They were the young “WW II Vets” when they finished 6th grade at the Danao Central School – Upland (now D.T. Durano Elementary School in 1950.  

The Class of 1950 will celebrate their 60th Elementary Graduation Anniversary sometime this year; final date and activities will be announced in due time as the leaders of the class headedd by Msgr. Pascual Ypil are still finalizing their plans for a big celebration.

Some of the graduates in this photo were as young as 5 years old when the war broke out.  Their schooling were disrupted few days after the bombing of Pearl Harbor when the Japanese Imperial Army  also invaded the Philippine Islands, being an American territory at the time.  Classes were immediaely suspended when the Japs started bombing Cebu shortly before Christmas in 1941. 

The Poblacion residents of Danao evacuated to the mountains and children tagged along.  The came down back to the town proper two years later when the American liberators came to Danao driving the Japs away from the poblacion into the hinterlands of Cebu.  Elementary school re-opened after the the Japanese invaders surrendered sometime late 1945.

 Because of the nearly 3-year  “long vacation”, the Danao Central School was overwhelemed with new enrollees when the school re-opened in 1945.  This resulted in a large class size in each section according to Nick Gonzalez, a member of this class.

Nick said there were not enough classroom to accommodate returning and new students.  Also, during the American occupation, schooling was mandatory; if a child was of school age and was not in school, parents could end up in jail. 

Among the prominent member of this class are Msgr. Pascual Ypil, Fr. Mariano Batucan, Dr. Leonara Barriga-Philipps, City Councilor Alice Barriga-Durano, Nick Gonzalez, Ben Durano, among many others. Since they celebrated their 50th anniversary, the class regularly holds a reunion in the month of December. 

(Photo is courtesy of Pamela Mayhew-Dos Santos who emailed the 1950 Graduates Class Photo to DAUSA.  Pam is not a member of the class, she just found this in the “kaban” of her Lola (2nd wife of the late Cesar Gorre, one of the teachers of the Graduates)

CEBU, Philippines – The invincible Cebu City contingent begins its quest to assert its lofty billing as the region’s undisputed sports superpower as action in the 2010 Central Visayas Regional Athletic Association (CVIRAA) Meet goes full blast today at separate venues in Danao City.

Since 1993, no other delegation has defeated Cebu City for the overall championship of the annual sports conclave that gathers the region’s based school-based athletes from the elementary and secondary level.

Even if the Department of Education (DepED) has changed its system in determining the overall winner of the multi-event spectacle, from medal count to points system, Cebu City was able to hold on its ground.

As usual, Cebu Province, Dumaguete City and Oriental Negros pose as Cebu City’s strongest opponents.  But instead of getting stronger, Cebu Province and Oriental Negros have somehow weakened with more divisions being added, while Dumaguete mainly banked on its swimmers and football players to deliver the goods.

CVIRAA Meet kicks of today in Danao City
By Caecent No-ot Magsumbol (The Freeman) February 08, 2010

CEBU, Philippines – The region’s premiere school-based sporting event, the 2010 Central Visayas Regional Athletic Association (CVIRAA) Meet, formally unfurls with an elaborate opening ceremony today at the Ramon Durano, Sr. Memorial Sports Complex in Danao City.

The kick-off salvo will be done early in the evening featuring a ‘Palabas’ from the host city and division of Danao spiced up with a spectacular fireworks display.

Over 10,000 athletes, coaches, and delegation officials are expected to converge for what was earlier promised by Danao City councilor Oscar “Boying” Rodriguez as “an affair to remember.”

Department of Education (DepEd) secretary Jesli Lapus and his Department of Tourism counterpart Joseph Ace Durano banner the long list of luminaries set to grace the grand opening bash.

They will be joined by Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, Danao City Mayor Ramon “Nito” Durano III, his son Rep. Red Durano and the strong force from DepEd-7 led by regional director Recaredo Borgonia.

“We would like to assure you that this will be the most attended opening ceremonies by the regional, provincial and LGU officials,” Rodriguez assured.

