Ben Contreras
MOTHER Theresa Foundation Inc. was founded by Norma Noble. How it came into being is secondary to what it is doing and that is taking care of our street children or more than that.
It is situated in a five-hectare property in Upper Puerto, Cagayan de Oro that is owned by the city government. It is only using a hectare though. The use of the land is good for 25 years only and with about 15 years to go, the building, an American donation, is now in dire need of repair.
The city government is said to be cash-strapped, and couldn’t help increase the usual budget allocated for this purpose. Certainly, P25 thousand a quarter is but a drop in the bucket for children of more than 50.
How Jessie Co got involved in this charitable work is not a wonder. Jessie himself is known for his own family’s charitable work for children, especially those with disabilities.
Jessie has apparently tapped the Misamis Oriental Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (MOFCCCII) for assistance, he being an office of the same.
MOFCCCII president Greg Lao said Jessie Co and Dolly Ong visited the place recently, and saw what it needs. Lao, who is also known for his soft spot for the poor, thought that if ever MOFCCCII would decide to help, it shouldn’t involve just MOFCCCII but also other organizations within the Chinese community because it’s not going to be just about the building and its facilities but also about the street children, and their needs.
One of Lao’s ideas is to convert the remaining unused four hectares into an organic farm for vegetables with guarantee that sponsoring organizations will buy the produce. That’s good. In fact there are other things that the children can be taught like things related to cottage industry. No doubt, this endeavor will gain the support of other organizations.
Jessie Co once invited me to go with his group to this place. I will look forward to it, and find out more about this foundation and its work. Maybe, I could learn a bit of its history from Mrs. Noble herself.•
Like RTA/Hapsay’s concern for the school opening, CDO-CRCD is also preparing to assist in the management of traffic in critical areas. Foremost would probably be that place on Recto Ave. where the Bitan-ag Bridge is under construction.
CDO-CRCD president Doy Ramiro and the rest of the volunteers are not only prepared for the challenge but also came up with new vests for the members for easier identification.
In times of crisis, even enemies find themselves working together. I guess it’s time to bury the hatchet.•
Two nights of heavy rain signal the coming of the rainy days. Are we prepared for it?
We could have taken advantage of the dry period to clean up our surroundings and declog our drainages. Unfortunately, nothing of that sort happened.
The city is so engrossed on preparations for the Charter Day and City Fiesta. How much they intend to spend for these, and nothing for a nobler cause only make us wonder what’s more important to them.
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