By April Jerome Quinto, SDB
At 11:35 a.m., stakeholders and representatives of various organizations that help the communities under the care of Don Bosco Calauan welcomed Vice- President Leni. After the welcome pleasantries, the Vice-President was given a tour to two livelihood and social entrepreneurship programmes on the site: Tsaa Laya (literally, ‘tea freedom’, a facility that grows, harvests and packs local herbal teas) and Zeferin Shoes (a small shoe factory named after Blessed Zeferino Namuncúra).
After the tour, the leaders of the people’s organization, partner organizations and the Salesians gathered for a dialogue with the Vice-President. Among those who spoke was Fr Salvador ‘Boy’ Pablo, SDB, Rector of DB Calauan. Fr. Boy presented the scenario and gave an overview of the on-going projects and interventions of the Salesians of Don Bosco and their partners. He said, “we are all here to face the situations that have been created by the circumstances, like the trauma of transfer from urban to rural... We have no problems. We have solutions … trust in God. There is one thing left in our hearts and that is hope. Nobody, nobody can take it away”
In her response, the Vice-President re-echoed the message of Fr Boy. She recognized the healthy partnership of the national and local government, and the various organizations that support the community. She expressed her sincerest gratitude and reiterated the need for their partnership to continue.
