Borongan City-based photographer offers talent to help Church, poor children
TACLOBAN CITY-Alren Beronio, 23, started taking photos when he worked as volunteer photographer for the Catholic Church in Borongan City from 2012 to 2017.
When the local diocese set up an online news site ESTE, Beronio’s hobby has turned into a full-time commitment.
“The words ‘Service to God’ inspire me to do this,” said Beronio who became a member of the altar server organization of the Borongan Cathedral since Grade 1 to Grade 6.
“Taking photographs is very fulfilling, especially during church events where I am also present like Holy Week,” he added.
After getting his accreditation as official photographer of the Diocese of Borongan for ESTE news, Beronio childhood’s dream of capturing church images and personalities started to take shape.
He covered the Pope Francis visit in Tacloban City in January 2015; the historic return of Balangiga Bells in December 2019; the Rededication of Guiuan Church; annual Sinulog coverage; Marian congress in Cebu City; and other Church-related festivities.
“My big dream is to be one of Vatican photographers. Since I started photography in high school, I really look forward to take a photo of the pope. And it was fulfilling that it finally happened,” he said.
While he receives a modest honorarium from the diocese church news service, Beronio said his greatest reward was when he discovered his talent through Church photography works.
“The Church discovers my talent. This is now my advocacy, to be of service of the church too,” he said.
When March came, Beronio, along with photographer friends in the city, found another way of extending his service to the poor children who will graduate this year.
Organized by Borongan Digital Photography Forum, with over 1, 000 members and 50 active photo enthusiasts and professionals, Beronio helped launched the “Project Dagway (Image).”
Inspired by the concept and objective of A-frame Project of Fyt Media and Juan Portraits, Beronio and his group started taking photographs of the poor graduating students in some hinterland schools of the province for free.
They also give free photograph sessions and tutorials.
“We want to paint sweet smiles to these children and since we have the equipment and talent, we thought of sharing them for the benefit of remote communities that do not have access to these kinds of services,” said Miguel Voloso, a colleague of Beronio.
In partnership with the Department of Education-Eastern Samar Division and Go Borongan organization, Beronio and his group were able to photograph 500 graduating students, including the teachers, in Eastern Samar.
“We are happy that there are people who helped us in creating good memories for our future,” said graduating student Viena Antoinette Orque after receiving her free portrait from Beronio’s group which she can keep in her lifetime.
“I am overjoyed every time I see the smile of the students in the remote areas. In this way, I can offer my talent in simple way by documenting it,” said Beronio who is also currently working as freelance photojournalists for national and international news organizations.
Region’s inflation rate rises to 2.2% in March of this year
TACLOBAN CITY- The inflation rate of the region rose to 2.2 percent in March 2020, according to the report from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA-8).
Wilma Perante, PSA regional director, told Leyte Samar Daily Express that the regional inflation rate is 0.3 percentage point lower than the 2.5 percent national average inflation rate of the same month.
Perante reported that Eastern Samar, Southern Leyte, Biliran and Leyte registered higher inflation rates in March compared with their figures in February 2020. Eastern Samar recorded the highest increase of 0.8 percentage point, then rose to 3.1 percent in March from 2.3 percent in February.
On the other hand, Samar registered a 0.8 percentage point decrease as it dropped to 2.3 percent in March from 3.1 percent in February.
Northern Samar eased down to 3.5 percent from 3.6 percent in February but still recorded the highest inflation rate among the provinces in the region.
Southern Leyte, meanwhile, posted the lowest inflation rate among the provinces during the month in review at 1.4 percent.
Perante also reported that majority of the commodity groups in the region exhibited higher inflation rates in March compared with their rates in February.
These include housing, water, gas, electricity and other fuels commodity group which registered the biggest increase of 1.0 percentage point, from 0.9 percent deflation in February 2020 to 0.1 percent inflation in March 2020.
“This increase can be attributed to the inflation recorded in the actual rentals for housing index (7.5 percent); maintenance and repair of the dwelling index (2.6 percent); and water supply and miscellaneous services relating to the dwelling index (0.1 percent) in March 2020. The double-digit deflation rate of 11.0 percent in electricity, gas and other fuels, however, eased the impact of those increases to the overall IR of the commodity group,” Perante said.
Meantime, the PSA director said that the purchasing power of peso (PPP) of the region was recorded at P0.79 in March.
This PPP implies that the goods and services worth P79 in 2012 is worth P100 in March 2020.
All provinces in the region sustained their PPP last month.
