GOL Digest Volume 10

Posted by Steven Egay

For Gigaquit Civic Club
October 7, 2009

Greetings to all Gigaquitnons!

Marajaw na Pista dijo hurot! Once again we enjoyed another lively fiesta celebration in our beloved Gigaquit last August 28. We hope that our Patron Saint Augustine will continue to watch over our town and shower it with blessings.

Gigaquit Online is now on its 10th volume and still going steadily forward. We remain committed in this mission of bringing the latest news and updates regarding Gigaquit and Gigaquitnons around the world. In this regard, please allow me to go directly in wishing our appeal for financial support for mobilizing personnel necessary in our news gathering efforts. For more details please click here.

Also, we are very pleased to report that our first GCC scholar has been doing very well in school . . . doing us proud with his excellent performance. The second semester is almost close at hand and it means enrollment time again. As you may guess correctly, we would like to appeal again for your continued financial support. More details regarding this matter to be posted at GOL soon.

Mabuhay an mga Gigaquitnons!

Steven A. Egay
GCC President

GOL Digest Volume 9

Posted by Steven Egay

For Gigaquit Civic Club
June 23, 2009

Greetings to all Gigaquitnons!

Under this Volume 9 of GOL topics compilations, the stories that we bring to you is a mixture of sadness and happiness. Sad because we know what happened to our beloved Doot Beach. Though surely this beauty can be "reclaimed" in the future, it will take years or even decades before this is realized. On the other hand, we are pleased to tell everyone how proud I am as a Gigaquitnon due to the positive responses when we sent the appeal for financial support for our Scholarship Project. As Capt. Mario Recentes fondly mention "Proud Gigaquitnon" in his write-up, I believe now that this can be more than words after we showed by our actions how great we are indeed. As I mentioned in my previous messages, there are Gigaquitnons who will rise up to the challenge. The recent events showed how true this is. I would like to specifically mention the following who unselfishly shared their hard-earned money just to get our Scholarship Project going:

Mrs. Grace Roa Gonzales
Ms. Elvie Paray
Atty. Fernando Larong
Miss Gina U
Ms. Letecia Egay
Mrs. Ophelia Esperon Lopez

But then again, i know deep in my heart that aside from the above, there are other Gigaquitnons . . . many other Gigaquitnons who will also rise up to the challenge. We will see this in the coming months or years. I am confident of that.

Mabuhay an mga Gigaquitnons!

Steven A. Egay
GCC President

GOL Digest Volume 8

Posted by Steven Egay

For Gigaquit Civic Club
April 1, 2009

Greetings to all Gigaquitnons!

In the 8th Volume of Gigaquit Online, we are very pleased to announce that finally we began the selection process in choosing the very first recipient of GCC's scholarship project. This is the very first, hence, we call it GCC Scholarship Series #0001.

As of now, since this project is still in its infancy stage, GCC is still experimenting with different methods or modes of schooling assistance. We are very flexible as we realized that we have to depend on several factors like availability of guardian/foster parent, financial support, location of school, distance of school from residence, availability of courses and how it matched the preference of the scholarship candidates, etc.

On the other hand, the Gigaquit Civic Club members are mostly based in Manila so we rely on "Hometown Volunteers" to do the initial screening. We are very thankful especially to Mrs. Eliza Escabal (GNSHI Guidance Counselor) and Mr. Alex Natad who gave their time and rendered a very systematic and organized search for candidates. Another fine example of Gigaquitnon's unselfish act for the sake of their fellows.

Starting this Volume 8 also, if you notice there are more information about GNSHI. This is because through the initiative of Mr. Nick Virgen, they are able to create a website that is highly interactive and rich in updated information. The access of course is limited to GNSHI alumni and students only. But yours truly (GCC President) has been granted an "observer status" for which am very grateful. There is even a link to GCC website which makes it convenient to access information in both sites. From this example of GNSHI, our very own GOL has revised its "G-Pages" section to make it convenient for all Gigaquitnons to interact. For your reference, you may access G-Pages by clicking here.

Let me close this message with the affirmation that Gigaquitnons really have the skills and passion to make good things happen. Yes, we Gigaquitnons can!

Mabuhay an mga Gigaquitnons!

Steve Egay
GCC President

GOL Digest Volume 7

Posted by Steven Egay

For Gigaquit Civic Club
February 10, 2009

Greetings to all Gigaquitnons!


Our GOL project is now on its 7^th volume and am very glad to say that we have come a long way in achieving our task of bringing to all Gigaquitnons updates regarding events in our town as well as stories that are of interest to our folks.

In this volume we are sad to report some natural disasters that happened in Gigaquit. But on the other hand, it will not deter us from pursuing our objective of realizing our visions of a progressive town. On the contrary, it will serve as inspiration for us to prod onward as these kinds of things just make our mission even more relevant.

