activities of the Foundation. As of today it is still under construction. To see if the site is functional click www.sibale.org.

Cemetery Need Uplift and Expansion
By Boy Fabregas II

Imaw kali it kalagayan it ato sementeryo sa Sibale, pagkahuotey.  Pag ka gaos kuno siling it katong mga minatay.

Taken last Nov. 2, 2004, it was a pathetic sight to see how crowded our public cemetery is. I have some ideas which might help:

·    Zoning for adults and kids resting place
·    Acquire adjacent parcel of land,  
     bounded by Manong Mayor Mering
     and Artiza Family. (Asi donate ra
     kamo, para sa kalag)

Pwede tan-a kag dating sementeryo sa Batareya, ugaling ay atubang ra kuno it banwa, nahahadlok kag taga Punta, subaling mauna pa kuno it bangon sa aga, sa inra, nakakahuda ra kuno dahil nak apila sa inra kag nag papangyam-os.

Seriously, iknat kita ag humuman it parayan para makabulig. Nio ka inro mabibisaya?  Sabta ra kaling pangamuyo it mga kalag!
cemetery pictures

New RDL-CLEAR President  
By Bong Fornal

Since June 2005 Mr. Van Famarin has assumed the presidency of RDL-CLEAR, the Romblon E-group and NGO after Mr. Rene Faigao resigned the post.

We extend our congratulations to Van Famarin. It's a gargantuan task to be at the helm of learned and professional group. But we are sure Van can live up to whatever expectations any Romblomanon has.

A great accomplishment for one of the sons of Sibale.

S I B A L E,  A MISANNEXED MUNICIPALITY
by Atty. Eufronio M. Fallarme 

Of the municipalities comprising the province of Romblon, the island municipality of Maestre de Campo also called Concepcion but more popularly known as Sibale is the farthest from the capital. It is located north of Romblon and east of Oriental Mindoro.

Historical records show that on July 2, 1907 Sibale was created as a township or aldea and was under the administrative jurisdiction of the province of Mindoro.  This lasted until March 15, 1919 when Administrative Code of 1907 abolished the Township and created it as a municipal district. Per agreement between the late Assemblymen Juan Luna of Mindoro and the late Leonardo Festin of Romblon, Sibale was annexed to the newly created province of Romblon.

The annexation of Sibale to Romblon did not give much advantage or benefit to the inhabitants of Sibale. Its far distance from the capital isolates it from the rest of Romblon and so the social and the economic growth of the town has been slow. It takes almost 5 hour to travel by motorboat between Sibale and Romblon. There are no regular trips of any sort of transportation between Sibale and Romblon, the capital. One has to hire a motorboat, which is expensive and time consuming.

Because of its distance from the capital, Sibale is seldomly visited by the provincial officials. And if ever they do visit the island, it is during election time; town fiesta or when there are other important occasions when there are many people in the town. Hence, the economic condition and needs of the municipality rarely come to the attention of the government officials concerned and, therefore, the least attended to and less developed as compared with the other municipalities.

Travel to and from the capital is hazardous. The wide span of ocean that separates Sibale from the capital is treacherous and unpredictable. On August 2001, a great tragedy occurred. A motorboat full of students who where bound to attend a seminar in Looc capsized in Tablas straight. Help arrived a day later; too late to render the much-needed help. Many perished in that catastrophe. Had that sea accident occured between Pinamalayan and Sibale, help could have been easily rendered by passing passenger motorized boats and fishermen; survivors could have drift ashore on the wide span of coastline of Oriental Mindoro.

On the other hand, its proximity to the town of Pinamalayan in Mindoro makes it easier and convenient to transact business. It takes only 2 hours to travel to Pinamalayan, Oriental Mindoro.Travel between these two places are daily and frequent. People from Sibale sell their produce in Pinamalayan and buy and bring back supplies to Sibale. Mails matters bound for Sibale are routed through Pinamalayan. Sometimes, mails are delayed or lost as they are inadvertently sent to another town named Concepcion located in the island of Tablas.

