Homecoming

rawing rooms, a nipa-roofed and sawali-walled two-room bilding. Between this and the single original main building near the entry to the campus at Osmeña Boulevard, was the Home Economics Building. Next to our Drawing and Music rooms along the Pelaez Extension Road was the Shop Building, and then the open-air stage from which outdoor university programs, graduations and other school special events were held and presented to an outdoor audience. The rest of the campus all the way down to P. del Rosario Street was then a wide open space for the holding of on-campus parades, Reserve Officers’ Training Course and military exercises, and other community activities would be held.
This former expanse is now fully occupied by university buildings housing additional classes for pre-school, kindergarten, the K to 12 curriculum, as well as the university College of Nursing that has yearly been graduating 100 percent passers in the national tests for graduates to pass before they practice professionally. The end lots of the campus along P. del Rosario Street are now commercially occupied by the Central Bank and adjacent activity areas. Memories, memories, for this homecoming alumna.
Today, the  Cebu Council of the Girl Scouts of the Philippines will hold its 12th  executive committee meeting. However, I  informed them I shall be unable to  attend  since I shall  be leaving for Guihulngan in Negros Oriental to join  my son Antonio, his wife Rebecca and their three daughters, who have just arrived from the States. Together we shall join the birthday celebration on Monday of Rebecca’s mother, my comadre Alicia Trinidad. That will be another homecoming, this time for the family.
Last Thursday, June 20th, we held the general membership meeting of our Zonta Club of Cebu I.  The main subject of the business aspect of the meeting was a planned memorandum of agreement (MOA) of Zonta I in collaboration with the V. Gullas Memorial Hospital Medical Center at  the University of the Visayas  Hospital  in Banilad. The MOA proposes setting up a center there  where Zonta I will assist in attending to cases regarding violence against women (VAW).  Further details will be taken up before the memorandum is signed by Zonta I president Lucille Colina and Hospital Administrator Jose Gullas.
Turning to current news developments, post election misunderstandings are hopefully being cleared up for more positive collaboration among the “ins,” the “outgoings” and the reelected. Meanwhile, environmental problems continue to surface  with increasing floods and weather disturbances, threatening the unprepared, especially among the marginalized.
On  positive, more faith-inspired developments, Pope Francis may  at last attend the Eucharistic Congress in the Philippines in 2016. The Feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist last Monday, the 24th, we prayerfully observed even as youthful pranksters “baptized” passersby even in this rainy weather! Last Wednesday was the Feast of St.Maria Escriva, founder of Opus Dei. And tomorrow will be the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul.
More for next week, until when, as always, may God continue to bless us, one and all!