Goodbye, summer; welcome, June

June is bustin’ out all over” starting this week, as public schools in the country opened to young beginners and returning students. But this year, in addition to the usual problems of lack of classrooms and supplies, the natural disasters like earthquakes, typhoons and flooding in many parts of the country, particularly in the north and parts of the Visayas, as well as Mindanao, and the conflicts in Mindanao have aggravated back-to-school problems.

Meanwhile, when private schools open next week. Their projected increase in tuition fees to pay teachers better salaries, as well as for the improvement and modernization of their facilities has forced a number of their students to transfer to public schools. However, as I wrote this last Wednesday, a late television headline mentioned the Supreme Court’s disapproval of their increased tuition fees.

Add to this, the implementation this year of the K to 12 curriculum, which necessitates providing their teachers with orientation sessions in the new system. This extended curriculum in years has also led some students to drop out of school earlier, and/or probably turn to short-term vocational courses. Problems, problems, with which this month is also “bustin’ out all over.”

On the other hand, for good news on the educational front, here in Cebu, there are civic, community and even business groups running story-telling and reading sessions to complement the current general involvement among the young with modern hi-tech devices like cell phones and the like. Also, the Central Visayan Institute Foundation-Dynamic Learning Program has created interest nationwide. This school year, over 200 public and private schools are shifting to this innovative teaching framework from the traditional. More on this next week.

Also, in addition to the pre-opening activities of Brigada Eskwela, thanks to concerned business, civic and even religious organizations, some schools in Cebu have received aid in repaired and even additional buildings and classrooms, as well as complete sets of textbooks and other school infrastructure and supplies. While stores are now also “bustin’ out all over” with attractive, moderately-priced school supplies, uniforms and others. Also, now: a campaign for parents and students to reuse and recycle such supplies left over from the previous year is gaining ground. And not to forget, new as well as refurbished traffic signs, additional police presence for peace and order, as concerned parents escort their children to school, some of the young kids crying in this first-time-to school-away from parents and home.

On the national news front, that Cebu Pacific plane that skidded to a terrifying stop off the airport runway at the Davao airport was expected to have been finally moved by today. Good news after loss of time and money (and passengers’ tempers, too) with cancelled or diverted flights

Meanwhile, news reports on shootings, heists and robberies, and drunk drivers, among others, continue to flood mass media. These in addition to continuing earthquakes all over the country, typhoons, and incredibly even some tornadoes, floods, landslides and rockfalls in the wake of the now frequent rains, and Mayonvolcano stirring every now and then.

On the cultural font, we learn of the recent passing away last week, of National Artist (for Film and Broadcast Arts) Eddie Romero at the age of 88. He is best known for his classic Filipino films, some of which I am fortunate to have seen and appreciated. The Philippine Daily Inquirer carried an extended tribute to him in its May 31st issue from various film luminaries and exectives, as well as movie viewers both here and abroad considering that he had also directed several Hollywood movies fom 1958 to 1976. In a statement, Malacañang noted Romero’s exemplary “achievements in Philippine and global cinema.”

Then, in the PDI issue of June 1st, columnist Mahar Mangahas mentioned the passing away of Fr. Andrew Greeley late last month at age 85, an “indefatigable novelist, sociologist, survey researcher, and yet, in his own words, just a priest, and not a hyphenated something.” Personally, I first fell in love with Andrew M. Greeley’s novels, many of them best sellers, while browsing bookstores in the States, and have 10 of them in my collection His novels include mystery and fantasy, as well as religious themes in the lives of his characters. It was only much later that I was to learn he was a priest!

On my civic involvements, we of the Cebu Council of the Girls Scouts of the Philippines (GSP) had our blessing of our newly renovated boardroom at noon last Friday, May 31st in our Council Headquarters in Banilad. At our executive committee meeting before the blessing, we viewed a video of our council activities since our headquarters was set up in 1990 up to this renovation. That is 23 years of fruitful accomplishments for and with our young girls, tomorrow’s successful women.

At lunch after the blessing, the council expressed gratitude to active GSP member-at-large lawyer Cecilia Go, herself an equally successful lawyer.

Our officers and Members of the Cucil Board include officers, commissioners, members-at-large, charter or ife Members (which includes me together with three others), the Cebu Boy Scout thairman, troop Leaders, district committee chairmen, girl representatives, young adults, and our immediate past president. All hail to them!

Last Sunday, we held our regular monthly meeting of our Cebu United Radio and TV Artists, Inc. at the Rizada Residence in Tisa, during which we discussed plans for our next fundraising project for the sickness and death benefit of our members.

Then tomorrow I host our monthly “Women’s Kapihan” at 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. over radio station dyLA where I had served over 30 years as a staff member, program host, then consultant, until I retired even as I continue to host the monthly “Women’s Kapihan.”

Significant events in this Cebu Business Month of June include the nation’s observance of our 115th Independence Day on the 12th next week, national hero Jose Rizal’s birthday on the 19th, and Filipino Migrant Workers today. While for Church observances, last Sunday was the Feast of Corpus Christi, today, the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and tomorrow, of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the last two honored by our parish church, the Alliance of Two Hearts.

So until next week, then. May God continue to bless us, one and all!