con't... (message board 61)

Name:   Adelbert Batica
Address:   207 W. 31st Street, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55408, USA
Email:   basaynon49@yahoo.com
Date:   July 7, 2008

Tama gud liwat hi Mano Profesor Torres hini nga iya pagbana-bana bahin hit water transportation. An mga taga-Villa, may ada hadto nira pumpboat connection ngadto ha Tacloban ngan Catbalogan, sugad man han mga taga-Calbiga. Bisan liwat kita diin nga dapit hit dako nga isla maghiro-hisgot, may gud mga sakayan nga hingangadnan. Han estudiante pa ako ha Borongan, may ko mga kausa nga mga taga-Gamay, Lapinig, Mapanas. Puros adto hira via pumpboat nga naabot ha Borongan, kay pastilan - makarima-dima man an kahimtang han mga kalsada.

Hi kami an mga Basaynon, combination la kami han bus ngan ngan lantsa - Tacloban-Balangiga via "Jocelyn", o sino Tacloban-Catbalogan via "Samareña". Pag-abot hin Balangiga o sino Catbalogan, asya na - Autobus na ngadto ha Borongan. Kundi asya la guihapon an resulta: an amon mga bubot baga-baga gud hin guinbabayo nga pilipgon tungod han uro-umpag han mga batse. Yana, asya la guihapon nga kasakay hit mga tawo kon naagui hit nga sinesering nga "highway".

Ura-ura man ini nga pag-"torture" hit mga tawo ha Samar. Ngada nala hiton ka hasta, asya la guihapon it mga kalsada. Ura-ura man! Sanglit, hala, Mano Profesor - tikang na liwat pagkinoro-o hiunong hin mga kurakot, kawatanes, tradpols, ninnies and nincompoops nga napadalagan kunohay hit aton gobierno.

Name:   Cesar Singzon
Address:   U58 Eurovilla Townhomes, 2100 New Panaderos Street, Sta. Ana, Manila
Email:    cesarelaw@yahoo.com
Date:   07 july 2008

Hello Alfredo Mescallado Jr. This is your grade school classmate, Cesar. I haven't heard from your since 44 years ago. Yes, we have lost Fritz Muñoz, Bay Tuason and Nieto Rojas but everyone else is alive and kicking: Naty, Eulie, Ningning, Mercy, Landoy, Edgar. I remember your candle and shadow theater which we paid match sticks to watch. Do you know that your house in Catbalogan still exists? Now you have moved on to the real thing? Movie making?

Name:    Zaid Lomuntad
Address:   Gagalangin, Tondo, Manila
Email:     zaidlomuntad@yahoo.com
Date:   6th of July 2008

Hello guyz…musta na kayo...greetings to all Orasnon…miss u all

Name:   Cesar Torres
Email:   Cesar1185@aol.com
Date:   Philippine-American Friendship Day

On Tonyboy Morales –

I never thought this passionate militant would make me laugh. I thought he had no sense of humor at all.

"What do you think the people of Daram and Zumarraga do when they want to shop in Catbalogan, swim or hulat kon humubas para maglakat? My golly!"

If I may, I think there are motorboats plying the Villa-Catbalogan, Guintarcan-Catbalogan, and San Andres-Catbalogan routes.

Name:   Adelbert Batica
Address:    207 W. 31st Street, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55408
Email:    basaynon49@yahoo.com
Date:   4 July 2008

This is a follow-up to Tonyboy Morales' posting re: use of waterways in Samar. Yes, waterways have used by Samareños both for inland transportation and to connect the coastal parts of Samar with Leyte and other parts of the Visayas. Take, for example, the town of Basay. Before the San Juanico Bridge was built and opened to traffic in 1973, Basaynons commuted to Tacloban by launch and pumpboats. Some of the more daring ones even made do with baloto and subiran. The Basey-Tacloban trip on board the famous "ChiDen" owned and operated by Claudio "Diyong" Labiran, lasted approximately one hour...in good weather. It was, of course, convenient travel with no bumps and certainly, no aching butts at the end of the trip. However, one's stomach could also turn in bad weather, when the waves literally rocked the boat. But yes, it was a cost-effective way to travel. Waray pa ngani ak hadto pag "Cub Scout", sigue na akon sakay-saky hadto nga "ChiDen", nga nahimo nala nga darahunon ha Samar-Leyte.

