Homar Murillo One solution to the Euthyphro dilemma is to assume that God’s ontology or ultimate nature is goodness. Therefore, all that is good can ultimately be traced back to God. This concept of transcendental goodness, however, is too abstract and somewhat detached from any empirical or practical experience. It posits an idea of good that is absolute and beyond human understanding. Transcendental good One of the most common explanations – actually it is a non-explanation – for many absurdly bad things that happen to innocent people (e.g., death of a child due to cancer)is to say that ‘God has a plan.’ This means that despite of all the obvious tragedies in the world, these are all allowed by God because he has an ultimate purpose that is unknowable to us at the moment. This is somewhat sensible if you assume that God is omniscient and omnibenevolent but this would require a great leap of faith. It would force us to either become agnostic of what is good or make us redefine many of our basic concepts. For instance, most Christians consider suffering to be good or even godly if offered to God. Voluntary suffering such as self-flagellation during Holy Week is considered by a few to be saintly and necessary in atoning for their sins. Well, Christianity is hinged upon the idea of salvation through the suffering and death of the Son of God – a morally pure and innocent sacrifice. Humanity was vicariously tortured and killed in the person of Jesus in order for humanity to be worthy of God’s forgiveness and gift of eternal life: “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” [Romans 6:23] Rational good The religious idea of good is too vague, self-contradictory and absurd in several respects that it does not readily lend itself to rational analysis. How then can we rationally define good or evil? One way of defining the supposed dichotomy between good and evil is to put it in context. Rather than having a rigid absolute division between the two concepts, we could see it as something dynamic and interactive. It must be seen not only as black and white or just a continuum of shades of gray. It must also be seen as a spectrum of complex colors. Primarily, it must be put in the context of interactions among beings endowed with senses, consciousness, intelligence and emotions. These beings could be humans or any other sentient and sapient organisms capable of suffering and making conscious choices. The context could be extended to the way these beings interact with their environment and with other organisms. The bottom line here is contextual interaction. This may sound like moral relativism but morality is only sensible within the context of interaction. Even if you view it using religious lenses, contextual interaction is still present, i.e., the interaction between the divine creator and the created. The moral good or evil is only meaningful if there are moral agents acting interacting given a particular context or situation. The Trolley Problem Let’s examine this popular thought experiment in ethics known as the Trolley Problem: “There is a runaway trolley barreling down the railway tracks. Ahead, on the tracks, there are five people tied up and unable to move. The trolley is headed straight for them. You are standing some distance off in the train yard, next to a lever. If you pull this lever, the trolley will switch to a different set of tracks. However, you notice that there is one person on the side track.” You have two options: 1. Do nothing, and the trolley kills the five people on the main track. 2. Pull the lever, diverting the trolley onto the side track where it will kill one person. Which is the most ethical choice? Why? (To be concluded…)

The Lent season is upon us and life is once again reliving the past. The Lenten season is about sacrifices, repentance, grief, and renewal. In forty days, Christians around the world will engage in such rituals towards self-cleansing by fasting from sins. The drama heightens during the holy week when the passion of the Christ is revisited and replayed. All these efforts of austerity lead to happiness and promise of a new life on Easter when Christ is raised from the dead. Current events in the Philippines today, a predominantly Catholic country, reminds us that Lent is very much underway with talks of betrayal and spiritual awakening. In older and modern times, Judas Iscariot symbolized and continues to symbolize both betrayal and spiritual awakening. First he betrayed his master for a few silvers but then supposedly realized his “treachery” and promptly returned the coins to Pontius Pilate before hanging himself in remorse. There are so many Judas Iscariots in our midst today and the recent congressional vote in the Philippine Congress on the restoration of the death penalty proves this point. Without much fanfare and deliberations, the final tally on the 3rd and Final Reading for House Bill 4727 was 217 (yes)-54 (no)-1 (abstained). Thirty-six legislators played it safe and were elsewhere outside of the Batasan and therefore absent during the voting. Among those who voted “no” were three well-known women: former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, movie star and former governor Vilma Santos Recto, and Imelda Romualdez Marcos, former First Lady and the only Imeldific as well as 51 other congressmen who stood their ground. The three women’s stand could cost them their key posts in the chamber or on committee assignments but nevertheless, they have secured their lofty positions in the eyes