I DELIVERED “Comic Relief”, my stand-up comedy performance and gift-giving at the Dumangas District Jail on October 26 as part of the National Correctional Consciousness Week.
The comedy was mine; the gifts were from donations that I solicited for the purpose.
Jail Senior Inspector Atty. Mark P. Malhabour and his team, together with the 109 inmates, welcomed me on a Wednesday afternoon.
I performed for about 45 minutes.
***
I almost gave up on the gift-giving because, well, there aren’t really donors.
People are still reeling from the effects of the pandemic.
But I already got $100 from Sharon Dormitorio, who is in the police force of Los Angeles.
I’m not so sure if Sharon is employed by the state of California or the county of Los Angeles, but policewoman in L.A. sounds true enough.
No falsehood, no untruth.
***
Sharon and her sister Shiela also supported my jail charity in 2019.
They were childhood friends, although I’m probably closer to their parents; precocious child that I was.
Their Lolo Bernardo was the interim mayor of Dumangas after the 1986 Revolution.
I always tell them, do this charity because you care, but also do it in honor of your grandfather who served our people well.
***
Because of Sharon’s $100, I could hardly back out of my commitment, so I checked on my fifth grade classmate at St. Paul’s School Barotac Nuevo, Maria Elena de Asis, now Mrs. Ner, who is working as a nurse in New York City.
We both graduated valedictorian from the elementary in 1982: Elena at St. Paul’s, I at Dumangas Elementary School.
***
Elena went to Nursing school right after high school, and promptly became a nurse in the US.
I went into Nursing after a detour to Biology, Philosophy, Education, and the arts.
Elena and I reconnected via Facebook in 2011, and she inspired me to run marathons.
A breast cancer survivor, she is a fitness and health buff.
She also maintains a poetry-filled Instagram account.
***
I have been tapping Elena for donations to the Peter’s Prize since 2015.
And for 2022, she has previously pledged $100 for the Peter’s Prize fund.
If she can increase her donation, I can split it with the jail inmates; if not, I thought that the Peter’s Prize can give way.
In the end, Elena gave $200: $100 for the Peter’s Prize, to make good on her pledge; and an additional $100 for the jail charity.
***
On October 25, my brother Rocky was still the outgoing President of Rotary Club International – Dumangas Chapter.
He turned over the keys of responsibility last Friday, October 28.
But during their last meeting at our house on October 25, I managed to solicit funds from Rotarians, some of whom are also municipal councilors.
Sangguniang Bayan (SB) member Almar Marfito, Zaq Derequito, and Butch Suspene, Rotarians Clemente Doyo, and Eleanor Johnson gave P1,000 each.
SB member Jasmin Golez-Ocampo, and Rotarian Rodolfo Dorilag both gave less than P1,000 each.
All in all, I received P6,000 from the Rotarians.
***
I chose and bought the items for the care packages myself.
My car is under repair, so I transported the goods from the city to Dumangas via taxi, shuttle van, and even tricycle.
I also packed them myself without any help.
I figured any helper would either want to be paid in cash, or would want some of the items for themselves and their family.
***
I actually spent four hours packing the items, but it was a good four hours.
The monotony and repetitiveness of the job is a stress reliever for millionaires like myself. Haha.
***
The most expensive item in the care package was the P12.50 Colgate toothbrush.
Then, the Lucky Me Beef Noodle at something like P11.00; or was the Kopiko 3-in-1 twin pack more expensive?
All inmates got 60g Safeguard soap (not 15g!), four-washes Rejoice 3-in-1 sulit pack, 70g Ariel with Downy, two sachets of 10ml Unique maximum fluoride gel toothpaste.
I also put in the package 2 promo twin Kopiko brown coffee (4 sachets of 26.5g each); and 4 sachets of Nescafé coffee stick.
For communal use, I bought two kilos of brown sugar, and a good-looking plastic container. (To be continued as “Make Them Smile”)/PN
