Metro Infanta Foundation, Inc.

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Metro Infanta Association of Michigan to donate $250 towards matching grant; Mario Leodones to add another $100

Sometime in April of this year I read from the MIF website a plea from Ms. Belen Foronda, principal of MCHS - Infanta for monetary donation to rehabilitate and repair class rooms and equipments such as computers, musical and laboratory equipments, tables, chairs, blackboards, etc. As one of the early alumnus of MCHS - Infanta, I am very much indebted to my high school alma mater for my educational and professional attainments. My early training from MCHS and Carmelite order both as an altar boy and student helped me prepared for my higher education and professional life. As a token of my deep appreciation from my Carmelian education, our club Metro Infanta Association of Michigan is donating $250.00 for this cause and I am personally donating $100.00 (I will send you checks asap). We want to avail the use of "$2500 Matching Grant Contribution." I know first hand how important the rehabilitation phase after the emergency relief phase of a disaster as we hear first hand news from our relatives and kababayan back home.

Please allocate this donation one hundred percent to MCHS - Infanta for the rehabilitation project as described by Ms. Foronda. Also I want to call all the MCHS - Infanta alumni all over the world (U.S, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Europe and the Middle East) to answer this plea for donations for our alma mater. Any donation small or big will help our students who will be the future leaders of our town. Whatever we do (yesterday, today or tomorrow) MCHS is an integral part of us. Let us unite and show that we care about our alma mater.

For Your Information: Metro Infanta Association of Michigan was involved and still involve with the following projects:

E) MIAMI also send balikbayan boxes of used clothings for Infanta, Real and General Nakar

Joe Mallari, president of the Houston Northwest Filipino American Community, in a show of solidarity, sent Metro Infanta Foundation $500, as their "humble donation to the flood victims of Infanta, Quezon."

"We commend your efforts, said Mr. Mallari, "and those who volunteered their time, talents and resources in initiating a fundraising campaign to help the flood victims back home. God bless you and the people of Infanta."

Bangon Infanta

In a recent article, Infanta had a festival they called "Bangon Infanta" to encourage everyone to stand up and help their town rise from the disaster of the century. With their heads held high our people are showing they will rise up again amidst all the uncertainties of their present situation.

Rumors have it that Infanta may have to relocate; that it may not be safe to remain in its location. in fact some organization have not initiated any housing projects because Infanta might suffer the same fate in the near future.

Do you really believe that our people will just leave their home, their property, and their loved ones just like that, or without a fight? I don't think so. But they need help! And that where you and I can pull together and reach out to our people who are not only hurting financially but indeed emotionally as well.

You were all generous during the emergency phase of our campaign. What was more incredible during this campaign was the fact that there were Infantahins who may have risked their lives by doing a fundraiser for our people. Indeed it's not the money that's important! It's the fact that we do care. Let us show our people, however, that we are there for them for the long haul. Knowing you support them means a lot to them. Please send your donations to: Metro Infanta Foundation, 7350 Braun Way, Arvada, CO 80005.

Greetings from the heartland of america. How are you these days? Hope everyone in the family is doing fine and things are getting better everyday. Mila, I just want to share with you that our group (TGPAAM) from the midwest will be doing medical mission in San Isidro, Nueva Ecija this coming June 28 and 29. This is our first medical mission which was planned more than a year ago. Sometime this year, we will finalize the date of our next medical mission which will be held in our beloved town of Infanta.

Following is our letter of invitation and solicitation.

TAU GAMMA PHI Alumni Association of the Midwest, U.S.A., Incorporated

1224 Burnham St., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188

Dear Sir/Madam:

We are a legally instituted non-profit organization with the State of Illinois, Registration/File No. 6308-860-9, dated September 8, 2003. Our assigned Employer Identification Number (EIN) with the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service is 32-0092449.

Among other activities and projects we perform, we help our members find

job openings, extend moral support in their personal and family problems,

and give financial assistance for the education of our collegiate members.