For those choosing the land trip-water crossing combination, buses from other parts of Samar would take passengers to a crossing point in western Samar right across Babatngon, aptly called "Crossing". Actually, the name of the place is San Pascual, I know because I own a farm there. Those who preferred the direct trips to Tacloban, of course, had their favorite launches and pumpboats to choose from. Villahanons, for example, would usually choose to take the "JoeVic" from their hometown straight to Tacloban. It was a good, old reliable boat, a big one with cabugawan outriggers. The folks from Santa Rita and Talalora also had a whole host of choices, ranging from locally-owned pumpboats to the bigger Catbalogan-based "Samareña" and the Tacloban-based "Rolly-Willy". No, Samareños were not lacking in terms of facilities for water travel.

To further illustrate: the people of Balangiga were linked to Tacloban via the bigger boats "Jocelyn" (owned by the Duran Family) and the "Arlene". Not to be outdone, Guiuananons always had their reliable "Paraluman" (owned by the Gagarin Family) to take them to and from Guiuan. The townsfolk of Giporlos, I think, commuted via the boat "Adora". Boronganons? They had the big boat "Loom", yes - Loom, named after than big river in Borongan. Even the residents of Gamay, Northern Samar could make it to Tacloban on board the boat "Municipality of Gamay", yes - owned and operated by the Municipality of Gamay, a unique experiment in municipal government entrepreneurship (and a great public service, too!)

Come to think of it, most often water travel was a lot better than putting up with the "Hell Roads of Samar". I should know, because during my high school days I had the opportunity to go to school in Calbayog and Borongan. Back in those days, we had to catch the "first" (and most often, "last") trip on the Catbalogan-bound bus and endure at least 6 hours "buttock torture" on the bus. From Catbalogan, we made sure to catch the Calbayog-bound Samar Auto Bus driven by our favorite driver, Mr. Benigno "Bening" Palermo. It wasn't always an easy ride to Calbayog, but Man Bening's bus could "carry a tune", as it was equipped with a set horns bellowing a different note/tune. Its favorite "rap" music sounded something like..."It kan Bening..." Upon reaching Gandara...the passenger was welcomed, not by a bridge, but by a "balsa" which both bus and passengers boarded. And then, after everybody was "on board", it was followed by about 30 minutes of "hi, ho, heave ho" as we all pulled on the ropes that "ran" the "balsa". It literally looked like a ferry of old crossing the Volga River. After that, it was "smooth" sailing to Calbayog, we usually arrived at 5:00 p.m., or 13 hours after we left Basay. That was "land and water" travel for us in the old days.

Road trip to Borongan from Catbalogan? Well...it was one of the "fun" trips one could ever hate. Imagine having to do the "Loop the Loop", or witness the bus getting buried in the deepest potholes that looked more like the carabao's "lunayan". As if "swimming in mud" were not enough, because the roads going east were so narrow...the bus literally tempted Fate by having no choice but to stay close to the edge of a cliff. Call that "cliffhanger" busing!

Of course, there many ways to improve both road and water travel in Samar. But road travel, mostly, as it's the one preferred these days (even if it's also the most torturous). The best way, of course, is to improve Samar's infrastructure by constructing roads and bridges that last. For those towns and barangays that are inaccessible by roads, and are best reach via the rivers, we could wish only we had more enterprising Samarenos who would invest in reliable boats that would ply those routes. But since Samarenos have always been ranting and raving the impossible and impassable conditions of the roads in Samar - our highways should be made a priority. Citizens can only dream and scream so much. The decision to take action, unfortunately enough - still rests in the hands of government, in the hands of both our elected and appointed officials.

Pastilan, maiha na ini nga paghinaroy, pagkinoro-o ngan pag-inarungot hit taghimungto hiunong hini nga mga kalsada ha Samar. San-o pa man?! San-o pa man panmamati-a iton taghimungto? Maaram gad kami nga iton aada ha poder diri mga "perfecto", diri mga lus-ay ngan putli, ngan may guihapon fondos nga mawawara la daw aso. Kundi pastilan, kalooyi nagadla niyo it iton pobre ngan makamalolooy nga isla han Samar. Kon baga may man makupit, pastilan - ayaw gad man ura-uraha, ayaw gadla hit nga lahap-lahap, kurib-kutib gadla, pastilan!!! Kalooyi nala niyo it mga bungtohanon nga asya an nagbutang ha iyo dida han iyo mga puesto.

