LAST week, we ended with this group called RAB. It stands for Rehabilitation Action for Baguio. More about it from, once more, Monin Navarro.
"A few days after Benjie Magalong was proclaimed the winner of the mayoral election, his supporters were all agog as to how to celebrate his victory. Not one for lavish parties, the mayor-elect settled for a tree planting celebration instead.
"After identifying sites to plant, it was determined that 200 planters were needed. However, 500 enthusiastic volunteers turned up. This overwhelming response spurred the formation of the volunteer group now known as RAB, or Rehabilitation Action for Baguio.
"During and after the campaign, people were asking how they could help the new mayor fulfill his agenda to solve the city's seemingly insurmountable problems. The energy and enthusiasm of the people wanting to help were overwhelming, and the RAB organizers thought to form a volunteer group to harness the collective efforts of these individuals.
"RAB has over 500 volunteers, and counting. Volunteer activities have included planting over 2,000 saplings at four different sites within Baguio City, a city-wide cleanup which has now been institutionalized at barangay level, a fun-run to encourage health and exercise, a weekly cleanup of Session Road, and participation in the World Cleanup Day 2019, for which RAB partnered with JV Ongpin Foundation, Inc. More volunteer activities are in the works, including a Magalong Cup in December at the Baguio Country Club, to raise funds for Mayor Magalong's favorite charities."
Guest writer Monin Navarro, my mother pipes in, is an old friend of hers whom she calls Monette/Monina. She says that Monette was among a set of brainy beauties who used to work in City Hall in the 1960s, along with Evelyn Alabanza Valbuena, Rose Santiago, and the now late Susan Carantes.
More from the Motherhood: "Monette is Visayan, she was married to Ernie Navarro. They moved to the US, and she came back; think she even now has to go there regularly or something. We used to play mahjjong in her mother-in-law Rose's house in Aurora Hill. I can tell you how to get there." Well, of course.
I jokingly retort that I shall thus proceed to featuring all her "swimming" quorums. Hmmm. I just might.
But before that, let this column note that Mayor Magalong is homegrown Baguio. The last homegrown mayor before him was Peter Rey Bautista, and before him, Jaime Bugnosen, methinks. Maybe I should instead take off from this point and head back historically to these our homegrown Baguio mayors.
While we ponder where to head next week, let this column wish one and all a peaceful weekend in remembrance and prayer for our dear departed.