of the Catholic Church and among millions of women celebrating Women International Day. Camarines Sur 1st District freshman Gabe Bordado alluded to the Catholic influence within his district where Naga City, the seat of the Archdiocese of Caceres and the Our Lady of Penafrancia National Shrine are located to punctuate his vote. However, his stand only exposed the eroding clout of the Catholic Church among the legislators especially those representing Ecclesiastical Provinces of the Church like Cebu, Capiz, Cagayan de Oro, Davao, Lingayen-Dagupan and others. In Camarines Sur, Congressmen Noli Fuentebella and LRey Villafuerte both ducked the vote while Rolando Andaya Jr, whose district includes the Diocese of Libmanan voted “no.” Before the vote, Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez made it known those who vote “no” will be stripped of their positions or committee chairmanships and kicked-out of the super majority. The threat implied money and power for those who vote for the restoration of the death penalty. The truism that majority of Filipino Catholics in the Philippines are conflicted by their support for PDU30’s bloody purge in the illegal drug trade while being ambivalent when it comes to the death penalty perhaps confound what clearly is a Catholic duty to protect the sanctity of life. Perhaps knowing that most if not all of those who will be nailed to the cross (whether through the death chamber or EKJ alley), if you will, will be poor Filipinos anyway who lack the means to put up a strong legal defense for obvious reasons, adds to the hesitation and resignation. With majority of Catholics breaking away from the Catholic Church’s on these matters tells of the Church’s late and lukewarm response or was not active enough in cajoling legislators to toe the Catholic Church’s line. And so with the black ashes still evident on their foreheads, over 200 Judases at the Batasan betrayed humanity for money and power. It was not a kiss that gave away their votes but it was either the powerful “AYE” or simply rising to the call of the Speaker. The devil incarnate himself was in celebratory mood as more blood will flow. But the story of Lent is just beginning and the death penalty vote is just the down payment to a protracted battle to rid the country of perceived or real undesirables legally or otherwise. One such battle occurred at the Philippine Senate. Police Officer Arthur Lascañas now retired had a change of heart regarding his previous testimony at the Senate last year. On his encore appearance, Lascañas recanted his Senate testimony and admitted to being the leader of the dreaded Davao Death Squad and this time, he pointed a nasty finger to the president as the mastermind. The Pontius Pilates of the Senate, however, would have none of it and branded the retired police officer as a liar and heretic and cannot be trusted. Leading the charge was a bible toting senator even tried to hold Lascañas in contempt but a whisper from another Pilato made him retract his motion. Not to be outdone, another member of the Sanhedrin - a Jesus is Lord Movement acolyte and himself mired in the PDAF controversy belittled Lascañas’ testimony as sour grapes because DU30 allegedly turned down Lascañas request to have his own STL franchise in Mindanao. The senate Pilates belonging to the majority were in unison proclaiming that Lascañas lied during the last hearing without probably realizing that the recanted lie actually bolstered another self-confessed DDS killer, Edgar Matobato who named Lascañas as the guy who they were reporting to for kill orders. When Lascañas disavowed knowledge of what Matobato was talking about, it impeached Matobato’s testimony and branded it hearsay. Lascañas turnaround, however, means that Matobato’s testimony last year now stand unimpeached. Lascañas’ “spiritual awakening” was not enough to convince the majority senators who were outfoxed earlier by LP senators masquerading as members of the majority stacked their votes to hold a hearing for Lascañas. But the betrayal was also met by another betrayal. Yes, the minority senators were successful in having the hearing but the outcome was already predetermined. First, the masqueraders were stripped naked of their important committee chairmanships and relegated to the minority role. Then, the coup de grais was delivered by the famous boxer masquerading as a senator when he moved to end the hearing for good. Even if other names were mentioned by Lascañas other than DU30 and the PNP chief De la Rosa then Davao Chief of Police, no follow up hearings are forthcoming unless Lascañas can point to a specific passage in the bible that supports his theoretical spiritual awakening. For Senator Manny Pacquiao, his conversion from being a sinner, liar, womanizer, gambler, and drug user to an upright senator is the only model worthy of recognition from the honorable senators. No amount of specificity on the kill details will be accepted unless Lascañas becomes a convict first, jailed at the Bilibid second, and picked by Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre for special perks. Meeting these conditions will greatly enhance Lascañas DDS testimony and will be accepted as gospel truth by the senators. For now, Lascañas and his handlers have less than 40 days to work on his resurrection. Likewise, the Catholic Church will similarly have these many days to get the senators to see the light of spiritual awakening. Will they follow the path of Judas or find inspiration from Lascañas epiphany?

