September: memorable, exceptional & eventful

We are now in the first week of the four “-ber” months of the year, signalling the start of the holiday season, celebrated the longest here in the Philippines, so we are told. We also remember an old song that opens, “O, it’s a long long way from May to December; but the days grow short, when you reach September”. Which is also how it is these days: five in the morning, it is still a little dark; and at five in the afternoon, it starts darkening. And September is also one of the short 30-day months cited in a remembered poem that opens with, “Thirty days hath September, April, June and November.”

September this year in Cebu, particularly, is one observed for many significances. To start, we learn that the Mega Cebu Project was launched to last through September 14th. It is a project of the Metro Cebu Development and Coordinating Board, “to make the province a more sustainable place to live in.” It involves working with the cities of Carcar, Cebu, Danao, Lapulapu, Mandaue, Naga and Talisay; and the municipalities of Compostela, Consolacion, Cordova, Liloan, Minglanilla and San Fernando.

September is also the Kapisanan ng mga Broadcaster sa Pilipinas (KBP) month with the theme, “KBP — Facing the Challenge of Time”. One particular activity just undertaken in Cebu in this connection, was the “Run for Jack Jakosalem”. Jack is the ex-chair of the Cebu City Traffic Operation Management, who is now recovering from a serious illness, Thank God. As a long-time Cebu broadcaster, I have been touched by this activity, that it should be well participated in by one of the country’s large, internally (and even personally) competitive groups in Cebu.

September is also ‘International Peace Consciousness’ month, celebrated in Cebu with the annual Peace Freedom Week. This is especially significant currently, with the “touchy” international tension in which we are involved in territorial claims against a neighboring country, in our country’s seas, west of Palawan. And President Aquino’s decision not to attend an international gathering in that country “countering” that our country was “not invited” anyway. “Tit for tat?”, or what? In this truly “touchy” situation, we pray for God’s enlightenment.

As is the case in the current Syria situation. (Co-incidentally, in my current personal Bible readings, are also about the early Israelites’ conflict with Syria.) In this connection, Pope Francis leads a worldwide day of prayer and fasting for Syria tomorrow, September 7th, with a vigil from seven o’clock tonight until midnight. Last Sunday, he was reported to have condemned the use of chemical weapons, but he called for a negotiated settlement of the civil war in Syria. Associated Press reports that this was in apparent reference to the US and France considering a military strike to punish the Syrian regime for a chemical weapons attack there. He then invited that evening at St. Peter’s Square, all “men of good will” to join him in invoking the gift of peace for Syria, the rest of the Middle East and worldwide, where there is conflict, “The world needs to see gestures of peace and hear words of hope and of peace.” God bless Pope Francis!

And now, for developments on the local scene. This month opened with the now popular Alay Lakad activity, having already been participated in by some 60,000 since it started way back in 1972. This year, it was undertaken to raise funds for educational assistance, college scholarships, and technical training for grantees.

In connection with education, DepEd-Cebu had conducted late last month. August 29-30, a training in journalism to aid the competence of school paper advisers. It was conducted at DepEd’s Cebu City Division Office. How important this is in view of the current growth in mass and social media today. While relevant to our current sanitation and environmental problem, the seventh batch of scholars from the Young Minds Academy is pushing for proper drainage systems and a stop to the drug menace in Metro Cebu. This was expressed at a recent forum held at the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. (RAFI).

Speaking of media, of the continuing pros and cons expressed by commentators and members of mass media in Cebu, is the recent conviction of columnist and radio station manager Leo Lastimosa for libel, a conviction that involved fines for him, but no imprisonment. Leo was a former colleague at Radio Station DYLA, where I still hold my monthly Women’s Kapihan. At the then German Foundation funded DYLA years ago, we had regular seminars on broadcasting, one of which had to do with libel. I hope this case of Leo will awaken more professional as well as public concern on this modern-day media concern.

In another news development that continues to sizzle is that of the “pork barrel” scam, the subject of the recent, mostly politically partisan-less protest which centers on Janet Lim-Napoles, whose alleged financial manipulations in connivance with political big-wigs has either livened up or smeared the country’s political face. Please forgive my emotionaly excessive language in this case. I am reminded of the old adage that advices one to watch out when one points an accusing fore-finger at someone else, another finger, the thumb, is also pointing at the accuser. So this Bystander continues to watch the on-going scene, with yet no personal say currently, as things continue to develop. Or unravel?

Now, for a more positive report. We the Board Members of our Cebu Council of the Girl Scouts of the Philippines last Wednesday, paid a courtesy visit to Governor Hilario Davide III at the Cebu Provincial Capitol. This was held at the Session Hall where Governor Davide currently holds office.

When Governor walked in, he was simply clad in a tucked-in polo shirt that I remember, was similar to what he wore when he first came in as a new Governor, and the unrecognizing security guards refused him entry! He personally greeted and shook hands with each of us. We each then had the opportunity to talk briefly with him. In congratuating him, I told him.I was glad we now have a governor from Cebu south (“Salut”, as it is termed in the dialect), Argao, the governor’s home town, mentioning that my late husband was also “Taga Salut” in Moalboal. At this, he warmly smiled. Altogether, it was a warm and cheerful event for us in these fast-changing times of environmental disasters, disturbing political developments, not only on the local, national and international scene, among many events and concerns that we are now getting to know in a world that has grown smaller, so to speak, where media sees to it that even the whisper in some far and distant present, is reported to the world almost immediately. So much more of this in next week’s Bystander-ing.

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