Asya la ini yana it akon nahuhuna-hunaan nga "ideya" para pagpaka-upay hit Samar, ang isla nga Samar, diri la an provincia. Kay usa manla ako nga yano nga taghimungto, diri man ako usa nga tigsering hin bisan ano nga posisyon, tubtob la anay ako hin mga ideya, ngan pagpagawas, pagpasamwak han mga "issues".

Name:   Rex B. Cole
Address:   New Zealand
Email:
Date:   July 4, 2008

Of course water transportation is an alternative in Samar island. As per Mr. Morales' description of the water transportation in Samar, there are advantages as well as disadvantages. Just like the Maharlika highway, improvement is a continued duty of the government as well as the boat owners.

In Catbalogan which is the central destination, the wharf should be given more attention to lessen the danger awaiting the passengers when boats docks at the tail of another boat and passengers balances to cross another three boats just to reach land.

Name:     Troy
Email:    sweetlander2003@yahoo.com
Date:   7/3/08

Mr. Morales,

You have wrongly assumed, incorrectly postulated, and falsely presumed that I still have family in Catarman, I don't. My entire family came to the USA when I was a very young child. I grew up in California and ALL of my immediate family lives here. And speaking of relatives, mine either resides in Maryland, Australia, and Virginia. No where else. None in Catarman either.

For your information, my only purpose in going to Catarman was to check on my father's property. No more No less. I ended up taking that road because I visited a friend in Tacloban. I did not realized that such a road condition exists anywhere in this world. Now I know. But had I known then that such horrible road exist, I would have flown to Manila then Catarman or Calbayog. Oh yeah! Didn't you know? Other alternative means of transportation exist besides that road/hightway/muddy stretch of land/. And you can bet the next time I go there, I won't be using that road. I did not enjoy getting my ass blackened because of your road.

Name:   Antonio Morales
Address:   Catbalogan
Email:
Date:    July 3, 2008

Playing the Devil's Advocate on the Idea of Vic Abude of QC

Victor Hugo said that no one can stop an idea whose time has come. The idea of Samarino as propelled by another Victor in the person of Vic Abude of QC is laudable but let us pose some questions so both of them can answer back. As we all know, an untested and unchallenged idea is nothing but a pixel of one's mind. We let others challenge our thoughts so we can be sure that our idea can be "defended in Plaza Miranda" (the phrase usually used by Ramon Magsaysay when he was president as he was always mindful of public acceptance of his policies). Otherwise, some ideas are nothing but products of empty imagination.

Here are my questions:

1. What will you do to the existing road networks?

2. When you talk about inter-island watercrafts, are you counting the existing pumpboats now serving the islands of Samar? We have existing routes that have been there for a long time ago: Catbalogan-Daram, Catbalogan-Zumarraga, Catbalogan-Sierra, Catbalogan-Talalora, Catbalogan-San Sebastian, Catbalogan-Tarangnan, Gandara-Pagsanghan, Gandara-Matuginao, Calbayog-Tagapul-an, Calbayog-Sto Niño, and Calbayog-Almagro just to name a few (the major ones I think). Oh, please include the routes between Catbalogan to Darahuway Dako & Guti.

3. Are you talking about inter-locking canals when you are talking about bringing products to the interior?

4. Do you know how many rivers there are in Samar that are navigable?

Please answer back since you think that we are not currently using our waterways as transportation highways. My thought is that you've never been to these places in Samar and all you've been accustomed to is plying the roller coaster roads of Samar. I repeat, we have been using the waterways of Samar as arteries of transportation. Do we need improvements? Of course! So, people going to Matuginao from Gandara will no longer have to carry their boat (ala Bayanihan) when they cross a rapids. To say that we are not using these waterways, to me, is ignorance of the existing practices of those people who are living in the islands and of course those in Matuginao. What do you think the people of Daram and Zumarraga do when they want to shop in Catbalogan, swim or hulat kon humubas para maglakat? My golly!

Please answer back for a livelier discussion!

