VISITING. Natalie Gumban-Fortugaleza and son David of California, USA, (3rd and 4th from left) with relatives in Bacolod City, yesterday.*

Social media used to
gather slippers

The Charlie Company of the Army’s 11th Infantry Battalion is maximizing the use of social networking, like Facebook and Twitter, in its campaign to gather 10,000 pairs of slippers for school children in far-flung barangays in the fifth district of Negros Occidental.

1Lt. Jimrhic Obias, 11th IB Charlie Company commander, said they plan to distribute the slippers in hinterland schools in Moises Padilla, Isabela, La Castellana, Binalbagan and Hinigaran towns, and Himamaylan City.

The goal is to ensure that no students will walk barefoot to and from their schools, and for them to know there are people who care about their education and future, Obias said.

Military records show that since January, the 11th IB Charlie Company has, distributed more than 3,000 pairs of slippers to school children and less-privileged communities in the fifth district, including the Mapulang Duta Elementary School in Brgy. Buenavista, Himamaylan. This was in coordination with the City Social Welfare and Development Office, and a feeding program was also sponsored by Mayor Ernesto Agustin Bascon.

Obias said the Himamaylan Department of Education District 2, headed by Noemi Torrecampo, has signified its support to the campaign, with around 400 teachers contributing a pair of slippers each every month.

He said Torrecampo made the pledge during the peace advocacy symposium initiated by his unit at the Aguisan Elementary School in Himamaylan City, on August 17.

He also said that other individuals and groups, including the Avenue for Mommies Online, a mother-support group and discussion board, also expressed their intention to support the project.

In addition to slippers, the Army unit had also earlier distributed school supplies to pupils of various elementary schools.

Rep. Alejandro Mirasol (Neg. Occ., 5th District) has pledged P350,000 for the implementation of the Internal Peace and Security Plan bayanihan projects of the 11th IB in the district.*GPB

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Sci-fi superheroes
collection on display in mall

Life-sized statues of comic superheroes like Superman, Wonder Woman, Thor, including dolls, masks of aliens, and other favorite characters from comics, cartoons, movies, among others, are being featured at the fountain area of Robinsons Place-Bacolod until August 30.

Joining the weeklong Hobby and Expo are doll collector Bella Rivas-Galang and businessmen Raymund Jimenez, Bryan Villasor and Jay Tabligan, who share the same passion for toys.

Bryan Villasor, a licensed real estate appraiser and broker, said he collects 12 inch movie-based action figures from Hot Toys and Sideshow.

He said he also has superheroes collection like Iron Man 1 and 2, Avengers, Ghost Rider, Blade, Matrix, Terminator including figures from Sci-fi movies like Star Wars, Return of the Jedi, and zombies from the Resident Evil.

Villasor said his collection also include toy soldiers from the movie Platoon.

He said he started collecting action figures like He Man and G.I. Joe in 1983 when he was 8 years old, and started his 6 inch Marvel Legend collection in 2004. Now, he has over 100 collections, he added.

Jay Tabligan was fascinated by the Predator and Alien films especially creature designs of Sam Winston and H. Giger. He started collecting 6 inch versions but eventually moved to collecting the 1:6th scale of hot toys then life-sized masks and busts of sideshow.

Tabligan said he started collecting comic books for 20 years and toys for 10 years, while he started his mask collection only four years ago.

He also has a Batman collection from the latest Batman movie, he said.

Raymund Jimenez started collecting 6-inch figures 15 years ago when he graduated from college and got fascinated with life-sized comic based characters.

Jimenez said his collection include the Avengers, Incredible Hulk, Thor, Justice League, among others.

His collections, which have the original height of the super heroes, are made of fiberglass which he got from the same sculptor who supplies to Hong Kong Disney Land, he said.

“These are all unpainted and I have to re-sculpt everything according to the pose, the body size and face that I want, then repaint them,” he added.

Jimenez said he has stopped counting his collection since he probably has about a thousand by this time.

Bella Galang, who teaches piano and French lessons at La Consolacion College, said she started her first doll collection in 1956 through a pen pal club, and it was customary to exchange national dolls among its international members.

She said she collects dolls as souvenirs from her travels abroad and with friends. Until now she continues to collect them, she added.

Part of her collection is the Southern Belle’s Filipiniana collection which she started during the Philippine Centennial in 1998 which features the Santacruzan, her Imelda Marcos dolls and more.

At present she has more than 2,000 dolls which is housed at the Dizon Ramos Museum together with her other Christmas Fantasy collection composed of nativities, Santa Claus, angels, Victorian dolls and Christmas village.*CGS

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8th Pagatpat Fest
conducted in Silay

The 8th Pagatpat Festival will be held today in Silay City, Negros Occidental, with activities centered at the 50-hectare mangrove rehabilitation area in Barangay Balaring in the city, a press release from organizers said.

It will start with a caravan from the Silay public plaza to the Balaring covered court with Negros environmentalists, mangrove planters, students, city employees, and Japanese visitors participating, the press release also said.

The festival will also feature a “Pilgrimage to the Mangrove” through the 1,031-meter bamboo bridge, bird watching, and viewing of the Guimaras Strait.

The soft opening of the Mangrove Resort in Balaring, meanwhile, will be led by Yorihisa Goto of Nihon Fukushi University, Hugyaw Silay president Marissa Montelibano, and Balaring Brgy. Captain Carmelo Millena, the press release added.*

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