Kim’s Dream Orlan Ravanera
“A Happy Heart Cures, A Broken Heart Dries-up the Bones”
There is a saying that goes, “A merry heart cures like a medicine but a broken heart dries-up the bones.” Recently, such truism loomed in the life of thousands of families of the Manobo-Pulangiyon tribe who have been ousted from their 1,111- hectare ancestral domain where their ancestors are buried by a powerful corporation which is owned and managed by the incumbent Mayor of Quezon, Bukidnon Mayor Pablo Lorenzo, III that has transformed their ancestral domain into massive plantations for export to earn millions of dollars.
In the last six years, the tribe has been living in extreme poverty under shattered tents along the hi-way, eating only once a day and all the children are malnourished and sickly as they are drinking in the nearly river where they are swimming. Every night, all the children have to be tied-up so that they won’t go out to the hi-way while their parents are sleeping as 5 children have already been hit by running cars.
Last year after getting a Certificate that recognized their ownership of their domain, they tried to enter a vacant 4 -ha. adjacent vacant area to transfer their tents for the safety of their families shouting while they were entering, “GUTOM NA PO KAMI, MAAWA NA PO KAYO SA AMING MGA ANAK!” but they were shot upon for 15 minutes by the armed goons of the Mayor, shouting LABAS BANG, BANG, BANG; LABAS, BANG, BANG, BANG!” PARA PO KAMING MGA DAGA NA PINALALABAS AT PINAGBABARIL. (Alam ko po ito dahil nadoon din po ako na nangunguna sa pagpasok para makamit nila ang hustisya). Five members of the tribe were wounded including women and until now, the bullets are still not taken out from their bodies as the bullets have entered their bones.
Treated like disposable wastes, the thousands tribal families, especially the children, are indeed living with broken hearts and spirits that have made them very unhealthy. Thus, how can they be liberated from so much hunger, poverty and oppression. Well, the Ravanera Foundation has trailblazed the strong advocacy for social justice in the last three years with the strong support of three amazing Bishops – Arch. Emeritus Tony Ledesma, Archbishop Joe Cabantan and Bishop Toto Pedregoza. While, a Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title has already been issued but still they are not allowed to enter their ancestral domain as a Certiorari has been filed by the international lawyers of the Kiantig Development Corporation in the Supreme Court. Thus, what should be done to help the oppressed and sickly tribal members. Will we just allow them to die of hunger and disease or to commit suicide out of frustration? NEVER. That’s the stand of the Bright Horizons Caregiving Hub, Technical School together with the Ravanera Foundation headed by Dr. Zenaida Ravanera Fernando, PhD based in London, Ontario Canada.
It was so amazing to have known the Bright Horizons Caregiving Hub Technical School capacitating hundreds if not thousands of young Filipinos to be Caregivers to exemplify love and service to the aged, the children and the sick. Many of them have already graduated from the 5-month training course. In fact, some have even gone abroad working as caregivers manifesting the truism that Filipinos are not just freedom-loving people but very loving and caring.
As part of the students’ pediatric assessment, they are being exposed to the problems of the Indigenous Peoples and have seen the imperative need to liberate them from so much poverty, oppression and treat those who are very unhealthy, afflicted with all kinds of diseases and providing food to the malnourished children. Ma’am Neng, has also seen the imperative need to capacitate young IPs to become caregivers themselves for their respective tribe.
It was so amazing to have met no less than the founder CEO, Madam Gregoria “maam Neng” Calva-Salon RN who is a registered Midwife and a registered Nurse/NC2 Caregiving. She could have worked in a well-known hospital in New York, USA with astonishing salary but she declined opting to establish the Caregiving Hub to serve the poor and the oppressed. Indeed, as biblically stated, “What would profit a man if he gains the whole world but suffer the loss of his soul.” Indeed, Maam Neng understands very well the human being’s true essence as pure consciousness with the firm belief in the oneness of all God’s creation which is true love.
As envisioned by the founder of the caregiving herself, “I believe that perpetuating the cycle of aspiration, trust and empathy, our value will lead to meeting the needs of the people regardless of their educational qualification. Importantly, they showed respect and believed that positive attitudes led to their desire to improve living quality.” Indeed, Ms. Salon is correct in underscoring the importance of developing one’s potentials. This is clearly stated in a poem of Thomas Gray entitled, “An Elegy Written in a County Churchyard.”
