This has been a week of more than the usual headline events and concerns. First, we consider the phenomenal “ring of fire” eclipse that crossed Asian skies early Monday morning, moved across the Pacific and was seen in parts of the western United States. This was an annular solar eclipse where the moon passed in front of the sun, the sunlight gradually turning from a ring into a crescent and then into full sunlight. The skies were slightly cloudy in our part of the city, so I failed to see it, but TV and newspaper pictures the following day made up for it.
Another unusual natural event was the whirlwind and hailstorms that earlier beset Pinamungahan in Cebu and later in Davao del Norte. I remember experiencing with wonder a mild hailstone in Chicago years earlier when I was there on a Smith-Mundt Leader Grant. Then more recently, I have been witness to tornadoes in Texas in the States, visible in the distance. Fortunately I never personally experienced it.
Then last Tuesday, like probably everyone else, I waited for the resumption on its 40th day of the Corona impeachment trial, only to bear with the Chief Justice’s incredible almost three-hour opening statement, detailed and emotional and be shocked at his conclusion and immediate departure from the proceedings.
Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile swiftly took action, had the Chief Justice brought back in in a wheelchair after the latter suffered a reported medical crisis, and chided in no uncertain terms all concerned regarding courtroom protocol. All the reaction, pro and con (mostly con), to the Chief Justice’s behavior have flooded media in broadcast, print and the new social media to date. To all or most of it, I am sure all and sundry have reacted.
Now, it appears to be final: the trial concludes today, the senator-judges go into caucus Monday, and decisions will be finalized on Tuesday, no more ifs or buts. Unfortunately, the Chief Justice has reportedly had to be hospitalized for 48 hours, but whether he returns today or not, decisions will be made by the court, and the senator-judges can return to their primary functions and duties. To repeat a cliché, Atangi ang mosunod. Abangan ang susunod.
And now, to consider some dates and their significance. Last Sunday was the 46th Communication Sunday, and in celebration thereof, Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma encouraged everyone, especially media practitioners, to not only to speak, but to listen as well. For “without listening, communication lacks depth.” And in listening to others who also have something to say, “We develop good will and even evangelization.” He mentioned this in his celebration of Mass at the St. Joseph Parish Church in Mabolo.
He also thanked media practitioners as well as the new social means of communication like Facebook, Twitter, text messages and electronic mail among others, but also cautioned against the danger of using them for wrong purposes. And most importantly, in our noisy modern world, he mentioned the pope as underlining the importance of silence. That “if we do not know how (and when) to be silent, we could not appreciate the impact and importance of communication.” Thank God for these wise reminders.
My favorite columnist Nestor Torre of the Philippine Daily Inquirer put it so well in his column last Monday, that “Subjective TV broadcasts lack credibility.” He eulogized the late Angelo Castro Jr. “as an exceptionally fine broadcast journalist,” his death marking “the end of an era” in TV news and public affairs.
Many years ago Angelo Jr. greeted me in a certain Cebu mass media affair, referring to his late father Angelo Ruiz Castro’s mentioning me as a colleague of his in the early years of radio dyRC here in Cebu. God bless them both that they may now rest in peace.
From Angelo Sr., our first dyRC program director, I, too, learned the beginnings of professional broadcasting.
And now, with one more week to go before classes open week after next, the Department of Education announced that it is ready for K+12. Teachers involved with the program are required to attend five-day orientation seminars which were held starting May 7th and will end on June 2nd. As a former teacher I have often wondered with these late preparations what has been done about subjects to be taught and what they will be about.
In talks with pupils and high school students, I was appalled at how basic subjects that we used to study and teach individually and separately, had now been lumped together, sometimes as two- or three-in-one. And how about the appropriate textbooks?
Back to the subject of communication and languages, it is interesting to note that Globe Telecom has a new language option providing Visayan-speaking customers access to Cebuano in the first tri-lingual (with Pilipino/Tagalog and English) in the country. The news report in the Philippine Daily Inquirer by Roger Pe states, “Cebuano is the country’s second most widely spoken dialect.” Excuse me, Mr. Pe. Cebuano is a LANGUAGE, and NOT a dialect!
Tomorrow, at a showroom at the Marco Polo Plaza, there will be the opening at 5 p.m. of “Pistaym”, a rare collection from the Uytingchua family of original photo graphs of Cebu in the American Period. Let me share my visit there tomorrow with a friend, in my column next week, the fourth week of May also being Arts Education Week.
Till then, as always, may God continue to bless us, one and all!