Easter Friday is a big day for more than two million Catholics in Batangas — a new archbishop will be installed to head the Archdiocese of Lipa. A Mass will be celebrated April 21 to install outgoing Daet Bishop Gilbert Garcera as the new Archbishop of Lipa. The 58-year old archbishop-elect succeeds Archbishop Ramon Arguelles who retired last Feb. 2 after serving the archdiocese for almost 13 years. Thousands of bishops, priests, the religious and well-wishers are expected to attend the episcopal installation to be held at 9:00 a.m. at the San Sebastian Cathedral in Lipa City. Garcera, who was appointd by Pope Francis, has served as bishop of Daet in Camarines Norte for the last nine years. Aside from Batangas, the Ecclesiastical Province of Lipa also covers the suffragan dioceses of Boac, Gumaca, Infanta, and Lucena. Among those who previously served the archdiocese include Manila Archbishop Emeritus Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales and Cebu Archbishop Emeritus Ricardo Cardinal Vidal who are both expected to attend the installation ceremony along with Cotabato Archbishop Orlando Cardinal Quevedo. Garcera is currently a member of the Permanent Council of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines and chairs the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Family and Life. In October 2015, he was also among the five Filipinos invited by Pope Francis to participate in the historic Synod of Bishops on the Family at the Vatican. CBCPNews

Pope Francis urged Catholics in Tuesday’s homily not only to avoid evil, but to pursue good in concrete actions, likening the Lenten conversion to a journey. “Avoiding evil and learning to do good: this is the rule of conversion. Because being converted doesn’t come from a fairy who converts us with a magic wand: No! It’s a journey. It’s a journey of avoiding and of learning,” said the Pope during Mass at the Casa Santa Marta. Beginning his homily with the first step of the journey, the Pope said that we must recognize “Each one of us, every day, does something ugly.” He emphasized the importance of recognizing our own sins and he referenced to a quote from the book of Proverbs: “For though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again.” This sin, he said, “poisons the soul,” but he encouraged the faithful not to worry, for God responds with the words of the Prophet Isaiah: “though your sins should be like scarlet, they will become white as snow.” Pope Francis insisted that refusing evil is not enough, but we must learn to do good with a child-like attitude. He said, “Along the path of life, of the Christian life…You have to learn every day to do something, to be better than the day before,” and good must be practiced through concrete actions and not just words. The Pope pointed to the examples of Jesus in the Gospel: to “relieve the oppressed, give orphans justice, defend the cause of the widow.” He also spoke on the “ruling class of the people of Israel,” rebuked by Christ “because ‘they talk and don’t act,’ they don’t know concreteness.” This Lenten conversion is difficult and doesn’t occur over night, Pope Francis said, but added that the Lord walks “with us to help us, to explain things to us, to take us by the hand” and heal our iniquities. “And this is the path of Lenten conversion. Simple. It is the Father who speaks, it is the Father who loves us, who really loves us. And who accompanies us on this path of conversion.” (CNA)

