Dumaguete City Part I

Hi everyone, I am blogging from Dumaguete City today. Our first leg of two weeks trip with the Medical Emissary Team from Denver, Colorado. We are going to visit the Dumaguete provincial hospital and sit with the Gov't officials, too.

At the outset, thank you to PP Jun Dato of RC Dumaguete East.

I had a long trip of travel on the road yesterday. Starting from Roxas City at 8:00 am, to Iloilo City, Negros and finally at 9:00 pm safe and sound at Dumaguete City. In between my trips, there were so many road blocks, however, what is amazing are the mountains and fogs when I passed Bais long and winding road. Them is the rainforest and t'was so beautiful how God's creation still remain in almost perfect condition.

On the bus, I met a fellow Rotarian from RC Metro Iligan (D3870), Rtn. Junie Flordeliz. We had a long chat while w

e at the same had a long hour of journey to the same direction. Rtn. Junie enthusiastically told me an inspiring story of how he got into Rotary. But before then, he told me how RC Metro Iligan almost got defunct from Rotary service. To cut the long story short, he told me that it was thru Mt. Agad-Agad Reforestration Project under the 3-H program of Rotary International in cooperation with Rotary clubs in Western Australia that the group were glued again to Rotary service. He inspired the group on how he sacrificed himself as non-Rotarian then in going up and down, staying in the nipa hut up on the mountain to make sure the thousand of tress that they planted will be nurtured into a growing trees.
They started negotiating about the project thru the local city office way back in 1992. It became into a reality in 1998 up 2001. He was then the Project Director of the project for the local city office. It was thru the motivating factor of Rotary Western Australia that they wanted Jun to come to Australia to tell his story and inspire them of the progressing project. There were hesitations on him since he is not a Rotarian then, but because he was the only one who heartily knows the project, he finally got the Visa to tour about more than 30 clubs in Western Australia to tell the wonderful story of his sacrifice and success.

The 30 hectares Reforestration Project has more than 2 thousands Eucalyptus tress, over a thousands of Mahogany and industrial trees, fruit bearing trees like Marang, mangos, etc. To my amazement, these trees grows in dry mountain and that even Austalian Rotarians can't believe Rtn. Jun actually grew them. With his experience in Bukidnon mountains, growing trees on a dry mountain land, he brought the technology and transferred it to Iligan. He worked hard labor without compensation for almost a year, lo and beh0ld, his hardwork thru Rotary's help is now ready for harvest after 10 years.

He is now with RC Metro Iligan for 6 years and remembering his journey with Rotary with an inspiring projects with R.I thru the 3-H program, Rtn. Jun is glued in service above self so long as he lives.

My journey to the beautiful city of Dumaguete was a worthwhile one. Though it was a wholeday trip on the road for me, it wasn't a wasted one.

While I am d0ing this blog, I have already met few people around thru the amazing and wonderful world of Rotary. Had fellowship with RC Dumaguete East at the beach for lunch and had fun talking and hearing their inspiring projects around the community, too.

I welcome my fellow team from Operation Taghoy - Uplift Internationale, Denver, Colorado led by Dr. Jaime Yrastorza.

Pls pray for our two weeks emissary trip for the children in the Philippines. Cheers!


"It is easy to hear something and even to say good things about an idea. Our level of commitment takes a big step forward when we actually put it into action."

Note: Pictures showed the Bethel Hotel which will accommodate the future mission team fronting the boulevard/ocean- top picture....