Homesick Danawanon writes from Ontario, Canada
August 26, 2009
I was scouring the web looking for some news from Danao when I came across this website. Ever since, every now and then I would visit this website for news update. I truly admire you guys for the noble undertaking you have done in helping our poor kababayans in Danao.
Capt Mae Castardo Relates Afghan Experience
August 5, 2009
Taga Danao ni Bay:
U.S. Airforce Capt. Mae Castardo-Cunamay, RN
Mernamie ‘Verna’ Castardo-Cunamay, a DAUSA Member, back from tending horrifically wounded soldiers in a frontline Afghanistan field hospital, relates to dausa.org her story and experiences while working for five months in Afghanistan.
I volunteered to enlist in the military service despite the good pay I was getting as a licensed Registered Nurse in Florida and California.
It just hit me one day that I should join the U.S. Air Force, do my share providing the best nursing care, that I can possibly perform for our soldiers in the battlefield.
It’s no different from a successful attorney or businessman, leaving behind wealth and possessions, to become a priest or a monk.
My husband was initially shocked and reluctant letting me go but he also felt and understood that it was some kind of a divine calling and that no- thing could have prevented me from going.
I underwent the same intensive training that every newly enlisted soldier must undergo, especially for Afghanistan deployment. I work as an ICU nurse but also perform other duties as an Airforce officer. I wear the same uniform (ABU) like other U.S. servicemen assigned here, and we also we also salute to our higher ranking officers.
I am at the forward operating base of the Army known as FOB Salerno located at Khowst Province about 12 miles from the border of Pakistan.
Khowst is the backyard of the Taliban. Our hospital has four ICU Units and 4 wards. Victims of suicide bombings, depending on distance from our hospital, are flown here by helicopters. We worked for 8 hrs, 6 days a week with one “on-call” da. But at any time we have to be ready for an any emergency but everyday there is an emergency
We provide care not only for our soldiers but also local nationals (Afghans) injured in ambushes, bomb, land mines, accidents or burnt injuries. Burnt victims are quite common because there is no electricity and villagers used gas lamps and gas stove for cooking.
Nearly every week rockets are fired in our base coming from the Taliban especially during full moon, but rarely hitting their targets, because they were always in a hurry.
The Taliban have planted IEDs on the roads in nearby villages, sometimes hitting our own vehicles. Most victims are Afghans civilians, and we see mangled bodies, severe eye injuries, head injuries, and severed limbs. It’s really horrifying sights but you get used to it because of the frequency of its occurrence.
Family members who visit or keep watch on a patient at the hospital are all males, a male relative, a brother or father.
Injured U.S. servicemen are flown immediately to Bagram Airbase for transfer to Germany, then to the U.S. They don’t stay long at our hospital after surgery, they are flown by chopper to an airbase and flown by plane to its destination for a follow up care. I had flown with patients twice with full body armor and a weapon.
For U.S. servicemen everything is free – for all 33,000 of us here, our pantry looks like a Ralphs, we have unlimited drinks, except alcohol. I always carry a 9M anywhere I go, except to the shower or to the gym. I cannot leave the base.
Last Aug. 18th, three suicide bombers blew themselves in out gate, one killed more than 10 villagers on their way to work .
That same night we were attacked by 15 suicide bombers but thanks to the army, no damage was done inside the base.
Busy is an understatement when we have to take care of more than 20 patients with shrapnel wounds.
Rocket attacks are common in our other bases some worse than others, kiling sometimes contract workers.
The price of freedom is high. Things we take for granted most of the time.
Everyday someone dies out there and knowing we nurses can be of service to them give a new meaning to this profession.
Despite the emotional scars of nursing young soldiers and Afghan civilians blasted by bombs and weaponry, I would have no hesitation returning to Afghanistan. Service to our soldiers is a calling I cannot turn my back.
