LGU Accomplishments - October 2023

 

EDUCATION FOR ALL   - (LSB, Library, DepEd)     HEALTH FOR ALL   - Health (RHUs)   Mga Gabay sa Pagbubuntis, Ibinahagi sa Buntis Congress   Ang RHU ay nag-organisa ng isa na namang Buntis Congress noong October 3 to 4 sa Balon Bayambang Events Center. Naging resource speaker ang mga Obstetrician-Gynecologist na sina Dr. Annette Michelle Bautista at Dr. Lorelene Mangarin; Municipal Dentist, Dr. Dave Francis D. Junio; at Municipal Nutritionist Venus Bueno, na tumalakay sa iba't-ibang isyu sa pagbubuntis, kabilang ang oral care, teenage pregnancy, immunization, at breastfeeding. Nagkaroon din ng isang 'preggy' raffle at pamamahagi ng mga pregnancy kit.   Blood Drive sa Carungay, Nakaipon ng 23 Blood Bags   Sa latest blood donation drive na inorganisa ng Rural Health Unit III sa Brgy. Carungay, ang LGU ay nakakolekta ng 23 blood bags mula sa 34 na donors mula sa iba’t ibang barangay. Kabilang sa mga naging donors ang BFP at PNP personnel, at isang staff ng RHU III na dalawampung beses nang nagdodonate ng dugo. Ito ay ginanap noong October 4 sa Brgy. Carungay Covered Court sa pagtutulungan ng Rural Health Unit III kasama ang Region 1 Medical Center at Carungay Barangay Council.     KSB Year 6, sa Bongato naman Tumungo   Noong October 6, sa Bongato East Elementary School naman tumulak ang buong team ng Komprehensibong Serbisyo sa Bayan Year 6 (KSB Y6) upang ihatid ang mga libreng serbisyo mula sa Munisipyo sa mga residente ng Brgy. Bongato East at Bongato West. Halos walong daan (800) ang tumanggap ng Total Quality Service, ayon sa record ni Dr. Roland Agbuya. Dito ay binigyang diin ng mga bumisitang konsehal na ang KSB ay isang patunay na tapat ang Team Quiambao-Sabangan sa mga ipinangako nito sa pamamagitan ng paghatid ng totoong serbisyong publiko.     KSB Year 6, Muling Umarangkada sa Pantol   Noong October 13, dumiretso ang buong pangkat ng Komprehensibong Serbisyo sa Bayan Year 6 (KSB Y6) sa Obillo Elementary School, Brgy. Pantol. Hindi nila inalintana ang haba ng biyahe sa paglapit ng mga libreng serbisyo mula sa Municipio para sa mga residente ng naturang barangay. Ayon sa overall organizer nas si Dr. Roland Agbuya, mayroong 574 total registered clients sa aktibidad. Tunay ngang walang pinipiling lugar ang paghahatid ng Total Quality Service ng Quiambao-Sabangan administration.     Mga Libreng Serbisyo ng Munisipyo, Muling Inihatid sa Buayaen   Noong October 20, ang Komprehensibong Serbisyo sa Bayan Year 6 (KSB Y6) ay muling naghatid ng mga libreng serbisyo ng Munisipyo sa may Buayaen Central School (BCS) para naman sa mga residente ng Brgy. Telbang, Dusoc, at Buayaen. Sa ulat ng overall organizer na si Dr. Roland Agbuya, halos isang libong katao ang naging benepisyaryo sa aktibidad. Ang KSB ay isa lamang sa mga patunay na ang mga pangako ng Team Quiambao-Sabangan ay mula sa puso kaya't naisasakatuparan.   Update from RHU I   As of October 23, ang RHU I ay nagsagawa ng anim na maternal deliveries sa buwan ng Oktubre, salamat sa mga mapag-alagang nurse at midwife ng pasilidad. Nananatiling libre pa rin ang pagpapaanak o maternal delivery, newborn screening, at newborn care sa RHU kapag dito isinagawa ang pagpapacheckup ng mga buntis.                                                                  - Nutrition (MNAO)   Bayambang MNAO, Sumalang sa Validation bilang National Contender   Noong October 5 at 6, Sumalang sa unang pagkakataon si Municipal Nutrition Action Officer Venus Bueno sa isang national level of evaluation ng National Nutrition Council upang maging contender sa pagiging Best MNAO nationwide. Ang validation activity ay mabusising isinagawa online ng NNC, at masusing pinaghandaan ng lahat ng departamento at ahensya ng gobyerno na may nutrition-sensitive plans, projects, at activities, sa buong suporta ng Municipal Nutrition Council.       - Sports and Physical Fitness (MPFSDC)     - Veterinary Services (Mun. Vet.)     – Slaughterhouse      PROTECTION OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN     - Social Services (MSWDO, MAC)   5 Centenarians, Kinilala; Mayor Niña, Naghandog ng Libreng Flu Vaccine   Ang lokal na pagdiriwang ng Senior Citizen's Week ay binuksan noong October 9 sa Balon Bayambang Events Center, sa pagtutulungan ng MSWDO, Federation of Senior Citizen's Associations of Bayambang, at Office of Senior Citizen's Affairs. Naghandog si Mayor Niña ng libreng influenza vaccine sa mga senior citizen sa tulong ng RHU I. Kinilala naman ang limang bagong Bayambangueñon na centenarian, at sila ay nakatanggap ng cake mula sa MSWDO at nakatakdang handugan ng cash gift mula sa LGU.     750 Seniors, May P3-Milyon na Ayuda mula kay Sen. Imee   May 750 na senior citizen ang nakatanggap ng ayuda sa ilalim ng Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program ng DSWD, sa tulong ng MSWDO gamit ang pondo mula sa tanggapan ni Sen. Imee Marcos. Ang ayuda ay nagkakahalaga ng tatlong milyong piso, at ipinamahagi sa mga piling senior citizen na di nakatatanggap ng social pension at hindi miyembro ng 4Ps. Ginanap ang payout activity sa Pavilion I ng St. Vincent Ferrer Prayer Park.   50 Young Couples, Nakinig ng Lecture ukol sa Responsible Parenthood at Family Planning   Noong October 17, may 50 young couples ang umattend sa "Young Couple's Trail" sa Events Center upang madagdagan ang kanilang kaalaman sa responsible parenthood at iba't ibang pamamaraan ng family planning. Ang aktibidad ay inisyatibo ng MSWDO sa tulong ng mga Barangay Service Point Officer. Nagsilbing resource speaker ang dalawang Provincial Population Program Officer ng Pangasinan na sina Marilyn Castro at Jewel Rey Padilla.   