Inspiring achievers

Midway through the month today, the Ides of July, let me share with you more concerns and happenings over the past three weeks that I have not been able to contain in my recent “overflowing” reports.

In these times of confusing conflict and contradiction, how inspiring to know that there are a countless many who are quietly showing the better way through with their positive achievements. For one, Cebu Daily News was awarded last June 23rd Best Editorial Page among daily community newspapers nationwide in the Philippine Press Institute’s 2010 Civic Journalism Community Press Awards in Manila. Seeing the photo in the Philippine Daily Inquirer of CDN publisher Eileen Mangubat and photo editor Tony Despojo holding the award took me back to when Ms Mangubat recruited me to write for CDN when the paper started in 1998. Thanks to her, I am proud to have been with CDN through all the years since then.

Another is Cebuano astronomer Christopher Go, who reported sighting a gigantic storm on the planet Saturn. Another Filipino to be proud of is Efren Peñaflorida. Previously awarded for his contribution to education for underprivileged children with his novel mobile “Kariton School,” Peñaflorida has taken it further on with the establishment of a Kariton Building, his significant contribution to our general need for good basic education.

Peñaflorida’s concern for the education of the young leads us to the concern of our Cebu Girl Scout Council for young girls, their values, well-being and development into responsible, creative and achieving young women. At our executive committee meeting last June 29th, we considered the administrative details and budget for the selection of outstanding troop leaders and school commissioners on the council level during the council executives’ meeting on July 22nd next week. They are primarily concerned with the training and activities of the Girl Scouts in their troops.

Meanwhile, the orientation for the chief Girl Scout scheme, which was held last June 18th, was participated in by 70 senior and cadet Girl Scouts.

In environment, the Girl Scouts’ climate change project was launched last June 25th in barangay Canang in Oslob, participated in by community people, officials of barangay Colon and the Sangguniang Bayan, school and district administrators, troop leaders and junior girl scouts of Canang Elementary School, with the support of the municipal agriculturist for the jackfruit seedlings and the help of Mayor Ronald Gurarren. Congratulations all for a magnificent environmental activity!

Another organization I am involved in for both professional aand sentimental reasons is the Curta or Cebu United Radio and Television Artists Inc., including as members many talents I used to work with at radio stations dyRC and dyLA. We held our regular, first Sunday of the month meeting last June 3rd at the Rizada residence in Tisa, Cebu City. Elected executive committee officers for the new term were president Edgar Gutierrez (whose father Leonardo recently passed away), vice president Teofie del Mar, secretary Debbie Sta. Cruz, treasurer Susan Solante, assistant treasurer Nick Ampatin and auditor Precy Vidal. They will be inducted into office on Aug. 19th, the birthday of our late founder Emil Rizada Jr. After the creation of committees to handle various administrative items on the agenda, we feted eight of our July birthday celebrants with a traditional birthday song and blowing out of their lighted candles on the birthday cake.

Harking back to last June 29th when we held our Girl Scout Council executive committee meeting, that was also the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul. On that day, Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma and another Filipino archbishop, with over 20 other archbishops from various countries, were invested with the pallium by Pope Benedict XVI at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. The pallium, worn by the Pope and archbishops, is a narrow woolen band resting on the shoulders, with a lappet in front and behind.

Regarding the late Leonardo “Nards” Gutierrez whom I mentioned above, he was the charming midget who hit the gong on cue from program host Harry Fenton to strike out under-performing contestants in the then very popular live show “Purico Amateur Hour” over pre-War II radio station kzRC, later named dyRC after the War. May Leonado’s soul now rest in God’s peace.