Taga Danao ni Bay! A Story of Hope
July 15, 2009
Girl, 18, Born Deaf, Now Lives Life Like Regular Teen
By Georgene Rhena P. Quilaton, Sunstar Cebu, July 15, 2009
SHE may have been born deaf but Vania Monsanto, 18, had played the violin at an international conference in Manila and now dreams of becoming a nurse, chef or flight attendant.
In time for the observance of the National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation Week, Vania and her mother Sonnie want to spread a message of hope for those who are hearing impaired.
Six years after a small device was implanted into her cochlea, Vania is now in third year high school and has been living the life of a regular teenager.
Vania, the eldest of three, was diagnosed to be deaf at two years old.
The diagnosis left her mother Sonnie, a chemistry instructor at the Cebu State College of Science and Technology, and father Victor, a seafarer, disheartened.
Vania Barriga Monsanto (left) with her mother Sonnie
But with the financial help of Sonnie’s aunt, Leonora Barriga-Phillips, a medical doctor based in the United States, Vania underwent cochlear implantation (CI), a technology, which according to Dr. Charlotte Chiong, became commercially available in the US in 1984.
Chiong is a neuro-otologist and is one of only four Filipino surgeons in the country who can perform CI.
She has operated on over a hundred Filipino patients, including Vania, since 1997. She said the success rate so far is 100 percent.
For the first time in Cebu City yesterday, two patients underwent CI at the Cebu Doctors’ University Hospital with the help of a team of Cebuano doctors with Chiong and Dr. Dina Reyes, also an otologist.
Jascha Louise Duyo, 11, and Church Ventura, 4, became the first two Cebuanos to benefit from a more affordable operation.
With her family around, Vania underwent the procedure on May 22, 2003 at the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital.
Chiong called Vania “an example of a patient whose family’s commitment pushed the success of the implantation.”
Vania’s abilities to hear spontaneously through her left ear and play the violin are phenomenal, considering she was implanted late, Chiong said.
Doctors encourage early implantation or preferably from 12 months to two years old to produce the best and almost natural results.
Chiong is pushing for the approval of the New Born Hearing Screening Test, a bill by Sen. Loren Legarda that promotes early diagnosis of hearing problems to ensure
early intervention.
While more patients avail themselves of CI, Sonnie is at the forefront of support group meetings with parents of children with cochlear implants to share them her story of hope.
Sonnie estimated that they spent more than a million pesos for the operation, the device and its processor, doctors’ fees, medications, hospitalization and travel expenses during Vania’s operation.
But Chiong said a family’s commitment ensures the success of a CI patient.
“A determined family, including the extended family, produces the most successful kids,” she said.
Sonnie and Victor said they also made sure Vania’s siblings understood what she was going through.
The couple had opted to have Vania use a hearing aid and enrolled her at the Gualandi Preparatory School for the Hearing Impaired.
In 1997, she was transferred to a mainstream school, MZed Christian School.
She learned sign language on her own years later.
To ensure full guidance, Victor stopped going on board international ships when Vania was five.
He and Sonnie, who also resigned from work, decided to be with their three children through their formative years.
Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on July 15, 2009.
Candy Canga, a finalist for Nursing Excellence Award
July 7, 2009
NurseWeek, publisher of Nurseweek Magazine, the leading source of local and national nursing news, sent an email to Candy announcing “You are a finalist in the 2009 California NurseWeek Nursing Excellence Awards.
“You were nominated by a colleague for this award, which is a honor in and of itself, and your nomination was selected by our panel of expert judges through a blinded review process to be a finalist in the Management category.
“We will honor you and the other finalists at the Awards gala which will be held on Friday,September 25, 2009 at the Hyatt Regency Orange County in Garden Grove,CA.
A hospital colleague who nominated her told NurseWeek “I have known Candy since 1995 when she was hired into my department as a staff nurse. From that year going forward, I have watched her evolve into a leader, starting as a charge nurse, assistant nurse manager, and now nurse manager.”
Si Ma’am Nangusi – Teacher denies harming student
June 12, 2009
By Justin K. Vestil, Sunstar-Cebu, June 13, 2008
AN education official yesterday defended a Danao City teacher accused by parents of using “harsh” corporal punishment on her students.
