SK-Guadalupe’s KK ASSEMBLY Goes Chaotic at INTOSAN RESORT

I never expected that this could be the end for a new beginning, a struggle to be won and a battle to be fight for our right. I never thought of it but it happened! And the thought of it makes me shudder!

It was a short-planned activity for us to make. We, the SK Council of Barangay Guadalupe planned for an annual KK Assembly and at the same time a Drug Awareness and Prevention Seminar. So, we found a venue that is “conducive for effective learning and could accommodate a SAFE environment”, for us, especially that we have youth participants from different Sitios in our Barangay and we chose INTOSAN RESORT located in Barangay Taboc, Danao City, northern part of Cebu.

We, selected SK Councilors, Hon. Jude Jose Gabato, Hon. Lanie Belle Kapuno, Hon. Mart Ramie Gacasan and I, Hon. Donaflor Licayan together with our SK-CHAIRMAN Katherine Joy P. Cabildo and eight other youth from our Barangay went to the said resort around 5:30pm as the second batchers since we still have classes that Saturday (June 27,2009) morning. The first batch departed the Barangay Hall as the assembly place around 11:00 am.

We encountered a lot of problems on the way to INTOSAN RESORT, like having been flat tired and our driver had to fix it right then for us to make it before the KK ASSEMBLY starts at 9pm as scheduled in the program. When we arrived at the resort around 7:45pm, I asked Rose Ann Posadas, our SK Staff, for our room key since I have to use the CR before having my dinner. So, I hurriedly went to AZUL de CIELO as named by together with my close friends, Shauna and Richard. Honestly, I am an OC person; I make sure everything is really right on the track. So I checked the CR first, since I really don’t like small bathrooms. I even criticized the room setting itself. I didn’t like the paint and the wall design at all. I also checked the curtains and mostly the ‘windows’ it was a double window, a glass window and the other one is the screen, both were having it’s own lock. I really familiarized first the place before leaving. After fixing ourselves from a haggard face, we went straight ahead to the plenary hall which was located just so near with the main entrance. Our room was located about 3-5 minutes away to the plenary hall. It really took a long walk before we could be around to the plenary hall, in addition with that, it was such a quiet place and darkness covered the surroundings except for those lights just near the Waterpark.

When my close friends and I arrived at the plenary hall, we ate our dinner right then and my co-SK Councilor Jude asked for the key of our room. He went straight ahead together with his cousin in the room because they have to put their things there for their own convenience too, because the next activity will follow after a five-minute break. When he came back, I asked Jude to go with me in our room coz I have to fix and prepare myself for the next activity which was “KK ASSEMBLY.” I was really not that prepared enough since I haven’t checked the presentation yet and I was assigned to present the accomplished projects and annual budget for the year 2008 and 2009. So, when we arrived at the room I hurriedly fix my self because Jude was constantly reminding me of the time and the activity was about to start. So, I put back all of my things in my handy traveling bag. And I decided to just leave my wallet inside my bag since there’s no way of losing it and I thought it was safe leaving it there. Mine, Shauna, Richard, Jude, and Cyndi’s bags were all placed in the bed. Here’s the room setting, when you open the door, there are four beds in the left side and four beds in the right side too. The TV was placed just beside the right bed then the comfort room.

When we were about to go back to the plenary hall, we saw Lanie Belle, Ana Marie and Ramie on the way. We never knew where they were going to our room so we hurriedly went ahead. When they arrived at AZUL DE CIELO room, they found themselves missing out the key since Jude was holding it. Whatever they do, the DOOR WAS REALLY LOCKED AT ALL. So, they just went back to the plenary hall knowing they weren’t able to put their things inside the room and since the program was about to start too.

