Aliguas Mangaldan: USA & Canada

MCS Alumni in USA Host Lunch for a Cause

By: Cristeta Cera-Atutubo

Long before a violent storm devastated our beloved town of Mangaldan, a group of Alumni of the Mangaldan Central School has planned to do something for our Alma Mater in terms of physical improvement of our school or donation of instructional materials which will help the school children achieve academic excellence. But, our original plans were overrun by typhoon Cosme, and so, we had to redirect our efforts to the rehabilitation of some classrooms instead.

Our goals were simple, to raise some funds to repair 1 or 2 classrooms. But the response we got was overwhelming, especially from graduates of MCS. Perhaps it is this sense of belongingness, this feeling of loyalty and gratitude to their school where we first learned our ABCs and 123s that propelled us to work together for the benefit of our mother school.

During the planning stage, we banks on the resilient spirit of which Filipinos are known for. We have relieved on the age old Bayanihan Spirit and so, we the MCS Alumni dared to seek the help of our friends and the friends of our friends. We are donating the equivalent amount of one hundred thousand pesos (Ph 100,000.00) from the proceeds of MCS Lunch for a Cause to our Alma Mater for its rehabilitation.

The MCS Lunch For A Cause Core Group would like to thank all the donors and ticket benefactors and may the Lord return your kindness a hundredfold.

The Mangaldan Central School Teachers Club has sent a thank you letter for the financial assistance extended by the MCS Alumni in USA. (Aug 3, 2008 ...editor)

(33 pictures were sent, no guideline on how they are ordered so here they are ...co-editor Djoma)

MAREVA'S ANNUAL PICNIC INVITATION AND REMINDER

The  Mangaldan  Residents  of  Vancouver  will be having their Annual  Potluck  Picnic  lunch  ( 11:00 -5:00  p.m ) on  July 26, 2008  at  Jericho  Beach , Vancouver , the same venue  of  the  event  last  year . We  wish  to  invite   and   remind  all  Mangaldanians  in  the  vicinity , about  this  annual  event . We hope to see  more  of  our  Kabaleyans   and  share   some  good times  as well  as  camaraderie  with  everybody  from  our  beloved town  of Mangaldan ...                                                                                                                                                          

 

 

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MAREVA'S   Quick  Response  To "  Typhoon  Cosme's " Victims ....

The MAREVA  group  wants  to acknowledge  Frank Aquino  ( who now  resides  in Mangaldan ) who  was unanimously  selected  to spearhead  the  project   we  started  here in  Vancouver in helping  the  "poorest  of  the poor " affected  by  Typhoon " Cosme " in Mangaldan . Mrs. Purita  Lopez  Tamondong ,  a  longtime  resident  of Mangaldan , assisted   Frank  in this  endeavor , along  with  some  people  who  devoted  their  time  and  effort  to  make  this project   a  successful one  .

We  are  also  reprinting  the  e-mail  sent  by   former  Canada   resident  Frank  Aquino to  Rusty  Miraflor  , present  Chairman  of  MAREVA . We want  all  MAREVA  members  to  share  in  the good  news  of  a job  well done ..   

Dear  Friends ,

I would  like  to  share  the e-mail  of Kuya Frank so  you will  know  what  transpired   in  Mangaldan  when  our project  was  implemented  by  him . He certainly did an excellent job ..

RUSTY

July  2nd , 2008

Dear Rusty ,

I really feel elated  yesterday  because we made many poor people  in dire need of food -250  of them , 125 in Lanas and 125 in Inlambo , very  happy . These very poor people were  all smiles  and  were really  happy  as each received  a  package  of two kilos of rice , three  packs of  payless  noodles and  two  cans  of  sardines .

Our distribution  system  was very organized , very smooth and very much  appreciated by everyone . The  very  poor  and needy  people  were  identified by the Barangay Captains from Barangay  Lanas  and Inlambo , as recommended  by  the  Dept. of  Social  Welfare  ( Madam  Wing de Guzman  was my first contact  who joined  us  in our  distribution )  after talking  and  consulting  with Mayor Hermie Romero . Each  of the families  identified  were  given  a  claim  ticket ( prepared by DSW ) which  says , " Munting  handog  ng  Mangaldan Association  of Vancouver , Canada  ( MAREVA ) : Typhoon Calamity Fund  , July 1st ,2008 .@ 9.00  a.m.  Thru   Hon. Mayor Herminio Romero . "

I was not able to contact Mrs. Wilma  Cancino- Zacarias as suggested  by  your group  so  she was not able to join us . I was not able to get  an answer from her phone so  Atchi Purita  and  I proceeded  without her .  I was very  lucky   to  enlist some help in repacking the items  for distribution  from  our tutors   and  staff  in  my  own   Tutorial  office for  a few days  .  Mr . Cesar  Abril , Community Affairs  officer  and staff  of the  Mayor's office and PNP  helped in  transporting  sacks  of  goodies . Everybody  was cooperative .