3rd Sunday of Lent March 19, 2017 Verse Before The Gospel CF. JN 4:42, 15 Lord, you are truly the Savior of the wordl; give me living water, that I may never thirst again. Gospel JN 4:5-15, 19B-26, 39A, 40-42 Jesus came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of land that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there. Jesus, tired from his journey, sat down there at the well. It was about noon. A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” His disciples had gone into the town to buy food. The Samaritan woman said to him, “How can you, a Jew, ask me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?” —For Jews use nothing in common with Samaritans.— Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God and who is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink, ‘ you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” The woman said to him, “Sir, you do not even have a bucket and the cistern is deep; where then can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us this cistern and drank from it himself with his children and his flocks?” Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again; but whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst; the water I shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I may not be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water. “I can see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain; but you people say that the place to worship is in Jerusalem.” Jesus said to her, “Believe me, woman, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You people worship what you do not understand; we worship what we understand, because salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth; and indeed the Father seeks such people to worship him. God is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and truth.” The woman said to him, “I know that the Messiah is coming, the one called the Christ; when he comes, he will tell us everything.” Jesus said to her, “I am he, the one who is speaking with you.” Many of the Samaritans of that town began to believe in him. When the Samaritans came to him, they invited him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days. Many more began to believe in him because of his word, and they said to the woman, “We no longer believe because of your word; for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the savior of the world.”

Dear Father, Tano man ta nagtataram kita kan disiplina kan Cuaresma? Ano an boot sabihon kaini? Boot ko po na maliwanagan? Salamat po. Minagalang, Nigelio Dear Nigelio, An Cuaresma sarong panahon tanganing magbago nin buhay - maski na ngani an bilog na taon asin bilog na pagkabuhay ta yaon an oportunidad nin pagbakle asin pagbago nin buhay. An Cuaresma sarong panahon na kun saen mas makusog an pangapodan kaini asin sinususog niato an eksperiensya ni Cristo na nagsakit asin nagadan para sa satong kasalan. An disiplina kan Cuaresma nangangahulugan pagdisiplina kan hawak, isip asin mga sentido (senses) tangani na ini magin orog na marigmat sa karahayan asin sa tamang dalan. Susog sa satuyang eksperiensya, igua kita nin mga pasyon (passions or tendencies) na kun dai niato pinupugulan o kinokontrol puedeng madara sa kalabisan. Iguang mga bagay na nagtatao nin ogma sa satong mata, isip, asin hawak - na kun dai ini pugulon magdadara sato sa bisyo. Arog kan pagtsismis sa iba - may mga naoogma na nararaot an iba. Kun dai niato pugulan an satong dila asin nguso, nadadara kita sa kalabisan, an apod niato kaini bisyo. Arog baga kan mga kaogmahan sa hawak - an pagkakan asin iba pa. Kun dai niato pugulon o dai kita magkontrol, nagkaka-igua kita nin mga bisyo. An satong mga kasalan bunga nin mga kalabisan. An disiplina kan Cuaresma iyo man an magdadara sato sa pagformar nin mga virtudes (virtues) o marhay na pag-uugali. An pirmi niatong nadadangog na hulit sa panahon na ini iyo an pag-ayuno, pag-abstinencia, paglimos, pagpamibi, pagsakripisyo. An mga ini nagtatabang sato na magka-igua nin ‘self-control’ asin kan ‘temperancia’ o pagpugol sa sadiri. Aram ta na bakong madali an pagdisiplina sa sadiri. Bakong facil an magsayuma sa mga masisiram na bagay. Alagad, sabi ngani kaiyan, dai kita matalubo o dai kita manggagana kun dai kita masakripisyo. Dai niato maaabot an tuktok kan bukid kun dai kita