We waited three of them outside the hall since we can’t start the program without the whole council at all. When they finally arrived, we started the program right then with the use of the parliamentary procedure. After the Open Forum as hosted by Jude and I, we were given a break then Jude together with our other Co-SK Councilor went to the room and when they arrived there, they were all shocked and amazed of what they saw. ALL of the bags at the right side of the bed were all gone! Jude, thought of like I was just kidding and were just hiding the bags at all. So, he went back to the plenary hall and approached me if I hid the bags. So, I promptly answered him how come that I’d be doing that where in fact, I wasn’t the one who were holding the room key. So, we went back to our room and in my astonishing state, I saw that all of the things in the bed were just gone with a blink of an eye! And Rose Ann told us that maybe the facilitators got that stuff and maybe by tomorrow they will just return it in means of making it as part of ‘treasure hunting!’ So, we went to the facilitators while they were having the solidarity night with the youth participants. We asked Kuya Anjo about that stuff, and he told us ‘no!’ I started to shudder and be worried about. We went ahead to the front desk and asked some security assistance. At first, they were telling us maybe your friends were just kidding you, coz the mere fact that Jude and her cousin left their cell phones while charging near the TV outlet and the things at the left side of the bed were not gone. To be more exact, ALL of the BAGS and GROCERY ITEMS at the LEFT BEDS were just the missing belongings. And that’s what they thought of it. It was around 12:00 am, Shauna, Richard and I were all worried. ALL of the ‘what ifs’ in our head were all shuffled! I hurriedly called up my Mom and Sister in the City and seek for any advices and help, then my sister told me that she’ll be calling the police sation because the security guards were not responding with our complains at all. I decided to transfer from another room since there were still two big rooms that were vacant. Shauna, Richard and I decided to be at the BATIKIL room, 2nd floor of the main building just so near with the front desk. We couldn’t sleep at all. Until rain begun to take its place for us to stop looking for our things because we haven’t noticed that any security personnel were looking for it too. It was a hard rain. Around 1:00am, the two Policemen from Danao Police Station went there. Asked some stuff and told us that they’ll be back in the morning for further investigation to be done.

We decided to sleep and just wake up early so that we’ll just be the one to look for our missing things. We woke up around 6:00am. I together with Shauna and Richard decided to start looking for the things, since our breakfast was not yet ready. We went back to AZUL DE CIELO Room. When we arrived there, I checked the back area of the room and I saw a small pursed bag and a handy bag. So, I thought it was mind. I hurriedly called up the people inside the room and they all woke up and saw everything. But, it was Shauna’s small pursed bag where all of her personal things were put there and it was Jude’s bag too. I was so disappointed for not having my things at all, I got no clothes to change even toothbrush for my oral hygiene. Everything that was left to me was my cellphone in my pocket, my Van Heusen Blazer, blue hooked blouse, my pants and my one and only underwear, the stuff I wore when I left the house and the same clothes I wore when I went back home. I was thinking how could I survive with this kind of situation?! I need to be clean always. Coz I don’t want to look and smell foully in front of many people! I was so worried about the things missing, because I worked hard for all of those newly bought stuff. I sacrificed a lot of things. That’s why I was so worried of my things.

There are a lot of things that I felt we were just neglected by the management. I couldn’t feel their presence and even the security itself was really not that strict and tight. My elder sister Shandz went there to help us in any means. She, together with our cousin arrived there around 12:00pm. She then went to the front desk and asked for any development and updates from the management of the lost bags. But, then the management and the security just can’t find any words to tell and reassure us that everything would work us well except for the thought that the owner of the resort instructed their security personnel to have a roving all over the vicinity. Yet, that was all she could do as an action to that serious matter. And their front desk clerk even told us that the owner is in hurry because she’ll be leaving for Boracay that day on. How could she attempt in leaving the resort with that kind of situation?! What nerve she has!? My sister asked any legal help from her boyfriend who is in the Philippine Army Service, and he told her that we should ask for an ‘incident report’ because we will also forward it in the Police Station. When my sister approached the security guard in the main entrance to ask for that stuff, he told my sister that it was not his responsibility at all because it was not covered with his assigned area since our room was located nearby the waterpark! Was that the right thing to say as a ‘SECURITY GUARD?!’ What kind of security they have that they can’t even secure the area as a whole?! They were so irresponsible! So, he forwarded my sister to the waterpark security personnel. Guess what they’ve told?! We should ask that stuff to the front desk! The heck! Was that all they could do?! (Wala man gain sila kabaw sa ilahang buhaton sa ngalan nga security guard silang dagko! Wala gani kabaw kung unsay ‘incident report!’ Ug gipasa-pasa pa mi sa mga kagwang! Patuga-tuga sa ilahang trabaho unya wa kabaw sa ilahang buhaton! Maka high blood kayo gud! Grrrr!!! Unsa manang security agency nga gikuha sa INTOSAN, mga pol-pol?! Patuga-tuga lang diay ug dawat, pero wala ni undergo ug training! Ah! Di na mayo! )

I was so disappointed with the treatment of the management to us! Feels like nothing had happened inside the resort and we were not their guests! They’ve just neglected us! And they thought that in this age of us, we won’t do an action to correct all of their wrongs! I have a strong nerve to inform the public that they have an irresponsible and really worst management in the town! The people have the prerogative to know what was happening there! And what kind of security they have! It was just material things yet with sentimental values and those were part of our system! And it’s hard to have it back! Yes, those were just earthly things, yet the value of those was irreplaceable and incomparable! How could they assure the public as a ‘PRIVATE RESORT’ that their security is really strict? Where in fact, our things were lost, how much more our lives are at stake and at risk?! The people should know how “KABATI!” the resort is.

