MABALOS
Sa nga’min a nagita’o nin maray a bana’bana’ ag nagite’rew nin sakandang pakikiiba ag rabos a serbisyo para sa ikakaraay nya Boie’ sa paagi nyading BOL – MABALOS SA INYO NGA’MIN!
Sana madagos nanggad a sa’ten a mga maray a bana’bana’ sa tabang ag erak nin Dios…
Last November Stella Dasmarinas-Roig and I talked on the phone in the States. I expressed to her what may sound my over-cautious attitude in approaching the organizing intent of BOL as an official volunteer entity in the Philippines.
Regrettably, I only had two weeks in the States then. This Fall I will have more time to attend to BOL matters when I return.
In my emails with Jec M. Ailes, who obviously has and had been recently involved in private organization/s in Boie’, he came to the conclusion that what we all don’t want to happen is to see an NGO/non government organization-type BOL come to naught or become just ‘a-flash-in-the-pan’ entity again in Boie’.
Some of the familiar names in BOL now that are dear to me already are the same people who were active in the publication of the only-published BOL Magazine, Pintakasi Edition in the year 2000 so far. These are the same Boie’nen who I know have the passion and willingness to chip-in for Boie’s-common good.
These good-hearted Boie’nen cannot be blamed for BOL Magazine’s discontinuance – it was the exigency of my career and the sudden change in global geo-politics that rendered me unable to continue the formal organization of BOL then for which I express my public apology for now. Their names are now indelibly etched in BOL Magazine’s Pintakasi Edition 2000.
What was proven in the BOL Magazine 2000’s publication is the fact that it is possible to organize and carry out projects participated by Boie’nen all-over the world using mainly cyber-communication resources. It is even better these days as online-functionalities are a lot more advanced and user friendly compared to the year 2000.
I hope this piece of mine would not dampen the enthusiasm of the new and emerging BOL contributors and volunteers. On the other hand my conversation with Stella which I want to share part of which here will, I hope, give more encouragement to all of us who are passionate in our search for an effective means in channeling our community-voluntarism and material help for the common good of Boie’ most particularly through BOL.
First, my plan as I already revealed to Stella is to organize and officially register BOL as an NGO in the States and to eventually do it so in the Philippines as a branch of the Stateside-headquartered BOL. By doing so I hope to avoid or dodge red-tape in the Philippines and make the BOL-NGO more effective especially in advancing BOL’s causes to international prominence.
Second, focus the BOL-NGO’s initial action plans “not merely on throwing money on problems”, so to speak, to solve Boie’s woes but rather on trying to understand the deeper root causes of the problems. Then exert pressure on existing government functionaries and entities – public servants and executives who are not properly and effectively delivering their sworn public service. This can be done by the BOL-NGO collaboration and coordination with existing NGOs involved in increasing public awareness, education and participation in this effort.
Third, when the active members and especially the leaders of the BOL-NGO have identified and are sure of our commitment and passion for our chosen cause and our capacities in effectively organizing ourselves and successfully putting it to the test of fire: to prioritize BOL-NGO’s action plans making sure not to bite more than what we can chew.
BOL-NGO would have to realize that there are paid-public servants who are not doing their job that are one of the root causes of most of the problems in our community back home in Boie’ and in the Philippines. The sustainability of our contributions can only be realized by the deeper understanding of each-community issue we want to champion.
If the BOL-NGO or any NGO or Philantropist would just keep THROWING MONEY ON THE COMMUNITY PROBLEMBS OF BOIE’ - I am afraid this would just be encouraging further corruption in our government and civic-laxity in the community in general.
Again, I hope I did not dampen anyone’s enthusiasm especially of Boie’nen like my classmate Pido’ (Wilfredo Ibarlin) whose energy, motivation, perseverance and initiative are the qualities that could make a sustainable BOL-NGO.