magsakat. Kaya paulit-ulit man na ipinapagiromdom sa sato an Krus, ang Krus ni Cristo. An ‘Dalan kan Krus’ iyo an dalan nin pagsayuma sa sadiri, pagsakripisyo asin pagdusay nin buhay. Marhay na romdomon na an tunay na disiplina bako idtong kontrol na gikan sa luwas, kundi pagpugol na gikan sa sadiri. Sa ingles an apod niato man kaini ‘self-discipline’. Madidiskubre niato na kun igua nin ‘internal discipline’ bakong masakit an disiplina na gikan sa luwas. Kaya katakod kan disiplina kan Cuaresma iyo an pagsolsol (conversion) asin pagbago nin buhay. Dai man lugod kita matakot sa tataramon na disiplina huli ta iyo nanggad ini an madara sato nin giya, perseverancia siring man kan ‘focus’ sa satong pagsunod ki Cristo. Dawa sa satong paggamit kan mga tools, gadgets, social media, kaipuhan an disiplina. Kun mayo, yaon an kalabisan. An ano man na labis o kulang, bakong virtud. Dawa an pagparabasa o pagdalan nin telebisyon o paggamit nin computer, maski na an pagtrabaho, kun labis na, bako na ining marhay. An demokrasya, siring man, kun dai nin disiplina, mayo ining padudumanan. Sa sarong lubos na pagtalubo bilang mga ciudadano asin bilang Cristiano, kaipuhan niato an disiplina. Mag-aprovechar kita kan panahon na ini - an Cuaresma - na maibalik an disiplina sa satong sadiri. Magpadagos kita sa pagtalubo, sa pagtubod asin sa pagkamoot. Minagalang, Father

Letters to the editor are welcome on this page. Only those with complete name, signature, contact number and return address for verification shall be considered for publication, subject to editing and space limitation when necessary - Editor-in-Chief. I THINK it’s time to call Mayor John [Bongat]’s attention. As people continue to drag the name of the city into these online squabbles, it’s Naga and the people that suffer. It’s high time perhaps that Mayor John issues an official call, a plea to stop mentioning the name of the city in hashtags and other appellations that concern current political hullabaloo. The city government must make a stand and this stand must not be for any party but the city. We do disservice to our provenances when we disregard the dignity of their names. Likewise, it also should not be done to Davao or Laoag or any other place. This was the reason why I suggested to counter NagaLeaks with #NagaLoves. The people are the real owners of this city which we have always considered as the “Heart of Bikol” and described as “maogma” (happy). Let us not let any useless brouhahas founded on malice and political bickering take this privilege from us. Carlos Ojeda Aureus wrote an entire collection of short stories (“Nagueños,” AdNU Press, 2011) that manifest a Nagueño’s intimate relationship with his city. Respected writers—some are young, some, full of recollections—have written essays and poems immortalizing their memories and experiences in this beautiful, heartfelt place (“The Naga We Know,” Anvil, 2013). Its history (“Naga: The Birth and Rebirth of a City,” City Gov’t of Naga, 2003), written by the eminent historian Dr. Danny Gerona, introduces to us not just a great city, but more so, a great people. Let us remember that in one way or another, we are all Nagueños. Let us not use the city’s name—itself rich in history—in vain. VICTOR DENNIS TINO NIERVA Naga City

BICOL HOSPITALITY. Proud of their history and heritage, these disciples of Bicol arts, culture, and literature, as well as culinary arts, converge one late night to welcome a Naga visitor – Wilfredo Pascual (foreground, left, with hat), a two-time Palanca Award and Curt Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction winner – before the latter’s engagement with Ateneo de Naga students and faculty the next day. In photo welcoming him are (l-r): Ruben General, Nena Centenera-Bichara, Rica Dakudao-Buenaflor, Kristian Sendon Cordero, Tito Valiente, Joe Perez, Dr. Maryjane Guazon Uy, and Biggs CEO Carlo Buenaflor. PHOTO BY ¿QUE PASA?