Prior to the establishment of a high school in Sibale, students who graduate from the elementary school in Sibale attend their secondary schooling in Pinamalayan, Bongabon or Calapan. Some teachers in Sibale attend Saturday classes in colleges in Pinamalayan and come back to Sibale on Sundays for the class on Mondays.  Those going to Manila either to enroll in college or for some other personal business pass through Pinamalayan which is easier, faster more convenient and less expensive.

Infrastructure projects remain unfinished and neglected. The seawall remains unfinished since it was started four decades ago. Likewise, the municipal building remains unfinished too.  One has to be extra careful in going up the stairs to the third floor otherwise you bump your head on the third floor. School buildings in the barrios are in decrepit and in a dilapidated condition. There are no playgrounds for the physical education of the school children

The telegraph office which the only link to the outside world was abolished. People have to go to Pinamalayan to post their message at the telegraph office there. Thanks to the resourcefulness of the people of Sibale, through solicited donations they were able to devise a private communication system that enabled them to communicate with outside world. A Motorola bag-type, three watt cellular phone and one duplex type VHF radio were installed in Mt. Bandirahan and another in the town proper. Now one could contact someone in Sibale by telephone through the following numbers:

 Masudsud:    Fixed Mobile       – 0973020911
             Town Proper: Fixed Mobile       -  0973283931
             Town Proper: Portable Mobile   – 0973516151

To make a call from the US one has to dial  011 + 63 + 973283931

Because of its far distance to the provincial capital, it makes it inconvenient for the people to make commercial or official transactions in the capital. Municipal employees who have to attend conference or follow up important matters have to hire motor boats and encounter problems of where to stay while in the capital. Court cases that falls within the jurisdiction of the MTC and RTC in Romblon, the provincial capital makes it difficult for litigants from Sibale to attend the hearing due to lack of transportation and the financial burdens. Hence, cases oftentimes are dismissed when the party litigants fails to attend. People feels then prostrated. Recently, the Sanguniang Bayan Council filed a Resolution requesting the Supreme Court for a transfer of venue of cases triable in Romblon MTC and RTC to be transferred and litigated in the MTC and RTC in Pinamalayan, Oriental Mindoro.

At present there is no doctor assigned there. Previous doctors who were assigned there resigned due to lack of medical equipment and supplies. One time when an epidemic broke out in Sibale, the vice mayor has to hire a pump boat to request for doctors and medicines in Romblon which took her two days to get back. Meanwhile, some of those affected have already died. Some who are lucky were brought to Pinamalayan where there are hospitals. Serious cases were brought to Manila through Pinamalayan serviced by the ambulance that was allocated to Sibale, but is stationed in Pinamalayan.

Concerned of the health situation in Sibale; the graduates of the Sibale Academy class 83 who are now professionals organized and conducted a Medical & Dental Mission on April 17-20, 2003. With medical and dental equipments and supplies  solicited from various donors, the mission were able to diagnose and treat a number patients which could not be taken care off by the Rural Health Officer assigned in Sibale. The following are the cases attended to:

     Acute Upper Respiratory infection - - - - - - - -- ---- - - 25 cases
     Urinary Tract Infection and Gastritis- - - - - - - ---- --- -13    “
     Costochondrites & Hypertensions  - - - - - - - - - -- - -  6    “
     Iron Deficiency Anemia & Intestinal Parasitism- --- --  5    “
     Transient  Ischematic Heart Disease - - - - - - - - - - -  4    “

In addition to the above cases other treatments were administered to acute attack of Bronchial Asthma, mild Pneumonia and Abortion with minimal bleeding.

Criminal elements ply their illegal and unlawful trade with impunity in and around the island of Sibale. Illegal fishing using dynamites by fishermen from the nearby provinces of Mindoro and Marinduque remains unabated. So also are the cattle rustling using motorized lansons with high power firearms. No army men with high powered firearms and fast speedboat are assigned in Sibale to go after and apprehend those criminal elements.  Under such circumstances, the people would just but keep silent for fear of retaliation from the criminals.  Whereas; if Sibale is under the jurisdiction of Oriental Mindoro, a call to the Army based in Pinamalayan could easily intercept those people in the middle of sea between Pinamalayan and Sibale.