DSWD-RO1:  MSWDO-Bayambang, "Functional" sa 2023 Assessment   Ang MSWDO ay nagkamit ng "Functional" na rating sa pinakahuling assessment ng DSWD-Regional Office I ukol sa Service Delivery Capacity nito bilang isang local social welfare development office gamit ang assessment criteria ng ahensya. Ang evaluation ay isinagawa mula October 19 hanggang 20 sa Conference Room ng RHU I. Layunin ng aktibidad na pag-ibayuhin ng LGU ang pagbibigay ng mga serbisyo nito sa mga vulnerable at disadvantaged na sektor istratehikong pamamaraan   DSWD, May Partial Delivery para sa Supplementary Feeding Program   Ang DSWD ay nagsagawa ng partial delivery ng mga food items para sa Supplementary Feeding Program (SFP) nito para sa mga Day Care Learners noong October 16, sa Pavilion II ng St. Vincent Ferrer Prayer Park. Ang naturang batch ng food items ay tinanggap ng 77 Child Development Workers mula sa 74 Child Development Centers ng Bayambang     - Civil Registry Services (LCR)    Mga Bagong Miyembro ng PMOC Team, Sumalang sa Training   Sumalang ang mga bagong miyembro ng Pre-Marriage Orientation and Counseling (PMOC) team ng LGU sa Module I ng PMOC Training noong Oktubre 24 sa Mayor's Conference Room. Ito ay inorganisa ng MSWDO kung saan naging resource speaker ang PopCom Region I. At ito ay nilahukan ng mga bagong miyembro mula sa RHU, MSWDO, Nutrition, at LCR. Layunin ng training na madagdagan ang miyembro ng PMOC team para maging maayos ang pag-conduct ng PMOC sa mga couples na nais magpakasal.       - Environmental Protection (MENRO, ESWMO)    ESWMO, Inimbitahang Mag-info Drive sa Amancosiling ES   Noong September 28, inimbitahan ng Amancosiling Elementary School sa Brgy. Amancosiling Sur ang ESWMO upang magbigay ng information campaign ukol sa Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000. Naging tagapagsalita sina ESWMO head, MENRO Joseph Anthony Quinto, at kanyang staff na sina Michael Angelo Abalos, Mary Ann Palaming, at Arielito Agas, kasama si DENR R1 ENMO, Engr. Rayden Errol Gan.   DENR, Nag-inspect ng Daan at Tulay sa San Gabriel 2nd   Noong October 4, ang DENR ay nag-conduct ng Annual Monitoring and Evaluation sa mga daan at tulay sa San Gabriel 2nd kaugnay ng Gratuitous Special Use Permit ng DENR para sa Road Right of Way para sa may 2.95 hectares na area sa barangay. Matapos ang courtesy call at pulong sa Mayor's Conference Room, pinangunahan ang field inspection ni CENRO Staff Lead Felix Sigue at mga kasamahan nito, at sila ay sinamahan ng ESWMO, MENRO, MPDC, MDRRMO, at BPRAT.   Mga Coop, Nag-Clean-up Drive sa Dusoc-Carungay Rd.   Noong October 13 pa rin, ang iba't-ibang kooperatiba sa Bayambang ay nagsagawa ng isang Clean-Up Drive sa daanan mula Brgy. Dusoc hanggang Brgy. Carungay, sa pag-oorganisa ng Municipal Cooperative Development Office. Ito ay parte pa rin ng pagdiriwang ng Cooperative Month at bahagi ng adbokasiya ng mga kooperatiba na isulong ang isang malinis na komunidad.         - Youth Development (LYDO, SK)       - Peace and Order (BPSO, PNP)   Bayambang PNP Chief at Police Station, Muling Kinilala   Congratulations to 𝐏𝐋𝐓𝐂𝐎𝐋 𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐋 𝐏 𝐁𝐀𝐆𝐒𝐈𝐂 for being awarded the Best Junior Police Commissioned Officer for Operation, and 𝐁𝐚𝐲𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 for being the Best Municipal Police Station, during the Pangasinan Police Provincial Office's 𝟏𝟐𝟐𝐍𝐃 𝐏𝐎𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐄 𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐕𝐈𝐂𝐄 𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐀𝐑𝐘 held at Camp Gov. Antonio U. Sison, Lingayen, Pangasinan.   To our Chief of Police and the men and women of Bayambang MPS, good job po, mga ma'am and sir!     BPSO Staff, Muling Nagpakita ng Katapatan   Muli na namang nagpamalas ng katapatan ang mga miyembro ng BPSO matapos magsauli ang isang staff ng isang wallet na naglalaman ng pera. Noong October 9, napulot ni BPSO Lay Rescuer Joe Felomino Datuin ang isang pitaka na may lamang P9,700 cash sa harap ng Munisipyo, matapos itong mahulog mula sa isang tumtakbong traysikel. Ito ay kaagad niyang ipinagbigay-alam sa tanggapan at kaagad ding naibalik sa may-ari na napag-alamang si Jeremy Junio. Ang wallet ay personal na inabot sa kanya ni BPSO Chief, Col. Leonardo Solomon.     Mga Kandidato sa BSKE 2023, Nanumpa para sa Mapayapang Eleksyon   Isang matagumpay na Unity Walk, ecumenical mass, electoral candidate briefing, at peace covenant signing ang isinagawa ng COMELEC noong October 10, sa pakikipagtulungan ng LGU, DILG, PNP, at BFP. Humigit-kumulang na 1,500 candidates sa Barangay at Sangguniang Kabataan Elections ang nakilahok sa aktibidad na ginanap mula sa St. Vincent Ferrer Parish Church hanggang sa Balon Bayambang Events Center.   Road Clearing Operations, Mahigpit na Ipatutupad   Noong October 10, nagpulong ang Road Clearing Task Force sa Mayor's Conference Room para planuhin ang pagtanggal sa mga lahat ng nakaharang sa kalsada at sidewalk na nagiging sanhi ng peligro sa publiko at sagabal sa mga pedestrian at maging sa mga motorista. Napagkasunduan ng mga miyembro ng Task Force na uumpisahan nang kumpiskahin o baklasin ngayong linggo ang mga naturang nakahambalang sa sidewalk upang maimplementa ang batas, alinsunod sa DILG Memorandum Circular 2022-85.     PNP-Bayambang, May Bagong Mobility Asset   Noong October 23, tinanggap ng PNP-Bayambang ang isang brand new Toyota Hi-Lux 4X2 single cab patrol jeep bilang pinakabagong mobility asset nito. Naroon si PLtCol Rommel Bagsic kasama si Councilor Martin Terrado II sa ceremonial turnover na ginanap sa Pangasinan Police Provincial Office sa Lingayen, Pangasinan.   UPDATE mula sa Anti-Dangling Wire Task Force   Patuloy ang Anti-Dangling Wire Task Force ng LGU sa pagdismantle ng mga spaghetti wires o sala-salabit na kawad ng kuryente, telepono, at Internet sa Poblacion area na hindi kanais-nais sa paningin at kung minsan ay nagiging sanhi pa ng aksidente.   