Name:    Tonyboy Morales
Address:   Catbalogan
Email:
Date:    02Jul2008

Cooperatives: The Best Way to Alleviate Rural Poverty

It is fitting to congratulate the Alemeria Seafarers Cooperative as a shining glory in the region for its innovative ways to serve its members. Cooperativism is an effective tool to alleviate rural poverty. The great thing about cooperativism is that the great ideas of capitalism and communism are fused together. Unlike in a capitalist corporation, the vote of one cooperative member is equivalent to the vote of another member irrespective of his capital shares. It is the General Assembly of the cooperative that serves as the bastion of power and not the board of directors in the case of a corporation.

I have been a member of a cooperative since my college days and tried convincing people to join cooperatives. Sad to note though that only a few are knowledgeable of the great benefits of forming cooperatives. We are lacking in highly qualified cooperative managers. There is also a wrong notion especially among teachers that a cooperative is only good for providing loans. There are more uses of a cooperative like pooling together say the resources of farmers so they can buy machineries and farm implements at a lower cost or of fishermen to market their catch at a more reasonable price cutting the commissions given to middlemen. Even a pooled cooperative sari-sari store can have a better bargaining power than a stand alone sari-sari store of Mana Caring. Cooperativism espouses self-reliance, democratic governance, community enterprise, patronage of Filipino products, accountability, thriftiness and most of all poverty alleviation.

Congratulations Alemeria Seafarers Cooperative for a job well done. May the Cooperative Development Authority not merely act as a processor of applications but one that will champion cooperativism and educate the people of its great benefits.

Name:   Abby
Address:   San Francisco, USA
Email:    Abeg24@gmail.com
Date:   7-1-08

Mr. Morales, I am inviting you to send me your email address. I have an idea that I would like to discuss with you.

Respectfully,
Mr. Guiuananon

Name:    Antonio Morales
Address:   Catbalogan
Email:
Date:   July 1, 2008

Sulpicio sues Pag-asa

Only in the Philippines...

Sulpicio is suing Pag-asa for the inaccurate weather reporting that led to the sinking of their ship. In law and logic, there is a concept called proximate cause. Proximate cause is the cause that principally caused the event/incident. Suing Pag-asa for the inaccurate weather reports is like suing God for allowing the typhoon to pass through the territorial domains of the Philippines.

Arthur Lim, legal counsel of Sulpicio and former IBP president, must have received so much money to subject his own legal career to ridicule for such a fanciful display of legal stupidity. Can you sue your parents for the ugly face you have that has caused you sleepless nights due to public humiliation? Where would the buck stops? If the RTC will give merit to the law suit of Sulpicio, we might as well sue Sto. Niño for causing the flooding of Tacloban per Chito dela Torre's accounts or sue God for causing the tsunami in the Indian Ocean.

Even in finance and accounting, there is a difference between the forecasts and projections. Forecasts are not based on hard evidence because it is beyond your control. No single person can control the stock market's rise and fall for instance. Economic forecasts are so vague that the margin of error is wide. Projections on the other hand are based on historical data and hard evidence. For instance, we could project that the depreciation expense for next year is say Php 100,000 because there are data that are available to support that projection like historical costs, life of the asset, salvage value, and so on and so forth. The best physical example for projection is an overhead projector or an LCD projector. Whatever is written in your transparencies or templates, you could be assured that they will appear as they are when projected to the larger screen. They may seem larger but there is data integrity.

Weather forecasts are forecasts. Ano pa man ngay-an. There are scientific ways to calculate the possible direction and speed of the typhoon but there are so many other uncontrollable factors that are beyond the commerce of man that could change or alter whatever the forecast is.

When Negros Navigation and WGA decided to cancel their trips in deference to the coming storm, Sulpicio defied the warning and arrogantly sailed. Even for the sake of argument that it was only signal number 1, who would be comfortable riding the waves in the open seas. When Sulpicio tried its luck to meet head on the peril despite having more than 800 passengers and crew on board, it endangered everybody's life. A common carrier is not merely expected to exercise ordinary due diligence required of a good father of a family. The diligence required is extra ordinary. Beyond what a good father would do to protect his family.