For the year 2005, we are going on a medical mission to San Isidro, a rural community of Nueva Ecija in the Philippines, 60 kilometers away from the capital. Some of the medical care needed by the people in the community are not available and those that are available very often cannot be afforded by the patients. The mission will be composed of the following:

a) The group from the U.S.A. and the Philippines will include 15 doctors, 10 dentists,15 nurses, and 20 clerk/recorder and helpers.

b) The mission will perform medical, surgical and dental services.

c) The mission has estimated to handle 1500 patients in two (2) days.

d) The group will also conduct preventive health education in the town of San Isidro, Philippines.

We are inviting you to participate in our medical mission which is truly a humanitarian project focused on people who are in great need of medical attention most of them cannot afford to pay for the service even if it is available in the place. In your participation, you may choose to donate medicines, surgical supplies, other medical supplies, and or monetary assistance to support our project.

As participant in our medical mission, we will render to you when we come back full report of what we have done.

We would like to thank you for whatever help you can extend to make our mission a success.

Sincerely,

Manny M. Manalo, M.D.

2516 E. Dupont Road

Ft. Wayne, Indiana 46825

(260)471-7197

Thanks,

Joe Marquez

EDS/WU

(636) 916-8792

Email: Joe.Marquez@WesternUnion.com

by Rudy Arizala

In the Philippines, May is the month of flowers (Flores de Mayo), of sweet roses and ilang-ilang, sampaguita and dama de noche. It is the month of mellow sunshine, wild green and fragrant freshness. After the first summer rain, May suddenly transforms the countryside into a rich lushness and a riot of sparkling of colors. The rice fields, now neatly harvested of their palay, break out with the wild flowers of the grass. The bula-ag (fire tree), having shed its tiny leaves, is aflame with color. No wonder the earth parched by the relentless April sun springs alive with glee with the first drops of May rain.

With the advent of May, can the Santacruzan be far behind? Of course not. Fragrant and fresh flowers are gathered by the young and offered to the Sweet Virgin Mary, along with May songs and prayers. In my small town, May is a month of dancing and prayers, with scintillating parties, leaping from one barrio to another, held after the flower offerings and prayers.

May is when boy meets girl, when the beautiful girls from the barrios bloom as prettily as the flowers. And when two decide to become one, a wedding follows in June. At that, what month is more appropriate for courtship, for merrymaking and thanksgiving? May time, when the harvest has been put away and the fields are allowed to lay fallow for a while before the next plowing. It is a time for great stirrings beneath the earth and within the breast.

To the simple and hardworking folk of the soil, May is a respite from the long, backbreaking task of plowing, harrowing, transplanting the seedlings, readying the paddies and dikes and sowing of the seeds of sustenance. In between planting and loving care given to the young green stalks so they may in their season bear fruit, the tillers go out to the sea in their bancas to collect their share of the sea's bounty. For when they go back to the fields, there will be few moments for merrymaking.

Except perhaps for an occasional baptism party, wedding or fiesta, life for the people of my hometown, especially for the barrio folks, is a recurring pattern, like the passing of the season &emdash; one of the soil for the new seedlings, and soon enough the harvesting. Then it starts all over once more. But before it does, we have May, the month of flowers, of fragrance beauty, love, courtship and prayers.

To her native sons and daughters, Infanta is a beautiful town even if it seems slow in making progress. Many of Infanta's sons and daughters have left her to find their fortune or particular place in the sun elsewhere, but it is not a final breakaway. At least once a year, they go home again. If they are exiled in distant lands like me, they call to mind the Infanta of blue mountains and sea, of long stretches of white sand, unpolluted clear rivers and springs, of green rice paddies and swamp lands, of tall slender coconut trees and beautiful flowers. They remember the simplicity of the townsfolk, their songs sometimes sad and brooding, sometimes happy and warm. And what they really remember or return to is May time.

This May, and every May of the years to come, I will remember Infanta, the Santacruzan and the fragrant flowers, the innocent joy and the simple life, and the abiding faith in God and in the Blessed Virgin Mary.

-- Labong ng Kawayan 2002

By Rudy A. Arizala 

E-nlivened by gay laughters

As we reported earlier, a donor has agreed to give us $2,500 if Infantahins can match it by June 30. Please consider making a donation, which can be designated to our regular causes or to the Disaster Relief Fund, so we can take advantage of this generous grant. Please send your tax-deductible donations to: Metro Infanta Foundation, 7350 Braun Way, Arvada, CO 80005.