Good job po sa Anti-Dangling Wire Task Force sa pangunguna ng Engineering Office.     AGRICULTURAL MODERNIZATION - (MAO)    Local Farmers, Naki-Lakbay Palay sa PhilRice   Noong September 28, nagtungo ang grupo ng mga trainees sa Hybrid Varietal Derby at kabilang sa Bayambang District 4 Cluster sa PhilRice Central Experiment Station, Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija. Sila ay dumalo sa taunang selebrasyon ng LakbayPalay. Naging saksi ang mga delegado sa mga pahayag at testimonya ng mga magsasakang na naging matagumpay sa pagpapalay matapos gumamit ng mga makabagong kaalaman at pamamahala sa sakahan.   Onion Growers, Binigyan ng Fertilizer at Onion Seeds   Pinangunahan nina Vice Mayor IC Sabangan at Coun. Philip Dumalanta ang pamamahagi ng fertilizer at onion seeds mula sa DA Region I noong October 10 sa Amanperez Barangay Covered Court para sa mga lokal na onion growers. Ang mga pataba ay para sa mga magsasakang nasalanta ng bagyong 'Paeng' noong 2022. Ang mga onion seeds naman ay para sa lahat ng onion grower mula sa 8 farming districts. 88 ang naging beneficiaries ng libreng fertilizer at 592 naman ang nakatanggap ng onion seeds.   NIA: "Phase I ng Bayambang Pump Irrigation Project, under Procurement Na"   Noong October 11, bumisita ang National Irrigation Administration (NIA) Regional Office I sa Mayor's Office upang mag-update ukol sa Bayambang Pump Irrigation Project. Ayon sa NIA, ang Phase I ng proyekto ay under procurement na. Ito ay ang konstruksyon ng main canal with service road mula Brgy. Amancosiling Norte hanggang Brgy. Buayaen na may approved budget na P40 million. Ang kabuuang main canal ay 7 kilometers mula sa Brgy. Amancosiling Norte hanggang Brgy. Bical.   Update mula sa Bayambang Dairy Farm   Sa kasalukuyan ay may 32 na bagong silang na baka at mayroong sampung dumating na inahing buntis, bukod pa sa 21 na bakang buntis sa may Bayambang Dairy Farm. Ang dairy farm ay nakatayo sa Brgy. Mangayao.     Mga Magsasaka at Agri Students, Nagsanay sa "Digital Farming"   Isa namang "Training of Trainers on Digital Farmers Program" ang inorganisa ng buong araw ng October 13 ng Municipal Agriculture Office sa Events Center. Ito ay dinaluhan ng mga lokal na magsasaka kasama ang Bayambang Polytechnic College Agri Enterprise students. Dito ay ibinahagi nina Ms. Raiza Cacal ng MAO at Mr. Albert Maiquez ng BPC ang kanilang kaalaman hinggil sa digital technology na naaangkop sa sektor ng agrikultura.   MAO Technologist, Certified Seed Inspector Na   Noong October 9-13, nagtraining ang Agriculture Technologist na si Jordan Junio para sa Certification for Seed Inspectors sa Agricultural Training Institute, Brgy. Tebag East, bayan ng Sta. Barbara. Sa kanyang nakuhang sertipikasyon, tiyak na mayroong maaasahang certified seed inspector ang mga rice seed producers sa bayan ng Bayambang.   Info Caravan on Agri Credits, Inihatid ng DA   Isang "Information Caravan on Agri Credit Programs" ang inihatid ng Department of Agriculture para sa mga onion at mango farmer noong October 17, sa Pavilion I ng St. Vincent Ferrer Prayer Park, sa pakikipag-ugnayan sa LGU-Bayambang. Dito ay binigyan ng up-to-date na impormasyon ang may 300 na lokal na onion at mango grower kung paano mag-apply sa iba't-ibang agri credit program ng ahensya, pati na ang Landbank at DBP, at insurance sa ilalim ng PCIC. Kabilang sa mga dumating si Bureau of Plant Industry Director, Dr. Gerald Glenn Panganiban.   Pneumatic Corn Planter, Idinemo sa Brgy. Malimpec   Noong October 16, nag-organisa ang MAO ng isang field demonstration para sa pneumatic corn planter sa Brgy. Malimpec. Ayon sa MAO, ang paggamit ng naturang makinarya ay maraming benepisyo, kabilang na ang pagpapataas ng produksyon at pagapadali ng gawaing bukid. Ang naturang corn planter ay ang makinang nauna nang natanggap ng Bayambang District 7 Cluster Organization mula sa Department of Agriculture Region 1.   Update mula sa Bayambang Dairy Farm   As of October 23, ang Bayambang Dairy Farm sa Brgy. Mangayao ay mayroong nang total na 57 na kambing mula sa 50 na ulo, at 36 sa mga ito ang nakatakdang manganak. May 34 na baka naman ang bagong dating, at 13 sa mga ito ay nakatakda ring manganak, kaya't sa kabuuan ay may 82 na baka na ang Dairy Farm. Samantala, mayroon namang 150 liters ang naproduce na gatas ng baka, at ito ay kasalukuyang ipinapainom sa kanilang mga supling.   Farm Inputs, Ipinamahagi para sa Pilot Corporate Farming Project sa Bani   Noong Oktubre 24, 2023, ibinahagi ng Office of the Provincial Agriculturist, sa pakikipag-ugnayan sa Municipal Agriculture Office, ang mga buto ng mais, abono, at pestisidyo sa mga magsasakang sumali sa Corporate Farming Program ng provincial government. Ito ay pilot project n Gov. Monmon Guico, in partnership with MAO, na may target na 20-hectare na sakahang tatamnan ng mais sa   Local Farmers, Dumalo sa Corporate Farming Demo   Ang MAO at mga cooperating farmers mula sa Bayambang ay umattend sa field demo ng aktuwal na resulta ng Corporate Farming program ng provincial government, noong Oktubre 25 sa Brgy. Lelemaan, bayan ng Manaoag. Kabilang sa mga aktibidad ang farm field tour at farm mechanization techno-demo gamit ang combine harvester thresher.       JOBS AND LIVELIHOOD FOR ALL   - Livelihood and Employment (MESO, BPRAT)   202 Typhoon Survivors, Sumalang sa TUPAD Validation Activity   Nagsagawa ang DOLE, sa tulong ng PESO, ng isa na namang profiling activity para sa 202 typhoon-affected beneficiaries ng DOLE TUPAD Program noong October 9. Ito ay ginanap sa harap ng PESO at sa Manambong Sur Evacuation Center. Makatatanggap ng P4,000 ang bawat isa matapos makapaglinis sa kani-kanilang barangay sa loob ng sampung araw.       - Economic Development (SEE)     - Cooperative Development (MCDO)    MCDO Outreach, Idinaos sa Dusoc Elementary School   Ang Municipal Cooperative Development Office ay nagsagawa ng tree planting activity at feeding program sa Dusoc Elementary School sa pakikipagtulungan ni Principal Lily Luz Corpus kasama ang mga estudyante ng naturang paaralan at ibat-ibang kooperatiba sa Bayambang. Ang naturang outreach program ay parte ng pagdiriwang ng Cooperative Month 2023.   MCDO, Nagdaos ng "Mandatory Training on Fundamentals of Cooperative"   Ang Municipal Cooperative Development Office (MCDO) ay nagdaos ng isang "Mandatory Training on Fundamentals of Cooperative" para sa mga cooperative officers ng iba't-ibang kooperatiba ng Bayambang noong October 20, sa Pavilion I ng St. Vincent Ferrer Prayer Park. Ito ay bahagi pa rin ng pagdiriwang ng Cooperative Month.       - Tourism, Culture, and Arts (MTICAO)   Museums and Galleries Month 2023, Ipinagdiwang   Sa buong buwan ng Oktubre, nagsagawa ng isang serye ng guided tours ang Bayambang Municipal Museum para sa iba't ibang departamento ng LGU at mga lokal na paaralan, bilang parte ng pagdiriwang ng national Museums and Galleries Month 2023. Ang iba't ibang grupo ng bisita ay isa-isang inilibot sa Bayambang Museum of Innovation sa Public Plaza sa magkakaibang araw ng mga Museum tour guide na sina Ray Hope Bancolita at Angel Veloria. Kanilang natunghayan ang mayamang kasaysayan at kultura ng bayan ng Bayambang.     Bayambang, Pasok sa Itinerary ng DOT-Region I Philippine Experience Program   Noong October 22, ang DOT Region I ay nag-ocular inspection sa Bayambang bilang parte ng kanilang validation activity para sa Philippine Experience Program, isang programa ng DOT na naglalayong ipasyal ang mga turista sa pamamagitan ng paglibot sa buong bansa. Para sa Region I leg ng programa, ang proposed itinerary para sa apat na araw ng biyahe ay mag-uumpisa sa Laoag City at magtatapos sa Bayambang.     - Infrastructure Development (Engineering: Infra, Housing, Transport, Utilities, etc.)   JKQ Hospital Update   Samantala, narito naman ang update ukol sa konstruksyon ng Julius K. Quiambao Medical and Wellness Center sa Brgy. Ligue na nasa 77.25% completion na.                                                                                               DISASTER RESILIENCE - (MDRRMO)   MDRRMO, Sumali sa Bamboo Bootcamp   Noong September 29 hanggang October 1, nakilahok ang MDRRMO sa isang Bamboo Bootcamp na ginanap sa Lian, Batangas. Ang mga bagong kaalaman na kanilang natutunan ukol sa bamboo propagation at forestry ay makakatulong sa ating Agno River Rehabilitation Project, na naglalayong masawata ang unti-unting pagguho ng lupa sa tabing-ilog at makapagbigay ng hanapbuhay sa mga Bayambangueño.     Benebe, Kinilala ng OCD R1 Si Bayambang LDRRM Officer Genevieve Benebe ay ginawaran ng Certificate of Commendation ng Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council 1 sa pamamagitan ng Office of Civil Defense Regional Office 1 dahil sa kanyang ipinakitang galing at dedikasyon sa serbisyo. Ang pagkilala ay iginawag noong September 19, sa Bauang, La Union.   Good job, Ms. Benebe and congratulations MDRRMO-Bayambang! - From your LGU family     HONEST & EFFICIENT PUBLIC SERVANTS      - Planning and Development (MPDO)     - Legal Services (MLO)       - ICT Services (ICTO)   Mga BNS, Muling Pinulong ukol sa RCBMS   Noong October 18, pinulong ni ICT Officer Ricky Bulalakaw ang mga 77 Barangay Nutrition Scholars (BNS) sa Balon Bayambang Events Center ukol sa pag-update ng mga datos sa Restructured Community-Based Monitoring System o RCBMS. Ang RCBMS aniya ay gagawan ng enhancement upang ang mga datos ay maiko-connect sa isang digital map sa pamamagitan ng Geographic Information System (GIS). Sa pamamagitan nito, mas magiging madali at maayos ang pagpaplano ng LGU ng mga proyekto na angkop sa mga makikinabang na residente kada barangay.     - Human Resource Management (HRMO)   LGU Employees, Nagtraining sa Writing at Public Speaking   Sa pag-oorganisa ng HRMO, ang mga kawani ng LGU ay sumabak sa isa na namang training, ang "Effective Written Communication and Public Speaking," noong October 20 sa Events Center. Naging resource speakers sina Dr. Mary Ann Jimenea-Bullagay, PSU-Bayambang Chairman ng Languages Department, at Venus May Hortaleza-Sarmiento, ang Public Relations, Publication and Information Director ng PSU-Lingayen at dating hepe ng Philippine Information Agency-Pangasinan.       - Transparency/Public Information (PIO)   Bayambang, Sumailalim sa SGLG National Validation   Noong September 29, sumailalim ang bayan ng Bayambang sa isa na namang National Validation para sa Seal of Good Local Governance ng DILG. Naging abala ang lahat ng departmento at national agencies sa pag-iikot sa mga bisita at pagsagot sa mga katanungan at pagrerepaso ng mga kaukulang dokumento. Naging lead validator si LGOO VI Marda Alina Dumaoang-Acoba ng DILG-NCR, kasama sina DILG Program Manager Calvin Noluis Lubrin. Sa unang pagkakataon, bumisita rin si DILG R1 Regional Director Jonathan Paul Leusen Jr. upang personal na batiin ang mga LGU official.   Citizen's Charter ng Bayambang, Inupdate   Noong October 3 hanggang 6, finanalize ng LGU department heads ang bagong Citizen's Charter ng bayan ng Bayambang sa isang seminar-workshop na ginanap sa Lungsod ng Baguio. Naging tagapagsalita dito sina Engr. Antonio Gardose II ng Anti-Red Tape Authority o ARTA Northern Luzon ukol sa Compliance to RA 11032 o Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery of 2018, at Joseph Louis Cariño ng ARTA Northern Luzon, ukol naman sa Implementing Rules and Regulations ng ARTA.   