The Mainitnon Gihapon (MG) Facebook Group

Created as a Facebook Group (subscribe HERE) in August 2011 by Mana Mary Lincuna "Daday" delaCosta Castro and Mana Wilhaida "Haidz" Mondano Elsisura, Mainitnon Gihapon, rapidly grew into a throng of Mainitnons around the world. It went viral after the pioneering member-subscribers added fellow Mainitnons (or those with Mainitnon roots) into the group... where exchanges about anything and everything Mainitnon were rapidly posted online. As one member commented "way puas na mensahe, amora nan resibo sa grocery". Posting ranged from archival photos linking one family to another, to Mainitnon words which some were already considered "extinct"... from sharing of trivial experiences of the past to mere blabber (pagsanjawjaw nan tinurapwak).

The postings were so Mainitnon that subscribers from outside Mainit (migrants) felt a virtual home... a cyber space of merrymaking and reunion of kababayans and relatives (kalumunan). The online festivity was so alive that people were online 24/7... where some (Mano Noli?, etc?) even thought people did not bother to sleep already. Someone (Mana Ofelia Mondano Krones) branded the members as witches (mga ayok!)... Mainitnons who never sleep! But since calling the members "ayok" is a curse (as Mainitnon tradition tells us)... Mana Pinky Mozar Chang and Mana Zoraida "Zoraits" Mondano Sudweeks suggested that subscribers be called "Yokers" - a slang modernized name of "ayok" ala New Yorker! Thus the new name... Mainitnon Gihapon Yokers or MG Yokers. To insert MG in the names, male members are called MYokers while females were GYokers.

After a month of kukabildo (serious conversations, char!), some members felt the need to be serious (weh!) and help our kababayans! Several projects were on the virtual table for brainstorming (I'll devote a separate write-up for each of those). The first and most successful was the Christmas Gift-giving Project called 2011 Pail of Joy (POJ) - Mainitnong Gasa (MG).

The 2011 POJ generated a whooping P172,856 cash donation from MG's month-long (Nov 4 to Dec 9, 2011) fund-raising drive from 43 donors both within the MG and from among generous friends and sponsors. Donations in kind (lechon, goods, pails, time, effort, smiles... were unquantifiable. I would regard the project to be worth P1million in cash and in kind! POJ provided a pail of goodies worth P400 to selected Mainitnons in Mainit whom our partner barangay officials (Barangay Quezon and Magsaysay) identified as indigents. The Pail contained: 1. bugas (rice); 2. sardinas (can of sardines); 3. noodles (instant noodles); 4. kape (coffee); 5. milo (chocolate drink); 6. udon/miswa (rice noodles); 7. sabon humot/ panlaba (soap); 8. asukar (sugar); 9. bread/biscuits; and 10. star margarine.

The distribution were done on December 17 and 18 in Barangay Quezon at the residence of our generous host, Mano Toto Mozar and Mana Malu Mozar. The entire Mainit operation-packing-distribution was headed by organizer par-excellence Mana Maria Liza Villamon Cortes (clap clap clap!). The following were among the ever-dedicated volunteers (Nimrod Elsisura and family, Luna Borinaga-Labrador, Maria Lorena Mozar, Bumbum de la Costa, Irish Elsisura, Luz Vida Salvalion, xxx, xxx, xxx, xxx).

Claim stubs (provided by a donor from Manila) were numbered and were the basis for identifying the recipient of POJ.

The initial target was only 200 recipients... but because of the overflowing donations, the number of beneficiaries doubled.

MG Yokers gratefully acknowledges the donors for their selfless generosity (some requested anonymity):

1. JAYAN - Ferdinand & Mary Castro - P10,000

2. Donor "PANTAT" - P10,000
3. KARAB - Cesar Mozar - P10,000
4. AGOK-OK - Stella Marie Doyungan - P4,000
5. Madam Teresin Mendezona - P2,000
6. IGI - Fidel & Wilhaida Elsisura - P10,080
7. Engr. & Mrs Hermie & Ning Odiada & family - P5,000
8. Naids A. Eroma Bulawin - P1,625
9. Mr. & Mrs. Jeffrey Relliquette - P1,000
10. Kagang - Bobot Tagbuyawan - P5,000
11. Bunog - Tanie dela Costa - P1,000
12. Madam Merian Tirol - P2,000
13. Kasili - Ranulfo Lincuna & family - P20,000
14. Bayanak - Zoraida Sudweeks - P8,000
15. Gurami - Alda Mondano Ame - P4,000
16. Gabot - Sylvia Rivera - P4,000
17. Bugwan - Ferdinand & Mary Castro - P2,295
18. Uyang - Ofelia Krones - P5,000
19. Mrs. Rufina Montaner - P700
20. Gingaw - Flora Farell - P5,000
21. Isik - Rowena Mosende Windsor - P2,000.00
22. Lambuyo - Gaudencio Mondano - P10,000
23. Kyambuay - Loida Mondano Acker - P10,000
24. Hayuan - Vetopete Mora - P2,000
25. Koyot - Brando Juan - P2,000
26. Susu - Jo Libarnes - P1,000
27. Bakupo - Jessica Libarnes - P1,000
28. Balolong - Brenda Mondano - P2,000
29. Bajun-on - Albert Juan - P1,500
30. Palaka - Enan Echin - P1,517
31. GAkit - Ching Mondano - P2,000
32. Bangkuk - Ening Villamon-Luares - P1,500
33. Donor "Karpa" - P4,000
34. Kuyabutan - Maribel Mosende Gallado - P2,000
35. Buyabudhan - Joy Mosad - P8,000
36. PidjangaZimmbodillion Mosende - P500
37. Wati - Paolo Mordeno - P1,000
38. Uhipan - Jennifer Salino Antonio - P1,000
39. Uyod - Gina Villapane Dimaampao - P1,000
40. Pijanga - Suzette Mondano - P1,000
41. Saguyon - Gemma Mongado Toledo - P2,139
42. Linta - Audie Relliquettee - P2,000
43. Kohol - Glenda Caberte - P3,000

Grand Total P172,856

(November 4 to December 9, 2011

Hanggang sa muli (matud pa).

Photos will be uploaded later!

Dec 31, 2011