When I visited Robinson’s Place GenSan’s soft opening last Wednesday, I dropped by the Team Pacquiao store owned by Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao and I was able to take a snap shot of this Pacman bobblehead doll.
I was at Gen. Santos City today to ferry my boss there. Since it was already lunch time when we arrived, we decided to proceed to Robinson’s Place which coincidentally had its soft opening.
This is my official entry to the blogging contest sponsored by PIUS Inc. for the OneWebDay celebration on September 22, 2009 titled 2Blog+2Act: A Blogging Competition topic “How Can We Make the Internet Accessible for Everyone?”
The progress of the island of Mindanao has been historically lethargic. While the rest of the Philippines are enjoying the benefits of industrialization, Mindanaoans are still struggling to escape the clutches of poverty.
Mindanao is actually abundant in natural and human resources but its growth has been hampered by many factors which include armed conflict, cultural and religious differences and corruption in the government.
Pauwi na kami ng Tacurong City nung hapon na iyon. Galing kami sa paglilibot ng mga paaralan sa Datu Paglas, Maguindanao para magbigay ng orientation tungkol sa aming mga programa.
Nang kami ay mapadaan sa hekta-hektaryang puno ng saging sa tabi ng daan na pagmamay-ari ng La Frutera, bigla kong naitanong sa kasama ko:
“Bakit ba sinasabing paborito ng unggoy ang saging samantalang kahit ni isang unggoy eh wala ka naming makikita dito? Di ba kadalasan, ang unggoy eh nakikita mo sa bundok, dun sa maraming mga punong kahoy? Tsaka kahit ano naman kinakain nila eh.”
Ang sagot ni Lyndon, “Baka dahil sa kwento ni Jose Rizal na ‘Ang Pagong at ang Matsing’”. Hmm, may punto siya.
As a Technical Specialist for GEM’s CLIC (Computer Literacy and Internet Connection) component assigned in the provinces of Cotabato, Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat, part of my responsibility is to oversee the computer delivery and internet installation to our recipient schools. Whenever there’s a need to repair the computer units and the internet connection, I also accompany our partners in going back to the area. Just like the time when I visited Palimbang.
This past summer, I was given another task: to train the respective computer laboratory managers and IT coordinators of the schools under my area of responsibility. During our previous trainings and seminars, we pay training centers to provide the service. Our partners include UIC–Davao, MSU-IIT, USM-Kabacan, STI and other large universities and colleges all over Mindanao.
Working for GEM’s CLIC (Computer Literacy and Internet Connection) component has allowed me to travel to places in Mindanao I wouldn’t have the chance to if I wasn’t employed under the program.
I work in the field as a Technical Specialist for the provinces of Cotabato, Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat. Since 2004, I have managed to visit all the municipalities under them except Buldon in Maguindanao and Palimbang in Sultan Kudarat. I call them my last frontiers. Last August 2008, I was able to visit Buldon to look for possible recipient schools for our program. Since then, I have gone to the place at least five times already. On the other hand, I haven’t had the chance to go to Palimbang because I yielded the place to my companion Dandy who is in charge of South Cotabato and Sarangani. It was because even if the municipality is part of Sultan Kudarat, its geographical location was nearer to Sarangani (and to Dandy); sort of being orphaned from the rest of its siblings.
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