LGU Heads, Nagseminar ukol sa Leadership   Muli na namang nadagdagan ang kaalaman ng mga LGU department at unit heads nang sila ay umattend ng bagong seminar na inorganisa para sa kanila ng HRMO. Ang seminar na ginanap sa Mayor's Conference Room noong October 11 ay may titulong, "Leadership Journey." Naging resource speaker ang mismong Regional Director ng Civil Service Commission na si Dir. Hedy Jose Lardizabal. Tinalakay ni Dir. Lardizabal ang iba't-ibang teorya at pag-aaral ukol sa pagiging lider, na nagpamulat sa mga mata ng mga LGU heads ukol sa mabigat na papel na kanilang ginagampanan.       Ongoing: Internal Quality Audit ng LGU Departments   Sa utos ni Mayor Niña Jose-Quiambao, kasalukuyang isinasagawa ang Internal Quality Audit ng lahat ng departamento ng LGU upang masiguro na sumusunod pa rin ang lahat sa mga pamantayan kahit tapos na ang auditing para sa ISO 9001:2015 o Quality Management System.   Pagmamay-ari sa Bayambang Central School, Ibinalik ng Korte sa LGU; Clearing Operations, Ongoing   Sa unang pagkakataon, matapos itong isara sa publiko, muling inokupa ng LGU-Bayambang ang lumang campus ng Bayambang Central School noong October 11, 2023, matapos magdesisyon si Presiding Judge Magnolia V. Cayetano ang Regional Trial Court na ibalik ang ownership nito sa LGU. Bagamat hindi pa tapos ang kaso, sa utos ni Mayor Niña Jose-Quiambao ay nagtulung-tulong ang mga departamento at ahensya upang baklasin ang mga nakaharang na yero at tigpasin ang kasukalan ng lugar upang ito ay malinisan. Nagbubunyi ang buong bayan ng Bayambang sa pinakahuling desisyong ito ng korte.    Pag-aapply ng Business Permit, Atbp., Mas Pinabilis sa iBPLS Noong October 16, inilunsad ng LGU ang Integrated Business Permits and Licensing Services o IBPLS sa Events Center, sa pangunguna ng ICT Office. Ang IBPLS ay isang sistema na mas lalong magpapabilis sa pag-aapply para sa mga business permit at iba pang dokumento gamit ang information technology. Ang seremonya ay dinaluhan ni OIC Regional Director ng DICT na si Engr. Reynaldo Sy. Binati si Director Sy ang bayan ng Bayambang sa pagkakaroon nito ng naturang sistema ayon na rin sa direktiba ng Presidente Marcos sa lahat ng LGU at government agencies.   Update mula sa Assessor's Office A. Noong September 12, ang Assessor's Office ay nagconduct ng inspection at monitoring ng mga makinarya sa Brgy. Magsaysay, M.H. Del Pilar, Cadre Site, Zone 2, Zone 4, Zone 6, Amancosiling Sur, Pugo, Reynado, at Hermoza.   B. Noong September 28 naman, nagconduct ng appraisal ang Provincial Assessor's Office ng gusali at mga makinarya ng Citi Hardware sa Brgy. Buayaen kasama ang mga kawani ng Municipal Assessor's Office.       - Property Custodial Services (GSO, Motorpool)           AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS   Bayambang, Top 10 sa Resiliency Category ng CMCI!   Ang bayan ng Bayambang ay nag-Top 10 sa hanay ng mga 1st and 2nd class municipalities sa kategorya ng Resiliency sa pagtatapos ng patimpalak ng Department of Trade and Industry na tinaguriang Cities & Municipalities Competitive Index para sa taong 2022.   Congratulations, Bayambang!   RHU I, Top Performing Newborn Screening Facility   Ang Rural Health Unit 1 ng Bayambang ay kinilala ng Newborn Screening Center ng Northern Luzon bilang one of the top performing Newborn Screening Facilities ng rehiyon sa Primary Care - Government Category, with Unsatisfactory Rate of 0.00 for the 2nd quarter of 2023, out of 57 newborns screened.     Bayambang MPOC, Isa sa mga Functional Peace and Order Council ng Rehiyon I   Ang Bayambang ay isa sa mga bayan sa Rehiyon Uno na inihayag na mayroong Functional Peace and Order Council, ayon sa Department of the Interior and Local Government.   Kami ay nagpupugay sa lahat ng miyembro ng Bayambang Municipal Peace and Order Council sa ilalim ni Mayor Niña Jose-Quiambao.    Vice Mayor IC, Kinilala sa Saludo Excellence Awards    Ang LGU-Bayambang ay bumabati kay Vice-Mayor Ian Camille Sabangan sa parangal na kanyang nakamit mula sa Saludo Excellence Awards bilang National Outstanding Humanitarian and Leadership Service Awardee, sa seremonyang ginanap noong Oktubre 8, sa Manila Hotel. Ang pagkilalang ito aniya ay magsisilbing inspirasyon sa kanya na mas lalong pag-ibayuhin pa ang pagseserbisyo sa kanyang minamahal na kababayan.       LEGISLATIVE ENACTMENTS - (SB)     LGU Supplemental Budget, Aprubado ng Kapitolyo!   Noong October 2 sa Kapitolyo, nagtulung-tulong ang mga miyembro ng Sangguniang Bayan sa pangunguna ni Vice-Mayor IC Sabangan upang idepensa sa Sangguniang Panlalawigan ang binalangkas na Supplemental Budget para sa taong 2023. Matapos ang pagdinig, inaprubahan ng Sangguniang Panlalawigan ang naturang budget na nagkakahalaga ng P3,674,438.28.   Kasabay nito ay ang pag-apruba sa walong iba pang mahahalagang ordinansa, kabilang ang institusyonalisasyon ng PESO-Bayambang, pagtatag ng LCAT-VAWC, at pagtatag ng VAWC Desk sa bawat barangay.     Public Hearing ukol sa Local Building Code, Isinagawa   Noong October 4, isang public hearing ang isinagawa ng Sangguniang Bayan ukol sa panukalang "ORDINANCE CREATING THE LOCAL BUILDING CODE OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF BAYAMBANG WHICH SHALL AMPLIFY THE PROVISIONS AND STRENGTHEN THE ENFORCEMENT OF PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 1096 OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE NATIONAL BUILDING CODE OF THE PHILIPPINES."     ₱527-M Budget, SEE Budget, at AIP ng LGU sa 2024, Pasado sa SB   Pormal na inaprubahan ng Sangguniang Bayan ang panukalang Executive Budget ng bayan ng Bayambang para sa taong 2024, sa ginanap na Special Session noong Oktubre 18. Ito ay nagkakahalaga ng PhP527,148,240.25 Kasabay nito ang pagpasa rin ng proposed Annual Budget para sa Special Economic Enterprise na ₱47,901,377.79 at proposed Annual Investment Program (AIP) Budget na ₱5,005,288,121.35

