THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF JCI SUBIC LAMBAT VOLUME 1 * ISSUE 1 * SEPTEMBER 2021
Navigating the Power of the Pen
‘AYUDA ON WHEELS’ Lambat’s Project Kariton delivers goods for 700 families BY: MIKEE ARANAS
HELPING HANDS. Waltermart Subic OIC Karen Galang joins Lambat's 'Project Kariton'.
With the current state of the country due to the COVID19 global pandemic and the recent damages caused by the Bagyong Dante last June many from the poor areas of Subic are left with nothing but broken homes and hungry stomachs.
Spearheaded by Rhee Jhan Gonzales, Junior Chamber International (JCI) Subic Lambat Vice President for International, more than 700 households from Sitio Pulo and Sitio Nibangon of Mangan -Vaca, Subic Zambales have received food supplies
through the ‘Project Kariton’, in partnership with Waltermart Subic Supermarket on June 5, 2021. The said project is in line with ‘Oplan Kaagapay’, a disaster preparedness and calamity response program of JCI Philippines.
REPORTING FOR DUTY: LAMBAT LAUNCHES ITS FIRST NEWSLETTER, GONZALES TAKES THE LEAD True to its mission to be in the service of its chapter members, Junior Chamber International (JCI) Subic Lambat
launches its first-ever print media publication ‘The Lighthouse’ as part of the organization’s campaign to promote volunteerism, current event awareness and fight disinformation or fake news in the society. With its incoming 2022 chapter president, Rhee Jhan Gonzales, the editorial board chalNOT JUST LEADERS, BUT ALSO TRUTH TELLERS. Gonza- is les, The Lighthouse EIC, shares his plans for the editorial board. lenged
and expected to deliver news without bias across the municipality of Subic, its neighboring municipality and other chapter of JCI Philipines. “Our goal is to produce a quality newsletter at least every two months. This, will surely promote the brand of JCI Subic Lambat, gather new members, and deliver every project’s message to the community. We wanted to be felt, we wanted to show that Lambat exist.” Gonzales said. BY: NICKO MATTA
The majority of families who received these food packs had heads of their households unable to work during the pandemic, including construction workers, public utility vehicle drivers, and street vendors. ...Continued on Page2
Feature article
THE LIGHT HOUSE BY: JASON GAVINA I write this in the middle of my home quarantine after testing positive for Covid-19 in early September. There is no greater wake up call. Thankfully, recovering at home has also given me some time to reflect. These are some of the things I realized. 1. Life is a privilege and it is a daily gift that is to be lived with gratitude. …..Continued on Page 4
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NEWS
DTI X LAMBAT INSTALLS CONSUMER CORNER STANDEE AT SNHS BY: MIKEE ARANAS
CONSUMERS FIRST. Tacbad (left) , Gonzales (center) and Matienzo (right) unveils the newly installed consumer corner at SNHS.
Department of Trade Industry (DTI) Zambales, in partnership with JCI Subic Lambat and Subic National High School inaugurated its Consumer Corner standee at Subic National High School (SNHS), Subic Zambales. Fueled with commitment to conduct programs that will strengthen the consumer welfare and protection, DTI Zambales partnered with malls, supermarkets, LGUs of Zam-
bales, groceries, schools and different organizations to stage ‘Consumer Corner’ – this aims to increase the level of awareness of consumers by providing them information related to their rights, responsibilities and protection under the law. “Let us all be matalino, mapanuri at malayang mamimili” Chester Allan P. Matienzo, Principal II of SNHS as he give emphasis to the tagline of the project.
Consumer corner standee contains DTI information materials on different consumer program such as Consumer Rights and Responsibility, Return Policy, Credit Card Surge and Suggested Retail Price and EPresyo. . “Our main goal now is to create more standee one place at a time.” Enrique D. Tacbad, OIC Provincial Director of DTI Zambales.
(PROJECT KARITON Continued from Page 1) friends, family and the community to help others during the lockdown, demonstrating the strength of a community that is banded together to serve others, making a big difference during a crisis. Not only did it provide essential items to those in need, but the project also moved people’s hearts to support each other more in various aspects of daily life. “We felt strongly that we had to play our part during these extraordinary times to immediately help the poor and vulnerable groups here in Subic Zambales,” said Lovely Batnag, Lambat VP for Community. Through the efforts of the different individuals, organizations and businesses in Subic and its neighbors, Lambat were able to raise monetary funds and received donations in kind. The enormous amount of help also would not be possible without the help of young active JCI members and its supportive officers.
