Last year I got to know the people of Talim Island, specifically Barangay Habagatan. Their main source of livelihood is fishing, but there is a lack of facilities such as markets, a hospital, or even a medical center in the island. For emergencies and other modern supplies, they have to take a 30-minute boat ride to Calamba, Laguna.
One of the few edifices I saw in Brgy. Habagatan is the St. Francis Church, which has stood in its skeletal form for decades, according to the neighbors. My Tito Apin (a family friend who migrated to the US but returns to his home town in Talim Island every year) narrated how this was the Catholic Church his late parents grew up with, and the same one he heard masses in until he joined the US military in the ’80s.
During my stay there in September, my Tito Apin told me that one of his projects is to raise enough money to restore the church. Unfortunately, the local Laguna government can’t provide the funds, but they are keen on building a bridge to the island. You be the judge on their priorities and economical mindset.
The wheels have begun rolling for the fundraiser. There’s now a Go Fund Me account for St. Francis Church, where you can donate any amount, wherever you are in the world. If there’s one thing I can vouch for, it’s that the people of Brgy. Habagatan in Talim Island are among the most honest and humble Filipino communities I’ve ever encountered. Please donate. Thank you in advance.
March 27, 2016