Biliran, Leyte and Southern Leyte recorded the strongest PPP at P0.81, followed by Eastern Samar at P0.76 and Samar at P0.74. Northern Samar posted the weakest PPP at P0.73, Perante concluded.
(RESTITUTO A. CAYUBIT)
Church, villagers to Duterte: Stop mining operations in Homonhon Island
By RONALD O. REYES
CATHOLIC church and villagers in Homonhon Island in Guiuan, Eastern Samar have urged President Rodrigo Duterte to stop the ongoing mining operations in the island.
“The decades-long mining operations in the historic island of Homonhon have caused immense and tremendous environmental and ecological damages. The presence of mining companies in the island has also been a cause of divisions in the communities of the island,” said Fr. Christian Ofilan of the St. John the Baptist Parish in Homonhon, a fishing community of over 4,800 people.
In his online petition, which already earned over 10, 000 signatures as of April 24, Ofilan also appealed to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and other government officials “to give our island time and a chance to heal itself.”
“There is an ongoing silent show of opposition or protest ongoing now in the village,” said Ofilan following the successful shipment of some 7,000 metric tons of chromite ore from mining company Techiron Resources Inc. in the island after the DENR on April 11 overturned its earlier decision to delay the loading activity.
“We are very disappointed. The people feel helpless,” said the 37-year-old priest.
The loading of the mineral ore, with estimated worth of P61 million, happened despite the opposition of the Eastern Samar provincial government and the Diocese of Borongan led by Bishop Crispin Varquez, following the health crisis brought by the deadly coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Earlier, Eastern Samar Governor Ben Evardone banned “all entries of non-residents to the provincial coastlines, regardless of origins” as he placed the entire province under the general community quarantine.
Evardone also tasked concerned government agencies to “refuse the entry of any vessel attempting to dock and enter the province through the coastlines.”
In his letter dated April 14, Evardone appealed to DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu “to protect the health and safety of our people, to reconsider your decision to lift the suspension order on the loading of chromite ore of Techiron Resources Inc.” in the island.
“The people of Eastern Samar have raised serious concerns on the possible danger this poses to public health while our province is under general community quarantine,” the governor wrote.
However, the Panamanian-registered vessel, MV VW Peace, with a crew of 13 Chinese and four from Myanmar nationals, arrived on April 4 to collect and transport the minerals from the island to China.
A domestic ship facilitated the transfer of the minerals from Homonhon to the foreign cargo vessel which was anchored just few miles away from the island, according to CBCP News.
“The village officials of Pagbabangnan have prepared quarantine protocols and safety measures for all those involved in the loading operations,” said Ofilan.
Since the province is under a general community quarantine, the priest cannot help but lament over the issue on social media.
“It feels like we are on our own at this point. For this government, it is China’s interests first, second our rights,” said Ofilan.
“We can’t trust our government to protect our rights always. This is the bitter truth,” he wrote on Facebook.
Environmental Legal Assistance Center (ELAC) in Eastern Visayas also condemned the “blatant intrusions and disregard of existing quarantine laws and exploitation of our natural resources” in Homonhon.
“We also call upon the national government as well as the respective line agencies, most especially the DENR and the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) to be true to your oaths and the duties of your offices of protecting our valuable natural resources. No one is above the law; and most especially in times like this, they should be reminded that the welfare of the people greatly, if not entirely, outweighs the interest of a few individuals,” the group said in a statement.
LONG BATTLE AHEAD
Ofilan said there are currently two active mining operations in the island while they are on community lockdown since March 22.
He identified the other mining company as Emir Mineral Resources Corporation.
“Like cancer cells, the damage is slowly eating up the entire island.Hinahakot talaga nila yung lupa. Nakaka-flatten talaga ng bundok,” Ofilan said, describing the extent of the environmental damage suffered by the 20 kilometer-long island as nickel, chromite, and other minerals, are being extracted for many years.
“As for my safety, dati natatakot talaga ako nung umpisa palang pumutok yung issue. Pero ngayon okey na naman. I learned that most of those working in these mining companies are locals. The local people have assured me of my safety here,” said Ofilan, who has been assigned in the island for two years now.
Despite the continued inaction of the government, Ofilan remains thankful to the villagers and other environmental groups for their support.
“I really feel pity for them. Many of them have been fighting this cause for a long time already and it seems that nothing happens. It somehow gives them a sense of hopelessness. Kaya gusto ko lang ipagpatuloy ang laban nila,” he said.