A Dream Renewed: Experiences during the Inauguration of UP Manila’s Community Health and Development Program in San Juan, Batangas

Shortly after the culmination of the inaugural ceremonies of Dean Cynthia V. Isaac, and just as I was recuperating from the stresses brought about by the preparations, I was tasked to help in the preparations of the inauguration of UP Manila's Community Health and Development Program (CHDP) in San Juan, Batangas. As head of CAMP's CBR Program, I am automatically a member of this group, along with the program heads and point persons of the other colleges in UP Manila. The CHDP was envisioned to be a venue where every unit of UP Manila converge on a common community site, addressing the needs of the community through an interdisciplinary approach (IDA). If you are familiar with the history of CAMP's CBR Program which started in Bay, Laguna in the form of the Comprehensive Community Health Program (CCHP), you will feel that the thrust of CHDP rings a bell. Imagine all the interns, students and supervisors of all colleges and units of UP Manila in one community, interacting for a common goal of community development. This is IDA to the max! Now, the Chancellory has tasked us to prepare for the inauguration of this worthy program.

As they always say, if you do well in one thing, chances are you will be tapped to do the same thing in the future. Sabi nga nila, 'wag masyado magpakitang gilas! Apparently, a lot of people appreciated the efforts I put into the inaugural ceremonies in CAMP, and they wanted to emulate that for the inaugural ceremonies in San Juan, Batangas. My talents were indeed stretched nearly to the limits in this event! Here were my assignments: (1) Program/Invitation, (2) Banner/Decoratives, (3) Responsorial Psalm (to be sung!), and (4) Audio-Visual Presentation and Logo… all to be accomplished in 2 weeks.

Program/Invitations. Since I have already the source files for the program used in the inauguration in CAMP, all I needed to do in this instance is to modify it to fit the theme of the event. Whereas, for Dean Jake, I used blue, silver and gold being her favorite colors, I have to be more traditional in the selection of colors in the case for the CHDP program/invitation. Since it will be distributed not only to the UPM constituency, but also among stakeholders in the San Juan, Batangas community, it had to embody the spirit UP Manila, as well as the community. For anchor colors, I selected UP's "luntian at pula" (green and red/maroon) colors and ochre/earth for general background. Using my own stock photography, I attempted to subtly blend in a basketweave pattern into the background, suggesting a native/rural feel. Of course, colors had to be subdued to save on printing expenses, so the challenge was to not make this look deliberate. Here are the designs:

This had to go through 8 revisions, but these were limited only to textual content. So I guess the Chancellory was satisfied with the aesthetics of the design.

Banner/Decoratives. For the banner and the decorations, it was very important for me to do an ocular inspection of the actual place where they will be used. This way, I will be able to create a design that will not clash with the surrounding environment, something that will be seamless with the existing environment. The venue for the event will be the church of San Juan de Nepomuceno (a church to be venue for such activities is highly unusual since the church as much as possible maintains the sanctity of the place of worship, it should not be a venue for political activities). After requesting permission from Archbishop Arguelles of Batangas to use the church as venue with provisions that the eucharist be removed, thus de-churching the place. The Archbishop was a happy fellow (though he seemed strict and difficult to approach at first impressions). I cannot forget how hilarious he was when we noticed that he had attractive dimples on his cheeks. He said that he actually had 5 dimples, 2 we can see, 3 we cannot, 1 of which smells awful (dalawa nakikita, tatlo nakatago, yung isa mabaho!). We ended up chatting for a long time with the "holiness".

After getting permission from the archbishop, we went to the venue itself. The church was beautiful so I wanted a design that will not take away the beauty of the church, something that will look like it was part of the church itself. I thought of using long banners that will span the length of the two columns on each side of the altar, one symbolizing UP Manila (red/maroon and green), the other representing San Juan, Batangas (red and blue). As you can see, the design was drawn from the concept used in the program. A banner will be placed at the façade of the church. I also had to take approximate measurements of how the banner/decorative should be sized, and with this, I have the budget that I have to work with. Here is the preliminary sketch:

And the final designs:

The banner was basically patterned from the program materials, but integrating the colors of the tarpaulin. Also, I created templates for the slide presentations bearing the responses during the mass celebration:

