Known for its Moriones Festival held every Holy Week, Marinduque is one of the popular Philippines islands to visit. Its interesting cultural charms, tourist attractions and warm hospitality outweigh the island’s nightmares being hit by occasional destructive typhoons the past years.
The Marinduquenos of Metro-Vancouver have formed the Marinduque Association of British Columbia in 2000 founded by Annie Miles. One of their projects is the Marinduque Medical Mission which happens every two years. A group of volunteers and professional physicians from Canada and the US travel to communities in need and provide humanitarian and medical aid.
MABC recently held a successful dinner & dance fundraising event in Richmond last November 21, 2015. The funds raised and donations will go to the Marinduque Medical Mission 2016, a joint effort of Marinduque Association of British Columbia (representing Canada) and the Marinduque International in the US.
According to MABC auditor and director Benny Luarca, the medical mission in 2016 starts on February 7th to 14th in which MABC past president Annie Miles and five other MABC directors travel to Marinduque with doctors and dentists to provide free medical services, medicines, consultations with people of Marinduque who can’t afford the high cost of medical health and dental examinations and other services.
Brief History of MABC
Source: MABC
Founded in July 30, 2000, by Annie Jalac Miles and eventually assisted by a core of dedicated Marinduquenos, the Marinduque Association of British Columbia was officially registered as a non-profit organization in the B.C. Registry of Companies on October 25, 2000.
Membership to the association is open to all those born in Marinduque, their spouses, and their children at least nineteen years of age. Since its formation, much interest has been shown in the association boasting of 110 original members.
Objectives
Strengthen fellowship among members through promotion of Marinduque customs and traditions.
Initiate activities that will benefit fellow Marinduquenos educationally, culturally, socially and economically.
Facilitate communications, unity and support among members to achieve common goals beneficial to the association.
Promote activities that will stimulate personal growth, encourage responsible citizenship and participation in community services.
Assist in bringing into fruition the immense benefits of people to people activities by way of friendly exchanges in diverse governmental, educational and scientific endeavors.
Raise funds to be able to give financial assistance to Marinduque for emergency disaster aids, medical needs, relief of poverty and educational advancement.
Vision
We envision ourselves to be truly dedicated to upholding the tradition of helping Marinduquenos. The road ahead is long and challenging, but if we work hard and stay focused, we would realize our objectives.
OFFICERS of MABC
- Melania Almonte – President/Director
- Evelyn Luarca – VP/Director
- Norie Muslih – VP/Director
- Alice Manguerra – Secretary/Director
- Edith De Rama – Treasurer/Director
- Annie Miles – Past President/Director
- Benny Nieva Luarca – Auditor/Director
- Butch Mori – Director
- Ruth Villanueva – Director
Marinduque, It’s More Fun In The Philippines
About Marinduque
Marinduque is an island province between the Bondoc Peninsula in Southeastern Luzon and Mindoro Island. It is bounded on the north and west by Tayabas Bay, on the east by Mongpong Pass, and on the south by the Sibuyan Sea.
It is a heart-shaped island off the coast of Luzon’s Quezon province and lies at the heart of the Philippines.
The island is a volcanic mass with mostly plains on the western part and mountains on the eastern side, rising in the south to Mt. Malindig at 1,157m.
It has 17 outlying islets, mostly in the north, but more familiar ones are in the southwest: the Tres Reyes, named after the Biblical Three Kings and Elephant Island. The province has two pronounced seasons: dry from December to May and wet the rest of the year. It is occasionally on the path of typhoons.
Marinduque has always been a part of Southern Luzon. Its people speak Tagalog. Because of its proximity to the Visayas, many words in the island’s dialect are Visayan in origin, and ordinary Tagalog speakers cannot understand them. The Marinduquenos are generally hospitable.
