Ondoy destroyed the material, but, deepened the spiritual. More importantly it brought out the best in us.

Things are getting back to normal here in Twinville. Especially after Chairman BF made our subdivision a priority area for clearing by the MMDA.

Chairman BF at the corner of Dama de Noche and Ilang-Ilang Streets with City Administrator Melvin Cruz, MMDA workers, and other volunteer organization workers. IN particular, he was giving instructions to firemen about flushing Ilang-Ilang St. with water to wash away thin layers of mud that turn into dust once it dries up.

The MMDA used every heavy equipment they had like these forklifts to clear the streets, haul debris and garbage. Here they are shown at the corner of Everlasting and Jasmin Streets.

This was how our park and open space looked like for a couple of weeks after the flood. Notice portalets  on the sidewalks for the evacuees from Tumana, Iwahig, and Donya Petra.

Our covered court hosted more than 400 evacuees for 2 weeks until they were relocated to Santa Rosa, Laguna.

Daisy Street was mired deep in more than 6 inches to 12 inches of mud until the MMDA crew came to their rescue.

This was how Rosas St. near the corner of Everlasting looked like the day after the flood. That's soft fine mud.

This was how the same portion of the street looked like 2 weeks after with the help of MMDA and some paid residents of settlement sites.

Our showcase for the "Adopt-A-Vacant-Lot" project is temporarily a parking lot for stalled, submerged by the flood vehicles and some piles of debris/garbage from residents of Dama de Noche.

For five days, still no government presence. We really felt helpless about clearing our streets until Atty. Miro Quimbo called up with his offer of a payloader and 2 dump trucks. Despite a long queue for the use of these heavy equipment by other communities ... Miro let us use them for five days. Areas liberated from mud were Rosas, Hasmin, Dama de Noche streets.

The payloader sent by Kap. Tess Daza partially cleared Camia. While MMDA did the rest.

Maraming, maraming salamat ... Atty. Miro. Salamat din Kapitana Tess at Kap Philip Urrutia. Maraming salamat din kina Mayor Marides Fernando at MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando. Pati kila Engr. Espiritu, Engr. Kennedy Sueno, Engr. Tisoy, Rommel Felipe, etc.

This is how our brand-new electronic scoreboard looks like now. This high-tech scoreboard worth P88,000 was donated by "Manager Bolok" (Tony Santos) a month before the flood. It actually hasn't been used in a game and was supposed to debut during a basketball league we were organizing this October.

MMDA crew scraping the mud off our streets.

A hooklift truck of the MMDA along Everlasting Street. Children enjoyed seeing these "Tonka"-like trucks and equipment being used up close.

A GIANT heavy-duty forklift of the MMDA along Hasmin Street hauling debris and garbage.

Finally, after 3 weeks without celebrating Mass at Twinville Chapel, the residents heard the angelic voices of our choir (Twinville Chorale Society) once again.

Like the name of our chapel ... The Risen Christ ... Twinville as a community will rise once again from this calamity, learn from the lessons realized out of it, and move on with our lives and our dreams of "A PLEASANT TWINVILLE"

With the help of the Almighty, we can become "a model community where residents can walk the streets safely once again."

We thank you, Dear Father, and we praise you.

All these we offer to you, O Lord. Help us so we can glorify You ... in EVERYTHING that we do.

So help us God.

Marikina struggles to recover from 'Ondoy' | The Philippine Star News Headlines

Marikina struggles to recover from 'Ondoy' | The Philippine Star News Headlines

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Twinville Chapel update

The main altar of the Chapel of the Risen Christ  at Twinville Subdivision has the dove as God the Spirit, the face and pierced hands of Christ to represent God the Son (not yet installed), and 2 big eyes to represent God the Father (not yet installed).

The altar table is supposed to represent the boulder covering the cave where Christ's body was buried which rolled open during the Resurrection. It is shown here being started. It is in the shape of a chalice. From afar, it will appear like a chalice with the Host (tabernacle) above it as in the Consecration part of the Mass when the priest lifts up the chalice and the Host.

The altar table will also serve as a baptismal font with water and a small fountain. This represents birth ... the Host or Tabernacle represents the life we live ... and the cave at the back, death.