Responsorial Psalm. I was also tasked to compose the melody for the responsorial psalm for the mass celebration. This was no ordinary mass, since this will be concelebrated by an archbishop and two parish priests, and most of the liturgy will be sung. Looking at the song line-up for this mass, I knew I had to create something that was traditional (and not modern/contemporary, as the Our Father I composed before). Also, it had to be simple so that the community will be able to follow it, and easy to learn since I will be teaching this piece to the choir a few minutes before the start of the mass. Most importantly, it should fall comfortably within my vocal range. I came up with this:

The choir was good! They were easy to teach and they were very eager to learn the tune of the psalm. It had been a long time since I taught a choir (oh the CAMP Choir days, where I was known as the "master beater"), but it came out almost naturally as I found myself leading this choir which I only met and interacted with for a few minutes. I think I sang the psalm well, since people from the UP Manila community who didn't know I could sing was surprised to see me up there "singing like an angel". Dr. Sia always amused me. Not only did he not embarrass me before in an event in CAMP by calling me "isang artista!" (which is a direct translation of "artist" which is what he truly meant), he commented again, "ang dami ko raw talino" (which I think he meant "talents"). Oh, if the UP Manila Community only knew that years and years before during a flag ceremony attended by the very same people, I sang the national anthem in which I forgot the lyrics! It was the most embarrassing moment of my life. Imagine the guard who had to stop raising the flag up the pole since I had to repeat the song all over again (not just twice but thrice)! I wanted to be shot right there and then ala-Jose Rizal. I guess, I regained my dignity after singing the responsorial psalm successfully!

Audio-Visual Presentation/Logo. I did the audio-visual presentation highlighting the history of CHDP the night before the event. It's a good thing that we were already there in San Juan, Batangas as part of the advance preparation party. Again, the available stock photography was limited, so it was very difficult to create a presentation to stretch within the allotted 3 minutes. In order to fill in the remaining time, I decided to create a logo for CHDP, which as you will see is an evolution from the original CCHP Logo. My rationale for this was that the CHDP is actually a renewal of a dream that was extinguished which was CCHP. The original logo featured a triangle and an oblation. I retained the oblation symbol, refining it, using actual photos of the oblation statue, but instead of the triangle, I utilized a star burst, a blossoming shape symbolizing the renewed vigor in the community service endeavor. The 3 points of the triangle is now a many-pointed shape representing the numerous units supporting this endeavor, and the multi-faceted aspect of community development.

Here is the short AVP I prepared for the event:

Summary. Again, you could imagine how stressed I was. But this was something I enjoy doing, and something I know I am good at, so even though I was exhausted and stretched thinly in the end, I knew I was able to contribute to making this event an unforgettable experience. Though I relished in the attention I got for the efforts I put into this, I have to make it clear that this was not my main motivation. Through this event, I was able to work with individuals from other colleges, and seeing firsthand the same effort and talents that they have shared, it further motivated me. The CHDP is an exciting program to look forward to, and with like-minded people from other colleges and units, it reminds me just how privileged one can be to be part of UP Manila.

Photos from the event can be seen at my Flickr Albums.

“Kapag May Access, May Success!” (or “More From The Sublime Paralytic”)

This year's theme for the National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation Week (July 17 – 23, 2007) is "Kapag May Access, May Success!" It has that humorous ring in it, reminds one of the famous Department of Health slogans during the Flavier era. Honestly, I laughed out loud when it was announced that this will be this year's theme. And it brought similar amusing smiles from students and colleagues.

A week before this, Dean Jake requested me to represent the college in the Public Forum on Accessibility organized by the National Council for the Welfare of Disabled Persons (NCWDP) and Emilio Aguinaldo College, due to my background in environmental modification and ergonomics. Beside this, I will be very busy coordinating with the local government of San Mateo, Rizal and other stakeholders for a CBR Free Clinic and of course negotiations that will eventually lead to the assurance of infrastructures of the CBR Program in its new home. The transfer of CBR to San Mateo has really been giving me too much stress, and a series of setbacks would surely leave this job to be an excruciatingly worrisome one. One busy morning, I was contacted by NCWDP humbly requesting me to be the resource speaker for the Public Forum. It's quite funny that the forum that I'll end up as the speaker in the forum I was just supposed to attend to. I was aware of the amount of work I was required to finish, but this is a request that will be very difficult to turn down – actually, I had no choice but to accept it (as a government employee and a UP Professor, it is my civic responsibility). Besides, this wouldn't be too much work since I already have some materials for a presentation on "Public Policies Regarding Accessibility in the Workplace". Or so I thought…

