By Alon Calinao Dy: I love my hometown Gandara. This small town taught me a great deal of things that poverty was a part of my existence since it opened my eyes to endure the toughness of life.
I love Gandara despite the fact that it was affected by several typhoons in the past. These days, Gandara still stands up for its people and protect them whenever there are natural calamities heading the area.
I love Gandara because my compatriots strongly condemn the mining activities in the region. Everyone recognizes that without our mountains and forests, we would lose everything like our houses, sources of livelihood, and put our lives in danger.
I love Gandara despite the reality that many people are blinded by a large amounts of money on election day. I hope one day that people would open their eyes and select leaders who have better plans and would support and encourage the poor masses to finish their education.
I love Gandara in spite of how bad our health care system. I have great sympathy for what Gandarenos are now enduring as I'd witnessed the sick or dying people as if they were awaiting for their death because our local government clinics and hospitals had no enough supplies to cater the needs of the hospitalized people.
I love Gandara despite the fact that there is rapid increase number of extrajudicial killings because of politics. Politics can cause a war in your own household because it does not recognize relatives and acquaintances. The rule is only to gain more POWER!
I love Gandara because every Sunday I can buy fresh fruits and veggies. I can also cook the raw meat of carabao, which is common in our place. It's fun every Sunday for the family.
I love Gandara despite some small talks about you and people can still smile as if it's nothing and a natural phenomenon in our area. Bawal ang Pikon!
I love Gandara because every Saturday and Sunday of the week people see to it that they attend the Holy Eucharist as a prayer of thanksgiving and personal purposes. This is how I visualize the importance of family in their lives.
I have been to different places overseas, but my hometown is one of my favorites. The old saying that "there is no place like home" is true.
I wish that someday people would no longer experience potential abuses of power, rampant corruption, and the political killings because of power and money.
It is also true that no matter how attractive the nature of Gandara if the local residents will not take good care the beautiful things around them, it would be a futile effort to say that we genuinely care about our town.
