WARAYA marks its 4th Year Anniversary

By ADOR L. HURTADO
July 5, 2008

Since its foundation on July 04, 2004 from a group of young idealistic volunteers whose dream helped give birth to the organization armed with the vision of a society that understands, respects and nurtures the rights of young people to sexual and reproductive health, to now with more than a hundred members reaching out majority of the municipalities and cities of the Province of Samar, it is but necessary to pay tribute to all who made Waray-Waray Youth Advocates or WARAYA not just a youth organization but a lead partner in advocating for the youth.

May we first pay tribute to our mother organization, the Family Planning Organization of the Philippines – Samar Chapter (FPOP-Samar) who trained and nurtured us to be the best in our advocacy. To all the CPMs and Council Members throughout the years who inspired us to do better, to all the clinic staffs who guided us, to all the CBVs who are our fellow community servers, and to all the FPOP family from all the different Chapters in the country who shared their expertise, knowledge and passion. We thank you.

Our sincerest gratitude to  the City Government of Catbalogan headed by our City Mayor Hon. Coefredo T. Uy along with our City Vice-Mayor Hon. Manuel Van A. Torrevillas and the City Officials especially to our fellow member and officer of WARAYA Hon. Stephany U. Tan as well as the Provincial Government of Samar headed by the Provincial Governor Hon. Milagrosa T. Tan, District Representative of the 2nd District Hon. Sharee Ann T. Tan along with the Vice Governor Hon. Jesus B. Redaja and all the Provincial Board Members for their continued support to the advocacies of the organization. We may have constantly sought their support with our never-ending solicitation letters and proposals but they never closed doors on us, we could have not done things without them. We extend our gratitude to them. Tinuod gud man nga it kabataan, pwede maging kabulig hit mga programa hit gobyerno para hit kaupayan hit sosyidad!

Our special thanks to An Waray Party-list, to Party-list Representative Hon. Florencio "Bem" Noel, to Mr. Noel Montejo, Mr. Philip Jude Acidre, to all our Kuyas and Ates, and to all the volunteers and members of An Waray Party-list, an amon daku nga pasasalamat ha iyo ngatanan. An Waray Party-list has been a significant partner and played a great role in WARAYA's success and sustainability for their support to our programs as well as their commitment to the Filipino youth.

Our salutation and our appreciation to the agencies, advocates, networks, councils, and other partner organizations that respected our rights and gave us chance and the opportunities to do our work and in one way or another contributed to the success of the initiatives. Dire gud man kami nag-uusahan! With that realization, we thank them and we hope for more fruitful partnerships in the future.

We congratulate all the members, Officers, Peer Educators, Peer Counselors, Peer Facilitators and all the volunteers throughout the years who continuously share their time, talents, knowledge, commitment and passion for the young people. We may find our own places in the sun but we know, once a WARAYA would forever be a WARAYA. We may have differences and misunderstandings, which are but normal in the complexity of life, let us maintain an open mind and spirit for we are not doing these things for ourselves but for others primarily. May we have more successful and fruitful years in the coming future!