A SIGHT TO BEHOLD. The Vincentian Heritage Park across the Universidad de Sta. Isabel in Naga’s old address (then known as Nueva Caceres during the Spanish colonial times) reminds one of green parks of Europe. On the same location are historically-rich ancient landmarks, such as the Holy Rosary Seminary (Seminario Concillar), the Naga Metropolitan Cathedral with its Porta Mariae (the latter constructed in contemporary period), and the Archbishop’s Residence. BOB OWEN GUARIN/Naga 365 Photographers Network

By Bobby Q. Labalan SORSOGON CITY --- A top ranking military official in the province said less than 10 percent of the 542 villages in Sorsogon province can be considered as under the influence of the New People’s Army (NPA). Col. Fernando Trinidad, commanding officer of the Philippine Army’s 903rd Infantry Brigade based in Castilla, Sorsogon, said the communist rebel forces in the province continue to dwindle, giving warrant to the recent declaration of Sorsogon as a “conflict-manageable and development-ready” area. He expressed confidence they have reduced the rebel forces to an insignificant level such that development programs and projects in the province could now be carried out with lesser apprehension from harassment by the NPA. Trinidad, in an interview Tuesday, said the encounters between Army troopers and NPA cadres immediately after the peace talks bogged down between the government and the National Democratic Front early in February did not have any impact on the declaration. He said police reports showed that the clashes between the two sides had occurred in the towns of Casiguran, Gubat and Casiguran, which were prior to the Army’s classification of the province as a “conflict-manageable” area. Trinidad said Sorsogon can now fully pursue its programs and projects so that the people could enjoy the fruits of development and progress. The Army commander estimated that the NPA has only about 30 regular armed partisans operating in the province who are led by one alias “Ka Magno.” Trinidad, however, did not discount the possibility of attempts by the NPA to sow terror by launching sporadic armed operations. “As we all know, this group ‘imports’ forces from other areas to augment their diminishing number so they could impress upon the public that they are still a force to reckon with,” he said. But despite the declaration of Sorsogon as a “conflict-manageable” area, Trinidad said they will still maintain their presence in the province and their operation would still continue, albeit in a supporting role. He explained that under the current situation it will now be the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the local government units that will be in the forefront of suppressing the remaining rebel forces. “The military would still be here but we will no longer be the lead agency,” Trinidad pointed out. He added they will also play a supporting role in the anti-criminality campaign, especially in the campaign against illegal drugs, which has now been revived by the PNP. Sorsogon province is the fifth province among the six provinces in the Bicol region to be declared as a “conflict-manageable” area. Trinidad said he is confident that Masbate, the sixth Bicol province that is also under the area of operation of the 903rd Brigade, would be declared the same within the current semester. “The task would be easier in the case of Masbate considering its geographical situation, being an island,” he said. In February, a clash occurred between the NPA and Army troopers in Barangay Pangle, Aroroy, Masbate that resulted in the death of four NPA rebels, two of whom were said to be ranking NPA commanders in Sorsogon.

By Jason B. Neola NAGA CITY --- Environmentalists concerned over the well-being of the Naga River will find new allies in some local businessmen here who will join together to oversee the stricter enforcement of laws and regulation regarding the protection and preservation of the surroundings and other natural resources. The new alliance, however, has yet to be launched with Mayor John G. Bongat during the celebration of the Naga River Day on March 11, this year. Already being eyed as partners in the preservation and upkeep of the storied river is a group of entrepreneurs to be known as Naga River Industry Association (NRIA) whose business establishments are located within the coverage area of the city’s 11 barangays whose boundaries lie within the river line. Christopher Jhun Zantua, program coordinator and officer-in-charge of socio-cultural division of the City Environment and Natural Resources Office, said the concept of tapping the businessmen for their support to protect and take care of the Naga River is outlined in the city government’s Adopt-a-Guardian Program wherein each of them is invited to sponsor a minimum of 5 Salvar Salog guardians whose task is to watch over the body of water against littering and other forms of unpleasant practices and/or activities in violation of existing local and national environmental laws. On March 8, this year, the guardians will undergo training and deputation workshop with ENRO, Solid Waste Management Office, and the Task Force: COMET as facilitators. Based on the program’s concept paper, the businessmen, whose alliance with the city government will be officially organized on Saturday at Eurotel-Centro, will serve as the guardians’ benefactors who will provide financial support as part of their corporate social responsibility and procure as well the guardians’ uniforms printed with donor businessman’s company logo. Initially, the City ENRO has identified 20 hoteliers, mall owners and restaurateurs, school presidents, bankers, and drug store operators who will meet with Mayor Bongat on Saturday during the guardians’ oath-taking and deputation which is a part of the Naga River Day celebrations. The partnership between the city government and the NRIA Salvar Salog Guardians will also give way to the implementation of the following activities: quarterly monitoring of the river’s water quality, setting up of concrete boxes for flowering plants along the river, encouraging more partners for this specific project, and continuous holding of beautification projects along the Naga River. The formation of NRIA and the SSG, with their corresponding assignment of roles, is based on City Ordinance 2003-013 sponsored by City Councilor Simeon F. Adan which mandates the city government to establish a group of vigilant caretakers tasked to conduct environment care. NRIA and SSG are also mandated to enforce all local ordinances and national laws on the protection of rivers and other waterways as provided for by RA 9275 or the Clean Water Act of 2004.