Looking ahead, may I reiterate GCC’s commitment towards scholarship and tourism promotion projects. For you to get updated, you may click and browse the following special GCC websites:

http://ascendgigaquitnon.blogspot.com/

http://mygigaquit.blogspot.com/

The above will be updated constantly so you may check them from time to time. They are also linked to Gigaquit Online for easy access. They are meant to be interactive so we would appreciate if we get participation from good-hearted people who share our visions. Your support is our strength. 

To understand the role of GCC among Gigaquitnons, please click here to see illustration.

Please extend your support and cooperation.

Mabuhay an mga Gigaquitnons!

Steven A. Egay
GCC President


NOTE:  Below sites are already closed as of January 2010

http://ascendgigaquitnon.blogspot.com/

http://mygigaquit.blogspot.com/

GOL Digest Volume 6

Greeting to our readers!

First of all we apologize for the delay in coming out with our Volume 5 and 6. No worry, we are still around to serve you despite of our very hectic schedules. As you may know, all current members of the website team are working and can do this part-time only.

By the way, for those who may wonder how the members of the website team look like, let us see first the following photos . . .

The above picture was taken sometime February 2008 at Max Restaurant in Shangri-la Mall, Mandaluyong City. Lunch was hosted by Mrs. Grace Roa Gonzales who is an avid reader of Gigaquit Online. She now serves as adviser for this website. The rest in the picture are the members of the GCC Media Committee (from left) Mr. Eliezer Molina, Mr. Steven Egay, Capt. Mario Recentes, Mana Grace, Mr. Emil Canda (Head of GCC Media Committee and GOL) and Mr. Rey Tupal.

In the above photo are the GCC Hometown Volunteers for Media. Ms. Cherry Dalagan at the front, Ms. Baby Recimo at extreme left and Mr. Jojo Patosa the tallest guy wearing shades. They are posing at Doot Bridge near the Municipal Guest House.

Going back to the subject of operating GOL, we wish to appeal for support by way of advertisers for this website. The ad rates can be seen under "Support Us" section. Whatever revenues that may be generated will go to Gigaquit Online and to supplement the funding requirements of our GCC Scholarship Project. For GOL in particular, we are planning to give monetary allowance to a few personnel of the website team. We would like give a small token every month to show appreciation for their hard toil as they give a steady stream of contents and have this website updated timely on a regular basis.

Your advertisements here will not go to naught as GOL have substantial readership. We have roughly 400,000 hits since August 2007. Most readers are from the United States, Canada and Australia. Your advertisements can be in the form of announcements to solicit business or simply to send some greetings. It can go a long way.

We hope to hear from you soon so send us your reply at contact-us@gigaquitonline.com.

Your utmost support is most welcome!

Mabuhay an mga Gigaquitnons!

Steven A. Egay
GCC President

GOL Digest Volume 5

Belated Happy Easter to all Gigaquitnons!

Being a GCC member is a difficult but rewarding experience. It is not easy to do a variety of things but the thought of doing something for the benefit and pride of our beloved Gigaquit inspired us to continue to move forward. The Lenten Season reminds us of the extreme sacrifice that the Lord Jesus has made for the sake of mankind. Though the work of GCC is but a poor comparison, there are similarities in that it also calls for sacrifice in terms of efforts, time and treasure.

Let me cite some concrete examples of what we at GCC are doing . . .

Steve Egay, Gabby Erazo, Eliezer Molina, Randy Tupal

In the above picture taken sometime late January 2008 in Piggy Wiggy Restaurant somewhere in the business district of Makati City, the Education Committee composed of Mr. Eliezer Molina (Head), Mr. Gabby Erazo and Mr. Randy Tupal are discussing the details on how to proceed with the Scholarship project. Other members like Atty. Paul Plaza are also active and attended the other meetings of this committee.

Capt. Mario Recentes, Mr. Buboy Pingal, guest, Ms. Nenefe Jala, Steven Egay & Rey Tupal at the SM Mall of Asia.

On the other hand, the Heritage Committee headed by Capt. Mario Recentes supported by members Nenefe Jala and Rey Tupal are now exploring the possibility of promoting the Gigaquit tourism industry. Sometime in late March of this year, a consultation was made with Mr. Buboy Pingal who was appointed recently as Municipal Tourism officer by the Gigaquit Local Government. One promising project is the promotion of Cuyapnit Cave. You will see more articles regarding this in the future volumes of Gigaquit Online.

Another possible tourism undertaking is our traditional play “Jinawa” which we may promote as “Jinawa Festival” and envisioned to attain the status of Sinulog, Maskara and Ati-atihan Festivals. It is a very ambitious goal but worth trying.

The Head of Heritage Committee Capt. Mario Recentes has prepared a rough draft of the Gigaquit Tourism Master Plan. This is being reviewed and refined and will be shared to you Dear Readers of GOL and to our beloved Gigaquitnons in due course.

Lest I forget, the GCC Media Committee headed by our very artistic Mr. Emil Canda continues to work to bring you with updates regarding Gigaquit and Gigaquitnons around the world. The section on “Message from the Website Team” gives you more details of their activities.