The traditional parade of athletes has been cancelled so as not to exhaust the athletes who are gearing up for a week-long battle on different fronts. They will just be lined up around the oval for the presentation of the different teams.

A total of 18 divisions will take part in the multi-event spectacle that serves as Region 7’s qualifying for the Palarong Pambansa. – THE FREEMAN

     A number of DAUSA members took a respite from a long Thanksgiving weekend to pay their last respect and attend the memorial service of a good friend and fellow member, Winston Misa held Saturday, November 30, 2009 at the St. Peter and St. Paul Catholic Church in Alta Loma, California.

    Winston was the husband of Pat Osmena-Misa, DAUSA’s first Educational Mission Coordinator. The Misa couple was the first to come forward when the Adopt-a-Student Project was initiated in 2000.  They readily volunteered to sponsor 10 DAUSA scholars who all graduated from a 4-year bachelor’s degree in Education from the Cebu State College – Danao City Campus.  Because of their admirable example others followed, and to date over 50 students have been helped and currently employed, mostly as public school teachers.

    Winston died in Malaga, Spain on November 13, 2009, on the 6th day of their 15-day European tour.   (Below is an article in the Freeman, written by Winston’s friend, and fraternity bro, Boy Regner Mercado)

CEBU, Philippines -  “Everybody dies…Nobody dies.” In deep pain, I write for the sudden passing of a friend of mine, Winston Escanilla Misa, president of the KMTri-E Foundation. He died on November 13, 2009 while on vacation in Spain with his wife, the former Pat Osmena, a close relative of the Almendras clan of Danao. He had a heart attack. Death came like a thief in the night. Pat lost a soulmate and their daughters Kim and Pearl lost a loving father. I lost a dear friend.  When death came, Winston was 66 years old.

     When my friend Joe Campo said to me a year ago, he was initiating a legal processs of adoption – for a twin toddlers –  my first reaction was “are you serious”!

     For sometime all we talked about was about our retirement – enjoy life as we get closer to our individual departure area.

    Joe Campo, a pillar of our association and always a generous supporter of the DAUSA Medical Mission is a U.S. citizen residing in Texas for over 30 years, happily married to Stella, a beautiful American-Mexican.  The couple has two married children and grandchildren.

    Soon, my good friend Joe will be a dual citizen – officially a senior citizen – as he turns 60 in a few m onths.  He is now entitled to some perks seniors enjoy, like a 10% discount at restaurants.

    But Joe is no ordinary 60 years old, as one having high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, arthritis or suffering from backaches,  etc.   My friend does not have any of those.  

    Except for the hair that was gone many years ago, he’s fit, as if he’s only half his age, even bikes long distance.  He recently participated in a 80-mile cycling fundraiser – from Freeport to Houston.

    A mutual friend of ours voiced his belief the twins could be Joe’s own from another woman in Danao, perhaps from a young girl working at Mitsumi. 

    I said “that’s impossible.  Joe would never do anything stupid to hurt his wife and children.  I knew him well”. 

    Joe used to be an altar boy; we both studied at the San Agustin Seminary in Manila.  At first, he did want to become a priest, like his idol, Fr. Alfeo Manalili, but for some reasons he left after two years.

    He was looking for some adventures while still young and single; so became a seaman, a way he could travel and see the world.   Then he ended up in Texas where he met and married his wife, Stella.

    Joe narrated how the adoption thing happened and he laughed when I told him some of our friends believed he was the biological dad.

   “The twin boys were born Sept. 7, 2008, two days old when we arrived Danao on Sept. 9^th, for the DAUSA Medical Mission.

   “The biological parents were jobless, having 3 daughters: 18, 16 and 12 years old.    The twins were delivered by caesarian at the Vicente Sotto Medical Center.  Although it is a government hospital, and said to be a free for indigent patients, yet medicines, surgical supplies, blood transfusion, etc. are not free.