The defense that they merely relied on Pag-Asa's weather forecasts is passing the blame to another to save their greedy asses. The Go family's representative during the hearing conducted by Marina kept on harping that it was the captain's call that should be examined and not the management's decision to set sail. They forgot that the captain of the ship is their employee and that since he is their employee he is their agent. The act of the captain is the act of the company. Sulpicio should have first said sorry to the public for another tragedy but I've never heard them apologize that's how arrogant they are. They have not even provided a place where the grieving relatives could go and receive counseling and comforting services. What they did was to padlock their doors and let the security guards do the talking. What has the blue guard got to do with the whole fiasco of management? The rich Go family merely let the angry relatives face the equally enraged blue guards. Such actions were perfect examples of corporate arrogance and insensitivity. Announcing that each deceased victim's family will get Php 200,000 is what they could muster as if Filipinos are not worth more than that amount. Sulpicio should have been padlocked long ago when Doña Paz, Doña Marilyn, and another one ship whose name I couldn't recall brought the Philippines to the Guinness Book of World Records for having the worst peacetime sea tragedies.

Again, only in the Philippines...

Name:    Waray Waray
Address:   Samar
Email:
Date:    Jul 01, 2008

I say amen to Mr Vic Abude; let a thousand flowers bloom, says Chairman. Let our creative juices flow freely and our critical thinking generates ideas to reach the unreachable and touch the untouchables. Someone out there maybe the person who can deliver, given the recognition and interest no matter how simple it maybe.

Name:   Bokoy
Address:   Saudi Arabia
Email:
Date:   01jul2008

Sir. Mr. Morales kaupay gad pirmi han imo mga ginsusurat dinhi, maaram ka haros han ngatanan nga nahinanabu ngan solosyan han pproblema, kay ano nga diri ka lugod mag kandidato para matuhay na ini nga mga problema dinhi ha aton lugar.

Name:    Tonyboy Morales
Address:   Catbalogan
Email:
Date:   July 1, 2008

The Buenas Diaz of Pacquaio!

Watching the live coverage of the Pacquaio-Diaz bout thru HBO PPV with friends was my only contribution to give more money to Manny last Saturday. All throughout the nine rounds, Manny give many devastating blows to Diaz's hope to retain his belt. But like many boxers, Diaz's boxing career is now in the dustbins of history when he finally kissed the canvas on the 9th round. President Arroyo on the last leg of her junket trip to the US said it well when she uttered the words "What a masterpiece!"

But what I feared most during the entire show was the threat from Mr. Chito dela Torre that Sto. Niño did not approve the boxing match of Pacquaio. Thankfully, the Sto. Niño did not lift a finger to follow what Mr. dela Torre would have wanted Him to do – let Pacquaio lose since he is the reason why the date of the Balyuan rites was altered which eventually caused the wrath of Sto. Niño shifting the direction of typhoon Frank to castigate Taclobanons by inundating the city. Though the connections are hilariously non-sensical, voodoo-like warnings should be taken with caution especially when during one of the undercard fights the favored Soto was declared disqualified to the surprise win of the older Lorenzo who was written off by the commentators as merely fighting for the money to support his seven children.

Alas, the better boxer won and the Sto. Niño was perhaps also a fan of Pacquaio!

Name:   Vic Abude
Address:   70 Road 2, Pagasa, Quezon City, Philippines
Email:
Date:   30 June, 2008

Readers of Samar News would probably welcome and appreciate if Messrs. T.B. Morales, Martial Lo, Waray Ako, Mr. Adelbertl Batica and a few more individuals, who have expressed their respective views and opinions regarding Mr. C. De la Torre’s article in the home page that had triggered all these hullabaloos, should instead give time to think new ideas or ways how we can improve our dear beloved province of Samar.

Judging by the way they have written their views, their sharp grasp of events, one could not help but think that these gentlemen can be up for something big and significant if their time and energies are put into proper perspectives toward a progressive Samar. They could well be the province’s lobbyists to government bodies once concepts of community based projects generated by them are put forward for consideration.

A poser to think about is, what if it was a Filipino who came up to the idea that led to the creation of ‘Big Brother’ instead of a Dutch television executive who had pocketed an estimated $1.8 billion when he sold his rights of the show? What does US$1.8 billion mean to us if the entire amount or part of it went to our shores? Or better still, if even a quarter of that was invested into development infrastructures in Calbayog or in some parts of Samar where Messrs. T.E. Morales, Mr. Martial Lo, Waray Ako, Mr. Adelbert Batica, C. De la Torre, et al. come from.