They were always telling us that it was there ‘FIRST TIME’ to encounter that case, since their resort started to operate five years ago. So, how come a reliable source from that place told us that there were a couple of Korean guests who frequently went there also encountered a lost of their valuable things, since then they never came back to the said resort! They just chose not to make it a big issue since they were not familiar with the place and where to run to seek help. So, they just neglected and chose not to go back there!

My only complain to their management is, they never know what a “TRUE CUSTOMER SERVICE” is. They should always be alert and accountable of the missing things of us! I never knew that could terribly happen to us! All we thought was, we’ll really enjoy our stay there since we were so fed off with the pressure in the school. And that we’ll enjoy the waterpark and the amenities they could offer to us. Yet, it was the other way around. We were so stressed at all! Who could have thought that everything would work out that way!? (Hibaw-an pa wala nalang unta ko niadto didto,wala pa ta nawagtang akong mga importanteng gamit ug dili ta ko maproblema ug ingon ani ka dako!)

Let’s point out some possible instances of how the things had gone in just a blink of an eye. First, the moment Jude and I went back to the plenary hall and we met Lanie, Anna and Ramie on the way, the door and window were still closed because they were trying to open the door with no idea that Jude was holding the room key at all. So they went back to the hall! Maybe, it all had happened during the KK Assembly were all of us were inside the plenary hall, and the crime was done! Chances are, maybe the stealer/s used a raked or something that could get all of the things above the bed. And threw all of those in the back of our room which was so dark, that was the reason why Shauna’s small pursed bag and Jude’s bag were found there the next morning! Maybe, he/she/they were really in hurry secondary to the jangle they felt and they just didn’t notice the things left. And Shauna’s bag’s lock was not a zipper but a ‘pilit-pilit’ style,so the pursed bag was missed out but not her ‘pilit-pilit’ bag! So, in that case of unnoticing the left things, why the found things were not wet at all where in the mere fact, around 2:00am it had a heavy rain?! The next angle is, if they entered the room using the window, where the screen which served as a second window was broke but not the glass window at all, they could have also get the things that were placed in the left side of the bed and the two cellphones that were being charged in the outlet just nearby the TV that was hung in the room. So, this instance couldn’t be a reason. The only thing I missed out when I checked the windows was the glass window if it was closed or not. We thought that maybe the glass window was really opened before we occupied the room. It was part of the ‘modus operandi’ at all!

What keep us from thinking that it was an “INSIDE JOB” is, Shauna heard a front desk clerk who told his colleague that ‘wala ta kabaw ato ra nang kauban!’ So, we thought and figure it out at all. It could be right! Maybe they really knew everything about their colleagues and what was happening yet they still chose to keep in their silence since they don’t want to be hated by the culprits. And can you imagine that ALL of the duplicate of the keys were in their hands. Before we went back in the City, we went first to the Police Station and we had a blotter of the lost things.

This isn’t the end of our fight. It’s the beginning of a new struggle and we are seeking justice of what we had emotionally and physically experienced in that resort! I also hope that the Guadalupe Council together with the SK Council will support us all through out the way. And of course, the owner of INTOSAN RESORT, who is currently residing in Guadalupe Heights Village, Mrs. Rosalinda Tomboc would also be cooperative since she’s the owner of the said resort.

I know that our things will no longer be recovered at all. All we asked is that we will have a reimbursement of the lost things! I learned a lot of lessons from what I’ve undergone through in INTOSAN RESORT! And for sure, I’ll live up with all of those until my last breathe! Never will I go back there! Never will I leave my room without checking all of the locks. Or even never will I left my things anywhere, even to my room. Never will I be that confident enough for the security of the place. This is my ever first time to encounter such things like losing my things, to file a blotter and went to the Police Station. This really gives me a hard headache!

All I want to stress out is, NEVER CHOOSE TO GO TO INTOSAN RESORT if you don’t want to be like us! Maybe, some had been there and never experienced such things yet undeniably we can’t handle the fact that it had been done to us, it could also be done again in any innocent victims at all. Sa ma-timingan lang gud! Nabuhat na na nila kadaghan! Wala ta kabaw ikaw na diay sunod kung di ka magpatoo! I just want to warn you all. YOU SHOULD KNOW and BE AWARE AT ALL! Dili lalim makawatan!