    “So, that’s where we came in, tried to help out and paid all the bills, so that mother and her twin boys could be saved and be home safe. The mother was 42 years old when she delivered two healthy boys. She is also blood related on my father’s side  (first degree cousin).

    “We thought our rescue effort was over when mother and the twins got discharged from the hospital and came home.  Unfortunately, that was not the case.   At 42 years old, the mother’s breast milk could not sustain two hungry infants with good appetite.

    “So, the Good Samaritan that I was, got into action again by providing them with powder milk to keep the infants nourished and as well as diapers. A month later the parents and grandparents asked us if we are interested in adopting the twins and without hesitation my wife agreed right away without even consulting me.

   “After knowing the facts I said to my wife, “don’t you realize that we are going to start raising kids all over again in our golden years?”

   “A year had passed, we never felt any regrets adopting those boys.  Really who can say no to those angels.  At their age – Joseph Anthony and Mathew Philipp have given us so much joy and made Stella and me feel like a young Mom and Dad again.

   “Now, we are just waiting for the US Immigration to give us the okay to pick them up and bring them home.  For us it is not a long process but just too many papers to fill out and submit, and frankly preparing those of immigration documents is far more hassles than changing diapers.”

    I have no doubt Joe will see his twin boys graduate high school, send them to college, and be at their wedding. 

    Then he’ll retire from raising more kids at 90.

She was approached a year ago to be Reyna Elena 2009 for the City Fiesta celebration in Danao City; Noemi Laurente-Seigrist, a longtime resident and citizen of Switzerland, knowing it was for a good cause readily agreed and made a commitment to come back.

A month prior to the fiesta Noemi called inquiring if she could mail to the DAUSA treasurer her donation to the Santo Tomas Parish Church for her participation on the Reyna Elena fund raising pageant. We advised her to give it personally to the President of the Pastoral Council upon arrival in Danao.

A week later our DAUSA liaison in Danao, Ms. Jade Batucan, relayed a message from the Pastoral Council stating that the church would not sponsor any longer or get itself involved in Reyna Elena pageant.

Upon our arrival and during the Balik-Danao Welcome Lunch we learned that in lieu of the Reyna Elena fund raising event, the Balik-Danao Queen pageant would once again be held during the Balik-Danao Nite and the committee had convinced Noemi to participate telling her the proceeds would be go to the Fiesta Committees various projects.

Ms. Seigrist agreed and even volunteered to have her beautiful daughter, a belly dancer and instructor in Switzerland, to perform at the event. Two other DAUSA members were gracious enough to play along and join the Balik-Danao Queen at the Balik-Danao Nite, Crosine Roble of Long Beach and Becky Mercado of Temecula, California.

Expectedly, the Swiss easily won as the 2009 Balik-Danao Queen and the audience at the Danao Civic Center got a double treat with an awesome performance of a real professional belly dancer, by Naomis daughter Lucijah, holding the audience so quite and breathless to the end.

I wanted to write more about Noemi, but I havent talked to her much on a more personal level, digging more into her family life, her struggles, how and why she ended up into that beautiful country.

To be on the safe side and not dishing out wrong information, I asked Dr. Jackson to write what she knew about our friend from Switzerland because she had hanged out with Naemi more than me.

From Dr. Anita Jackson:

I first noticed Noemi during one of our post mission lunches in Tita and Sani’s Guinacot farm, when Noemi served my husband Ben some food, drink and dessert while I was taking care of myself and not looking after my husband who was foreign to our customs at that time.

Right after the 2006 Medical Mission she went to Bohol with us for our Church wedding and made sure that she had pictures with Ben and me. She has been misunderstood as having flirted with some doctors. Poor Noemi! She is just caring to people, who she feels are deserving of her attention.

This year she assisted me when I was doing consultations and made it easy for priority patients who were truly sick to get prescribed medications. For example, she got a bottle of water for a

patient whose BP was extremely high (220/130) who I wanted to start medications right away and was observed and rechecked before he left. She gave her a year-supply of Ramipril.