Shortly after the last world war, a U.S. occupation officer (military) was seen carrying a recorder by A. Morita one of the two men, the other was Masaru Ibuka who founded Sony Corporation of Japan. The sight of this recorder (to shorten this story) has led what Sony Corporation is now because A. Morita had let his mind (idea) and action (resolve, etc.) come into fusion.

We may not be able to get the help, or be listened by our government officials and its agencies for the things we want for our province but at least we have our minds to think what we could possibly do towards this end. One contributor of the column Feedback Board was written by a certain Samarino dated November 4, 2007 (I hope he reads this, give me five man!!) suggesting among others, that we should instead use our waterways as main means of transport or conveyance from one part of the province to another taking into account the country’s geological profile (prone to earthquakes, tremors) that causes the sad and deplorable state of our roads.

The topography of our country suits what (Mr). Samarino is suggesting where because of its rugged coastlines, inter-island watercrafts can ply between islands and as a suggestion from myself, quays or piers for these water vessels must be positioned in inlets or headlands where small ranges and valleys serve as wind breakers during typhoons. Of course at this very point in time, this would be the least option that our national/local government would consider because of the sea tragedy that the country had just had recently (let the trauma and grief dies down). But we must not lose sight as this suggestion and idea may work out well for us in the long term.

May these columns (Message & Feedback Boards) serve as our oasis of ideas, aside from being our medium for other mass notices. Let those ideas come out so that it may turn-around things for the general good of our province and our people.

May ada ako, hi kamo?

Name:    Adelbert Batica
Address:   207 W. 31st Street, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55408, USA
Email:   basaynon49@yahoo.com
Date:   28 June 2008

Marcial,

Nakilala gad ak hiton kan Raquelita, tikang pa han hadto han mga panahon han Delta Epsilon. Damo liwat nga DE an akon nakilala, lugaring la kay ambot kon nanhingain na ini hira, kay hi Jess Seludo manla nga Villahanon it may namon contact.

Ngay-an, Raquelita, surat-surat nala ngadi ha amon, non au francais, s'il vous plait. Maupay kay aadto ka na ngay-an hit "City of Lights". Upay-upaya nala, ngan kon makatigayon kita ha urhi nga adlaw, manmamatron gihapon didto ha Tacloban.

Viva Señor Santo Niño!

Name:    Abby
Address:   San Francisco, USA
Email:
Date:   6-28-08

WOW! ! ! I really L I K E this on going nga mga posting from both Mr. Morales and Mano Chito. An problema la I have to have Mr. Webster seating next to me to help me understand an iba nga mga words nira kay ura hin ka magbug-at gud. I am very proud gud kay pariho hira nga duha ay very bright nga mga WARAYNON, I think. So for me, reading their posting is like watching Pacquaio and Morales title figts –very entertaining at FREE PA! Mabuhay an mga "WARAY-WARAY", HIP...HIP...HOORAY! HIP...HIP...HOORAY! Please, let the show continue.

Name:    Taga Catbalogan
Address:   Al Khobar, Eastern, Saudi Arabia
Email:
Date:    28june2008

"Taclobanons who believe in the Bible believe that certain other forms of calamities and things that occur on mankind or on anyone are manifestations of God’s wrath."

In order to believe in the bible, one must read the bible. If one had read the bible then he will not believe in Santo Niños because it is idolatry. Idolatry is not allowed by God.

Maupay nga adlaw ha iyo ngatanan.

Name:    Tonyboy Morales
Address:   Catbalogan
Email:
Date:   June 28, 2008

A Rejoinder to the published reply of Mano Chito to my comment:

The beauty of living in the Philippines despite all the seemingly insurmountable problems is having the freedom of speech and of the press. Though these constitutionally-guaranteed rights are sometimes challenged by extra-judicial killings of progressives and mediamen, the Philippines is still a land of the free.

I thank Mano Chito in his attempt to preach his brand of "dying faith in Santo Nino." I think it should be undying rather than dying. To say the latter is to surrender to the argument that death is taking its toll on your faith and your reasoning. A living faith is better than a dying faith.

Back to square one, when Mano Chito wrote the original article and the succeeding article, he never cited a single person much more an official of the Catholic Church to back the statements that made to appear as observations of other people. I doubt if the priest will sanction his thoughts. In logic this is a perfect example of a fallacious argument called appeal to anonymous authority. To date, no one with authority has come to the open to validate his claims.