The altar was designed by renowned artist and architect TOYM IMAO of Marikina Heights. Imao is the son of a national artist and was also the one who designed the altar of Marist and La Salle Lipa.

The stain glass panels at the groundfloor comes in three designs. Above is the one of a dove representing the descent of the Holy Spirit among the Apostles. Below, is the second design of a cross with linen hanging to signify Christ's resurrection. The third design (not shown here) is that of a chalice and a host.

We also installed railings on the three stairs leading into the side patio and into Camia Street. This is more for the safety and convenience of senior citizens in our community.

The side patio was also paved with red cement in the appearance of large Vigan tiles. Now churchgoers don't have to avoid the muddy portions anymore.

The park benches are now repainted with terra cotta and white. And, the steps of the side stairs in washout pebbles -- black with white edges so those with poor eyesight can differentiate between the lower and upper steps to avoid accidents.

The Cruz family of Dama de Noche, our Hermano and Hermana Mayor for this year's Fiesta, was responsible for fast tracking work on the chapel after months of inactivity while raising funds. Far right, is Lydia Velasco-Cruz, a famous painter, and on the left is her daughter Chichi. They were the ones who supervised  painting of the altar. The daughter designed and fabricated the stain glass panels. They billed us for the cost only --- and did not charge for their services because they said it was their offering.

The family also donated our Stations of the Cross. They also donated a large amount to shoulder part of the cost of the granite slabs for the altar flooring.

We have been truly blessed that the Lord continues to send us people who will help us build His chapel here in Twinville. Toym Imao did not also charge for his services.  We are confident that the Lord will continue to guide and help us until we finish the chapel construction project.

To the generous churchgoers of Twinville --- maraming, maraming salamat po!

A Pleasant Twinville

This is how the corner of Everlasting and Dama de Noche streets look now --- after concerned residents flexed their muscles for our beloved Twinville.

Do you still remember how the corner of Everlasting and Dama De Noche looked a few months back?

For the past decades it looked this way ... like a haven for lawless elements because one can hide and do their thing inside these idle spaces composed of 3 lots without anyone noticing. Allegedly, shabu sessions were held here -- by outsiders at that -- posing as a clear and present danger to our beloved community.

As part of our "Adopt-A-Vacant Lot" project it was cleared with the help of heavy equipment from the city engineering department. It looked good enough as it is shown here. However, our beautification committee chairman, Sunny Pagaduan, was not satisfied. With the help of the barangay, the grass was cleared with motorized grass-cutters.

A "father and son" camping was held here a few months ago. The first ever in Twinville history as claimed by Ms. Sol Herrera, president of the Senior Citizens of Twinville. That time, Bitoy Dagatan, Synx Elma, Rodel Bellosillo, Manny Tabuzo, etc. trimmed the grass.

Recently, Mang Lino gave it a trim with our very own grasscutter. This morning, it was given a cleaner shave using a manual lawn mower by Sunny Pagaduan, Synx Elma, Bitoy Dagatan, Manny Tabuzo, Eddie Davis, Leo Gutierrez, etc.

This is the start of our second phase ... "A Pleasant Twinville."

Your continued support and cooperation is needed if we are to succeed in making Twinville a model community where residents can walk the streets safely and enjoy themselves once again.

Referendum set on April 26

The Twinville Homeowners Association Inc. (THAI) will be holding a referendum on April 26, Sunday to consult Twinville residents about the P50 maintenance dues and P150 security fee.

The question is:

Payag ba kayo sa P50 maintenance dues at P150 security fee para sa kabuuang P200 a month?

As a backgrounder, THAI revised its By-Laws in 1996 and increased the maintenance dues from P20 to P50. This was never implemented for the past 13 years for one reason or another. It is only now that we are implementing it because of the worsening peace and order situation wherein Twinville residents were victimized almost everyday starting last October.

Consequently, we presented a security plan (please refer to previous blogs) including the need to collect monthly dues and arrears aggressively and increase the monthly dues to a more decent amount that will allow us to manage the affairs of the community in a professional manner.

The community responded positively by giving our team a resounding mandate via the highest voter turnout ever and an overwhelming landslide for the entire team.

We are just following through on our dream for a "safe" and "pleasant" Twinville.

The formal notice and the Q&A will be distributed to every household after Holy Week.