Noemi pledged to donate not only to win the crown but to help (hopefully it was used for the benefit of the under-privileged.)

While not yet sure if she would win, she heeded to my advice to go to Ricky’s house and have her measurements taken for a gown. Darling and I were sneaking to the restroom behind the stage so we can check if Noemi wins. It took a little while to count the money; so we waited. As soon as the canvassing was over, I approached Mr. Toledo.

He pointed to Siegrist of the tally sheet as the winner. Darling and I immediately pulled her out from the waiting area and helped her change to her “instant” beautiful gown for the coronation.

Then she went with me to Tagbilaran to deliver the medications left from the mission for the Botika sa Katawhan of which the Tagbilaran Association of California is a major supporter. It was during this trip to Tagbilaran where I knew more of Noemi.

She is married to Herbert, a Swiss guy, who loves to visit the Philippines. In Switzerland at her employment, she was chosen to train to make delicate life-saving cardiac-related things like artificial heart valves. This is a special God-given gift!

I learned that she is a great wife and mother. She gave and is still giving the best care to her husband who has had two kidney transplants, and built him a house in Danao which he considers best place for his rehabilitation.

She has raised her three children with strong values in life. Her oldest is daughter Lucia, the middle is Robert who are both on their own now. The youngest is Jun who is still home with Noemi and Herbert as a full time student taking Law courses. Robert is serving the Military in the Air Force and has dual citizenship.

Noemi has been consistent as a generous provider of her family in the Philippines as well as her own three children in Switzerland. She has worked hard to be able to send her children to the best school, and invested for their future.

She has advanced herself in Switzerland by taking comprehensive lesson in the German language and learning the trade of Heart Valve production and now is a trainer.

Noemi has made a booking to visit us here in California from Dec 13 to Dec 29, and will spend the New Year with her husband and two beautiful children one of whom (Lucijah or Lucia) we saw perform professionally and gracefully the Belly Dance at the welcome-luncheon at Mayor Boy and Tita Durano’s home and Balik Danao Night.

(Photo: Husband Cris Picar, Candy, mother Rose Canga,  classmates Annalee and Adolfo Famas of Cedars Sinai Medical Center at the Awarding)

From the Officers and Staff of Memorial Medical Center where Candy is Surgical Department Manager, Candy immediately received this congratulatory message: “Your hard work and tireless devotion to patient care makes this a well-deserved award. The commitment and dedication you have shown to your department has not only helped us achieve great recognition in four field, but has also made this an excellent place to work. From all of us at the Memorial Medical Center and the Sutter Health family, we congratulate you for being part of our team.”

Earlier we have reported here that our very own former DAUSA Vice Priesent Candy Canga-Picar was selected as one of 5 finalists among 100’s in the 2009 California Nurseweek Nursing Excellence Awards which made not only Danawanons but also the entire Filipino nursing community all over U.S. very proud.

At the Awards gala which held on Friday,September 25, 2009 at the Hyatt Regency Orange County in Garden Grove,CA, Candy was decared winner in the Management category and will be California’s bet in the National level.

James E. Conforti, Chief Executive Officer of Memorial Medical Center, a Sutter Health Affiliate, in a Memo to all Hospital Staff, also issued this official statement:

“It is with much enthusiasm that I share with you that our Nurseweek finalist, Candy Canga-Picar, RN, was announced the winner in the Management category during the September 25th awards ceremony held in Garden Grove.

According to Ms. Judee Berg, Nurseweek Vice President of Nursing Communications and Initiatives, “hundreds of nominations were submitted”.  The nominations are then forwarded to the selection committee, blinded of any names, locations and identifiers, enabling an unbiased review and selection of candidates based on the merits of their individual accomplishments.

Candy’s accomplishments, which undoubtedly influenced her selection, include her 99th percentile ranking in patient satisfaction, placing the Surgical Department in eighth place nationwide; the 86^th percentile ranking in staff satisfaction; and her overall ability to mobilize her staff to affect positive changes, whether it be in service, quality, people or finance.