BONIFACIO ON AMPON-PUNLA: ‘THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING’ BY: RHEE JHAN GONZALES
In partnership with UMICORE, Local Government Unit (LGU) of Brgy. Cawag, JCI Olongapo, DepEd Zambales and Police National Police (PNP) personnel, Subic Lambat launched its ‘AMPONPUNLA’ project that aims to protect, replenish and promote sustainable management of forests and mountains of Subic, Zambales. True to its mission, attendees from the tree planting project traveled and hiked in order to reach Sitio MatangEb, Brgy. Cawag, Subic, Zambales. assisted by the LGU of
Barangay Cawag headed by Hon. Marvin M. Martinez and planted around 700 tree seedlings last June 19, 2021 The seedlings comprised indigenous trees like mahogany and narra, as well as various fruit-bearing and plantation trees like guyabano and mango. “This is just the start. We’re planning to do this project quarterly, tap different organizations and engage with people in the community” said the 2021 Secretary of JCI Subic Lambat, Lee Robin Bonifacio.
EARTH WARIOR. JCI Subic Lambat 2021 LO Secretary, Lee Robin Bonifacio took the challenge to make a greener change.
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OPINION EDITORIAL
Scriptures vs. The Queer
“Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.” In a modern-day society, it’s a no brainer that within our community lie persons of different preference than that of many. These persons are what to be known as lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender (LGBT) people. But in our case, we call them “bakla” and “tibo”, sometimes even in a derogatory tone. Sometimes they are labeled perverts while in a homophobic-religiousextremist point of view: immoral, sinners, animals, and the worst of all, abominations. Receiving homophobic comments from strangers and friends alike has been part of their daily lives. While some would crack sarcastic jokes, others straightly jump an insult or cite out verses from scriptures to attack and degrade them. If you study these verses, they don’t pinpoint homosexuality per se, but rather on immoral acts committed by a person. But heterosexual people commit immoral
acts too. There’s rape, pedophilia, adultery, even pre-marital sex, live-in relationships, and masturbation is considered immoral by these scriptures. Upon reading, most sacred texts are silent when it comes to same sex behavior. The texts that do provide views on homosexuality only focuses on sexual affairs and not on the intimacy and commitment of the persons with said orientation. This makes you start to question, did the people of that time fully understand the diversity of relationships? Should a man who loves another man without hurting anyone be really shunned? One does not simply just take the words of a book literally. It takes time and effort to analyze and see what is hidden across the lines. The world is not about what is black and what is white. But rather, it is a complex mixture of colors that one must look at studiously, so that eventually it can become as clear as a rainbow resting upon the azure sky. Ever beautiful, ever graceful. BY: LEE ROBIN BONIFACIO
I N - N O - Q U A L I T Y (I N E Q U A L I T Y) Despite my freedom to go, criticism has imprisoned me. Quality is a barrier, and inequality is disregarded. I've seen the brutality of the world through my eyes. With so many years spent above the Earth's surface, humanity as a whole can now meet a broad variety of needs that the Earth alone cannot. Poverty vs. riches, heterosexuality vs. homosexuality, and race vs. race are all contemporary subjects of debate. A boundary between beggars with high aspirations and affluent dreamers. There is a barrier that divides samesex and opposite-sex partnerships. Unification is being smothered by a raging fire
inside ethnicity. The cries of beggars and farmers against the government, now muffled by their own anguish tears, filled my ears with blood. The knees of homosexuals are tied by a rope as they seek acceptance indefinitely. Cultural distinctions between races, such as white and black people, as well as religious and theological conflicts On a national screen, a world against changing one's sexual orientation was displayed. Gretchen Diez is a transgender guy who is irritated by the sound of a woman's voice. Farmers' efforts go unappreciated. Rice for 7 pesos per kilo in exchange for sweat drops pouring down their
EDITORIAL THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF JCI SUBIC LAMBAT VOLUME 1 * ISSUE 1 * SEPTEMBER 2021 jcisubiclambat@gmail.com
RHEE JHAN GONZALES LEE ROBIN BONIFACIO NICKO MATA MIKEE ARANAS JASON GAVINA
brows and chests. Years ago, shooting from all directions sparked the emergence of terrorism, and grenade blasts swept through Marawi City, shattering and pulverizing every neighborhood. There aren't many caterwauls left these days. I am a young person who is creating a stir since the world's quality standards are impeding equality. With an emphasis on quality, equality will be achieved. Cries that never stop are the bane of my existence. I'm one in a million, confused, and now buried under the world's resistance. BY: NICKO MATTA
BOARD : EDITOR IN CHIEF : ASSISTANT EIC : OPINION / FEATURE EDITOR : NEWS EDITOR : CONTRIBUTOR
EDITOR’S NOTE It’s been over a year now since the pandemic and our country continues to suffer. In this time of great sorrow, there needs to be someone to light the way. My time here in JCI has given me the platform to become an advocate of change and gave me the opportunity to help the community I am in. And I will continue to do so until my last breath. True to its literal meaning and purpose; to provide light, become a landmark, and guide navigators, ‘The Lighthouse’ is here to inspire — to spark and navigate change. Look out world! For we’ve only just begun.
