August has been a particularly busy month for our Zonta Club of Cebu I. Besides our usual monthly meeting, we held that special open forum at the University of San Jose- Recoletos last Aug. 13th on R.A. 9262: Anti-Violence Against Women and Children Act, which I reported on at length last Aug. 16th.
Then last week, on the 22nd, we held our general membership meeting where we evaluated that forum as well as our recent forging of resources and services with the Vicente Gullas Memorial Hospital project, a Violence against Women and Children Center. We then viewed a brief photo update on these two activities.
Highlight of the meeting, was an update by fellow Zontian Mila Espina on our planned 45th Charter Anniversary celebration on Nov. 25th this year: “Instill Family Values! Inspire Women and Children! Improve the Quality of Life!” We then discussed details and suggestions for this forthcoming celebration.
The day after, Friday last week, the 23rd of August, we held two successive meetings of our Cebu Council of the Girl Scouts of the Philippines (GSP). The first was our executive committee meeting. In happy attendance was immediate past president Amy de Pio, who took time out from her continuing busy civic involvement in Toledo City, even after the election of new officials there.
Taken up at the meeting were our planned courtesy visit to newly elected Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III on Sept. 4; the regional committee meeting and Visayas executives meeting and launching of the golden jubilee of our Marina Yulo Vargas Regional Program & Training Center (MYVRPTC) or Camp Marina at Cebu Capitol Hills and first canvassing search for a Golden Jubilee Girl Scout, all on Sept. 13 to 14. These precede our Girl Scout Week Celebration on Sept. 15 to 21.
After lunch, at our Council Board Meeting, we discussed plans for the awarding of Girl Scout Medal applicants on Oct. 24th. Last Friday through Sunday, Aug. 23 to 25 we held our workshop on “Rights, Camera. Action: Media Camp for GSP Planet Savers” at Camp Marina for 5 Junior/Senior Girl Scouts and 2 Troop Leaders. While on Nov. 29 to Dec. 3, two of our Cadet Girl Scouts, Donnah Torres and Angela Magsucang are attending the 1st National Gathering of Girl Representatives at Ating Tahanan National Program & Training Center in Baguio City with the theme “Timek, Tingog, Tinig: Hundred Voices of Girls in Action.” Our Cebu Girl Scouts are certainly in for a busy rest of the year!
Traditionally, in all three civic organizations I belong to, member birthday celebrants for the month are greeted a happy birthday after which the candles are blown out on a big birthday cake. This year, however, I noticed that birthday celebrants were instead given individually decorated little cakes with a candle atop each, to take home, besides the big lighted cake to share with everyone. And that this August there were quite a number of us birthday celebrants.
Let me remember, including those who could not come or who were out of town or country: 13 in our Cebu United Radio and TV Artists, Inc.; four in our Zonta Club I, and five in our Cebu Girl Scouts Council. Meanwhile, personally, my children now out of the country called to wish me a happy birthday from Calgary in Canada, and Texas and California in the United States. God bless them and thank You, God!
Last Monday, National Heroes’ Day, the nation honored countless heroes in our history, both those remembered and unnamed. Here in Cebu, local media remembered those honored in our parks and historical sites. But I especially noted a Filipino editorialized in advance as a hero by the Cebu Daily News in its Aug. 16th issue, the late Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo for his “servant leadership in style and values.” As Dean Antonio La Vina of the Ateneo School of Governance said, “In celebrating, remembering and sharing his example, (we hope) that many people will be inspired to follow (in) his steps.”
A sad reminder (should I use here STRONGER words like perhaps “stinging rebuke” in this case?) to some of our top leaders in the country in the face of the festering “pork barrel” scandal that was the subject of the nationwide protests to “scrap the pork”, primarily at the Luneta in Manila, and at Plaza Independencia here in Cebu, among others in the country, and even among Filipino communities in the States. An activity headlined by the Cebu Daily News last Tuesday with “Good vs. Evil”, and the Philippine Daily Inquirer with “People’s Cry: Stop the Greed”. And preceded here in Cebu by a concelebrated Mass for discernment with Cebu Auxiliary Bishop Julito Cortes.
Jesse Robredo’s public life and service should hopefully inspire other leaders, including the young and aspiring.
Meanwhile, as the nation continues to cope with, and in other places, recover from the disastrous storms, floods, fires and traffic accidents and the fatalities of the MV St.Thomas Aquinas – Sulpicio Express Siete collision, all still continuing news developments will be among the subject of next week’s Bystander-ing.
Until then, as always, may God continue to bless us, one and all!