Let me recount one of my little discoveries while I was preparing for the presentation, studying the pertinent laws and policies pertaining to the rights of persons with disabilities here in the Philippines. I have often wondered why the National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation Week is specifically scheduled on the exact days of July 17 to July 23, and if you noticed this year, it started on a Tuesday and ended on Wednesday next week. Wouldn't it be more convenient if it was scheduled on the exact days of the week, from Monday to Sunday? Apparently it was originally declared every third week of July according to Proclamation No. 187 (enacted on June 22, 1979). However, this was changed to July 17 to 23 according to Proclamation No. 361 (signed on August 19, 2000), where the week should culminate on the birthdate of the sublime paralytic: Apolinario Mabini, who is identified as an outstanding icon for persons with disabilities because of his exemplary and dedicated heroic acts during the Philippine Revolution. Come to think of it, besides being identified as an exceptional hero, Mabini may very well be one of the first ever recorded Filipino person with disability who have held an office and served the local government. Numerous questions popped in my mind, and being an academician who teaches environmental modification to accommodate persons with disabilities it may not be surprising that I would wonder whether Mabini ever modified his home and working conditions and two) being an exceptional lawyer himself and author of prominent legal documents, did he ever write something, even some form of correspondence, that gave special privileges to persons with disability such as him. I even wrote Ambeth Ocampo, presently director of both the National Historical Institute and the National Commission for the Culture and Arts on this inquiry:

1. Were there any accessibility features installed in the residences and place of work of Mabini to accommodate his condition? There are a lot of information regarding Mabini, being confined to a wheelchair, but I am curious whether he himself or his friends/family members did any changes/physical modification in the household and workplace to accommodate his condition. Was he fully independent at all times? How did he take his bath? Were his table and other furniture lowered? How about his transportation? (I believe there are illustrations of Mabini being carried in a hammock to enter his office).
   
2. Being Aguinaldo's political advisor and considered as the "Brains of the Revolution" (being the proponent of the 1st Constitution of the Philippines and the Decalogue), did he write any correspondence, literature giving special attention to his disability? Did he correspond or befriended fellow "paralytics"? Were there any special privileges/arrangements given to him because of the fact that he was a paralytic?
   

I also visited the Mabini Shrine in Tanauan, Batangas to seek answers to these questions. Looking at the replica of his house and even accounts from descendants of Mabini himself, I found little evidence of modification. Besides the rattan wheelchair he used at home and in his office, no other accommodation was used. Now I am sure you will wonder how he managed at home and work, doing his daily activities and work tasks… he had always by his side his trusty brother who pledged to serve him at all times. If he had to be carried on his back, Prudencio, his brother will carry, cook, bathe him if necessary. He had to be carried on a hammock to travel from one place to another (from Batangas to Cavite).

Surely enough, just recently, I received a reply from Ambeth Ocampo:

"Prof. Cruz,

Greetings from the National Historical Institute!

Thank you for your letter regarding Apolinario Mabini. Regarding your questions about the hero, historical sources indicate that Mabini had to be carried around since his legs were paralyzed. Often he had furniture adjusted and lowered so he would be comfortable. Among the furniture in his house in Nagtahan are a chair and a bench to place his legs. From his condition he had to be assisted while he was taking a bath and during his exile in Guam, he was permitted to bring along his brother to take care of him. About his transportation, Mabini was carried around on a hammock. This was mentioned when Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo summoned him from Los Baños, Laguna to Kawit, Cavite. Around a hundred men took turns carrying him to his destination.

Regarding his disability, Mabini graciously accepted his condition. He even signed himself as "Paralitico" or "Lumpo." He did write something about his disability when he defended himself from his detractors who said that his disease (said to be venereal disease) might affect his reasoning. Mabini said that even he was physically handicapped he could still deliver wise counsel to the President of the Republic and serve as the country's first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Mabini wrote many letters to journalists as well as foreigners. As for the privileges extended to him, he was always assigned persons at his disposal to move him around. Even the Americans who captured him in 1899 gave him the same consideration and allowed him to move around while in exile in Guam.

It is hoped that this little information would be of help.