-RHEE JHAN GONZALES
FEATURE
IDEA IN THE MAKING BY: RHEE JHAN GONZALES
A whisper of this and a kiss of that Digging deep into all my talents To make something magnificent This is not good enough I need something more I want the world to do something they also desire Something so incredible that they would do anything to just to achieve Something they can taste Something they can smell — How to turn this want and need into a wonderful thing? A strong desire turned into reality In the past, we know it didn't happen You felt frustrated We have been disappointed Not this time How do we make this time different? We are not going to do it alone We are doing it together We are going to push our limits. We will have the support of each other We can each obtain our goals Think how great that will be? Imagine what you have really wanted? Don't lose sight of that picture — This is only just the beginning We will have detours and roadblocks It could be us against the world We will cry It’s okay. this is just the beginning —
Repeat after me I will get want I want. I am capable I always do my best I will find someone as impeccable as me!
Embracing Integration in a Borderless Society “Have you seen my latest tweet?” “I posted our pictures on Facebook. Simply go to my website if you want any.” These are some of the most common topics of conversation, not just among teenagers but also among adults. We mostly utilize social media to express our feelings, our experiences, and how they affect our daily lives. Two of the most prominent social media sites are Facebook and Twitter. We update our status every day. Twitter, on the other hand, is a wonderful place to air our grievances and express our emotions. It becomes a worldwide emotional battlefield. Today's youth is more creative and diverse as a re-
sult of the availability of different social media platforms. It does, however, serve as a breeding ground for fake news and harassment. It becomes a trail of misled netizens. “Selfie, selfie, selfie!” says one. Our connections to society weaken as we embrace innovation and technology. We care more about what to write about or what status to publish on our Facebook accounts. We've become so tech -savvy that we've lost sight of our social duties. We lose sight of the fact that we are members of the community, and as such, we have a job to play. "Let's take a groufie!" Working together, with the creation of the cyber
Lighthouse
THE
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In the midst of a pandemic, when …Continued from Page 1 people have lost their jobs, and livelihoods have been 2. Relationships are what affected, what benefit does it makes life meaningful. bring to be part of JCI? 3. Life is short. Whatever A valid question and good we can do, we must do the answer depends primarily it now. on how one is doing. Absolutely, we need to take care of ourselves first- our health, our families. Our incomes. However, once these basics have been met, we realize that the for the community to be lifted of these problems, we need to be part of a community of solutions. We need to take action- and that can mean raising awareness on covid prevention, it can mean raising funds for local frontliners and marginalized families, it can mean THE LIGHTHOUSE. Jason Gavina, Regional Vice advocating President for Central Luzon, 2021 Area 1's Best RVP
world, will definitely help us in empowering people. The correct use of technology allows us to get the information needed to make our society more productive. We are inspired by these words to be responsible and driven with integrity in a society full of people who are constantly at conflict with one another. Because the digital world is always changing and expanding, we must thrive alongside it. It is not meant to be used as a weapon to beat up on one other. Rather, it should serve as a platform for us to properly express ourselves and bring each other closer to the truth BY: NICKO MATTA
for people to get vaccinated. These efforts can even all be done online. In terms of skills development, JCI offers a ton of opportunities to learn with our Skills Development library and various trainings from mental health to financial literacy. In my NomCom interview last year as an RVPcandidate, I was asked what symbolism do we associate the role. And i said " I wish to be the Lighthouse, the light post that guides the navigators (LO presidents, who are the ship captains themselves) no matter how dark or windy the seas might be. The Lighthouse will remind them of the right direction, and to always stay faithful to our mission." The seas of leadership are never predictable. The winds will not always favor our sails. But as long as we know where we're headed, and our why's, we will not be lost.