The poem’s 12 th stanza says: “Perhaps in this neglected spot is laid, Some heart once pregnant with celestial fire; Hands, that the rod of empire might have sway’d, Or waked to ecstasy the living lyre.” Indeed, the number one asset in the universe is not wealth, fame or power. The most important asset/capital is the human being and the development of the human potentials is of utmost importance. The poet, Thomas Gray, in writing the poem in a country churchyard (cemetery), has underscored this truism that when a dead person is laid to rest, had the heart felt that “celestial fire” of love? Had he developed kingly qualities that could have served a community? Had he used his creativity to influence/entertain like a light illuminating darkness? Our firm salute to Ms. Salon for the development of the human potentials of her trainees on caregiving to improve the quality of life of the people.
The Bright Horizons Caregiver Training Hub and Technical School, Inc. has a working team that encourages personal growth, develops competence, motivates confidence and increases job satisfaction, and reduces stress in building dreams into reality.
Thus, on June 21, 2023, some fifty caregiving students of the Bright Horizons headed by no less than the Chief Executive Officer, Madam Gregoria “Maam Neng” Calva-Salon with her amazing husband Eng. Teodorico H. Salon, conducted a medical mission with vitamins and medicines provided by the Ravanera Foundation. Not only did they provide the much needed treatment to all the sickly children and adults with various kind of diseases but the Bright Horizons provided food, and slippers including provision of clothes courtesy of Ms. Myrna Gatilogo and some student-donors.
What was so amazing was the program that the Bright Horizons has done prior to focusing on the medical mission. The amazing students came-up with very wonderful program on singing and dancing, very exciting at that brought forth much smiles, non-stop laughers and dancing that even sick children, the aged and those afflicted by various diseases joyfully participated.
The outpourings of joy, smile and laughers through singing and dancing did create the right approach put to ecstasy the spirit of the troubled tribe after all the oppression, the shooting, the non-stop suffering inflicted upon them by those who have enclosed their commons (resources) which for hundreds, if not thousands of years, the Indigenous Peoples have used in the spirit of sharing and service. Now, they are displaced by the rich and the powerful and are now in so much distress.
Thus, the gateway to cure them was through a program prepared by Maam Neng creating first an atmosphere of joy, love and compassion. The program began with singing and dancing with the performance of the students whose ability to entertain brought forth participation from the tribal community itself.
Perhaps, the surrounding trees and the birds were so amazed that during the singing, even the birds were tweeting in chorus. Wow, indeed, there is oneness of nature. Before, the birds and trees were just hearing the cries amidst so much sadness and loneliness. Will the birds not be sad when they saw about a year ago the non-stop shooting of the pitiful innocent children? This, joy, love and peace filled the air. “PAGLILINGKOD AT PAGMAMAHAL.” Yan po ang pinakita ng Bright Horizons Caregiving Hub’s from those amazing leader and students. YAN PO ANG NAWALA NGAYON SA MUNDO. Based on anOxfam Study, there is now morale collapse and religious apathy. As concluded by that Study, “humanity is now buried in unbridled materialism and consumerism and so much denigration of spirituality. High veneration to the profit-motive has already captured the mindset of all governments, all institutions, all universities and even of religious groups.” It has become imperative to trailblaze transformation for people, planet, prosperity and peace. The Bright Horizons and the Ravanera Foundation firmly believe that we must now begin that much-needed change that we want to see in the world. There are some17 million Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines that are in need of assistance. Isn’t it that no less than Pope Francis recently begged for forgiveness in Canada for the evil done by the Christians to the Indigenous Peoples in Canada for the assimilation of their culture? Well, in the Philippines, some 101 IP leaders have been murdered for resisting the enclosures of their ancestral domain that is leading to their displacement, hunger and poverty. Perhaps, His Holiness should be informed of this.
The Bright Horizons has exemplified the liberation path. To you “maam Neng and Engr. Salon” and the 50 students of the bright Horizons, our firm salute and warm embrace. Salamat din po sa Amada-Vicente Ravanera Foundation. Indeed, together, you have initiated the much needed change that you want to see in the world, that is serving the least of our brethren. Let us be reminded of what King Solomon said in Ecclesiastes, “Power, fame and wealth are just meaningless, utterly meaningless.” The essence of life is one of love and service because it was biblically stated in John 12-14, “to love one another as God loves us.” The Indigenous Peoples are the most oppressed, now living in hunger, extreme poverty and very ill.
SILA PO AY TAO HINDI BASURA! Totoo nga ang kanta, “WALANG SINUMAN AND NABUBUHAY PARA SA SARILI LAMANG. WALANG SINUMAN ANG NAMAMATAY PARA SA SARILI LAMANG. TAYONG LAHAT AY TINIPON NG PANGINOON PARA SA ISA’T ISA PARA MAKAPILING NIYA.” ALL FOR GOD’S GREATER GLORY.
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