Mayor Hermie  Romero  and  his   secretary  , Ms .  Rosalie Holipas  joined us in  Lanas . In the Mayor's speech , he emphasized   to the people  that  this   " panangaro"  was  from   the  Mangaldan  Association  of  Vancouver , Canada  or MAREVA , in conjunction  with the "Young Ones Tutorial  Center  Of  Mangaldan "  which  I  founded . It was so  gratifying   to see so many faces  lighten  up  while  receiving  their  package . It was  such a  wonderful feeling  to hand  the  packages to these   very  poor and  deserving  people   as well  very  thankful  ones , too . It was kind of  emotional  to share  them  this "panangaro" . The Mayor  was not able to join us in  Inlambo  due  to  an  imortant  commitment ..

Kuya Frank

The  MAREVA  group   wish  to  extend  our  heartfelt  gratitude  to the people  in Mangaldan  starting  from  the Town  Mayor  and   everybody  involved  who , in one  way  or  another , have contributed  to  the  success  of  our  project  : Cosme  Calamity  Fund  Distribution . Without  you  all  , we  would  not  have  done it  successfully ...

Again , kudos  to  Mr. Frank  D . Aquino  and   Mrs. Purita  Lopez Tamondong  for  a  job  well  done . The  funds  we ( MAREVA ) sent ( from the  proceeds  of our  Mangaldan  Town Fiesta  Hawaiian  Style ) went  a  long way  to  provide  immediate  help  to  the  very needy  ones . 

From  the MAREVA  officers   and  members

        

New Grad: Cecille Marie Lopez Tan

Pepe and Mona Tan share with the Aliguas Mangaldan community their joy in the milestone achievement of their daughter, Cecille Marie Lopez Tan who graduated last June 4, 2008 with a bachelor of arts degree major in sociology at the Simon Fraser University in British Columbia.

The Lopez-Tan family.

Cecille with her Ninang Frances Ong Salonga (third from left), and close friend Lilia Ceres (second from left).

Celebrating the United States Independence Day

GREETINGS  TO  OUR  NEIGHBOUR  SOUTH OF THE  BORDER , THE UNITED STATES  OF  AMERICA  ON  IT'S   JULY  4th  INDEPENDENCE  DAY  ! ! ! !  HAPPY  232ND  BIRTHDAY  , AMERICA .......

                                                                             From  your  Canadian  neighbours

2008 Philippine Independence Day Parade-New York

Kuya "Boy" Moulic, MANYJER President, shares some moments of the recetly concluded 2008 Philippine Independence Day Parade held in New York City last June 1, 2008. Our own Msgr. Oscar Aquino was the event's Grand Marshal.

Here are some photos taken at the just concluded Annual Philippine Independence Day Parade (PIDC) in New York City last June 1, 2008.It's the biggest independence day parade outside the Philippines. It was well attended. I am proud to be a Mangaldanian 'coz our own Msgr. Oscar Aquino was the Grand Marshal.

Leading the parade side by side with New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Consul General Cecile Rebong and other prominent city officials plus the invited well-known movie/singing stars from the Philippines.

Left photo below: Jun Quinto, JP (Gina's daughter), Msgr. Oscar Aquino, Gina Domagas Piano, Rowena Domagas Quinto, Tita and Boy Moulic. Right photo below: PJ, Msgr. Aquino, Gina, Rowena and Boy.

Left photo below: Rowena, Msgr. Aquino and Tita. Right photo below: Msgr. Aquino with Starlight Ballroom Dancers.

Left photo below: the Starlight Ballroom Dancers' Float. Right photo below: Boy and Tita Moulic.

Warmest regards to all and your loved ones. Salamat lamet!

