UAE-based Pinoy musician puts up community library in Sorsogon


A Filipino musician in the United Arab Emirates has set up a community library in his hometown Matnog in Sorsogon in the Bicol region.
In putting up the library, he believes he is doing the right thing for the children in his hometown.
"I'm just doing what is right. The basic things and straightforward. I hope and pray our kids will become  good persons," said Ronald Galvez, 42, a graphic communications manager of the Al-Futtaim Group LLC, in an online interview last Friday.
The Old Library. Photo by Ronald Galvez
Photo by Ronald Galvez
"It is also tribute to my father," he added, referring to his dad Sanny Galvez, who had been the president of the National Press Club of the Philippines, and a journalist for 50 years.
The younger Galvez admitted that as a child he did not read books as much as his father expected him to.
"Hindi ako mahilig magbasa  pero mahilig ako makinig sa mga real-life experiences niya," the Dubai-based OFW who had led 17 community projects in the Muslim country recounted.
"Lumaki siya (his father) sa Tondo and started his career as stenographer. One time he told me that if [I] want to succeed in life, [I] have to read books every day. Siya lagi nagpu-push sa akin," Ronald said.
The library, which Galvez named "The Old Town Library" is housed in a small building and is open to the public during weekends.
"It's within the vicinity sa lote namin, which is two kilometers away from the central school and five kilometers from the national high school [campus]."
He also visualizes it to eventually become a nursery school or training center, where he could put up an exhibit of some of his father's news articles, achievements, and encouraging words.
"I'm still communicating with my friends to support by sending their donations directly addressed to the library" administration. —LBG, GMA News

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

PCG: China’s bullying in West Philippine Sea undermines international law --- Ghio Ong - The Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines — Letting China sustain its aggression in the West Philippine Sea would make other countries doubt the strength of international law currently being asserted by the Philippines, Commodore Jay Tarriela of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said. “Allowing China to blatantly disregard the established rules-based order threatens the very foundation that we all depend on,” he wrote in a post on X last Tuesday. He added, “If we permit this, countries worldwide may forget why this order was created in the first place. Nations could begin to doubt the significance of adhering to international law if powerful bullies can easily violate it.” Tarriela also said defiance of other countries to a rules-based order would result in the prevalence of cruelty. He wrote, “This could lead us back to a time when might makes right, undermining the global structures that keep human greed, savagery and barbarism in check. Such a scenario would not only invite challenges from aggressive ...
Read more

China ships maintain presence in key West Philippine Sea areas --- Michael Punongbayan - The Philippine Star

STAR / Michael Varcas MANILA, Philippines — While Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) have decreased in number, they have maintained a presence in three key land features where naval and coast guard ships have intensified operations in the past seven days, according to the Philippine Navy. Latest monitoring by the Philippine Navy showed armed ships of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) maintaining a menacing presence around the grounded BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal, Panatag Shoal and Escoda Shoal. According to the Philippine Navy, there are 17 Chinese military vessels and 28 China Coast Guard (CCG) boats spotted inside the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) between Sept. 23 and 30, or one vessel more than in the previous week Sept.17-23. Five of the warships were seen roaming around the vicinity of Escoda Shoal, along with 10 CCG vessels and 12 maritime militia vessels (MMVs). There are also two PLAN ships in Ayungin Shoal as well as 10 CCG boats and 12...
Read more

Social media seen as cause of rising intermarriages --- Helen Flores - The Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) sees social media as the main reason for the rising number of Filipinos marrying or becoming partners of foreign nationals. In 2022, the CFO recorded 6,854 marriages or partnerships with foreign nationals, a 40.1 percent increase from the 4,891 “intermarriages” recorded in 2021. “First of all, what we see in the increase in the marriage rate of Filipinos or Filipinos with foreign partners is because of social media, (that) is number one; matchings; letters, introduction of their friends,” CFO chairperson Romulo Arugay said at the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon public briefing yesterday. Arugay said the agency has been registering a high number of intermarriages since 2007, but the figures went down during the COVID-19 pandemic. From over 6,500 Filipinos who married foreign nationals, only 600 are men, he said. Most of them are married to Americans, Japanese, Germans, Canadians and Australians, Arugay said. Arugay warned Fi...
Read more