Sincerely,

Ambeth R. Ocampo"

I used this information as an introduction to my presentation. But for the main part of my lecture, rather than plainly presenting the list of pertinent laws related to accessibility to the workplace in the Philippines, I discussed the policies around a situation: a person with disability trying to get to work. All the issues one will encounter will be presented accordingly with a relevant policy. And it will be up for the audience to decide whether these policies are enforced or not. One thing we should realize though: We have very good laws. They are complete in a sense and encompasses all the relevant aspects of life of a person with disability, to the point that it can also rival those of other nations. We just don't have enough resolve and resources to enact these.

I had to deliver the presentation in Filipino, since it was also broadcasted through DZAS. The audience was probably the most unusual and interesting one. Imagine a group with all the various types of impairments and disabilities in one huge hall. I had an interpreter beside me delivering my lecture in sign language. I knew they were a "talkative" bunch because they were busy signing among themselves. I realized that my lecture was an irony in itself. I talked about access but my presentation was not accessible to everyone! (I had pictures in my slide presentation which I failed to describe… I kept referring to pictures in my slide, and the audience who were blind or visually impaired would seek assistance from their seatmates to describe to them what were in those pictures).

I ended my presentation with another historical tidbit related to Apolinario Mabini. One of the things I discovered when I visited the Mabini Shrine was that Mabini's birthday was not July 23! Apparently, it was recently discovered in documents that July 23 was actually his baptismal date. His real birthday was July 22, 1864. So I thought, should the Proclamation of the National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation Week be once more amended to accommodate this recent discovery. On another thought, if this will be amended, should the rest of our policies be amended to accommodate our seemingly slow ability to enforce and enact these? Or should we rather amend our attitudes towards issues surrounding persons with disabilities?

I was just happy to have survived that hectic week, with the culmination of our CBR Free Clinic in San Mateo, Rizal. But the work is far from finished. And when I thought that there won't be any snags on the side of the municipal government with the transfer of CBR to San Mateo, little did I realize that the problem would come from the university itself… Stressful. To end it on a happy note, here are my mandatory source journal entry presentations:

On Stewardship: Reflections from the CBR Volunteer Workers Basic Training Program

I wasn't able to really relish the latter months of summer vacation as I was deeply involved in setting-up the Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR) Program in San Mateo, Rizal. After a year of scheduled meetings with the key stakeholders in the municipality, implementation of research and extension teaching services (embedded within the curriculum of OPST 131: Introduction to Community Health), the time is finally getting ripe to start anew. Of course, there are many obstacles yet to conquer, one of which is the result of the recent elections where the mayor I was planning with did not win. It has to be ensured that what was set be properly endorsed to the incoming municipal administration, otherwise plans will be set back. The CBR Program in Montalban is assured of its place and support by their municipal government, but consultancy programs must be properly set to ensure a smooth exit.

The CBR Volunteer Workers Basic Training Program was successfully implemented at the Nuestra Señora de Aranzazu Parochial School from May 28 to June 1, 2007, attended by participants from both San Mateo and Montalban. Unlike previous runs of the Training Program which usually lasts a month, this only ran for a week, focusing primarily on the attitude and basic CBR knowledge of the CBR Volunteer Worker. The original training program included more technical topics ranging from basic anatomy, neuroanatomy and human development to PT, OT and SP assessment and treatment. This focused on the CBR program, the roles of the CBR Volunteer Worker (focusing more on the transdisciplinary approach) and it being a vocation. The training program turned out to be a seminar and retreat rolled into one, focusing on empowering the participants and forging their commitment and willingness to serve persons with disabilities (PWD's) within their community. With this as focus of the seminar, the participants will be ready to take in the more difficult technical aspects of the training (which will be provided year-round by the incoming interns and clinical supervisors as part of the CBR training program). We realized that it is better to create empowered willing volunteers than half-hearted trained intelligent workers. An empowered willing volunteer is more than ready to learn (in fact, seeks to learn!), and is much easier to teach than a worker with vested interests. It is sad to note that the "volunteer" ceases to exist once his/her services are equated with monetary compensation. Most of the problems related to the CBR Workers in Montalban (note, the word "volunteer" was dropped mysteriously) I suspect started when they were given monetary allowance by the municipal government as appreciation of their services. In time, and I guess it is sadly inevitable, they unconsciously equated it with "salary"… payment for their services. It was the design of the training program to instill a true sense of volunteerism – a vocation, essentially… among the new CBR Volunteer Workers.

