Media focusing on Taft come its July 24-25 fiesta

By CHITO DELA TORRE, delatorrechito@yahoo.com
July 23, 2010

Taft, Eastern Samar will be the launching pad for the first major activity of the newly organized media group in Region VIII after this group’s founding officers are sworn into office during the vespera of that town come July 24, 2010 evening by Immigration commissioner Marcelino “Nonoy” Chicano Libanan.  The following day, its coverage of the vesper and fiesta events would be released to the public, almost simultaneous to a press conference with that town’s elected officials and perhaps some provincial officials who may be visiting Taft on that day.

Plans for that affair and the choice of Taft were mulled during the second organizational meeting of this newest media group that originally adopted the name, TAMESDA, or Tacloban Media for Eastern Samar Development and Action.  On July 18 early evening, the group voted to rename itself as the RETA, acronym for Region Eight Tri-Media Association.

RETA’s founding officers, as of this writing, are the following: Justenry Mendoza Lagrimas - president, Rey Ledesma - vice-president, Rowel Amazona - secretary, Archie Globio - business manager, Byron Alcoba - chairman of the board of directors, Ben Veridiano and Brian Azura as board directors, and Chito Deloria Dela Torre - treasurer of the association and secretary of the board.

Originally, the group was formed to be exclusively committed to help in the development of Eastern Samar.  Since the members discovered that their group’s capabilities could also be tapped by other provinces and cities in Region VIII, they have decided to adopt an association’s name that at the same time bespeaks of its regional base.  However, they have agreed to initially focus on Eastern Samar province, its 21 towns and the city of Borongan, and their constituents.

It was in Taft that the Immigration commissioner completed his primary education (at Taft central elementary school) as a consistent honor student.  Although he was born in Quezon City (he will be 47 come September 20), Taft is his hometown.  Taft today, as it had been in many years past, is proud to have him as her son.  Well, he graduated gold medalist from the Seminario de Jesus Nazareno in Borongan, was a Leyte-Samar diocesan scholar and 100 per cent academic scholar of the Divine Word University until the university conferred him with the degree of Bachelor of Laws, passed the Bar examinations in 1988, was elected congressman for three consecutive terms for the lone district of Eastern Samar which he first served in his capacity as senior (although the youngest, elected at age 24) board member and then as its vice-governor.  He was cited as most outstanding congressman for four consecutive years (2001-2004).  In May 2007, he was appointed as Commissioner of the Bureau of Immigration.   He has other accomplishments and achievements, that is why, not only Eastern Samar but the entire Waray region and the whole Philippines are proud of him.

As for Taft, a Pacific Ocean-facing town, has through the years been in the limelight as among the region’s tourist destinations.  Among its natural attractions is a beach coast that can be best enjoyed through the amenities made available by the now famous Dangkalan Pacific Beach Resort, which Catbalogan-based tourist guide and cave explorer Joni Abesamis Bonifacio describes as “a little paradise, a perfect place for camping with mini forest and park for backpackers, family, friends or lovers on a leisure trip”.  The beach resort itself, says Joni, is an oceanfront resort located on miles of golden fine sand facing the Pacific Ocean, and “facing the Makati Island, a world class surf destination”.

Taft can be visited through the internet.  Find http://www.batch2006.com/visit_taft.htm to view pictures of the Loop-D-Loop Bridge and other sites and sights in the town, as well as for what website visitors say, like these ones:

“Ay salamat nga damo paka abre ko dama hin nga site, sugad hin mahidlaw na ha taft balitaw, bisan kun sugad aton bungto mahal ko pa iton. tnx, han akon ka parag silhig ha may singbahan na practise ako. Pagkadi ko canada asya la gihapon paragsilhig. An ginkaibahan la kay medyo high tech na he he he he. balitaw regards nala iyo tanan dida ha taft, maupay nla nga patron (advance) ha iyo nga tanan. mis u mis u. . . .´ - boyet cherreguine | cherreguinee@yahoo.com | brgy.2,taft, eastern samar | grande prierie, alberta, Canada, Wednesday, June 23, 2010 at 04:38:54 AM PST

“Kamahidlaw na maupay na it pagule hen marisyo pag may okasyon urog na et patron.” - jason_olidac@yahoo.com. , Brgy.# Danao, Taft E. Samar | Q.C., Tuesday, November 17, 2009 at 01:57:44 AM.

“(A)s always, Taft is the most beautiful place I've ever been it is the paradise of eastern samar because or its wonders Taft will be the most beautiful of all beautiful and it is the most diverse place to be develop and invest because of its location as the gateway to western samar - jim jim | justinelarde@yahoo.com | brgy.2 taft, eastern samar | quezon city Saturday, August 15, 2009 at 06:39:13 AM.