Second, he mentioned in his second article that he never blamed Sto. Niño. If I were a lawyer, I would just read aloud these words he wrote and say the magic words "I rest my case." He said: "Señor Santo Niño didn’t like it (referring to the change of dates -TM.) He wanted His own festive day, June 29, and on the sea. He got angry with the changes made. The organizers did not ask for any sign from Him if He liked the changes. But obviously, Señor Santo Niño also didn’t like Manny Pacquiao. And so He showed His wrath. He changed the course of Frank, and put Tacloban directly on its path, then let the typhoon hover and strike the homes of the Taclobanons by 2:45 p.m. (3 p.m., according to others), fanning Tacloban furiously with strongest winds (150 kilometers per hour “only”, according to weather reports) and intermittent strong rains." I say, you can deny what you say but never what you wrote especially if there is an evidence to prove it.

Third, I could sense an ambivalence in his heroic try to save the asses of city government officials. He said: "The flooding problem in Tacloban has been there since time immemorial, recurring at some unexpected moments, despite efforts of policy makers and physical development planners." If he knew the flooding has been a perennial problem, why drag the innocent Sto. Niño in the picture? This statement would have absolved the Sto. Niño immediately if He is on trial for causing the flooding in Tacloban.

I don't have to response to other things Mano Chito mentioned in the second article. Since he copied my observations in toto, I am confident that they could stand on their own merit without any shim or wedge. Trying to appeal for some rescue efforts from his disgruntled "traditionalists" and Taclobanons in general for my suppose indifference to their plight is nothing but a fallacious argument called an appeal to pity. Also, saying that Mano Chito's prayers saved Basay/his abode from the wrath of Frank is again being arrogant of the supremacy of his faith over that of the helpless Taclobanons who did not have the ability to interpret signs and premonitions as Mano Chito being the expert messenger of God. Why did I say that he is a messenger of God? Try to look at his statements, he could put words in the mouth of Sto. Niño and the craziest of them all is the Manny Pacquaio involvement. What has Manny got to do with the changing of the date of the fiesta. He does not know the inner workings of the organizers. The connection, Mano Chito, is so remote that it borders lunacy.

In closing, I have no ill intentions against (this is not an argumentum ad hominem) Mano Chito and the people of Tacloban. You should thank me Mano Chito because at least some people are reading your articles. With that, we could agree to disagree without being disagreeable. That I guess is the essence of a democracy and the existence of Samarnews.com. Let our thoughts fight without raising an arm.

Happy fiesta mga Taclobanon!

Name:    Marcial Lo
Address:   New Jersey 07103, U.S.A.
Email:    mmlv73@mail.com
Date:    June 27, 2008

Ms. R. Girits of France,

There is a site almost like this…not just as showy…check out this website. It is mostly news and opinions with emphasis on Leyte and Samar news. It is regularly updated since it is run like a DAILY online newspaper... without the paper haha... Most of the news in this site were also posted on the LSDE site… I also like the Opinions sections since some or the columnist are from Ormoc…and the opinions are varied. They have no message Board though http://leytesamardaily.com/

If you would like to see latest photos about Leyte and SAmar… visit Ka Gerry Ruiz website… http://www.callezaragoza.com Gerry really takes good photographs even if just like me... he does not consider himself a professional "kodaker".

BTW Ms. Raquel Girits, do you know that Adelbert "Adde" Batica is the husband of your sorority (Delta Epsilon Sorority) sister.. ELSA JAVINES??? LOL…KUMUSTA NA KAMO NGATANAN!!

Name:   Raquelita Raquel-Girits
Address:   13 Belloc Est, Lesparre, Medoc 33340, FRANCE
Email:   pachiralex@yahoo.fr
Date:   june 27/08

Maupay nga aga ha iyo Ray! through SAMAR NEWS.com, I can be updated of the latest in Tacloban. It's really strange no? no site like yours about Tacloban. I tried evisnet (it's gov't site) but it's not as informative as yours. Keep up the good work!!