The training program culminated in a mass celebrated by Monsignor Mediarito, the parish priest of Nuestra Señora de Aranzazu shrine, who fully supports the program and recognizes it as a ministry activity of its parish. Providently, the gospel on that Friday Mass features the barren fig tree curse by Jesus. Monsignor Mediarito provided a very relevant homily which inspired not only the graduate participants but also the rest of the church attendants. Here are the thoughts on the gospel, heavily inspired by the homily:

All the famous philosophers are unanimous in saying that MAN does not live for his own alone. It has been often said "No man is an island…", "Man is a social being"… has been sung in numerous songs… "Walang sinuman ang nabubuhay para sa sarili lamang…" which further solidifies the Christian concept of STEWARDSHIP. One thing can be sure, MAN was not created by GOD to serve man's own means, but he was created to be a STEWARD of the earth, its creatures and everything on it. He was created for others… his gifts and talent was not given for his own glory but for other. In our quest in discovering God's will, one thing surely to guide us is the knowledge that this will is not directed towards ourselves… NEVER to ourselves… it is ALWAYS directed towards OTHERS… for the service of others. We are expected to use our gifts and talents to the fullest, not for our own, but for the betterment of our fellowmen. Each of us, is called to a special vocation… whether it is for bringing joy to the sorrowful, hope to those down with despair, healing to the sick, guidance to those who are lost, and empowerment to those who are weak and disabled… the list goes on. We just pray that when the time comes when the Lord asks from us what He has given and how we have used it; when He asks for our FRUIT, just as when He asked the fig tree… that we will be ready to offer him our fruits.

Being a CBR Volunteer Worker is a vocation to serve. It is directed towards empowering those whom we call persons with disabilities (PWD's). And knowledge alone is not sufficient to help them, but primarily a desire… a genuine to help others. As rehabilitation professionals, we are expected to have a genuine desire to help others, more than a need to fill our pockets. It is amazing to note that 2 of my closest friends who are CBR Workers (Mommy Es and Tatay Ben) have passed away speaking their final words to me, "Sir Rev, kung bigyan lang ako ng pagkakataon na mabuhay pa, gugustuhin ko pa maging CBR Worker…" Amazing. Inspiring. It makes me reflect, that amidst our quest to enrich our knowledge and skills with cutting-edge advancements in our fields, whether we are also seeking to strengthen our resolve… the spirit that drives us to serve other people.

The above is my journal entry featuring my noted thoughts on stewardship. Pictures from the CBR Volunteer Workers Basic Training program can be seen at my Flickr account.

Aranzazu

Today is officially my first day of work for the year as I have finally recovered enough strength and function from my bout with bronchitis. I know it’s Sunday, but that is what being part of the Community-Based Rehabilitation Program of the University of the Philippines Manila College of Allied Medical Professions (CAMP) entails: being able to respond to the schedule and activity of the community. As most of you (CAMPers, that is) will understand, the CBR Program has been in Montalban for quite a long time already (16 years to be exact), and plans for sustainability and transition was only realized in the last 7 years. I am the lucky person designated to ensure the sustainability of the CBR Program in Montalban, Rizal (Sustainability has been defined as financial support, municipal legal mandate and setting-up of physical and organizational support structures, all of which have been more or less achieved), ensure a smooth transition to the next site, and prepare the community of the next site for the CBR Program. San Mateo, Rizal (the town before Montalban, if you take the long road) was chosen as the next site for objective (it fulfills the reqirements for an ideal community for CBR) and logistic reasons (geographic location to original site and UP Manila). I have to juggle my time with the available schedule of municipal officials and personalities, with my supervision, with my lectures at CAMP). There are times when I have to have a class in Manila, and run to Montalban/San Mateo, for a "talakayan" seminar with the locals or a meeting with a barangay captain. So you can see how difficult it is to be head of the CBR Program, and it is one of my chief sources of depression and anguish that some colleagues not only appreciate the efforts that the CBR staff puts into this noble cause, but even come to the point of poisoning the minds of students and fellow faculty members about how seemingly pointless the program is to them, based on hearsay, or their very limited experience within the program or with the staff (which does not necessarily have to be all good, but to my opinion, a bad experience or hearsay can never be used to come up with a conclusive opinion about the whole program). With this, I salute the staff, past and present, for having the heart and resolve to serve and teach amidst the atmosphere of resistance to what we do and the challenges that community work entails.