Candy is Memorial Medical Center’s ninth Nurseweek nominee selected to be a Nurseweek Excellence finalist.  This is an outstanding record, given the fact that 2009’s event was Nurseweek’s tenth Excellence Award ceremony.  Our nursing leadership team strongly believes that this remarkable accomplishment would not be possible without the tremendous collaboration among all departments that support nursing activity every day.

We are all proud of Candy’s achievements and this wonderful recognition she has obtained, not only for herself, but for the entire Memorial Medical Center.

Please join me in congratulating Candy!!”

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                                                                                             Medical Mission Volunteers amd Balik Danawanons, who enthusiastically responded to the City of Danao’s Balik-Danao campaign enjoyed a very warm reception with the traditional welcome lunch held at the residence of Vice Mayor Ramon “Boy” Durano, Jr.

This year’s welcome lunch, as usual, was held on a Wednesday prior to the City Fiesta when most balikbayans arrived in Danao on the same early morning flight from the U.S.  

The fellowship lunch is an occasion where visiting Danawanons meet and renew acquaintances with city officials led by Danao City Mayor Ramon “Nito” Durano III.

As always Danao balikbayans were fetted with  sumptuous delicious dishes and native tropical fruits that most returnees had missed for a long time.

Danao City Elementary School Childrens’s Rondalla was at hand to entertain guests with a very lively music. 

Further, after lunch, the newly elected DAUSA President was inducted into office administered by DAUSA Election chairman Fred Almeda. 

While all other new officers were inducted during the association’s 16th anniversary and fiesta celebration in Long Beach, California, incoming president Marietta was already in Danao City helping out in the medical mission preparation.

The Board of Directors agreed to have a special induction for Marietta during the welcome lunch reception where many DAUSA balikbayans and medical mission volunteers would be in attendance.

The new DAUSA President pledged to fully support and continue the 12-year old Medical-Surgical-Dental and Educational Mission and make it more responsive to the health needs of the city’s indigent residents.

A highlight of the welcome Lunch was a beautifully executed belly dancing performance by Luccia, the beautiful daughter Naomi Seigrist, a DAUSA supporter from Switzerland.  (More photos of the Balik Danao Welcome Lunch, go to the DAUSA photo album: http://picasaweb.google.com/DAUSAInc/2009WelcomeBalikDanao#

                                                     My Dear Friends,

On September 12, 2009, Saturday starting at 04:00 p.m., members of the Danao Association, U.S.A. (DAUSA), their friends and relatives will observe and celebrate the feast of their hometown patron saint, the venerable Santo Tomas de Villanueva, Veteran’s Park Social Hall, 101 E. 28th Street, Long Beach, CA.   

    We invite you to join us in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist jointly officiated by Rev. Fr. Oscar Camomot.  We want you to join us partake in a hearty lunch and share a good clean fun with Danawanons of Southern California.

     Being at this traditional yearly DAUSA event, we expect you to experience, like most of us, a gratifying feeling of self-fulfillment for doing a good deed, making a difference in the lives of some less fortunate brothers and sisters back home.

    The $20.00 donation that DAUSA is requesting from our guests is enough to cover the cost of at least one minor surgical procedure.  The DAUSA Medical Mission volunteers do, on average, about 200 minor surgeries, such as abscess or cyst removal, etc. and no less than 30 major surgical procedures, that if done at a private hospital, could cost a patient over a 100,000 pesos. 

    DAUSA has been doing this, year after year, since 1998. It had assisted 3 children come to Los Angeles; two underwent extremely delicate life saving procedures.

    Please, come, join us, spend an evening with super friendly Danawanons honoring their patron saint and do your share in saving a life.

VIVA SANTO TOMAS!

Sincerely,

Anita Cal-Jackson, M.D.

DAUSA President & Chief of Medical Mission