Balay Mindanaw Foundation, Inc.

Kaangayan, Kalambuan, Kalinaw ... sa Mindanaw, sa Pilipinas, sa Kalibutan

Daghang Salamat, Kapitan Pempe!
By Belle Garcia-Hernandez, posted 7 August 2009

	Kapitan Pempe. Photo: Sabcee Garcia

Balay Mindanaw is grateful to this leader because of the important role he played in the history of Balay Mindanaw. Balay Mindanaw and its staff will always be grateful to him for the gift of trust and support he has given to each one and to the whole institution. While we in Balay Mindanaw are very sad that he has left this world, it is also worthwhile to celebrate his life, the gift he gave to Balay Mindanaw.

Kapitan Pempe Casino died last July 30. In the last 13 years of his life, he had touched the life of Balay Mindanaw. He had also touched the lives of many of us – who are part of Balay Mindanaw then and now.

Kaloy Manlupig, our president and founder of Balay Mindanaw, recalls how Kapitan Pempe has moved him ever since this local leader had welcomed Balay Mindanaw in his barangay. Kaloy shared, “I felt a deep sense of loss…. Pempe occupies a very significant place in Balay Mindanaw's history. He inspired the people of Claveria to give a group of young professionals a space and an opportunity to journey with them… We should also celebrate life, the life he gave -- as his gift -- to Balay Mindanaw. Dako siya nga parte sa kasaysayan ug kaugmaon sa Balay Mindanaw. Salamat gyud sa iyang pagtabang kaniadto. (He has a great role in the history and the future of Balay Mindanaw. We really have to thank him for helping us.)”

Kapitan Pempe was the former Barangay Captain of Ane-i, one of the 24 barangays in Claveria, Misamis Oriental. He believed so much in the mission and objectives of Balay Mindanaw that he allowed his barangay to become a pilot and focused barangay in the Barangay Development Program, leading his leaders and councils to undergo the Local Governance Seminar, Barangay Development Planning workshops. In 2000, he led his barangay in providing and transforming a cooperative store to serve as the house for the staff of community organizers. And that serves as a physical base and home of Balay Mindanaw even up to this time.

Charmaine, who was the first community organizer of Balay Mindanaw in Claveria, stresses that Kapitan Pempe was a strong support to her and to Cindy in the first five years of working and living in Claveria.. “Kasanga namo siya sa pagsugod pa lang. Kauban namo siya ug nangusog siya sa kampanya nato sa tinuuray nga pagplano gikan sa barangay paingon sa munisipyo. Usa siya sa nagbugkos sa tanan kapitanes tungod sa damgo niya nga mulambo ang tibuok Claveria (He was there with us right a the start. He was strong-willed in the campaign, in the planning, to develop the barangays and the municipality. He united all the barangay captains because of his dream to develop all of Claveria),” stated Charmaine.

He was chosen as the President of the Association of Barangay Captains of Claveria in 2002. He was instrumental in facilitating the BDPs to be mainstreamed in the whole of Claveria. He continued to be more zealous in his work towards people’s participation in local governance and sustainable development. He was pushing for agricultural and livelihood development, paralegal formation and even health education in the barangays. Because of his leadership and quality experience in governance, he took part in many important trainings and conferences, presenting the community learnings and his own lessons too.

Cindy, who is now based in Ireland, wrote: “Usa siya ka tinuod nga amahan dili lang sa barangay Ane-i kondili sa kinatibuk-ang hugpong sa mga kapitanes sa munisipyo sa Claveria. Si Kapitan Pempe ang ni-abre sa panghunahuna sa mga lideres aron mohatag og kaamguhan nga ang pagplano sa barangay magsumikad sa katawhan og dli sa pipila ka mga opisyales sa barangay. Nahimong siyang idolo sa mga kapitan, sa mga NGOs, CSOs ug mga kabatan-onan (He was a true father not only for Barangay Ane-i but for all the barangay captains of Claveria. Kapitan Pempe opened the minds of the leaders there so that the planning for the development of the barangays should come from the people, not from the few officials. He became an idol for the barangay captains, and for the NGOs, CSOs and the youth).”

And to those community organizers who followed -- like George, Ramon, Flong, Mammart, Popot, Jeanette, Sabcee -- who had concrete life encounters with Kapitan Pempe, they, too, revealed that he stood his ground, strongly, for his local folks in the midst of politics and adversity in Claveria. “Natagaan niya og higayon ang mga people’s organizations ug mga cooperative sa mga kabarangayan nga maorganisa ug makatampo sa ilang katungod diha sa paglambo sa komunidad. (He had given people’s organizations and cooperatives in the barangays the opportunity to organize, and their to contribute in the move to develop their communities.) We salute you!” they said in their joint message.

May he serve as a constant inspiration to Balay Mindanaw, especially to the present community organizers based in Claveria. As Kaloy wrote, sadly yet grateful, “We should thank him and celebrate the gift that he very quietly gave to Balay Mindanaw. The present Balay Claveria has a very colorful and meaningful story -- thanks to Pempe.”

He is and will remain a hope as well as an inspiration to the next generation. And so we cry out in unison, “Daghang salamat, Kapitan Pempe! Padayon ... (Thank you very much, Kapitan Pempe! Let’s move forward…).”