The town of Ginatilan is getting ready for the 4-day celebration for the canonization of Beato Pedro Calungsod.
The southwestern Cebu town claims to be the hometown of Calungsod.
The Calungsod clan are mostly living in barangay Cagsing.
Tracing Calungsod
The municipal government of Ginatilan has created a committee to trace the Calungsod family tree.
The town is also inviting all Calungsods to attend the celebration of his sainthood which would start on Oct. 18. Calungsod will be canonized on Oct. 21 in the Vatican.
He will be country’s second saint. The first Filipino saint, San Lorenzo Ruiz was canonized on Oct. 18, 1987.
According to Glynna Jomuad, Sangguniang Bayan secretary who leads the team tracing the Calungsod family tree, the earliest baptismal record of a Calungsod was in 1850, when Victoria Francisca Calungsod was born in the town.
The earliest record of a Calungsod death was in 1882. Luciano Calungsod died that year at the age of 37 which means he was born on 1819.
Their research however goes back as early as 1778, based on the death records of Catalina Calungsod who died at 80 years old in 1858.
Jomuad believes that there can still be a lot of Calungsods born before 1700s only that their records are limited.
Last month, Jomuad’s team was able to trace who could be the oldest Calungsod alive. They have found Urbana Calungsod Gonser-Mayorita in the town of Boljoon. She is 93 years old and was born on July 20, 1919. Urbana’s parents are from Ginatilan.
“She is still strong and she still works in the farms. We are going back to their place soon to personally invite her and her family to attend our celebration,” says Jumoad.
Ready for Fiesta
The town is ready for the grand event. Posters of Calungsod have been placed on both sides of the road. Banderitas are already hanging outside St. Gregory the Great Parish.
They have also improved the landscape of the church since most of the activities will be done in the area. At the side of the church is the monument of Beato Pedro Calungsod where novenas will be done.
The images of Beato Pedro Calungsod are a hit. Though the images are not exactly the one approved by the Archdiocese of Cebu, devotees still buy them. The images are those with Calungsod only holding a palm and do not have a bible in his hand.
These images are sold at P80 to P150 depending on the size. Prayer booklets of Calungsod at P15 are also in demand. There are also t-shirts with the picture of Calungsod on it at P250.
Several resorts around town are already fully booked for the occasion.
Resorts rooms in Ginatilan range from P700 to P1,500 a night.