A Better Normal

A.Y. 2019 - 2020 is a year of transitions for ABCD.

It saw the transition of the seat of the coordinator from a great woman, Asst. Prof. Analiza Yanga of the Department of History to one hailing from the Department of Political Science.   

From left to right: Asst. Prof. Ronald Castillo and Asst. Prof. Analiza Yanga 

It's the middle of the transition of the nation's K-12 educational upheaval.  When an A.Y. ago, the batch graduated that curriculum's senior batch leaving many of the departments bereft of senior and junior students and left with only sophomores and freshmen.

AB Student Community Leader's Orientation on September A.Y. 2019-2020 

AB Student Community Development Leaders'Training January A.Y. 2019-2020

As this post was being written, the world also was facing a transition.  What some would say, "new normal", and what others also term as "better normal."  When the world is beset by the dealy Corona Virus 2 and the accompanying illness that it causes its victims - Covid 19

But that is the essence of Community Development, challenges come our way, and we face it as a community.  I take this as an opportunity to coin the word for my term as Community Development Coordinator - Tindog - from the Cebuano word "Stand up."  Inspired from Panjee Lopez' 2005 article on the First Karangalan Conference and Festival where they began with a Tindog Invocation, seemingly a litany roll call of Philippine heroes.  

This blog was created as the A.Y. began but this first post coincides with the launch of a better normal for ABCD.  The A.Y. may be ending, but we end with hope and with a blast.  AB will have its Special Term Community Development - ABCD - Alalay Buhay sa Covid: Damayan sa Pamayanan. It will be the first project done in a better normal environment, composed of online linkages and supported by strengthened leader committees in the partner communities.

May the new normal be a better normal.

Tindog AB, tindog ABCD!

- Asst. Prof. Ronald M. Castillo