The teacher, identified as Nestoria Quitariano, has denied allegations by parents that she harshly punished her Grade 1 students in Cambubho Elementary School. 
Dr. Evangiel Luminarias, Danao City division superintendent, said Quitoriano denied poking a student and causing the injury on a muscle behind her ear.
The seven-year-old girl (name withheld for being a minor) earlier told Sun.Star Cebu that Quitariano poked the back of her right ear because she did not know how to read or write.
The girl’s mother said she has been complaining of pain near her ear after the incident.
Quitariano, however, said in her report that she did not lay even a finger on the student, whom she described as difficult to teach.
Difficult students
“Sipat man kuno ning bataa. Kung patindugun, dili mutindug. Pero kung palingkuran, mulingkud man (This child is difficult.
She won’t stand if asked to stand but she’d sit down when told to sit),” said Luminarias, quoting Quitariano’s report.
Luminarias said that when she went to Barangay Cambubho to settle the conflict, she saw no bruises behind Cristina’s right ear, which she reported to have been poked by the teacher.
In her report, Quitariano admitted using a rolled-up cartolina to punish her students.
Luminarias said she didn’t expect any complaints from the students and their parents because their conflict with Quitariano was immediately settled during the meeting.
In that meeting, the teacher promised she won’t use corporal punishment to discipline her students.
Luminarias said she can’t afford to remove Quitariano from the class, as demanded by parents, because there was no one to replace her.
She said Quitariano is an experienced teacher who taught Grade 1 students in four barangay public schools in Danao City.
Luminarias said Quitariano is paid by the local government unit.
Dr. Recaredo Borgonia, Department of Education (DepEd) 7 director, told Sun.Star Cebu yesterday that despite receiving Quitariano’s report, he would be sending a team from the regional office to conduct a separate investigation on the incident.
Borgonia made the decision after hearing that more kids refused to return to class if Quitariano stays as their teacher.
The parents of a seven-year-old boy from Sitio Kalabasa in Barangay Cambubho earlier told Sun.Star Cebu that their son refused to return to school after Quitariano harshly reprimanded him for not knowing how to read and write.
Another parent also told Sun.Star Cebu that their six-year-old daughter burned all her school supplies because she didn’t want to go to school with Quitariano around.
Borgonia said Deped guidelines expressly prohibit corporal punishment, even if students become too difficult to discipline.
Kay si Ma’am Mangusi, Mga Bata Di na Mo-eskuyla
June 9, 2009
The story of Danao’s “brutal teacher” that we posted the other day, continues … Thanks to SunStar. (monching)
CEBU CITY – June 10, 2009 – Parents of Grade 1 kids in Danao City were urged to seek the help of their local social welfare worker on allegation that their kids suffer in the hands of their public school teacher.
In an interview with Sun.Star Cebu Wednesday, Rosemarie Gonato, resident psychologist of the Women and Children Protection Center of the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC), said harsh situations, such as a teacher severely punishing them, can cause long-term psychological damage to children.
Parents of several students complained against the harsh punishment of students allegedly by a certain “Mrs. Quitaraño,” a newly-assigned teacher of the Cambubho Elementary School in Danao City.
At least 20 Grade 1 kids complained that their teacher would severely punish them because they couldn’t read and write well.
The parents, in an interview with Sun.Star Cebu, complained that some of their children don’t want to go to class anymore because they fear their teacher.
One child allegedly burned all her school supplies just so she couldn’t go to school anymore.
After reading the report in Sun.Star Cebu, Gonato advised the parents to approach the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and report the incident to authorities.
Gonato said any teacher’s harsh punishment on the students will not only affect the children’s perception of school, but may also scar them for life.
“If this (harsh methods of punishment) will continue, the children may suffer from anxiety that may hamper their learning process,” said Gonato.
Gonato also said that if the incident happens again, then the psychological damage on the children might become long-term, leading to mental trauma.