By Rhaydz B. Barcia LEGAZPI CITY --- Outgoing Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Bicol chief Bernardo “Raffy” Alejandro said not all of the memories he has of disaster management in the region have to do with how the forces of Mother Nature had severely disrupted the lives of the Bicolanos. The experiences with Mt. Bulusan and Mt. Mayon and such typhoons as Reming, Glenda and Nina, “contributed in shaping the kind of disaster management capability that Bicol has today,” he said. Alejandro gave a recollection of how these natural calamities made Bicol a “laboratory for DRR (disaster risk reduction) management” shortly after last week’s change of command ceremonies in front of the OCD-Bicol office inside Camp Simeon Ola in this city. Undersecretary Ricardo Halad, OCD administrator and executive director of the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC), had installed Blanche T. Gobenchiong from Negros Island region as new OCD-Bicol chief during the same ceremonies. Alejandro, who is leaving Bicol to become the new head of Planning Service of the central office inside Camp Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo in Quezon City, said he has counted a “total of 10 years, one month and 18 days of stay in Bicol” as OCD and Regional DRRMC chief. He said he has lived through 40 typhoons, two major Mayon eruptions plus several phreatic (steam-driven) explosions, 19 minor Bulusan eruptions, and countless other engagements in the region and in other parts of the country where the “combined efforts of OCD-Bicol and ‘Team Albay’ lent their DRRM expertise.” Alejandro especially mentioned OCD-Bicol’s “seamless partnership” with the Albay provincial government through Team Albay as they sent 18 humanitarian missions outside of the Bicol region--in Northern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao region. These included the partnership’s “ground zero response” in Tacloban City during supertyphoon Yolanda that occurred in November 2013 (it was one of the most intense tropical storms on record in the world that struck Nov. 8); typhoon Seniang in December 2014 which badly hit Northern Mindanao and Caraga Region; and typhoon Nona that made a landfall in Northern Samar in December 2015. He said the partnership brought various awards and recognitions from both public and private institutions in terms of being “best in disaster mitigation and resiliency.” These included the “Bakas Parangal ng Kadakilaan,” “Bayaning Likas,” “Bakas Parangal ng Kabayanihan,” as well as the Gawad Kalasag hall of fame awards, a search for excellence in DRRM and humanitarian assistance spearheaded by the NDRRMC. The Bakas Parangal ng Kadakilaan Awards is given to a unit or group and organization joining rescue efforts despite obvious hardships while the Bakas Parangal ng Kabayanihan is given to the leader of the group who showed extraordinary act of heroism beyond the call of duty. Alejandro cited that in the Gawad Kalasag, eight hall of fame local government awardees in the Bicol region were given recognitions. These were Labo, Camarines Norte for Best Municipal DRRMC; province of Albay for best Provincial DRRMC; Sto. Domingo, Albay for best MDRRMC; Legazpi City for Best City DRRMC (as an independent component city); Barangay Oro Site, Legazpi City for best Barangay DRRMC in the urban category. Alejandro also acknowledged the Galing Pook Awards that recognized the work of the provincial government of Albay and its partner agencies, that included OCD-Bicol, in disaster response efforts not just in Bicol but outside of the region. Galing Pook, which continuously promotes innovation and excellence in local governance and their adoption in more communities in the country, is actively supported by the Department of Interior and Local Government and other individual advocates of good governance from the academe and civil society. Alejandro also gave tribute to other civil society groups in the Bicol region which supported OCD-Bicol in its mission of building disaster resilient, safer and