Election 2010!

Finally, it was over! All the hard work paid off. The countless hours of meetings in our parish, the hours spent attending all those seminars in our diocese, the mock elections, the frenzied preparation, the voters’ education at mass, the orientation of the volunteers - all these bore fruit.

They responded to the call of our parish, 96 of them, with ages ranging from 15 to over-60. They were students, out-of-school youth, working professionals, retirees, religious, single, married, widows and widowers. Some came alone, others came as a family. Some stayed in the background, quietly but fervently at prayer. They were diverse in their political beliefs and economic background but one in their cause – to make a difference in the first automated elections held last May 10. Armed with nothing but their sincere desire to make Elections 2010 in Culiat High School peaceful, orderly and honest, they showed up very early on that Monday morning at the SLRP multi-purpose hall. There they were given their “war tools”: pen, notebooks, alcohol, some tissue paper. After a simple breakfast, communion and a blessing from Fr. Luke, they were on their way. They arrived at Culiat High School at 6am, an hour before doors opened, and went straight to their stations which was already set up by the advance party of the Logistics team. Poll watchers went to their precincts, the voters’ assistants to the Voters’ Assistance Desk, the food brigade to their stations and the logistics team in their proper places.

The PPCRV secretariat was the roving marshals. Teams had been divided into shifts, 4 shifts for the entire day, but no volunteer followed this order. They all stayed at their posts, together, until the end. They were warned that tempers would fly, and that there could be confusion and chaos especially since this was a first in the history of Philippine elections. Indeed it happened as they were warned. But they were prepared. They addressed irate voters with courtesy and patience, informed the elderly, the persons with disabilities and the pregnant women that they had a lane especially for them and even accompanied them. The voters came in waves and after the initial shock the volunteers rallied and found their own rhythm. Voters who tried to pull their weight were referred to the secretariat who respectfully but firmly told them they had to wait for their turn. A few left in a huff but the majority, seeing that everybody was treated with the same courtesy no matter his station, stayed and waited, even if it took several hours.

They stayed until closing time at 7pm except for the poll watchers and the secretariat who stayed until the end of the canvassing, at 2am of May 11. They were bedraggled, they were hungry, they were exhausted. They were happy. They were the San Lorenzo Ruiz Parish PPCRV Volunteers and this was COMMUNITY.

A pat on the back to the PPCRV chair-couple, Kuya Boy and Ate Heidi Temporal, to the PPC chair-couple Kuya Cesar and Ate Mayette Tiongson, Fr. Luke and all the volunteers for a job very well done! Bring on the next elections!

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SLRP PPCRV Begins Election Duty with PCOS Testing and Sealing

It was official! On the eve of election day, SLRP PPCRV began its official participation in the 2010 elections with its participation in the testing and sealing of the PCOS machines at Culiat High School last May 9, barely a day before the election began. As the volunteers gathered at the church grounds at 7:30AM, the PPCRV Secretariat got a pleasant surprise when more volunteers heeded request for participants in the testing. Just before 8 o'clock, Fr. Luke gave his blessings to all volunteers prior to their departure.

Upon arrival at the Culiat High School, the PPCRV volunteers first stop was the office of the Principal for a courtesy call and to get their marching orders. There was a concern early that day that the testing might not push through when the volunteers were informed by the principal that there were two compact flash cards with labels showing missing precinct numbers. After consultation with COMELEC, the go signal was given to proceed.

Then it was off to the individual precincts for the actual testing. As each PCOS machine was brought out of the principal's office, the corresponding PPCRV volunteer team followed the BEI officers for the actual testing. After a cautious start, the testing began in earnest and by noontime, most of the PCOS machines were tested, sealed and repacked for election day. Except for the sole PCOS machine deployed in Room #4 where testing did not happen at all that day as the machine was defective. As lunchtime arrived and with the Smartmatic technicians still unable to determine the actual problem, tensions began to rise. At 3PM, the technicians brought the compact flash to one of the PCOS machines in nearby Culiat Elementary School for testing and found it working. It was then determined that it was the PCOS machine that was defective. It was then determined that testing will have to be postponed until a replacement machine will be delivered. (After a third replacement on election day, electronic voting in Room #4 happened towards lunchtime on election day.)

All in all it was a new experience for all volunteers, more so for those who had already experienced the manual procedures of elections past.

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Eighty Young Parishioners Confirmed by Bp. Tobias

Last Saturday, May 8, the parish of San Lorenzo Ruiz witnessed the largest number of confirmants so far in a Confirmation Ceremony. As early as 8:00 o'clock, the church started to fill with confirmants, their parents, relatives, ninongs and ninangs in preparation for the ceremony at 9:00AM.

In his homily, Bishop Antonio Tobias explained to these young confirmants what this sacrament is all about. He explained that, together with Baptism and the Holy Eucharist, the Sacrament of Confirmation completes the initiation of young Catholics into their faith. With Baptism granting all the rights to a Catholic to be a child of God and the inheritance of heaven, Confirmation gives him his marching orders to be evangelizers, proclaimers of God's Word. Ending his homily, Bp. Tobias exhorted the confirmants to go out and be God's examples for people to emulate.

Without the volunteer catechists of SLRP, this would not have been a success. Through their patience and dedication, eighty young men and women would not have made it as God's evangelical warriors in the parish and the community they live in.

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