Gonato advised education officials to look at the teacher’s psychological history to understand her behavior when it comes to teaching her students.
In an interview with Sun. Star Cebu yesterday, Dr. Recaredo Borgonia, Department of Education 7 director, said he has talked to Danao City education superintendent Vangiel Luminarias about the case.
Borgonia said he ordered the superintendent to investigate. He also gave Quitaraño until today to submit a report to explain her side of the incident. (JKV of Sun.Star Cebu)
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DUHA ka mga tinun-an sa grade 1 sa Cambubho Elementary School sa Danao City wa na mobalik pa pagtungha.
Kay sila ug ang ilang mga classmate nangahadlok sa ilang magtutudlo nga giingong mamunal, managpa ug mangusi kon di sila kahibaw mobasa.
Ang grade 1 teacher sa Cambubho Elementary School, sa may sitio Kalbasa, Barangay Cambubho sa dakbayan sa Danao gikahadlukan sa labing minos 15 niya ka mga tinun-an.
Gipugngan ang ngan sa maestra, kinsa bag-o pang nagtudlo sa mao nga tunghaan.
Ang brgy. Cambubho dunay 26 ka kilometros nga gilay-on gikan sa kinapusoran sa lungsod.
Asoy sa mga tinun-an ug mga ginikanan, nga niadtong Hunyo 1 sugod sa klase, nagsugod sab ang pagpakita sa kamaldita niining maestra.
Pabasahon ang mga tinun-an og iningles nga basahon ug kon di kahibaw, bunalan og kartolina nga gilukot.
Si Cathy, 7, nisugilon sa Sun.Star Superbalita nga magul-anon siyang niuli sa udto sa unang adlaw.
Nianang hapon wa na siya mobalik sa tunghaan kay wa na gyud siya makaaguwanta sa gihimo sa maestra.
Siya nipasangil nga gituslok og maayo ang iyang dunggan hangtod nga kini nihubag kay naigo ang iyang ugat.
Dugang pa niya nga wa siya masayod kon unsa ang iyang sala nga nabuhat sa maestra.
Si Wilma Giangan, 29, iyang inahan, niadto sa tunghaan kagahapon kuyog sa ubang mga ginikanan sa mga lain pang bata aron ikaestorya ang maestra kabahin sa giingong pagpanapat sa ilang mga anak.
Apan, matod ni Giangan nga nanghimakak kini sa pasangil batok kaniya.
Nisulti kini kaniya nga ang iyang anak di gyud kahibawong mosuwat sa ngan niini.
Apan si Cathy nihagit sa maestra nga iyang pakit-on sa iyang atubangan nga kahibawo siyang mosuwat sa iyang ngan.
Si Christian, usa sa mga tinun-an, wa moeskuwela sukad sa miaging semana.
Sa unang adlaw ra siya mitungha ug wa na mobalik pa tungod sa iyang kahadlok.
Samtang si Melody Garson, usa gihapon sa mga tinun-an, niingon nga iyang gisunog ang iyang usa ka pad sa papel kay di na ganahan moeskuwela kay mahadlok siya sa maong maestra.
Apan gidala siya og balik sa iyang mama sa tunghaan.
Gisuwayan ni barangay captain Renario Durano og husay ang maong kaso apan matod sa teacher-in-charge sa maong tunghaan nga si Mr. Calipay nga husayon lang kini nila sud sa eskuwelahan.
Niabot ang maong kaso kang Dr. Evangel Lurnarianos sa Department of Education (DepEd) dihang ilang gibisita ang maong tunghaan.
Giingong nitambag kini nila nga obserbahan lang una ang magtutudlo ug kon mousab pa, ikiha na kini.
“No comment” ang ubang maestra sa tunghaan kay alang nila nahilot na ang kaso apan sa mga ginikanan sa mga biktima andam sila mokiha kon mabun-og ang ilang anak.
