President-Elect BARACK OBAMA

President-Elect Barack Obama will be the 44th USA President. For more on Obama, check his newest website, WWW.CHANGE.GOV.

DSU Students at the McCain & Palin Political Rally, (Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA)

...me wonders who are the two gentlemen at the back... :-)

..."My friends, ...................."


Mccain & Palin at Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA (October 8, 2008). Guess who attended the rally.... :-)

Lunch at the Mama Nina Foccacheria

We recently met Kerri (who now works at Moravian College) for lunch at Mama Nina in Bethlehem, PA. The food was terrific, authentic Italian dishes. The weather was still nice, not too chilly so we decided to eat outside the restaurant. As usual, we reminisce on our Philippine experience. The group wants to have a grand reunion 5 years from now back in the Philippines.

Typhoon Frank (Feng Shen) Hit the Philippines

I went back to the Philippines this summer of 2008, only to experience a major typhoon on June 21, three days after I landed in Manila. I eventually went to the island of Panay, that was possibly the worst hit of the 7,100 islands that comprise the country. The satellite photo below shows the storm over the Philippines, and Panay Island is the triangular island in the center of the storm.


The devastation brought by the typhoon to villages near the rivers were severe and historic. Some villages (e.g, Barangay Bogo and Bagumbayan in the town of San Remigio in Antique) have almost disappeared from the map because they were wiped out by the flash floods. We participated in disaster relief operations that included national and international agencies such as the Red Cross and the UN. The photos below may not capture the extent of the devastation because these were taken a few days after the storm. The land looks bare, because the native homes and farms where people toiled for their livelihood were washed away by the flood.

Fr. Joe at NATIVITY PREPARATORY SCHOOL, Wilmington, DE

Last summer, the Philippines group held a "despedida" or going away party for Fr. Joe who was moving to Delaware to become the Principal of the Nativity Preparatory School. He is a bit far from DeSales University now, and we will miss seeing him on a more regular basis. Best of luck, Fr. Joe!

Presentation to the DeSales Community

In early April the group shared the work done in the Philippines. Faculty, administrators, and students listened to the groups enthusiastic stories and enjoyed of the vivid pictures. At the end we answered questions and added some of the funny stories we still talk about from our trip.

The Library put together a poster with some of the pictures and a map of the Philippines for the audience to see. (picture above)

Ospital ng Makati: Health Care for the Urban Poor

The Makati Health Programme (MHP) was designed to provide residents of the city of Makati with monthly incomes not exceeding PhP8,000 (US$156) access to quality health care. The cost of health care in Philippine urban centers is so prohibitive that it is beyond the reach of citizens belonging to this income bracket. Also included, as programme beneficiaries are the elderly and city government employees including public school teachers, policemen and firemen. Makati is one of the few cities in the Philippines that provide subsidized quality health care to its constituents.

The local government of Makati has as its private sector partner the Makati Medical Centre. The programme has two non-governmental organization (NGO) partners: the Ospital ng Makati Foundation and Bagong Ina ng Bayan.

The program has given beneficiaries the opportunity to avail of services such as major surgeries in one of the best private hospitals in the Philippines. In 2000, 50,042 cardholders were treated at the Makati Medical Center, with total billings of PhP170 million (US$3.3 million). Under the terms of the expenses sharing scheme, the city government of Makati shouldered PhP96 million (US$1.9 million), and Makati Medical Center, P74 million (US$1.4 million).


The DeSales group helped the staff at the hospital tend to their patients.

Chinese NEW YEAR Party: EAST Meets WEST

The DeSales team celebrated the Chinese New Year with Chinese friends here in the US. A fun New Year party, new friends, and a continuing effort for global understanding. The folks come from many places: Mainland China, Taiwan, Hongkong, Dominican Republic, Philippines, and the US.

Happy CHINESE NEW YEAR! At DELICIOUS Restaurant, Chinatown, MANILA

Happy Chinese New Year! February 7, 2008. The YEAR of the RAT!
Chinese calendar has been in continuous use for centuries, which predates the International Calendar (based on the Gregorian Calendar) we use at the present day which goes back only some 425 years. Current year is Year 4705 by the Chinese calendar. Since 2008 is the Year of the Rat, any one who was born in the Year of the Rat is now either 1 or 13, 25, 37, 49, 61, 73, 85 or 97 years old.


