Of historical, religious and community concerns

Today is one of the more significant historical days in this National Language Month of August as declared by former President Fidel Ramos 1997, with President Manuel Quezon, considered the Father of the Philippine National Language. He was born on this day in 1878. He passed away on Aug. 1, 1944 in the United States, where he had been evacuated with his family early in the Japanese occupation of the Philippines, just less than a year before the country was liberated by American forces in 1945.

It was on Aug. 15, 1945, that Japan surrendered in World Was II, and so last Monday, the Japanese marked the 66th anniversary of this historic event with somber remembrances and a memorial in Tokyo led by Emperor Akihito who said, “Looking back on history, we fervently hope not to repeat the tragedy of war.”

August 15th, significantly, was also the Feast Day of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in both her body and soul. Preached since the earliest centuries, it was defined as a dogma of faith by Pius XII in 1950. This dogma is supported by the universal tradition of the Church and by the Book of Revelation: “A great sign , appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and on her head a crown of twelve stars.” Significantly, too, Our Lady, the “woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and on her head a crown of twelve stars,” first appeared in an apparition to the peasant Juan Diego (now declared a saint) in 1527 in Tepeyac, Guadalupe in Mexico. She left her image, miraculously imprinted on Juan’s tilma or apron, now revered in her Basilica there. Two duly authenticated digital copies of it are venerated in the Philippines, one in the Manila Cathedral, and the other in our Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral.

Speaking of women worldly-wise, the day before, Aug. 14th, we held our monthly “Women’s Kapihan,” organized by the Legal Alternatives for Women (LAW Center Inc.) and Cebu Women’s Network (CWN), and which I host on radio station dyLA. Our topic was “Women in Governance,” with guest Shirley Cabanero, formerly a Talisay City Councilor for nine years, and now a Consultant for the Women Development Program of the Province of Cebu.

Ms Cabanero is known for pushing the Gender and Development (GAD) Code in Talisay City with her motto, “Empowerment is in me.” Her leadership and service have brought the City to be recognized on the national level as Most Child-Friendly City and herself as the Most Gender-Responsive City Hall of Famer of Cebu Province. She is among the 100 Cebuana Trailblazers recently cited by the Cebu province who have excelled in their fields of endeavor. Her advocacies for women and children continue even after her having left politics.

The most lively discussion with our panel of CWN officers, board members, and members, brought out the importance of, and need for, more involvement in activities by Women’s Councils in promoting health consciousness, in child-minding activities with the Bantay Bata program, and in earning jobs for women.

Regarding children, Cebu’s women are now active in information campaigns, especially after the shocking discovery in Cebu of cases of child abuse particularly in cyberporn and child trafficking. The same also goes for these activities involving women and including spousal abuse and even murder. Newly seated Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale, starting back when she was Provincial Board member heading programs fighting for children and women’s rights, is now involved in the investigation of these abuses and raising them to the courts.

Currently, she is sponsoring a ban of “lurid, vulgar” publications in the Anti-Tabloid Ordinance of 2011 now referred to the Provincial Board committee on laws for study. She said that she expects the measure to be challenged, which is just what is happening now. Significantly (that word again!) following on the heels of the current brouhaha over the Cultural Center of the Philippines art exhibit recently closed after widespread (also that word again!) objections voiced in media to the “iconoclastic” portrayal of religious icons in some works. And as the arguments and debates for and against continue over these issues, we hope solutions to them are arrived at, thanks to concerns for community welfare.

Other local, regional and national community concerns involving the environment, man-made and natural disasters, labor and financial security, health, morality and international relations, among others, continue to challenge us daily in media, overwhelms us with, but not to be cowed by, even as successes are also reported, which inspire us to live meaningful and fruitful lives.

On tap for next week are reports on our Cebu Zonta Club I General Membership meeting yesterday, the wedding this morning of the daughter of one of my husband’s cousins, and the “Beauty of Life” dinner, program and concert tonight of our Cebu United Radio and TV Artists (CURTA) Inc., on the birthday today of our late founder, Emiliano “Emil” Rizada Jr.

Till next week, then, may God continue to bless us, one and all!