Leo month

The Leo month of August has got to be one of the most eventful this year in terms of memories and current concerns. Last Monday, the 1st, Cebu opened the month-long observance of its 442nd founding anniversary as a province on Aug. 6, 1569, which celebration will be tomorrow.

Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia and Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale led government officials and guests in the opening flag ceremony in front of the stately provincial Capitol and the planting of a ceremonial molave seedling on the grounds nearby. Garcia next opened the photo exhibit in the atrium of 100 Cebuano Trailblazers, Sugbuanang Tag-una, the first 60 of whom were named in 2006 (and of which group I am humbled to have been included) and the next 40 this year. If I may say so, in addition, we are proud to consider two special Cebuana Trailblazers which the province should be justly proud of, for the first time in Cebu history, two top women Provincial Executive Trailblazers, Governor Garcia and Vice Gov. Magpale.

In the program over brunch, Magpale gave a brief history of the province and the initiation of the Cebuana Trailblazer project. Governor Garcia’s talk was preceded by a video showing projects for Cebu Province. These included her tourist promotional Suroy-Suroy; her promotion of sports in volleyball for men and women, as well as horse-ridng tournaments; encouragement of local home industries; and improvement of educational facilities in cooperation with civic and business groups.

Aug. 1st also marked the second death anniversary of beloved Philippine president Corazon Aquino, who was remembered with Masses and memories nationwide and banks of signature-yellow floral offerings at her modes tomb in Manila, next to that of her husband, Benigno Aquino Jr., who was shot and killed in 1983. I remember visiting their graves a few months after Cory’s death during my Christmas vacation with my son in Manila.

Another death anniversary observed on Aug. 1st is that of President Manuel Quezon, Philippine nationalist icon, who passed away in 1944 in the States, where he was evacuated with his family early in the Japanese occupation of the Philippines. It was there that he died just less than a year before the country was liberated by American forces in 1945.

Considering that August is also president Quezon’s birth month, since he was born on Aug. 19, 1878, former President Ramos in 1997 declared August every year as National Language Month, Buwan ng Wikang Pambansa with President Quezon considered the Father of the Philippine National Language.

On Aug. 1st, our fellow Filipino Muslims started their month-long fasting in observance of Ramadan. As Ustadz Jaafar Ali, president of the Ulama Council of the Philippines explained, it for Muslims “not about fanaticism and terrorism, but a cleansing and forgiveness… to cure illnesses and spiritually, strengthen faith in God.”

Faith-wise, Aug. 1st was a feast of St. Alphonsus de Liguori, founder of the Redemporist order of priests. On Aug. 2nd, the Feast of Our Lady of the Angels, the Knights of Columbus (K of C) held their 129th Supreme Convention in Denver, Colorado in the States. In the live TV broadcast which I viewed over EWTN, among hundreds of attendees from around the world—laity, priests, bishops and archbishops—mentioned and recognized were a Filipino couple from Luzon and a Filipino bishop from the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.

As for breaking news on current events, media broke the news of the resignation last Wednesday of popular Sen. Miguel Zubiri, who upheld his innocence in the wake of reports of electoral discrepancies in Mindanao.

Meanwhile, we expect succeeding news reports on this, and continuing reports regarding the devastation to nature, life, property and livestock wrought by a series the recent series of typhoons on Western Visayas and western, central and northern Luzon. The floods in New Orleans, which I remember following the Katrina disaster some years ago, pale in comparison with the resulting floods in these devastated Philippine areas.

Developments on these as well as other breaking news reports in politics and governance, education and environment, among others, in the country and our province and city; and personally for me and my friends and associates, will hold for next week.

In this connection, belated condolences to the families of friends who passed away last month: Dr. Ramon Solano, son of the late former head of the Cebu Tuberculosis Pavilion, and a former pupil of mine at the Cebu Normal School; and Ben Ebrada, husband of fellow Zontian Tina Ebrada, and son of the late Mauricia Ebrada, a friend and former teacher at the Training Department, also of the Cebu Normal School.

Tonight, the eve of the 442nd founding anniversary of Cebu province, Archbishop of Cebu Jose Palma will be given the Garbo sa Sugbo award with other awardees during the Governor’s Ball at the Capitol Social Hall. Significantly, religious-wise, tomorrow is also the Feast of the Transfiguration of our Lord.

Still on hold for my report next week are the developments in our monthly executive meeting last month of the Cebu Girl Scouts Council, as well as other concerns and developments crowded out by this week’s concerns.

Till then, as always, may God continue to bless us one and all!