 

 

Prepared by	Certified by
RESTY S. ODON PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER	DR. RAFAEL L. SAYGO MTICAO, HEAD

 

Wandering through the Clearing at the Old BCS

(You might want to check out my entirely new memoir on Bayambang Central School.)

Wandering through the Clearing at the Old BCS

In 2012, I heard a piece of news from my hometown that shocked me and then saddened me deeply. Bayambang Central School, or its main building, reportedly burned down. It was hard to believe, or to even accept, that something that had been there long before I or my parents were born (it was built in 1914) and survived through the decades down to the '00s would one day turn into ashes.

I was sure there were thousands upon thousands of us who reacted the same way, we who entered its portals, whose laughter, shouts, and cries echoed on its halls, until whose last moments were spent in it torn between sadness and hope come Graduation Day.

I was working in Manila when I received the news. What was worse is that no one could tell for sure what caused the fire.

***

One good day on May 2011 in SM Bicutan, I stumbled into a photo exhibit on Filipino architecture, and as I walked around viewing the shots which were mostly in sepia, I was stupefied to see a photo of something very familiar to me.

I had never expected it, but it was right there, blown up in flattering proportions right before my eyes -- our old school building, the Main Building of Bayambang Central School in Bayambang, Pangasinan, the label incorrectly indicating the address as "Bayambang, Nueva Ecija," to my consternation.

My mind suddenly reeled, as it got flooded by memories of the wide open space.

BCS -- the mere mention of it awakens in me a mix of memories and emotions, some conflicting, contrasting, clashing, but all occurring one after another in a fast clip, or together in a heartbeat, in no particular order, with no logic and consequence, as though everything was gutted by fire.

***

On October 11, 2023, the local government of Bayambang moved quickly to "repossess" the property, as per a Regional Trial Court judge's order, the campus being originally a municipal property, until it was swapped by a former administration with a private property a few blocks away in Brgy. Magsaysay, the site of the former Velodrome built by former Mayor Jaime Junio from the idea of Atty. Geruncio 'Gerry' Lacuesta.

It was only when I went home in mid-2016 that I would learn about the long court battle ensuing as to the legality of the move.

Together with LGU people, all sorts of concerned groups from the private sector signified their desire to join in the clean-up operation staged for what had become a lowland rainforest. It was a dramatic and inspiring gesture bespeaking of volumes of pent-up thoughts and feelings about the historic school, which is by now more than 100 years old, 109 to be exact.

Through the clearing, amidst hacked trunks and foliage, the old buildings emerge one by one, looking like the ruins of a lost Mayan, Inca, or Khmer civilization. As my eyes wander around, I mentally trace the innumerable steps I took in this now-decrepit campus of cherished memories.

***

One of the most memorable things about Central is the trees. The trees then seemed so tall they reached the clouds. The lone fruit-laden mabolo tree in front near the fence particularly towered when I saw it as a child. (I would learn much later in life that the kamagong wood and the mabolo tree are one and the same species.) The many caimito trees around the campus were also a constant sight and often targeted by pupils and outsiders for their shiny, milky-sweet purple fruits.

***

The first place to be visible out of the clearing is the biggest physical representation of this public institution of primary education -- the Main Building. From the looks of it, it is mercilessly a goner, and maybe for good. Or maybe not.

The elegant pillars and arches of the building gave it an air of importance or dignity. Its stage area is where big events, special presentations, and graduation ceremonies were held. Its wide steps were a symbol of the many steps a pupil must hurdle before making it to another stage in life.

The next thing I recall is how I once made a valedictory address right on the stage of this building on Graduation Day, with hundreds forced to listen.

It was March 1983, and our batch just finished Grade VI. My speech was a prepared script by Mr. Tagulao, and the topic was about illicit drugs, so of course no one listened. I knew, because no one among my batch was paying attention. Maybe the teachers did out of politeness. It was embarrassing, a disaster.

But I think I made up for it by receiving a gold medal and a tall golden trophy at the end, but the funny thing is the trophy was a donation from outside, not from the school itself, courtesy of my Manila-based aunt, Dr. Leonidas Odon Cortez and her husband, Engr. Glorioso Cortez.

***

Then scenes of my first days in school, the quiet afternoons in class, and the young friends I made soon follow, almost at the same time. I am overwhelmed, needless to say.

This is because this large L-shaped building is where I spent my years in Grades I and II.

I can still remember the names of my classmates who belonged to Section 1 or what they referred to as Special Class, which of course made us feel special, for good or ill. (I would question, years later, the wisdom behind calling certain classes as that, or some other, like Star Section.)

There were those who I constantly competed with academically: Vilma de Leon, Rosabella Austria, Janette Magsanoc, Cesar Bato, Raquel Velasquez... Then there were the likes of Waldy Ferrer, Jocelyn Inacay, Armi Casingal, Manolito Camacho... My cousin Marjorie 'Dennis' Odon and Hernani Pangilinan were particularly good in math, and so being the competitive kid that I was, I felt threatened... The one I was closest to was my next-door neighbor at home in Poblacion, Joel Macam, my childhood friend. I was also friends with Ericson 'Dave' Camacho, Gary Tamondong, Benjoe Agbuya... The others were Luzviminda dela Cruz, Angelina Pacquing, Marivic Sabado, Anabelle delos Reyes, Jocelyn's cousin Marilyn Inacay, Don de Leon (the Principal's son), Mina Rita Rosario, Melvin Garay, Arthur Torres, Rex Gutierrez, Sydney Mamaril, Eunice Aquino, Cecilia Lagoy, Ma. Cecilia Calimlim, Michelle de Leon, Farah Santillan, Christopher Lacoste, Heidi Galang, Nelson Ordoñez, Donna Contreras, Jacqueline Juan, Marvin Gangano, Gilbert Quinto, Monette Simpao, and two other boys surnamed Papio and Contreras.

There were those I got to know on a limited basis because they became my classmates only in certain grades and were transferred from or to other sections or left the school or Bayambang for good: Elena Addun, Michael Brillante, Enrique Vinluan, Roderick Quinto, Michael Curaming, Marvin Tañedo, Herel Claudio, Edwin Caliyon, Christian Evangelista, John Ray Santos, Lorelei Paningbatan, Ignacio Imperial III, Venus Pagsolingan, Dondee Bautista, Gerraine Ruth Orcino...