Name:   Waray Ako
Address:   Rome
Email:
Date:   27 June 2008

It is sometimes discouraging that we have been Christianized back from the Spanish era yet we have not yet grown in our faith. Thinking and having such notions that natural calamities and other tragedies are God's punishments to the people are signs of ungrowing faith and inclination to Paganism. Paganism does as such, that they have an image of the god of wrath and other gods. While Christianity especially Catholicism is the religion of love as taught by Jesus Christ. It teaches a very loving, merciful and a "pro-life" God and not a God of wrath. Maybe, in some sense, as I have said, Filipino Catholicism has not yet grown over the centuries and it cannot surpass from the superficial experiences about images of God. Maybe this a great challenge for all of us, not just to the priests, nuns, catechists, to educate ourselves in faith and to live the true essence of our religion which about LOVE WHICH HOPES AND BELIEVES.

Natural calamities, it is pure sense, are natural...but the their irregulaties are caused by us, the so-called "social sin". All throughout man's existence in the world, it has been his aim to consume everything, which sometimes based on egoistic reason, rather than to take care of it, and do the proper notion of "dominion" over the nature. There is always a little effort to save it because what man thinks always is that, "as long as he would be happy today in the world". In this, we have now the global warming, which is the cause of such strong typhoons, earthquakes and others. Let us not blame the Person who gives everything to us as gifts, but let us blame ourselves, because we are the ones who throw garbage everywhere, we are the ones who cut trees, and we are the ones who practice "smoke belching". It is very unfair on His part (God's part) that we blame Him for the effects of wrongdoings we do. We should blame ourselves, and start today to take care of the earth.

About the tragedy which happened few days ago, I am very sure that Sto. Nino did not think of it. He is our God and the one who created us. How illogical would it be to think that He created us just to kill and to punish us? It is not Sto. Nino... It is not the God of the Catholics. The tragedy happened because the responsible people did not choose the right decision before traveling. And in this, it is very clear that, IT WAS NOT GOD'S WORK. IT WAS MAN'S WORK!!!

I don't agree with that saying of Marx which says "Religion is the opium of the people". It is very untrue...because a true religion teaches how to love the Great Being and others...it is only the people's misinterpretation that makes it as an opium for the people. In some sense, it is the people who makes religion as an opium for them...it is not yet the end... there is always a chance to grow in faith, to pick the pollutants we have in the environment and move on.

Name:    Tonyboy Morales
Address:   Catbalogan
Email:
Date:   June 26, 2008

Sulpicio's Tragedy, Coast Guard's Stupidity:

It is so difficult to comprehend that after years of having titanic sea tragedies in the Philippines that we will once again witness the same brand of business opportunism and government stupidity displayed before our eyes. Some would say that it's an act of God and that Sulpicio and the Coast Guard could not have predicted the gruesome outcome. It is I believe too irreverent to attribute the recent tragedy to God. It is the collective act of callous and unscrupulous businessman represented by Sulpicio Lines and the stupid and mindless government office represented by Coast Guard. Sulpicio, as a public carrier, wants to earn money by transporting goods and passengers without consideration of the safety of its crew and its passengers. The Coast Guard, remiss of its duty to serve the public, is guilty for its failure to observe the basic due diligence required from its mandate.

Marina, in raction to the tragedy, grounded all Sulpicio vessels to avert a possible repeat of the incident. What the f---? Why only now? We should ground Marina & Coast Guard for their sloppy jobs of inspecting all sea-going vessels for sea-worthiness. Do you have to kill 700 people so you could ground the whole Sulpicio fleet? Rigid inspections should have been done regularly. Being proactive rather than reactive should be the guiding principles of government bodies mandated to protect the welfare of the public. One single life is too precious to loose, much more 700.

In the end, Sulpicio will get an insurance claim payment to protect their business interest from heavy loses but a life lost could never be paid with money. When are we going to learn? When are we going to be safety-conscious? When are we going to be mindful that those entrusted by law to protect the welfare of the public should be made accountable before the bar of justice?
In a calamity-prone country like ours, it is high time for the government to be proactive about calamities not merely react to its devastating effects.

The sad part is that the Sulpicio tragedy could have been avoided if Sulpicio exercised extra ordinary diligence required as a common carrier and the Coast Guard remained faithful to its mandate to protect the riding public.

In trying to earn some money for a single sail, Sulpicio now has to experience huge losses for the grounding of its ships and for the Coast Guard trying to save lives now has to scoop dead bodies from their watery graves.

Only in the Philippines...