I salute these patriotic Gigaquitnons and hope others will help us in these noble endeavors. Incidentally, we need financial assistance for our various projects and we hope YOU beloved Gigaquitnons will welcome GCC when we knock on your doors.

Mabuhay an mga Gigaquitnons!

Steven A. Egay
GCC President

GOL Digest Volume 4

Happy Valentines to all Gigaquitnons!

In my previous message in Volume 3 of Gigaquit Online which came out last mid-December 2007, I mentioned the following which I may quote . . .

“Just like the Marines, GCC’s target of at least one major project a year cannot be achieved by sheer “grit” alone. We need support and assistance. The soldiers perform well in the field due to the numerous units that are involved behind the scenes. There are many who love our town as much as GCC-members do . . . perhaps even more. These are the ones we at GCC count on. We know they will rise up to the challenge in time. They can contribute through any of the 3 T’s . . . Time, Talent and/or Treasure.”

Examples that the above words are indeed true has come very swiftly. To be specific, may I mention the support of Mr. Samuel Senoren and Mr. Gabriel Erazo, to whom we at GCC are very grateful.

Mr. Samuel Senoren or “Mano Sam” sponsored the GCC Monthly Fellowship last January 25, 2008 at the Asian Institute of Management Conference Center in Makati City. He is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the GCC. Actually, this is not the first time that he shouldered the expenses of a GCC gathering. Anyway, through his generosity we had this chance of holding an important meeting this January 2008 in a very conducive setting. Among the major subjects tackled during this occassion were the review of the Gigaquit Online project (please see details under Message from the Website Team) and the Scholarship Project (articles can be found under this GOL Volume 4).


Rey Tupal, Eliezer Molina, Samuel Senoren, Steve Egay, Gabriel Erazo, Emil Canda


Mr. Gabriel “Gabby” Erazo on the other hand will be the first sponsor and foster parent of the GCC scholarship project. We are very happy that he accepted this noble undertaking which we hope will set an example to the others. We hope this will inspire the others to also lend a hand in order that more Gigaquitnon poor students can be given the chance to uplift their lives and that of their families. Mr. Erazo will be joining GCC also. He is the newest member this year 2008.

We salute these patriotic Gigaquitnons and the others who will rise up to the challenge of developing our municipality.

Mabuhay an mga Gigaquitnons!

Steven A. Egay
GCC President

GOL Digest Volume 3

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!

A year had passed already since the idea of creating a Rotary Club-type of organization for Gigaquitnons was born. At this time, the Gigaquit Civic Club is still a small group but we are pleased with the way things are taking shape even though all that needs to be done to achieve that dream of a modern and prosperous Gigaquit is still a long way to go. But we at GCC recognize that this need not be a daunting task. As the question goes . . . “how do you eat an elephant”? The answer is . . . “eat it one piece at a time”! Don’t swallow it at once as that would be impossible! Likewise, GCC’s vision cannot be achieved overnight. It will take years, decades . . . perhaps a lifetime? Many of my colleagues are in their mid-30’s and we sometimes say . . . Gigaquit Online was achieved within one year . . . so if we have one major project every year just think how many things we could have achieved when we reach (God willing) 70 years old!

One interesting motto is that of the United States Marines. It goes like this. . . “Always Outnumbered But Never Out Fought”! This is something that members of GCC can identify or relate to because we are few but seemed able to deliver somehow. In fact, many committee meetings involve only 3 to 4 persons at a time. Seldom does a quorum is at full strength. So what made the U.S. Marines able to perform as such with fewer numbers? Are they superior to the other soldiers? Maybe proper recruitment and selection are big factors. And so do discipline and rigid training. But another very important factor that is not often mentioned is equipment and logistics.

Just like the Marines, GCC’s target of at least one major project a year cannot be achieved by sheer “grit” alone. We need support and assistance. The soldiers perform well in the field due to the numerous units that are involved behind the scenes. There are many who love our town as much as GCC-members do . . . perhaps even more. These are the ones we at GCC count on. We know they will rise up to the challenge in time. They can contribute through any of the 3 T’s . . . Time, Talent and/or Treasure.

Many Gigaquitnons share our cause and are actively or soon will be actively helping in several GCC activities. We therefore conceptualize the GCC Volunteers corps in order to achieve teamwork among them. For now, we are forming the GCC Hometown Volunteers that is made up of Gigaquitnons residing currently in the mother town. With them, the Manila-based GCC can implement the projects more effectively.

Regarding our Scholarship program, the GCC Education Committee has already started initial discussions in order to thresh out the details of the mechanics. We hope and pray that we will hear not only interests from those seeking assistance but also from those who wish to support this endeavor.

Christmas is a season of giving. But we hope that among Gigaquitnons, the spirit of Christmas will not just be seasonal, but rather, a continuous disposition.

Mabuhay an mga Gigaquitnons!

Steven A. Egay
GCC President