adaptive communities. These were the Child Sponsorship for Community Development Inc. (CSCDI) and Simon of Cyrene, both in Legazpi City, for best civil society organization; and D.Q. Liwag National High School in Vinzons, Camarines Norte for best school in public rural category. Alejandro recalled arriving in Bicol a day after occurrence of super typhoon Reming on Nov. 30, 2006. He said he officially took over as OCD-Bicol director on January 13, 2007 but reported on Dec. 1, just a day after Reming struck. “I was on board the C130 with SAR (search-and-rescue) dogs and body bags,” he said, recalling the details of his first days in the region. He said Reming had just slammed Albay province, unleashing eight hours of howling winds and dumping 466 milimeters of rains in the process, an amount of rainfall equivalent to what was recorded in one month prior to the typhoon, said the Legazpi-based weather specialists. Alejandro said the rains triggered a deluge that remobilized walls of volcanic debris from the foot of Mt, Mayon and produced massive flashfloods and mudslides that inundated low-lying villages and buried houses near the volcano’s slopes. He said at the end of the storm, officials had placed the death toll and missing persons (possibly the occupants of the houses that were buried) at more than 1,500 and recorded multi-billion peso damage to infrastructures and agricultural crops. Alehandro said last Thursday’s turnover ceremony last week allowed him to look back to the “excitement that came with working like brothers-in-arms with others whose moral obligation was to ensure each and every Bicolano can practice resiliency during times of disasters.” “We walked on the pathways of resilience,” he said. He gave credit to the “courageous front liners” from the local government units as well as the response units of the Philippine Army, Philippine Navy, Philippine Marines, Philippine Air Force, Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fire Protection, Philippine Coast Guard, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Health, Bicol Regional Teaching and Training Hospital, Philippine National Red Cross and the local media in the Bicol region. Alejandro said OCD-Bicol had provided leadership in civil defense work but the DRR teams were to be credited for their unselfish work. He added “we’re just some of the living testament of how effective we can be given our joints resources and efforts.” Alejandro also expressed gratitude to former Albay Governor and now second district Rep. Joey Salceda, and past and present local officials in Bicol for the “support, inspiration, partnership, and friendship” in the course of disaster response efforts in the region. He said he found it ironic that disasters seemed to love him, citing that while Reming “greeted” him on his first day at OCD-Bicol, typhoon Nina (Noc-ten) struck Bicol just last December 25 or just a few months before his next posting in OCD’s national headquarters in Manila. He said just three days short of Thursday’s turnover ceremony at Camp Ola he was able to attend the full council meeting of the RDRRMC meeting during which his staff submitted the completed “post-disaster needs analysis” report on typhoon Nina. Alejandro calls Bicol a “disaster paradise” for providing disaster managers like him that “mileage” of experience in terms of “improving the disaster preparedness, response, mitigation and rehabilitation capabilities of disaster responders in the region.” He added he believes the RDRRMC had been successful in keeping the communities in the region prepared, resilient and adaptive to all disasters “amidst the strongest of the storms and the most bitter of the winds.” Alejandro said he has full trust in the dedication and commitment of the OCD-Bicol staff, who will now be under the leadership of Gobenchiong, that they will continue to build safer and adaptive communities. Quite emotional when he gave his parting shot to his people, Alejandro said he likens leaving Bicol to hearing a “sweet melody on a rainy Sunday afternoon.”