Alpha and omega

It seems that beginnings and endings are most significantly eventful and impressive, endings to recap all that has happened since the start of a term, and beginnings to open up new vistas and dreams.

Allow me to start with personal involvements in a number of civic and community concerns.

Thursday last week, we held our monthly membership meeting of Zonta Club of Cebu I. The Zonta Club is one of three organizations that I belong to that are primarily concerned with violence against women and children, and their rights. The Zonta meeting was mainly about administrative concerns. We heard various committee reports on finance and an evaluation of committee activities earlier planned and accomplished. Also discussed were plans for implementation this new year.

Then Friday, at our first executive committee meeting for 2013 of our Cebu Girl Scouts Council, we evaluated our administrative accomplishments last year in membership and in finance, particularly in income from our annual Christmas gathering at Papa Kit’s Marina and Fishing Lagoon in Liloan town, which affair I attended and reported on in my Bystander-ing last Dec. 23rd.

Belatedly, let me mention only the top or first prize cultural contest winners (due to space limitations) in our Handog sa Pasko st SM Consolacion last Dec. 16th: Elementary School Chorals, San Nicolas South; Secondary School Chorals, University of the Visayas Main; Ukelele Ensemble. San Nicolas Elementary South; Rondalla, Elementary, Pardo Elementry South; Rondalla Secondary, Apas National High School; Dance, Elementary – Oslob, and Dance Secondary, Buanoy National High School, Talamban. Congratulations all!

In a Council Fund Draw, there were five major prize winners and 10 consolation prize winners.

Come Feb. 22 to 24, a regional Senior and Cadet Conference on Training will be held at the Girl Scouts Camp Marina at Capitol Hills. It will be attended by four to six Cadet Girl Scouts per Council who should preferably be officers, members of school councils, or members of School Planning Boards.

Then to wind up my busy week last Saturday, I attended the 50th Wedding Anniverssry celebration of Fe and Froilan “Boy” Cabatingan held at the Cebu Grand Convention Center in Mabolo. The renewal of wedding vows was made at Mass officiated by Rogationist Father Ben Redoble whom I first knew when he was chaplain of the then Adelphos, one of the earliest Catholic organizatins in Cebu. The affair was another occasion to reconnect, so to speak, with relatives and friends I have not seen for some time now, except for Fe herself. Fe, having retired from the Department of Social Welfare and Development, is an active fellow member and Auditor of the Cebu Women’s Network that sponsors the monthly Women’s Kapihan which I host every second Saturday afternoon of the month on Radio Station dyLA. One of the anniversary wedding sponsors was Boy’s brother, Judge Vicente Cabatingan, married to Maria Lourdes “Inday Lou” Babiera, cousin of my late husband.

The occasion was also an opportunity to get together with three other cousins of my husband whom I came to know even befoere they wee married: Maria Lourdes (Marilou”), Carmelita (“Darling”) and Teresita (“Tessie”) all nee Babiera. They were my in-laws I was closest to early on in my marriage.

After dinner, there were the usual games, fun and dancing.

I had looked forward to a quiet week this week, until the news broke on suspended governor Gwen Garcia quietly leaving her office Tuesday evening to visit the southern part of Cebu, and her office now hving been locked, literally “locking her out,” reportedly on the authority of Acting Gov. Agnes Magpale. This broke the impasse at the Provincial Capitol. Now, angry accusations emanate from Governor Gwen’s party. This is top news in a developing situation. For now, as they say. Abangan ang (mga) susunod.

Meanwhile the usual daily reports on petty and serious crimes continue, as do the still frequent fires (outside of the usual during the Fire Prevention Month of March) and despite our current rainy days! Over and aboveall these, the pre-election campaign and “mudslinging” continue.

Now, for more positive news.

Lawyer Liza Corro has been installed as the ninth dean of the University of the Philippines Cebu in what she considered a “homecoming” for her, as she told the audience at the Cebu Cultural Center. The Cebu Daily News reported yesterday that she promised that her three-year administration will “push for the advancement of Cebuano culture and art, including the creation of a UP Cebu Foundation that will fund research for professors and staff of the Research and Extension Program Services.” I had earlier congratulated her on her designation when we were seated at the same table at the Cabatingan anniversary dinner last Saturday at the Grand Convention Center. Liza is a sister of Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza, our former Cebu Girl Scout Council President.

Congratulations also to the 21-year old graduate of the University of San Carlos Christina Ligaya Jalandoni for placing ninth in thre December 2012 Nursing Licensure Examination!

And so goes last Alpha month of January as we enter the shortest month of the year, February.

These will do for now. Until next week, as usual, may God continue to bless us, one and all!