Matod nila nga nisaad ang maestra nga paningkamotan niya nga di na gyud kini mausab.(Ray Francis A. Gamban-USJ-R Intern – SunStar Superbalita, June 9, 2009)
The next Kristi Yamaguchi- Keilani Rudderhman, half Danawanon
May 14, 2009
Danao City, better known in the world for making illegal near perfect copycats of Smith & Wesson revolvers, Colt 45 pistols or other automatic handguns, or where its long dead residents rise from their graves on election day, will soon be talked about in the world as the birthplace of the mother of the world’s figure skating superstar.
Our Danawanon reporter in Washington D.C., Boyito Quiroz, recently brought to our attention that a daughter of a young mother from Sabang, Danao City has consistently won major figure skating competitions in the State of Massachusetts and on her way to grabbing the limelight in the nation’s figure skating scene at a young age of 13.
Boyito Quiros reports to dausa.org:
Her name is Keilani Lynn Rudderham. Her mother’s name is Marilis “Bebeth” Quiros who is the youngest sister of my father. Ate Bebeth was married to an American of British descent, Larry Rudderham. They were married in Maslog, Danao 18 years ago.
They have two children, the older boy is David. The Rudderham family visited Danao around 10 years ago but Ate Bebeth went home recently when her father and my grandfather Isabel Quiros died few years ago.
Below is an article published recently in Lowell Sun of Lowell, Massachusetts
Tyngsboro teen skates her way into the U.S. Nationals
By Kevin Jacobs , [email protected]
BOSTON — The moment she glides onto the rink at the Skating Club of Greater Boston, it’s clear that Keilani Rudderham is something special.
At only 13 years old, the Tyngsboro eighth-grader will be competing for a U.S. Figure Skating National Championship on January 18th. Rudderham recently won the New England Regional Championships and placed third in the Eastern Sectional Championships.
“That’s everyone pretty much on the east coast and I came in third, so I qualified for the National Championships,” says a cheery Rudderham. “I’m in the novice division. That’s two levels below all of the Olympic champions.”
Despite skating against girls as old as 17, Rudderham has been able to stand out. Off the ice Rudderham, tall and charismatic, looks like most girls her age. However, on the ice she looks more like a grown woman than a middle school girl. Elegantly and effortlessly carving up the ice, performing breathtaking jumps and complex combinations, Rudderham looks totally comfortable.
“I definitely love skating just because it’s fun,” said Rudderham, “My favorite move would definitely have to be the spiral.”
Rudderham started skating at the age of two, inspired by watching her older brother play hockey. Although she started in hockey skates, by the time she was seven she was lacing up figure skates. It was then that she began training with private coaches, and she’s been skating everyday since.
This will be her first time competing at the National Championships and it should help guide her towards the ultimate goal; competing in the Winter Olympics.
“It’s my first National Championships so I’m just looking forward to having fun and trying to skate my best,” said Rudderham, “In 2010 I won’t be age eligible and I won’t be at the right level yet, so 2014 is definitely my goal to reach.”
She knows it won’t be easy, but it’s something she works hard to achieve. Her dedication to realizing that dream is evident by looking at her daily schedule:
6:00: Wake up & go to school
2:30: Leave school and drive directly to the rink
3:45-5: Stretch and skate
5:10-6:10: Work out
6:15-7:15: Homework
7:30-8:20: Skate
8:30-9:15: Drive home & homework
10:30: Bedtime
Most days she has less than an hour of free time, but what matters most is her time on the ice.
Coming to America – Boyito Quiroz of Sabang
May 11, 2009
Boyito Quiroz recently contacted dausa.org expressing his appreciation for having this website that connects Danawanons with their loved ones, friends, relatives or classmates of long ago, wherever in the world they may be.
He said he came to America barely a year ago with his family in tow, including his parents, a privilege granted to foreign diplomats, U.N. personnel, including employees of World Bank where Boy and his wife work. Boyito is from Sabang, Danao City where he finished his elementary and high school. He studied for the priesthood at the CICM Seminary in Bacolod but later discovered he had another calling in life.