With Pinamalayan now made as the provincial capital of Oriental Mindoro, it will be easier and more convenient, and faster for people between the two places to transact business. Officials who follow up papers in the provincial capital can go to Pinamalayan in the morning and come back to Sibale in the afternoon.

Many Sibalenhons have settled and established businesses and have bought farmlands and are now enjoying a good life in Oriental Mindoro. A number have sought and got employed in the provincial government of Oriental Mindoro. To mention among them are: Atty. Sancho Ferrancullo, Municipal Judge of Gloria and became a member of the Provincial Board; Avelino Artiza, Municipal Treasurer of Roxas, Bongabon and Pinamalayan; Leandro Senorin, Sanitary Inspector of Bongabon; Quirico Fallarme, municipal treasurer of Mansalay; Edgardo Artiza, District Supervisor of Roxas; Arnaldo Fallarme, Principal of Roxas High School; Atty. Arnulfo Fajilan, Comelec Registrar of Bongabon; Gerardo and Susan Fanoga, municipal councilors of Pinamalayan; Cecilia Fajutagana, administrative officer, Gloria High School; Aquilino Fallarme, municipal councilor of Calapan; Manuel Mores, Postmaster of Bansud, Dr. Jesusa Fornal Rural Physician of Socorro; Narcisa Ferrancullo, professor, Mindoro Colleges and Andres Senorin, teacher, Naujan to mention a few.

On the other hand, only three Sibalenhons are employed in the provincial office of Romblon, namely: Noe Senorin, Provincial Assessor; Elvigia Fallarme Senorin, Provincial Dentist and Amante Fesalbon in the Assessors Office.

Not so many of the people in Romblon know that Sibale is a municipality of Romblon and its location. For even those knowledgeable people forget that Sibale was a part of Romblon.  This was shown when one time my uncle; Atty. Alfonso P. Fallarme went to the office of the Provincial Governor for a courtesy visit. On entering the office, he noticed the map above the door that the map of Sibale was not included. He then called the attention of Governor Jovencio Mayor who ordered to it bring down and include the map of Sibale immediately. In another occasion, while surfing the Sanrokan Website, I come across the map of the province of Romblon and noticed that Sibale was not included also. I then sent an e-mail to Miss Darlene Dawner inviting her attention of the discrepancy which she immediately corrected.

On March 16, 1924, Act. No. 3131 was introduced in congress segregating the municipality of Maestre de Campo from Romblon and re-annexing it to the province of Mindoro but it did not go through. Instead, in 1938 Commonwealth Act. No. 581 was enacted creating the special municipality of Maghali comprising the three island municipalities of Banton, Sibale and Simara with Banton made the center of administration. Sibale and Simara became a mere district represented by a district councilor. This move hindered the political and economic advancement of Sibale.  In 1947, Commonwealth 581 was repealed and Sibale regained the status of a regular municipality.

In this case, considering the attendant advantages and disadvantages to the people of Sibale, it would be wise to hold a referendum for the inhabitant to decide of whether Sibale will be re-annexed or not to the province of what is now known as ORIENTAL MINDORO.

DAVID - FALLARME  50^th GOLDEN WEDDING ANNIVERSARY
by Beverly David

Vicente and Ophelia David were recently honored by their six loving children and an adopted nephew for their 50th wedding anniversary. The church ceremony which was solemnly officiated by no less than the Rev. Father German Mehler of Concepcion, Romblon was held at the St. Francis of Assisi Chapel, Fernwood Gardens, Quezon City, Philippines. Reception followed at the Coral Tree Garden of the same venue. The event was graced by the bride's 98-year old mother, Felizarda Mocling who hails from Sibale, children-in-law and and all of their grandchildren (including a great grandchild); as well as  loving relatives and friends (many coming from Sibale and Odiongan, Romblon). The couple currently resides in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
wedding pictures
 

OBITUARIES
by Boyet Cipriano

Eugenio Senorin was called to another life by the Almighty on September 1, 2005 in Masudsud, Sibale, Philippines. He died of natural causes and is 90 years old.  Tio Enyong as everyone called him is the beloved father of Andres (deceased), Deogines, Eduardo, Rogel, Lourdes and Nita. Please include Eugenio Senorin in your prayers..