Ilaw ng Buhay Died Twice Jose Ma. F. Rocha Thursday, November 2, 2003

The City of Tagbilaran might not have been known by many foreign countries, but at least it was known by several people from many foreign countries. A good number of foreign dignitaties paid the City a visit to see for themselves what they had been hearing about - a successful community development program calle the Ilaw ng Buhay.

Among those who came were the ambassadors of the United States of America, Spain, Switzerland, Finland, Canada, Germany, Australia, Great Britain, India, Norway, Belgium, the lead of the diplomatic corps, the Ambassador of Vatican, Bruno Torpigliani, 30 functionaries of the Kingdom of Bhutan, eight from Thailand, and a diverse group form the United States of America, Britain, and some others from other European countries and Asean nations.

In the words of Steve Umemoto, UNICEF representative for the Pacific, "Our friends from the various European countries are representatives of some of the largest supporters of UNICEF and you certainly helped to provide them with some real insight in regarding the problems which we are jointly addressing and the progress which can be made under committed and dynamic local leadership."

Not just the projection of the City into the international milieu, but the world of good I saw in the IngB was doing to the denizens of the City inspired me to give it the support I was capable of dispensing.

The kitchen gardens in practically every home were providing the barrio folk the spices and vegetables for their daily needs; the drastic reduction of the incidence of malnutrition; known as "rhythm country", the city registered the lowest birth rates in the Region for 1981-1982; sanitary toilets in every home; hammered into the consciousness of the people was the need to preserve our marine resources (we depend upon fish for our daily protein need).

The organization of units and chapters in all nooks and corners resulted in closely knit communities, inspiring the people to manifest a reasonable degree of caring for one another.

In the late 80's, and early 90's, I saw the steady and irreversible nose-dive of the Ilaw International Training Center. Its dedicated and competent personnel were gone, the buildings were in a pitiable state of disrepair, several of the vehicles mysteriously got scarce. I was overcome by sorrow to see the moribund IITC beyond resuscitating.

In 1992, I was back at City Hall. Resurrecting IngB was a priority. Roger Alegado was pirated from the IITC who, I felt, was only too glad to leave a once vigorous organization which, at the time, was in the throes of death. It did fold up, in fact.

Roger wrote the inputs on Food Production, Nutrition, Family Planning, Environmental Sanitation, Preservation of Marine Resources, and Cultural Revival. Roger came up with the mechanics of organizing units and chapters and the design for the training of Unit Leaders and Chapter Officers.

From the Office of the Mayor, City Planning, and offices of the Treasurer and Assessor, we had our nucleus of trainors. They were given copies of their topics an told to study and memorize them.

Then we had dry runs and critical reviews. We were about to launch the resurrected IngB when, sadly, like a missile that went pfffftm it failed to lift off the ground. We were overtaken by events.

The people of the City decided to retire me. And I did.

Ilaw ng Buhay died a second death. This time it still born.

Even as I lamented the demise of the IngB, new venture is born. The Bohol Local Development Foundation, a brainchild of Nestor Pestelos, acclaimed in the international community as an expert on development, has lined up novel and innovative projects for the disadvantaged.

Avarice insatiable, properties acquired through trickery and devious means were what did IITC in. Where IngB succeeded and failed, BLDF will succeed and prevail because these foibles of human nature are not the psyche of any individual connected with BLDF. There are no personal agenda in any of tem. Oh yes, there is an agendum, but it is solely, and nothing more than, to provide benefaction for mankind.