She is at the helm of disaster preparedness and management, taking the time to encourage big establishments, government offices, schools and other institutions to create a disaster response team and to build emergency evacuation plans and test them by conducting drills. Lucena city was cited for outstanding local disaster coordinating council and as its action officer, has to live up to expectations. Lucena city are in the path of the Philippine fault and much too close to Mt. Banahaw which is a volcano laying dormant for a while but may come into activity once triggered by quakes coming from our faultlines.

When Lulu is not working hard for her community she likes to 'get away' and visit her children living in the US...

Lulu would be happy to hear from you!

This project has an interesting story behind it since Lucena city is 15 minutes from where I spent my ROTEX year in Tayabas, Philippines 1981-82. The Rotary Club of Cosmopolitan Lucena is a new club of 6 years and Lulu is a founding member and past president of this club. We have quite an interesting connection, Lulu and I… she hired Becca, my best friend while I was living in Tayabas.

Several years ago, we sent Becca a ‘personal scholarship’ to attend a nursing caregivers vocational school. Her last project in order to graduate was to intern at this center run by Lourdes, known as Lulu to her friends. Lulu was the visionary behind this center and has led it to its current state personally. She decided to put Becca in charge of a young breast cancer patient who had little time left to live. This young gal was a mother of two small children and very emotional about her situation. She died after a short time.

Lulu was so very impressed with Becca and her compassion and hands on skill, that she asked her to stay on as a ‘casual worker’- paid week by week as funding is available. In order for Becca to not have to travel back and forth from Tayabas, a neighboring village, she offered Becca a room in her home. They have now become very good friends, and the three of us have enjoyed an email friendship very much over the last year or so.

Just recently, I discovered that Lulu was a Rotarian too! And the new president of her club this year is an old classmate of mine during that year I went to High School there!

So it brings me great joy to now, as an active member of Kihei-Wailea Rotary club here on Maui, to have a chance, as a friend in Rotary, to really help that community even if I am not able to be there personally anymore.

Please feel free to contact me: shayla@blissfulhat.com

Aloha,
Shayla Middleton
www.ShaylaMassage.com
808-344-3533