Eventful summer days
This week opened with a most publicized and anticipated day, Earth Day in the 42nd year of its observance last Sunday, April 22nd. The day before marked the beginning of a series of hot, hot days, registering at over 33 degrees Celsius in Cebu, and over 35 degrees in highly urbanized Manila. Then yesterday, it was over 35 degrees in Cebu and 37 in Manila, and even hotter days to come.
As early as when Al Gore wrote to arouse our concern with “An Inconvenient Truth” of global warming, and actually even before then, environmentalists had already been campaigning for what have now become the watchwords of the times: Grow Green (Plant and Conserve Trees), and Reduce, Recycle, Reuse (and more “R’s” even).
Ironically, the current heat wave has resulted in more residential and bush fires in our dwindling forest areas (especially in one of our remaining forest areas in Buhisan), and aggravating water scarcity to deal with fires, human use and consumption. Tree conservation is currently at odds with commercial land development projects. In Cebu, thankfully, we are becoming aware of our rich natural water sources for human use and consumption, not only for tourism purposes: the Carmen waterfalls in the north (which I remember appreciating during our 3-year evacuation there during WWII), now the source of bulk water for Cebu City, and the Kawasan Falls in Badian in the south.
Current events are also in a state of disturbing flux. On the local and national political front, the deterioration of peace and order beset by internal conflicts and crime; media practitioners victimized by threats to personal safety even as they portray and even protest against the ills they perceive happening in society (like demolitions n disputed lands of homes, “illegal” or not); while mass protests take it up against perceived injustice. The Corona impeachment trial is on hold until next month, but the 10-year-old Ecleo case has the nation on tenterhooks. Will he come out or will he not?
National conflicts, suspicions and misunderstanding add to the list. North Korea’s satellite attempts and future developments in this; and the virtual “stand-off” with China on the disputed Scarborough Shoal, which is geographically nearer to the Philippines than to China, but access to its rich undersea power resources remain at the root of the conflict. Hopefully, the concern, if guarded and laid back, of the United States, and the appeal for Asean mediation in the case will ease tensions and result in some satisfactory outcome for all parties concerned.
Now, for the Good News. Congratulations to the Cebu schools whose graduates topped the recent National Teachers’ Board Examinations! For Elementary School Teachers: Cebu Institute of Technology, University of Cebu and University of the Visayas; and for High School Teachers: Cebu Normal University (my Alma Mater) and two graduates from University of the Philippines-Cebu. Meanwhile, increased tuition in a number of Cebu schools has been announced due to rising costs in equipment and teachers’ salaries, while the gradual implementation of the K-12 curriculum starts with this year’s school opening.
Last Sunday the 2012 Private Schools Athletic Association (PRISAA) National Games opened with athletes parading on the newly renovated rubber track oval at the Cebu City Sports Center.
On Cebuano historical figures, Mandaue commemorated the 121st birth anniversary last Monday, the 23rd, of Justice Sotero Cabahug with a commemorative Mass, floral offering at his monument, a memorial lecture in his honor, and the Cabahug Medal Awarding program.
While Cebu’s former senator Vicente Yap Sotto’s 135th birth anniversary was commemorated on Wednesday. He sponsored Republic Act No. 53, passed in 1946, which is known as the Sotto Law or Press Freedom Law, which protects journalists from being compelled to name their source, allowing them to pursue their profession of reporting the truth without hindrance and harassment, further stressed and supported by the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines. How continuingly vital and relevant to the practice of journalists today! But sadly, also still flouted and threatened by some today!
While on the religious side, congratulations to Cebu’s Msgr. Esteban Binghay, who celebrated his 50 years in the priesthood last Sunday! Now the episcopal vicar who oversees parishes, he is celebrating his golden jubilee today with a thanksgiving Mass at the St. Francis of Assisi Church in Balamban. He is also preparing to attend the canonization of Pedro Calungsod in Rome in October.
Msgr. Binghay is most regarded for his “waves of change.” First, as parish priest of Guadalupe, he developed infrastructure, including Our Lady’s devotion cave there. He is associated with the Theotokos, a church built in honor of the apparition of the Blessed Mother in Carcar, while at Sto. Rosario parish church, he initiated, the hourly Mass, limited homilies to 15 minutes, encouraged humor and fine-tuned church music. His philosophy: “A Church that can help people honor the Lord.
In Rome, Pope Benedict XVI turned 85 and celebrated his seventh anniversary as Pope Thursday last week, the 19th of April. God bless these our Holy Churchmen, Msgr. Binghay and Pope Benedict XVI!
Back here in Cebu, our image of Sto. Niño will make a first visit to the Señora dela Regal Parish in Lapu-Lapu City as part of the 447th Kaplag Festival and the Kadaugan sa Mactan tomorrow.
More next week on this and my participation activities with the Cebu Girl Scout Council today and Zonta Club of Cebu I earlier.
For now, kindly remember in your prayers the soul of Samson Lucero Sr. ,former USC professor and The Freeman history columnist, who recently passed away, that he may rest in peace.
Till next week, then, as always, may God continue to bless us one and all!