K Boy M

MAONCA Celebrates Hawaiian Fiesta

by Cristeta Cera-Atutubo

The Philippine Fiesta which revolves around a Patron Saint’s feast, is usually celebrated once a year. Through the years, it has evolved from a purely religious affair to a celebration of thanksgiving and a coming-together of communities, clans, family groups and organizations. It has become an occasion for singing and dancing, for laughing and merry-making. Filipinos have brought this tradition to the place where they have chosen to live and the Mangaldan Association of Northern California (MAONCA) is one of these Filipino groups.

In the days of our youth, we learned in School that the Spaniards introduced the fiesta to our people. Since then, fiesta has been a part of our cultural heritage and has become a way of life. I’m sure most of us carry fond memories of the town fiesta back home. Actually, Mangaldan celebrates its town fiesta twice a year, on January 28 which the Catholic Church celebrates because it is the actual Feast Day of St. Thomas de Aquinas and on March 7, the birthday of St. Thomas which the whole municipality celebrates as its town fiesta.

Last March, most of the members of MAONCA went back to the Philippines to join the week-long fiesta celebration. It coincided with the Diamond Jubilee of St. Thomas Catholic School where many of them graduated. For this reason, we were not able to synchronize our MAONCA celebration with that of our hometown.

But we are still in the month of May and in Mangaldan, barangays celebrate their fiestas in May when flowers are in bloom and summer is in its tail end. We cannot allow this tradition to pass up this year and so we had a celebration at Biltmore Hotel in Sta. Clara, California on May 25 to commemorate this age-old tradition, in thanksgiving to God for the many graces and blessings He filled our lives.

 

MAREVA's Spring Celebration of Town Fiesta

It had to wait till May, with the spring season rolling closely to summer, and the balikbayans back from the reunions in Hometown Mangaldan. Mangaldan Residents of Vancouver (MAREVA) went "Hawaiian" last night, May 17, 2008, to have a belated celebration of the town's fiesta. MAREVA Chairperson Rustica "Rusty" Cervas-Miraflor called on kabaleyans to keep in mind the teachings of the town's patron saint, Santo Tomas de Aquinas.

We'll leave the rest of the storytelling to Aliguas Mangaldan co-Editor Marie Aquino-Junio. Here are some pictures of the occasion.

From Vegas to Toronto

by Alex Caballero, Jr.

It was a nice, breezy Spring week when the couple Rolando and Bobbie Yap from Las Vegas visited Canada for Rodrigo Aquino's housewarming party in Brampton, Ontario. With nice scenes and perfect weather, it was definitely a trip to remember as old friends caught up and walked through memory lanes.

Here are some of the pictures from the visit in Niagara Falls.

"Catching Up": Menchie Caballero and Boying Yap. (Below, right photo) Boys will be boys.

The two "Fashionista".

The young at heart.

MNHS Alumni Reunion in the USA

By  Cristeta Cera - Atutubo 

More than twenty years ago ( less than twenty for some ), we walked on the narrow  and  unpaved  road from the La Fortuna  Store  to  the Mangaldan  National  High  School ( MHS then )  campus  or if you lived in the western part of Mangaldan , you would walked  from the gas station in Bari to our Alma Mater . We were either in our green and white school uniform or in tight jeans and  t-shirts .

Recently , we re-lived our teenage years and  extended a modest  financial  assistance  to the MNHS Alumni Association . To celebrate their Silver Anniversary , members of Batch '83 spearheaded  a grand reunion in the USA .  MNHS  Alumni  based in different parts of  the US  converged at Pacific Palms  Resort  for a  Dinner Dance  on March 22, 2008 . A family picnic at Rynersons Park in  Lakewood, CA  was  held  the next day , March 23rd , 2008 . Thanks to  modern communication  , we were able to plan  and iron out details   of  the  two- day celebration in such  a short  period of time .  We were  able to invite  our former teachers residing in the US  who walked down memory lane with us .

We may have gained a few pounds ( or maybe  more for others ) and  we may  have matured physically  ( with a few wrinkles  here and  there  )  but the moment  we started   talking about our high school  years , we felt  like " high schoolers " again .

Here are some pictures  which  show  that  time  did not   affect  the old camaraderie  we had  during  our  high school  times . The more we mature , the more we appreciate our past  . 

   

 

Thanks for sharing  us  your  pictures  during  your MNHS  Alumni Reunion  in California ...

Atsi Marie 

Alex Caballero, Jr. @ 50

Alex Caballero, Jr., formerly from Barangay Poblacion, and now resident of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, celebrated his 50th birthday last March 8, 2008. Here are some pictures from that event.