We requested Boy to write for dausa.org to share with fellow Danawanons what life is like for him and his family here in the U.S. or what led him to come to America. (Monching)
My Own Big Family
Most of the Filipino households are numerous. This is not to exclude my parents. Both of them belong to a quite large family. My mother has 8 brothers and sisters and my father has 7. When my grandfather Lucio Andrade passed away, there was a count of more than 50 grandchildren and great grandchildren. Much more, in my Quiroz lineage. The barangays of Maslog and Sabang in Danao City are filled with Quiroz descendants. There is a trace of Quiroz or Quiros to every family native in the area. This is just to show how fruitful the family tree where I belong.
However, this is not the case with my own immediate family. I have only one sister and no brother at all. For health reason, my mother was advised not to give birth anymore after my younger sister was born. If not because of that, I think I may have plenty of siblings as well. Much more I realized that priesthood was not meant for me. If patience just took place, I could have been a missionary and a religious. There is no doubt that I will not enjoy and experience of being a family man, as celibacy is an inherent value and almost equivalent to priesthood.
I usually introduced myself to new acquaintances and to old friends that I have 4 children. Most of the time, if not always I received a “wow” response not because that I look younger to having four, hmmm. Having been here in the US for one year, I understand and realize that it is extraordinary normal to have more than 1 child. This is not to mention the expenses related to child care and the needed quality time allotted to each child’s development. I have not encountered these as I am lucky to have my parents helping me out taking care of the children and other household activities while my wife and I go to work on weekdays.
My big family. My wife, my four beautiful children and my parents during the Cherry Blossoms Festival in Washington DC.
Challenges
Just to live in the US is a challenge in itself. I can count hundreds or more reasons to be worried about. After 1 year of stay, the youthful myths that US is a country of honey and green money is fading. It was even aggravated that the economy is down and struggling and many faced unemployment. Even with hope, the future may seem hard and difficult. The job which I thought is just around was hard to reach. My father whom we expected to have been given his work permit found nothing yet in the mailbox.
Another level of challenge pertains to growing-up children. As much I would like them to remember our values and speak our native tongue, they started to speak otherwise specially with my youngest. She understands Pilipino because she was born in Metro Manila but it sounds awkward anymore to hear her utter salamat or magandang umaga with an “h” in between the letters and with air coming from her nose. She seems not interested anymore to speak the dialect.
I should be adventurous to food as my children no longer like the food I usually cook and enjoy to eat since I was young. They prefer chicken and pasta. My “inun-unan” and tinuwang isda are always keep untouched.
Blessings
Rather than to be sad like the lifeless trees in winter, I always count our blessings. I remember five years ago when my wife and I were lining up early morning at the US Embassy in Manila carrying the documents we prepared for months. It turned out that we were only asked for 3 questions and told right away by the consul that she was not satisfied and stamped our passport with received which meant decline. It is a blessing that we were able to come to America and not even asked to go to the Embassy. My parents and my wife’s parents were given the same visa but did not experience lining up for the interview.
It is a blessing that there is a good public school system where my children continue to develop their talents. It would cost us half of our earnings, like we did back in the Philippines to have quality education. We no longer have to worry where to get the tuition fee at least until they finish high school.
Home is where my spirit smiles
There are still many obligations I need to shoulder and debts that have to be paid. But as they say, America is the land of opportunity and where labor is of great value. I continue to strive to look for that opportunity and use my honest labor to advance in life. This is the new place where my family lives. This is the country that my children grow and find their meaning. I am confident this will be my new home for my spirit starts to smile as the summer is about to come. (Boyito Quiroz, Washington, D.C.)
Coming to America – Mr. Ben Ypil
May 5, 2009
Mr. Benjamin Ypil is a good friend from Danao, a classmate at Santo Tomas School, ex-seminarian (good he left – being a potential embarassment to the Archdiocese – too irrestible to girls – according to him), former Freeman columnist, former PR of Governor Gullas, retired PR Consultant of Napocor, a widower, now single and actively on the look out for a 2nd time around. We asked him to write for dausa.org, and willingly he sent us a nice piece.