There were still many, many names on this list because they became my classmates in combined classes in subjects with limited instructors, such as Scouting, Practical Arts, PE, etc. This way, I got to know at least someone from practically all the families in Bayambang.

***

In Grade I, we pupils bought Nutribun as snacks for five centavos. It was too huge and too packed a kind of bread for my appetite back then, so I had to bring home some of it. They say it was a project by then First Lady Imelda Marcos.

***

With embarrassed laughs, I remember the classmates who were told to go home after they relieved themselves in class, perhaps too shy to say, "Ma'am, may I go out?" as instructed by Ms. Fernandez.

***

Another unforgettable spot is the flagpole. It was installed near the fence lining on huge block of the town's prime property along Rizal Ave., a national road. Across the front gate was a fashion house (a store of made-to-order gowns) called Makapuri. The wide open space in front of the flag pole was, of course, where the Monday morning flag-raising ceremonies were held, after which a brief calisthenics exercise was conducted. A pupil was assigned to hit the pole repeatedly using a stone so everyone exercised at the same time according to the beating. I was assigned once to the job, and I think I was able to do it right despite my fear of failing at the simple task, being the hopeless introvert that I was.

The open field holds a special place in my memory because this is where we attended PE and Scouting classes, particularly those held by the impressive Mr. Reyes. During recess, it was where we played different versions of inabong (agawan base). We kids got enough sun, we had fresh air, and we had enough exercise. (Of course, we stank pretty bad right after.)

***

Many of the old structures are now gone, replaced with new ones that are a far cry from what the Americans built (why we can't do the same thing or better?), but I can still remember where we had classes in Kinder and Grades III, IV, and V.

Then I got reminded of all my teachers. There was quite a number of them, including those who didn't handle our class but whom I saw everyday. Mrs. Iglesias, Ms. Tamondong, Ms. Fernandez, Mrs. De Leon, Mrs. Tagulao, Mrs. Muñoz, Mrs. Paez, Mrs. Rosario... Mrs. Lim, Mrs. Garay, Mrs. Guevarra, Mrs. Lorica, Ms. Versoza, Mr. De Vera, Mr. Basa...

Around the different spots in the campus, I remember the few times I came across Principal De Leon, with that stern demeanor of his. Around him, everyone was suddenly in his or her best behavior. That was funny in retrospect.

***

Beside our Grade VI room, there used to be an herbarium where several "medicinal plants" were grown and carefully tended. One fine afternoon, Cecilia Lagoy discovered a tree that bore fruits whose seeds inside she tried to munch on: tagumbao (jatropha). Then she exclaimed how it was 'magata-gata" or creamy, so why didn't we try it? Properly intrigued, at least three of us tried it and it proved to be nutty and creamy indeed, better than peanuts or cashew nuts.

What happened next gave us, gullible ones, a scare of a lifetime. It was about 5:00 pm, and our adviser, Mrs. Rosario, learned about it, and all she could exclaim was some euphemism for swearing, like, "Ay agi, anak na lalasi kayo!"

We knew we were in trouble when we each walked our way home. In my case, it was providential that I munched on a raw saba banana and downed a glass of condensed milk and immediately vomited everything I had eaten. After that, I felt better and went back to normal. When I told my grandmother that I, together with some classmates, tried eating tagumbao seeds, she too went into panic mode.

Thankfully, the next day, it was as though nothing happened, and we survived to tell the tale, including the culprit. The stories were all the same, the same stupid incident of nausea and vomiting and the thought that we were about to die.

I can't forget how Dave and I even made a quick visit to the church along the way, with the thought that we were sure to die of poisoning that night, to the point that Dave even said something to me that I can no longer recall, most likely because the same morbid thought was racing through my mind. "Resty, pag ako namatay,..." I have no idea why we didn't even think of rushing to the hospital.

***

Another building I can't forget is the Library Bldg. at the back, which was another concrete Gabaldon Bldg. that is said to have been torn down after it was infested by termites. It was here where batches of students, including ours, studied Music under my aunt Naty, Mrs. Natividad Romero Agas. The well-maintained room there held lots of books which ever-curious me of course checked out, with one even borrowed and returned late, for which my aunt upbraided me aloud. It was here where I learned so many songs: "Caisson's Song," "Tirinding," "Up, Up with People," "Pobring Alindahaw," "No Te Vayas," "Dandansoy," and get this, "When I Grow to be a Lady." The traditional pieces we learned served as the alternative music to the ones we were absorbing daily from mass media.

Around the room were interesting displays, including a stamp and coin collection that fascinated me. I would have a long-running collection of stamps and coins of my own when I grew up.

In that building that is now totally gone, I had an experience of the supernatural. Don and I had just finished cleaning up the room on the day we were assigned to, when suddenly Don could not find the key and large padlock entrusted to us so we could open and close the Music Room on our own. The two of us went round and round searching for the missing thing for some minutes. Just when we were about to give up and leave the door closed without locking it (and hopefully tell Mrs. Agas), lo and behold, the missing objects suddenly turned up on one of the tables that we had cleaned spotlessly earlier, just like that.

***

On the steep stairs of this building, I remember Farrah Santillan playing with the steps using her feet with the skillfulness of a dancer.

***

Another Gabaldon building on the far left side adjacent to the water reservoir and Municipal Hall is the Home Economics Building, still intact after all these years. It is where I bought nutritious snacks made by HE teachers like Mrs. Viray and Mrs. Basilio and their students, an alternative from those we routinely bought from the roadside vendors right outside the fence at the back and the roving vendors inside.

Speaking of..., right outside the school fence, I remember buying an assortment of snacks: boiled saba, sago, palamig of various kinds (melon, buko, sago't gulaman, being the main ones), rattan fruits hanging in bunches (which I never tried, being unfamiliar with it at home), chicharon, iskrambol, banana cue, camote cue, and so on. Then there was this manang (old lady) who regularly sold tibok-tibok and another who often sold pudding, which is a dry cassava cake formed like a fat stick and wrapped in clear plastic. An old man named Soniega sold dirty ice cream while making sound with his quivering lips, while saying an incantation that sounded like, "Ah-brrrrrr!", thus spraying some of his warm saliva to his frozen product. (He would constantly be the butt of jokes, for such an unsanitary antic.) Another man sold incredibly rubbery hot cakes topped with sugar and margarine which we gobbled up while laughing at how awfully crude it was. Yet another man regularly churned out pink cotton candies using a fast rotating machine, and we definitely had fun eating it, knowing it was one of those forbidden junk foods at home.

