OVERPOPULATION

by Grace Nicolas on Sunday, October 17, 2010 at 8:15am

 I am not talking about the Republic of the Philippines, not even Manila where almost everyone from the provinces would like to migrate but this little town, which bacame famous for the only Springwater resort, The hidden Valley Spring resort located at Brgy. Limao, the farhest brgy in Calauan . Wherever I go and when they found out where I am from, where the sweetest pineapple and lanzones came from, people surely will ask me about it. My town, where I lived for 35 years is Calauan located in Laguna, just after Los Banos and before San Pablo City.

This town is kinda lost in so many ways:

• Land line phones just introduced a few years ago
• Limited Manufacturing companies
• No Hospital
• No Garbage Dumpsite
• No Malls
• No descent restaurant
• No Big names of Banking Institution

My professor from Organizational Communication told me that i am a late bloomer. Maybe because awareness for me to so many things, issues and advocacies just came to me three years ago. I became aware about a lot of republic acts from RA 6969 to RA 9003, I begun to love all informations related to Climate Change and Environmental programs and most of all, when i lost last may 2010 Election as a councilor, It opened my eyes for so many things like poverty, unwanted pregnancies, illegal settlers, politics, corruptions and the total quality management.

Many issues that need to be solve gave me a lot of time to think why? How come those elected officials cannot solve it? Why those "tambay" compare to me was elected and why i lost? For so many reasons, for so many questions and for so many solutions inside my head..how come  the problem is still there?

Dr. Felix Librero is exceptional, he can tackled all kinds of issues while doing something  or blogging in his laptop. I gained a lot of knowledge about the current events, about street smarts and about pushing my thesis to continue to PhD. On the other hand, Engr. rey Robles gave me a lot of ideas about the environment, he empowered me, taught me how to love our only environment and taught me how to stand for what I think is right.

I went to our 17 barangays and realized the common problem, WORK. Investors need to be encouraged, our small town need to progress and need to limit the population or there must be a population control. Tis is not about the "DAMASO" or Reproductive Health Bill, This is about the reality. One barangay in Calauan became a place where the national Housing Authority is located, became the place for calamity vicims through the ABS CBN Inc "Bayan ni Juan" program and became the place for "Binay" relocation site. There are many questions:

• Who signed the MOA
• Does calauan will have some benefits from these?
• Why in Calauan?
• Do we have ample livelihood programs for them?
• Do we have funds for them like for emergencies and additional police force?

There are so many celebrities, foundations and private citizens helping the relocaties inside, but does it solve an problem?
Whenever I am in their barangay hall, left and right complaints will be heard. we have new set of government official, are they thinking what i am thinking now?

I been where water and electricity are not available yet, one of the biggest barangay in Calauan where almost all of my loyal friends are living, I spent a lot of time observing, talking and asking about their problems. I planned to solve some of their problems but being alone is not enough. I gave work, finished their chapel, dessiminate some important informations for awareness and gave them something to look forward to..hope.

I am fortunate enough to tell to everyone that I am a college graduate and finishing my thesis for my masters right now, I realized that education is really important so that you could share it with those who can't even reach grade 6. My dad always telling me if ever I will plan for another project, the community must also have something from it, it should also help a lot of people not only ourselves. I believe in him. I am proud with my parents, my mom taught for fifteen years at Liceo de Calauan and my Dad, for so many years till now is serving the Calauenos with quality products and services and I could say because of them, there are big and tall buildings in Calauan, there is school, manufacturing company and construction hardware.

I am writing this for Calauenos and for all my 2000 plus friends here, please look closely and dont look too far, we have this little place here, where the sweetest pineapple and lansones are grown but there are still places here from the 17 barangays who dont yet still have water, rough roads and right now we still dont have a dumpsite for garbage disposal. People are also not aware about what's really happening around our nation. I am doing my best one step at a time..but as we all know..If there is Change, because of culture, there is resistance.