We went around Chinatown to experience one of Manila's oldest district. The place is indeed a feast to the senses, all sounds, colors, and smell are all there! Quite a stimulating place.


Jeepneys line the street across the DELICIOUS RESTAURANT. We decided to have lunch at this restaurant which is considered to be one of the old establishments in the area. The place is casual and unpretentious, and food was most satisfying.

BORACAY: Exploring the Island

Lovely FLOWERS in the PHILIPPINES

Lovely tropical flowers in the Philippines. These blooms are found practically anywhere in the islands.

Happy Feast Day! ST. JOHN (DON) BOSCO!

Greetings from the DeSales University! We are one family in Christ.

Ferry Ride: From Makati to Boracay

On Sunday, January 6th we embarked on an eighteen-hour journey from Makati to Boracay. The picture on the above shows the bus stop in Makati. It was very crowded and a lot of merchants make a living by selling their products to travelers. We didn’t know what to expect, but we did know it was going to be an adventure. And it was!

The group traveled on a passenger’s bus and Ferry. The buses go on the Ferry and for the passengers’ convenience we did not have to unload our luggage. During the bus ride, the driver makes a few stops and picks up merchants. These merchants give passengers a sample of what they are selling and then walk back selling the product. One of us purchased coconut candy. This is a great business idea because it benefits the seller and the passengers on the bus.

While on the first Ferry ride we played cards and napped for the most part. At first I was afraid I would get seasick, but later realized the boat didn’t move too fast. We enjoyed taking pictures in the upper deck and admiring the breathtaking view at sunset. The Ferry ride was a cultural experience as well. It helped us understand the people of the Philippines by experiencing things that we normally in the United States.

On the second Ferry ride, four of us stayed outside on the prow for most of the time. It was nighttime and we wanted to see the stars. It was an amazing night; as soon as we sat down (on blankets we had brought with us) we saw a shooting star. Simple things make me happy … this is one perfect example. Eric and I listened to Irish music on my MP3 while looking at the blanket of stars above us. The night was clear and the stars seemed to be reachable by just extending our arms.

Night with Father Manny

This was the pet monkey they had at the Don Bosco Parish in Makati. Liz and I had never seen a pet monkey! We wanted to take this little guy home!

BORACAY Island, Philippines

Boracay Island, affectionately called "Bora", is rated by many as one of the best tropical island/beach in the world. It is one of the 7,100 islands that compose the Philippines. The popularity of the island is attributed to the Europeans who "discovered" the idyllic beauty of the island in the early 70's. Today, people from all over the world visit the island to enjoy it's white sand beaches and relaxed social atmosphere.

The Ati of Boracay & The Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul

The sisters of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul support a community of Atis, a group of indigenous people of the Philippines, who are considered as the original inhabitants of Boracay survive in the island.

I distinctly remember when we were visiting Boracay Island in the early 70's when Atis roamed around freely, and we recognized their virtual ownership of the place. We were just visitors in their beautiful island. Today, these original people of the Philippines are disenfranchised and their very survival as a people is threatened to extinction.


The DeSales group interacted with the Ati community, played with the shy but adorable children and shared with them our food including rice.


ms. johanna said...
Donating food to the Ati community meant a lot to me. The sisters helping the community survive are very perseverant and are doing an amazing job in looking out for the Ati's rights. I greatly enjoyed distributing fruits to the kids: I loved seeing them smile.
Together we can do more to help the Ati Community stand for their rights, let's do this!

SCUBA Diving in Boracay

University of Santo Tomas (Est. 1611)

The University of Santo Tomas or UST is officially known as the "Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, The Catholic University of the Philippines". The school was decreed "Pontifical" by Pope Leo XIII in 1902, "Royal" by King Charles III of Spain in 1785, and "The Catholic University of the Philippines" by Pope Pius XII in 1947.



It is the oldest university in Asia, having been founded in 1611, but such status is disputed by the University of San Carlos, another university in the Philippines apparently established in 1595.

UST is also one of the largest Catholic university currently with around 38,000 students. Its renowned Faculty of Medicine and Surgery was established in 1871.