We bought these snacks at then incredibly low prices, from five centavos to ten centavos in the earliest years up to 25 to 50 centavos later on. We who bought these things knew we belonged to poor families because we had a classmate like Luzviminda whose merienda was always Nestle canned sterilized milk and a sandwich neatly wrapped in paper towels.

***

At the farthest end of Central near the PSU campus lay a wide space for the vegetable plots used by the Practical Arts classes under Mr. Agas and another male teacher. (Male teachers were very few back then you could count them on your fingers.) Our classes were held inside a cool nipa shack, but most of the activities were a practicum: actually working on the plot, planting seeds, taking care of seedlings, and weeding out the pesky grass. Together with the lessons we learned from Mr. Bancolita in the Practical Arts building nearby, we learned to work the land with our bare hands in those vegetable plots.

***

And now my thoughts turn back to my own peers and even contemporaries from higher and lower grades. A number of them are based abroad now, many of them as nurses and healthcare workers. One is a respected professor and university administrator. Others have become businessmen. Others are employed in various industries. Some have been blessed with their own family; some, for various reasons, remain single. A few, sadly, have died too soon. As for the rest, I don't know what happened to them or their whereabouts.

In the intervening years -- no, decades -- life happened. I wonder if they are happy and contented with their lot, and how much, with the wild lottery that life threw at them.

I wonder what their regrets might be, if any. I can't help but compare and contrast (I know that's a sure recipe for sadness, but I am only human), and gauge my thoughts and emotions from there.

***

As my old alma mater's fate is locked in an ongoing court battle that is reportedly almost 10 years old, in a case I had no involvement in and therefore I had no knowledge about prior to coming home in 2016, I next turn wistful about the history of this place and the history of education in the Philippines itself.

I guess I have seen and heard so much, a big advantage of thinking from this age as compared with my thoughts when I was a lot younger.

When I was very young, our grandparents would talk about things like cartilla, katon, how the Spanish-speaking teacher hit their balled fist if they didn't write in cursive properly (the letters should be written at a certain angle, not straight up).

Then my parents would reminisce how they learned to read using the textbook, "Pepe and Pilar," the time of the Thomasites and their normal schools...

In comparison, my time in BCS harks back to "Henny Penny," ("Tok, the egg fell!") and how the education department changed from Ministry of Education to DECS, to stand for "Department of Education, Culture and Sports," before becoming the DepEd of today.

From 2-2 Plan to K-12, a lot of things have indeed changed. Like the proverbial phoenix, may BCS rise from the ashes soon. May we build this place back better.

Now that the local government workers continue to hack away through the remaining outgrowth of unnecessary forest vegetation, I can't help but muse on the vagaries and vicissitudes of time and the fickleness of memory with its ever-shifting ways. How much of my recollection is accurate, how much erroneous? I can only wonder.

EDITORIAL - October 2023: Konting Respeto Naman

Konting Respeto Naman

Noong kasagsagan ng mga pagbagyo at kinailangang magdeklara ng ating alkalde ng suspensyon ng klase, mayroong isang di makakalimutang insidente. Isang bata ang walang habas na nagkomento ng walang paggalang sa official Facebook page ni Mayor Niña Jose-Quiambao matapos magpost ang alkalde ng suspensyon na sa tingin ng bata ay huli na sa byahe.

Ito ay nalakalungkot na gawi sapagkat, ayon na rin mismo sa alkalde, hindi ito ang pinakaunang pangyayari kundi tila nagiging talamak na.

Kailanman ay hindi katanggap-tanggap ang ganitong asal, kaya't kami ay napaisip sa likod ng pagkabigla at pagkalungkot.

Tulad kasi ng lahat ng mga Asyano, kabilang na ang ating mga kapwa Pilipino, tayong mga Pangasinense ay may tradisyon ng pagpapahalaga at pagpapakita ng respeto sa mga nakatatanda. Ipinapamalas natin ito sa iba't ibang pamamaraan, mapa-salita man o gawa.

Isang halimbawa ay ang tradisyon ng "panagpinsiw" (o "pagmamano" sa Tagalog) bilang isang paraan ng pagbati sa mga nakatatanda. Ito ay kadalasang isinasalin bilang "paghalik sa kamay," ngunit ito ay ang paglapat ng kamay ng nakatatanda sa noo. Ang hindi pag-obserba nito, lalo na sa ating mga kaanak na nakatatanda, ay itinuturing na kawalan ng respeto.

Di tulad ng mga Kanluranin gaya ng mga Amerikano, magkaiba ang turing natin sa mga nakatatanda kumpara sa mga nakababata sa atin o mga kaedad natin. Ito'y malinaw na makikita kahit na kakaunti ang pagkakaiba sa edad (tulad na lamang isang taong pagitan), at kahit na kapag kausap natin ang mga taong hindi natin kakilala.

Hindi man tayo gumagamit ng "po" at "opo" tulad ng mga Tagalog, gumagamit naman tayo ng mga plural na mga panghalip gaya ng iba pang mga Pilipino kapag tayo ay nagsasalita nang direkta sa isang tao na malayo ang tanda sa atin o kaya'y hindi natin matiyak ang katayuan sa lipunan.

Marami tayong mga mga katutubo at tradisyunal na tawag bilang tanda ng ating pagmamahal at respeto sa nakatatanda. Mula sa “Laki,” “Apo,” “Bae,” “Amang,” “Inang,” hanggang sa “Atsi,” “Kuya,” “Pangamaen,” “Panginaen,” hanggang sa mga titulong pampropesyunal.

Ang mga opisyal ng gobyerno ay partikular na maingat na tinatawag ayon sa kanilang mga opisyal na titulo bilang paggalang sa taas at halaga ng iniatang na tungkulin sa kanilang balikat upang maging lingkod-bayan. Ang paglabag sa protokol ay itinuturing na kawalan ng paggalang o dili kaya'y isang pambabastos.

Dahil sa social media, nagiging mas madali nang makontak ang isang tao at madalas ay nakakalimutan na rin ang kortesiya dahil mas madali na ring magtago ng identidad at mas madali na ring magpanggap. Kaya siguro may mga kabataan sa ngayon ang nakakalimot na gumalang sa mga otoridad online, kahit pa man din sa pinakamataas na lingkod ng bayan.

Ito'y nakakalungkot kung isiipin sa harap ng ating mayaman at mahabang tradisyon ng paggalang. Sana ay ibalik natin ang kulturang ito ng kortesiya at paggalang, kung hindi man sa nakatatanda ay kundi dahil sa ito ay isang makataong gawi.