference?

Nakalagay nga sa blog ni BearBoyle.com ang picture na ito

(June 4, 20011)

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A Summer Well Spent!

  YES! Sa wakas hindi na ako Sangguniang Kabataan Official! Wala ng problema! Balik na ako sa dati kong buhay! I'm going back to school without thinking na may committee meeting ako at 3 o' clock in the afternoon. Pero bigla kong naisip, now that i'm back being an ordinary youth, anong gagawin ko this Summer? And so i thought my Summer was going to be lame. But boy, was i wrong! There's AIM High Kabataan and of course, Summerkadahan 2011!

   AIM High Kabataan - naks! Ano 'to? Pagka-graduate bilang SK, AHK Official na naman ako? Ayos ah! Hehe! But wait, being an AHK is a lot harder than being a member of the SK Council. Sa AHK kasi, you have to work, to give services to the people without expecting for something in return. Hindi katulad sa SK na kahit hindi ka magtrabaho, meron ka paring makukuhang honorarium every 15 days. Sa AHK, mula sa pamasahe hanggang sa pagtulong, you have to do it willingly and with all your heart. Yung hindi ka napipilitan. Kusa mong ibibigay sa mga tao ang serbisyo mo..

   So ano bang ginawa mo this Summer? Kami? Umakyat lang naman kami ng bundok!

Here's a picture of us celebrating the World Water Day at Mount Balakayo, Barangay Olympog, General Santos City.

(From left to right) Richelle De Dios , Mark Esber, Lou Bernadette Dulay, Precious Pia Abatayo & Marianne Kathleen Dayap - all are AIM High Kabataan Core Group Member

AHK Volunteers unloading the seedlings

Erwin Bernales planting one of the seedlings

Marty Angelo Reyes - AHK Core Member

To know more about this activity, visit http://aimhighkabataan.blogspot.com/2011/03/ahk-world-water-day-mt-blakayo.html

    Binigyang buhay ang "Read A Book" Project ng ating butihinh Mayor na si Honorable Darlene Antonino-Custodio at naging speaker/facilitator sa Anti-Drug Seminar ng Summerkadahan.

Pictures of the AHK Volunteers for the Read A Book Project of Hon. Mayor Darlene Antonino-Custodio during every City Hall sa Barangay

 Teodoro Villaruz of Barangay Ligaya, reading a story to the young crowd of Barangay Fatima

At Barangay Lagao, General Santos City

Arlene Jane Quiapo giving Arozcaldo for the kids.

Summerkadahan 2011 Anti-Drug Seminar for the players of the different Barangays' in General Santos City

For a full article about the Summerkadahan 2011, visit http://aimhighkabataan.blogspot.com/2011/04/summerkadahan-2011-kicked-off-with-ahk.html

   Masasabi mong mahirap, pero yung fulfillment na makukuha mo, yung camaraderie sa mga kasamahan mo, and also the bond between you and the people around you, hinding-hindi mababayaran.. Kaya for me, my Summer is well spent!

Ikaw? Anong ginawa mo this Summer?

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It Will Never be the Same

Tuna Festival and Kalilangan Festival...whenever i hear these celebrations, one name pops in my head - Sir Orman Ortega Manansala.

Specially now that Kalilangan Festival is fast approaching, I was hoping for another grand festivity. But i was shocked to hear that he will no longer be the one behind the brains of 2011's famous celebration. According to the gossip, it will go to a group of people, or probably someone, whose name/names I haven't heard even when I was still an SK Chairperson of our community. I now wonder, will it (Kalilangan Festival) still be a breath-taking and fun-filled event as it was when Sir Orman was handling it? Or will it be a dull celebration?

They have yet to prove themselves. But then again, who am i to judge them? I just hope it will still be as glamorous and as festive as it was when on Sir Orman's hands.

But i know one thing is for sure - this time of celebration will never be the same.

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