A blessed Christmas to all

This most eventful year comes to a close  with a mixed Christmas bag for our country: of problems and promises, but especially, not only of banes but of bountiful blessings, for  which we thank God!

We bewailed the disastrous weather conditions that swept  most parts of the country resulting in death and deprivation with typhoon Pablo, but  kindly and thankfully spared us in central Cebu, thanks to our beloved Santo Niño de Cebu and our newly canonized Cebuano, San Pedro Calungsod, that we may help  unfortunate fellowmen with our prayers and physical strength and resources.

The official prelude to Christmas is the current celebration of the nine-day Misa de Gallo in Churches. In this connection, in a letter to  Cebu Daily News from Benito Legarda, Jr. wrote “My late father, Benito F. Legarda, used to tell us that the correct term for the dawn Masses of Christmastime was ‘Misa de Aguinaldo’ (Christmastime). Misa de Gallo is the midnight Mass on Christmas Eve. The dictionary of the Real Academia Española defines ‘Misa de Gallo’ as the Mass celebrated on Christmas Eve. Somehow in this country, ‘Misa de Gallo’ came to be popularly applied to all the ‘simbang gabi’ at Christmastime.”

With the pre-Christmas season now upon us, the Christmas colors and lights have belatedly come on in our native “parols” or Christmas lanterns, and lights that have just gone on over the city, starting at the Provincial Capitol down to Fuente Osmeña and the length of Osmeña Boulevard. When I passed by the Provincial Capitol Building last Monday coming home from the Cebu Daily News Christmas party, the illuminated building itself, particularly its façade, the landscaped premises and enclosing decorative fence with lamps were  breathtaking.

How ironic that in mid-week that same important structure would be barricaded and become a  scene of tense confrontation even as I write this. ‘Nuff written about it for now, as we follow continuing news reports. Meanwhile, more thoughts to share, belatedly, due to intervening disturbances in weather, politics and personal concerns, among others.

Of current Christmas parties, the earliest for me this year was the Aboitiz “Rockeokee” night last November 29 at the Marriot Hotel. It set the fun-and-dancing nature of later parties I attended this season. I do regret missing the San Miguel Brewery, Inc. Christmas Party “Sarap Mag Baile” last December 7, when it rained copiously in the area where I live.

But the day after, right after my monthly “Women’s Kapihan”  over  dyLA, held at the Mariners’ Court at Pier I, we had our Christmas “Soiree” in an upper floor of the same building. The affair was put up by  LAW Center, Inc. and the Cebu Women’s Network who back the “Women’s Kapihan.” In happy attendance were LAW, Inc. and CWN officers, board and members, and most importantly, our successful clients, “Survivors” of abuse against women and children. After our customary doxology and prayees, the welcome address was delivered by CWN president Thelma Chiong. Then there was happy group line dancing, eats and exchanging of gifts.

More on Christmas lights and sites around town. V. Rama Avenue, which runs parallel to Osmeña Boulevard, continues with the “Pasko sa V. Rama” tradition which was started  there years ago. Now colourful star lanterns or “parols” line the way alternating here and there with varied artistic renditions of the Belen. I remember when it first started, a friend and I drove in her car the whole length of the road from the Guadalupe parish church. One of the Belens that caught our attention had life-size images of the Holy Family and the animals around it. What startled us, though, was that one of the sheep around the manger moved;  it was live and had been unobtrusively tied to a nearby stake!

The next Christmas Party I attended was that of our Girl Scouts of the Philippines  (GSP) Cebu Council, the  yearly “Handog sa Pasko 2012” held all day last Sunday, December 16, at Cinema 3 of SM City in Consolacion. Opening messages were given by our new Council President  Ida Yting and Mayor Teresa Alegado of  Consolacion and GSP district committee chairperson. Contestants in musical presentations were choral groups,   dancers, ukulele performers, rondalla performers from elementary and secondary schools.

After lunch the popularity contest for Handog sa Pasko had candidates on the walkway for Christmas Queen and Christmas Princess.  It was a colourful presentation with the declarations and crownings  of Christmas Queen Barlet Maglangit of the Cebu City Division, and of Christmas Princess Shirley Hulksey of the Cebu City National Science High School, a  model with  beauty and brains!

The Handog sa Pasko is a yearly fundraising affair for our various GSP projects for our girls. This year’s Handog certainly turned out to be all of being colourful, enjoyable and successful!

The Cebu Daily News Christmas Party last Monday was a quietly enjoyable dinner at  the CDN building, followed by the Rock ‘n Roll (yes!) music by a live band held in the open-air frontage of the building, and raffling off of Christmas goodies, which the rest of the young staff and their guests certainly enjoyed.

Let me share with you next week the whole day Girl Scout Annual Christmas Gathering 2012 at Papa Kit’s Place in Liloan on Saturday, the 22nd.

This piece today is belated, since I could not make it on Friday, the 21st.  My apologies.

Till next week, then, a truly blessed and joyous Christmas to you, with God’s blessings for us, one and all!