My Apostolic mission in the USA
So, this is America! I left Cebu for Manila 5:20pm on March 24, a Monday, then took a connecting flight at 10 pm for Los Angeles which was my port of entry. My daughter in Fort Wayne, Indiana was worried sick because her friend whom she requested to meet me at LAX at 7:35pm (L.A. time) failed to fetch me at the airport arrival area.
Grandpa Ben at Rafael's baptism. Also in photo (2nd from left) is my beautiful classmate at STS in Danao, Grace Ypil-de Leon
So, here I am now doing a l63, better known in ABS-CBN as “Bantay-Bata.” On weekdays, Rafael and I are left at home while my daughter and son-in-law are out working. It is, more often than not, only during weekends that I am able to go out malling or dining. To kill my boredom, I contact my kith and kin here, thanks to Monching Barriga, my classmate during our michievous days in highschool at Santo Tomas in Danao whom Timmy Laurente, another classmate has called the immigration officer here in the U.S. But, of course! Monching is virtually the walking directory of all Danawanons here.
Deo Durano Loses fight against cancer, dies at 63
April 30, 2009
Thadeus “Deo” Durano, age 63, passed away Thrusday evening, April 30, 2009, at the Cebu Doctors Hospital, losing his 2-year fight against lung cancer.
This was reported by Benny Peralta of Las Vegas Nevada, who was in contact with the family during the Mayor’s last hours.
Deo, an elder brother of Danao City Mayor Ramon Durano III was the incumbent municipal mayor of Sogod, Cebu
Mayor Durano ruled the town of Sogod for a long period, spanning over 30 years, the longest in the the town’s history.
Meanwhile, a nephew, Ramon “Boboy” Durano, sent an email to friends breaking the news of his uncle Deo’s passing which is being posted below to share with fellow Danawanons. (Monching B)
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Guys,
My uncle Deo Durano passed away last April 30 at 8 p.m. after a 2 year bout with cancer of the lungs and liver, stage 4 when it was discovered in him in 2006. After a series of chemo, he suffered a stroke which left him partly paralyzed and impaired his speech.
But born as a figher and a tough person, he struggled and fought it as his most bitter enemy in his life. Of course, as a mortal person, he lost in the end. He may be remembered as a tough guy but he had a heart of gold; a true and loyal person to his friends, whom he treasured so much. He lived a life that one would dream to enjoy; wealth, wine, women, all other luxuries in life for cost would be no object to him and he shared all of this to his family and friends.
Now that he is gone, people will surely miss him. The gentleman who would go out of his way just to shake the hand of a friend seated at the end of the room, will no longer be around. The man who would stop his car and greet a friend seen walking in the road will no longer be seen.
We who were close to him sill surely miss him. Please say a prayer for him.
Boboy
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Durano laid to rest in Danao City
By Doris C. Bongcac, Reporter
Cebu Daily News, May 5, 2009
Former Sogod mayor Thaddeus Durano was laid to rest yesterday when his ashes were buried at the family mausoleum in barangay Guinsay, Danao City.
Durano, 63, died of lung cancer on Thursday night. His body was cremated, which was the late mayor’s wish.
Durano’s ashes were brought to their ancestral house in Poblacion, Danao on Friday.
It was transferred to his Sogod residence on Sunday.
About 2 p.m. yesterday, the former mayor’s ashes were buried in the mausoleum of the Ramon Durano Foundation.
Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, Cebu Provincial Board Members Agnes Magpale and Judy Durano, friends, family, other local officials and supporters attended the burial yesterday.
Rep. Ramon “Red” Durano VI of the 5th district of Cebu said that his uncle died in a private hospital in Cebu City.
Former mayor Durano is survived by his wife Nimfa and his only child, now Mayor Lissa Marie Durano.
Durano was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer two years ago. He died at about 8:15 p.m. on Thursday.
Representative Durano said that his “Papa Deo” was supposed to celebrate his 64th birthday on July 5.