Today, we met with the new parish priest the Nuestra Señora de Aranzazu Shrine in San Mateo, Rizal, Monsignor Generoso “Henry” Mediarito, for the reason that we are seeking the support of the parish in providing the backbone of the organization of persons with disabilities (PWD’s), as the local government unit (LGU) of the municipality is ready to commit in providing the infrastructure and support people (which includes the barangay health workers, the future CBR workers and others), that is, providing the service aspect (rehabilitation and community education) of CBR. The municipality, in my prior meeting with their new mayor, Ariel Diaz and the municipal health officer, Dr. Sochaco, has already agreed to the establishment of the CBR Program. The site of the CBR headquarters has already been identified and the barangay health workers are ready to be mobilized for survey and other preparation purposes. It is perhaps providence that Mnsgr. Mediarito is a very close friend of my parents, and has had prior experience with PWD’s in Tahanang Walang Hagdanan (which he aimed to integrate within parish activities when he was parish priest of Cainta, Rizal) that our meeting went along very smoothly. He was more than willing to institute the proposal within his parish, that he had already set this as an agenda in the next pastoral council meeting. So far, the social preparation for the next site is going smoothly.

One of the things that struck me in our meeting with Mnsgr. Mediarito was his resolve in changing the religious attitudes of the parishioners in San Mateo. He noticed that the parishioners seem more focused on the external manifestations of their religious practice, these are the ceremonies, the costumes and the regalities of the festivities and prayer activities, rather than the internal spiritual manifestation of faith. He confessed to us how sometimes he, as a parish priest has oftentimes been misunderstood and misinterpreted by his parishioners. He had to remove all the “bongga” activities whenever he discovered that these served more as obstacles to spiritual growth rather than supported it. It should be understood however that some of these “traditional” activities have been part of the Filipino culture that the parishioners have grown to be familiar with. (Thanks to our Spaniard colonizers, who have ingeniously transformed the ancient Filipino animistic beliefs to Christian devotions to ease the natives into the faith. Local historians even claim that some antique Sto. Niño statues were carved from “anitos”). There’s nothing inherently wrong with these activities, images or representations of the Christian faith, especially if these help enrich one’s spiritual experience and helps deepen one’s faith. However, it is an entirely different matter when these become the primary foci in one’s practice of faith (which has become one of the major critiques of the Catholic faith). Monsignor Mediarito further discusses that the activities that we organize, the things we do should always reflect a worthy goal, benefiting individuals and the community in the long run. According to an example he provided, we do not hold religious processions along public streets wearing white garbs to be seen by onlookers in the hope that they will be held in awe by its beauty and extravagance. We participate in these processions to be reminded of the virtues and values that these originally represented. Some individuals, we will realize (and this does not only happen in San Mateo, Rizal), during the feast days of their towns, will be so involved and invested in the preparation of the festivities that they forget the real meaning why these feast days are celebrated at all.

I realized that this extends beyond the religious domain, and pervades even other areas of our lives, workwise even. How often do we organize or participate in events for the sake of fulfilling an obligation or expectation, of trying to outdo other people and be recognized and be worthy of fame and praises, or of proving a point to embarrass other people? Sometimes we cover this, rationalizing that these actually fulfill a noble goal. It seems that we already live in a Machiavellian world, too focused and demanding in quantifying the results and looking good, that we have grown blind to the real purpose and mission of our work, our organizations and our lives.

This is indeed a great challenge especially for those involved in community organizing, an indispensable aspect of our work in CBR. As supervisors, we guide our students, interns and CBR workers in designing and organizing activities through a participatory process (which involves needs assessment and planning involving the stakeholders). But oftentimes, we notice them doing these things out of an “obligation” since this is expected of them, or for the “reward” of getting a good grade or approval, or even for the “competition,” that they will outperform the other groups. Sometimes, we have organized programs and activities for the main reason that the community will enjoy this and have fun, that we will look good and more likeable. There have been some activities and programs that have been implemented which when closely examined have been designed for things other than the objectives and beyond the mission of the program. Soetimes, these have even been cleverly “giftwrapped”, appearing to be fulfilling the objectives. But impressively, there were others which were honest to their purpose, implemented by proponents who were truly sincere in their work. It is indeed important that we be more conscientious when we plan activities or design programs.

With the lessons gained from the success and failures in Montalban, we'll be able to successfully establish and implement CBR in San Mateo, and in the future, adaptation in Rizal province and others. With this, we hope that the transition to San Mateo will be untroublesome and painless.

By the way, "Aranzazu" means “abundance of thorns” in Basque/Spanish...