Of tremors, seniors, women saints and advocates

This Bystander started writing this on a significant date last Tuesday, Oct. 15th, the Ides of October.

First of all, last Tuesday, was declared an official holiday in the country in honor of the Muslim holiday Eid’l Adha, or Feast of the Sacrifice. This holiday is celebrated during the time of the annual Hadj or pilgrimage to Mecca, enacting the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his son Ishmael as commanded by God. At seeing Abraham’s obedience, God stopped him from consummating the sacrifice and asked him instead to sacrifice an animal caught in the bushes nearby. The day is now consecrated with an animal sacrifice of which one-third is shared with the poor, and two-thirds with family and friends.

Tuesday, Oct. 15th, was also the feast of St. Teresa of Avila, patroness of Talisay City, which I wished a happy fiesta in advance last week. For now, special greetings to dear friends Annie, Aurora (“Rorie”) and Perla of the Agudo family in Talisay. St. Teresa founded the Discalced Camelites, whose members were committed to discipline and almost complete silence. Six years later, together with St. John of the Cross, she founded the Discalced Carmelite Friars. After her death in 1582, she was declared Doctor of the Church.

In the States, the day is observed as Columbus Day, honoring Italian navigator Christopher Columbus, traditionally considered the discoverer of America in 1492.

Then at 8:13 last Tuesday morning, this Bystander was terrified as a sudden, unusually strong tremor shook the house and lasted for about a minute where we live in uptown Cebu City. Power and television went off, as did the usual morning traffic noise outside. Miraculously, shortly afterwards, power and TV resumed with on-the-spot coverage of the tremor, which hit Bohol hardest and affected Cebu City and adjoining east coastal cities and towns of the province. Thanks to mass media, radio and TV, we were provided with live reporting and coverage of the panic and incredible destruction in its wake, and experienced still frightening aftershocks the rest of the day. Print media and continuing live broadcast and TV coverage kept us posted in midweek as I continued writing this to make my Thursday deadline.

With all these disastrous happenings, Cebu has been placed under a state of calamity, with classes and work in offices closed for the second successive day after the declared official holiday of Eid’l Adha.

Then, Thursday, yesterday, we held our Cebu Zonta Club I monthly general membership meeting. I shall report on this next week, as well as the continuing reports in the aftermath of Tuesday’s earthquake in terms of destruction to life and property, including the religious and cultural, particularly in historic Bohol, as well as in Cebu.

Now for significant activities I have recently been involved in. Friday, the 4th, we senior citizens in our barangay Guadalupe, received P2,000, the second installment of our annual financial aid. And at what an expenditure of time and effort, particularly for the old, many disabled, at voting precincts spread out on the vast campus of the elementary school grounds, reachable over uneven, stony ways in the hot summer sun! How we envy barangay Mabolo for thoughtfully making it easier and convenient for their seniors in this activity. But how about our top elected officials, easily getting their thousands, even millions, in “allowances?”

Then, last Saturday morning, our Law (Legal Alternatives for Women) Center, Inc. launched our partnership with the US Embassy Manila through media advocacy on TV, Radio and online reach at the Mariners Court at Pier I. The program opened with a video tribute to the late lawyer, Arbet Sta. Ana Yongco, the initial moving advocate for women’s advocacy through Law Center, on her 9th death anniversary last Oct. 11th.

Law Center Executive Director Dolores “Lolet” Aliño delivered her opening message tracing the 16-year history of Law Inc. and its work in providing free legal and psycho-social services for women often discriminated against and even abused.

Solidarity messages were then delivered by International Justice Mission’s Cathy Noveda, this Bystander for the Cebu Women’s Network in which I pioneered for women’s rights, lawyer Melina Almase Martinez of the Cebu Lady Lawyers Association, Judge Meinrado Paredes for the judiciary, and Len Martinez of the Peace and Conflict Journalism Network.

Flowers and plaques of appreciation were then handed out to Marit Cabuyao who created the monthly Women’s Kapihan program over radio station dyLA of which she was then Station Manager; and this Bystander, who has been hosting the program every second Saturday since. Speaking of which, our topic of discussion last Saturday was “Human Trafficking in the Visayas and Cebu Province: A Situationer on the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2012.” My report on this most spirited panel discussion will also be taken up in next week’s Bystandering.

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