To date we have received $600.00. We need $1,900 to meet this challenge. Just a reminder to Infantahins: People who are not from Infanta are giving towards our causes. An example is Randall Odeneal who just made a contribution of $1,200 towards the purchase of two computers for Panukulan National High School.

Do you notice how those not from Infanta are giving more to our causes, compared to those from Infanta. Knowing the kind of salaries our professionals make, is that telling us something? Are we not as concerned about our own people as others who are not from our hometown are?

Many people responded in record speed when the 2004 tragedy hit our hometown. We were able to meet our emergency needs. However, now that we are in the Rehab Phase, it seems that the interest has dwindled. We need to continue our outreach, to give our people hope.

In a recent article, Jesuit Father James B. Reuter is calling people to turn to God for healing of our corrupt country. Yes, it's very important to do that. God also helps those who help themselves. So let us continue to show our care and concern for our people. Please send your donations now and together, let us make a difference!

by Father James Reuter, S.J.

Editor's Note: Glenn Delica has sent this article to us. We do not know if it was taken from one of hte local dailies in the Philippines. If so we would like to acknowledge the source.

By her own admission, GMA rightfully assessed that "over the last decades, our republic has become one of the weakest, steadily left behind by its more progressive neighbors." Forty years ago, we were only second to Japan in economic stature, and way ahead of Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Thailand. Today, at our present growth rate, it will take us 30 years to get to where Thailand is today.

1. A population of 160 Million;

2. Of those, 70 to 90 million (equivalent to our current population) will live below the poverty line;

3. Our national debt is estimated to be at US$200B (compared to US$28B when Marcos fled, and US$ 53B today);

4. We will be competing, not against Thailand or even Vietnam, but against Bangladesh;

5. We will be the most corrupt nation in Asia, if not in the world (we're already ranked 11th most corrupt nation by Transparency International).

The signs are clear. Our nation is headed towards an irreversible path of economic decline and moral decadence. It is not for lack of effort. We've seen many men and women of integrity in and out of government, NGOs, church groups and people's organization devote themselves to the task of nation-building, often times against insurmountable odds. But not even two people's revolutions, bloodless as they may be, have made a dent in reversing this trend. At best, we have moved one step forward, but three steps backward.

We need a force far greater than our collective efforts, as a people, can ever hope to muster. It is time to move the battle to the spiritual realm. It's time to claim God's promise of healing of the land for His people.

It's time to gather God's people on its knees to pray for the economic recovery and moral reformation of our nation! Is prayer really the answer? Before you dismiss this as just another rambling of a religious fanatic, I'd like you to consider some lessons we can glean from history.

England's ascendancy to world power was preceded by the Reformation, a spiritual revival fuelled by intense prayers. The early American settlers built the foundation that would make it the most powerful nation today - a strong faith in God and a disciplined prayer life. Throughout its history, and especially at its major turning points, waves of revival and prayer movement swept across the land.

In recent times, we see Korea as a nation experiencing revival and in the process producing the largest Christian church in the world today, led by Rev. Paul Yongi Cho. No wonder it has emerged as a strong nation when other economies around it are faltering.

Even from a purely secular viewpoint, it makes a lot of sense. For here there is genuine humbling! and seeking of GOD through prayer, moral reformation necessarily follows.

And this, in turn, will lead to general prosperity. YES, we believe prayer can make a difference.

It's our only hope.

Today, we launch this email brigade, to inform Filipinos from all over the world to pray, as a people, for the economic recovery and moral reformation of our nation. We do not ask for much. We only ask for 5 minutes of your time in a day, to fwd this email to your close friends and relatives.

This is the kind of unity which can make a big difference. Of course, if you feel strongly, as I do, about the power of prayer, you can be more involved by starting your own prayer group or prayer center.

We have tried people power twice; in both cases, it fell short. Maybe it's time to try prayer power. GOD never fails. Is there hope? YES! We can rely on God's promise, but we have to do our part.

If we humble ourselves and pray as a people,! GOD will heal our land. By God's grace, we may yet see a better future for our children. GOD bless and GOD save our country (from stupid and corrupt politicians)!

"If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from Heaven, and will forgive their sins, and will heal their land."(2 Chro 7:14).

(Please click here or above heading for past daily posting on Metro Infanta)