PACERS Planning Project

During our PACERS Planning workshop, Fr. Ekku Bustamante, S.J., current Vice-President proposed that we tie up well with our members in the provinces. Especially in the light of the licensure, it is imperative that we do this. The usual practice we had was that they would come and attend either the Annual Convention or the Midyear Workshops where they would renew their membership or suibmit their applications for membership, after which they would go home and wait for the next chance to participate in the events prepared. The membership committee meanwhile evaluates the applications and then in the next Board meetings present the applications for approval. This appears to be quite accurate a description. Hence, it became a common stand that we tie up with our members in the provinces if only to strengthen the ties that bind us.

Fr. Ekkku and Dr. Susan Estanislao were tasked to prepare the program to be presented in the next Board meeting come June 22. Yes, by the way, our monthly meeting has been scheduled every fourth Friday of the month except for December when we shall have it on the 5th, and the month of February, there will be a pre-Annual Convention meeting on the 15th next year.

Meanwhile, I am planning to write those Counselors from my own region (primarily those in Tacloban) before I go home on June. Hopefully we can have more interactions then because during the Annual Convention we barely had time to get to know each other. And to think that they came even if the invitation letters I just asked the school guard to give to the Guidance Office. The idea is to get to familiarize with their situation and how PACERS can be of help to them. Hopefully, we can spark the local development of Counselors who can't come to Manila or in any of the Midyear Workshop sites through regional workshops. Oftentimes, as we have experienced in Bohol last year, the difficulty of organizing seminars in the provinces is due to ouyr lack of contacts. Hence, may this step lead towards that direction. Who knows, as we move towards specialization, we can spur tyhe active participation of local Counselors in the Board, much like the one we have currently, i.e., Fr. Ekku is from Zamboanga, while Dr. Ruffy Ramos III is based in Naga City of the Bicol region.

Yes, we intend as Board members to activate our Counselors in the place where we come from. The Chair, Dr. Julian Montano feels inspired to move towards this direction in his native area, Cavite. He can be contacted through his email julmont3@yahoo.com; Dr. Susie, the Corporate Secretary would like to strengthen the Counselors in her area in San Pablo. Her contact email is susie_eala@yahoo.com. Fr. Ekku can be contacted through his email address frbistamantesj@yahoo.com. The rest of the Board, Dr. Susan Estanislao, Vice-Chair, Dr. Leo Capeding, our Executive Secretary, Ms Liza Suarez, our Treasurer, Dr. Ruffy Ramos III, our Auditor, and Dr. Benny Lascano, our Board Member I believe are very willing to help out in this direction. If you are interested in the project of organizing local P-groups, please contact us. PACERS would like to do this project with you.

If you have any ideas on this matter, you may email me at berngu721@gmail.com or berngu721@yahoo.com. Let's strengthen our Counselors so we can practice more competently and confidently. The ultimate beneficiaries of our services shall hopefully contribute to the enhancement of our social well-being. Amen.