A Good Neighbor does not bear false witness against thy neighbor

May pinakakalat na malisyosong text dito sa atin sa Twinville na ang layunin ay “divide and conquer”:
    “Lahat ng mga taga Twinville magbayad na kayo ng dues.. para safety po ninyo. Maganda na po kalsada na aming pinagawa. Maayos na po ang open space.. di na makapasok magnanakaw. Meron na po ilaw para agad na makita ang mga nagssiping. Bayad na bayad na.. ung ayaw.. wag kayo dito tumira. Txt ni Pol Sison kay Dave Hafong.”
    Sinundan pa ito ng isa pang text na halatang galing sa iisang tao dahil ang mga tuldok nya ay dalawa:
     “Mabuhay ...gusto ng homeowners..magsampa ng impeachment sa pamununuan..on d grounds of abuse of authority, etc etc.. GOOD NEIGHBORS sent by lino datu to Dave Hafong to Ed Parra.”
     Kayo na po ang humusga kung ako nga mismo ang nagpadala nung unang text.
     Ang tanong ... bakit pareho ang style ng pagtext nung una at pangalawa? Pareho ang style namin ni Lino Datu na dalawang tuldok at walang space bago or pagkatapos ng tuldok?
     Check nyo po ang back issues ng Cenacle newsletter kung pareho ng style ko. Tapos, paki-check nyo sa style nung tao na kilala sa paninira ng kapwa. 
     Nakakalungkot pong isipin na sa panahon ng krisis tulad ng kasalukuyan, ay meron pa ring mga tao o kalahating tao na gustong magkawatak-watak ang ating komunidad sa pamamagitan ng pagsimula at pagkakalat ng intriga at kasinungalingan.
     Napilitan lang po tayo na ipaalam sa inyo ang problemang ito para kayo ay forewarned o para maaral nyo rin po ang situwasyon at kayo na mismo ang   maghusga kung maganda talaga ang intention nung taong nagkakalat ng mga text messages na yan.

BEAUTIFYING CAMIA

The man is at it again.

Sunny Pagaduan, former president of THAI, is doing his thing again in Twinville. Doing what he does best, Sunny is busy with his priority project of enhancing the part of Camia Street infront of the open space.

As current THAI Secretary and Director for Beautification, he has painted the fence of our plaza, cemented potholes,  ... and now, painted the sidewalks!

Volunteers of the beautification committee remove soil from the gutters and canal in their pursuit of a "dust-free" Twinville.

Gil Derrada makes good on his P10,000 pledge for Chapel Construction

On the night of his despedida ... among old neighbors and friends ... Gil Derrada encouraged everyone to help out, "Tulungan natin para matapos na ang chapel. Ikaw, Totoy (Famatigan)? Magkano ibibigay mo? Ako, magpe-pledge ako ng sampung libo (P10,000)."

Present were Bobot Aquino, Geny Manicad, Larry Castro, Totoy Famatigan, Melvin Famatigan, Mar Rilles, Manny Tabuzo, Orlan Ramos, Marlon Camba,  Ka Boy Pascual, Eric Derrada and Pabs.

PAHABOL:

As of Feb. 6, the P10,000 pledged became a reality as Eric Derrada handed over the amount to Paul Sison, head of the chapel construction project. This was after his older brother, Gil, called from Canada with the instructions. 

Generosity and Word of Honor at its best! (PS)

WANTED: Computer Donors from present and former residents

The Twinville community is badly in need of computers for its library intended for students who do not have access to computers for their research needs.

We are appealing to present and former residents of Twinville who are now abroad or living elsewhere --- who can afford to donate Php 25,000 or about US$ 550 so the Twinville Homeowners Association, Inc. (THAI) can purchase computer sets. We believe that giving diligent students who reside in Twinville access to computers and the internet will bring out the best in them and make them excel in school.

Users of these donated computer units will be restricted from using the computers for computer games, social networking (Friendster, Facebook, Multiply, etc), and online chats. Rather, we would like to encourage them into exploring new technology as a way to broaden their horizons and excel in academics.

To pledge and donate, pls. email us at ideasman@globelines.com.ph or text us at +63917-6251963.

Samahan ninyo kaming mangarap at kumilos. Panahon na para makiisa at magmalasakit muli.

Maraming salamat po. (PS)