Images from my old hometown

The celebrity hound struck again

That's me with Jay Taruc, host of GMA Channel 7's "Motorcycle Diaries". He was in town to shoot an episode for his Documentary program.

Images from my old hometown

kun sa facebook pa, super like ak sini nga signage.

Our San Rufino experience

We were in Barangay San Rufino yesterday to cover the Mass Wedding where 37 pairs exchanged "I Do" before Mayor Ronaldo Aquino. Here are some pictures we took during the visit.

That's me with Aimee Catalan, Irene Pastrana and Juvan Ramonida.

They have electricity, cellular phone signal (thanks to globe) and satellite dishes for their TV signals.

Mass Wedding sa San Rufino

Guin pangunahan yana nga aga ni Mayor Ronaldo Aquino an siyahan nga Mass Wedding nga guin buhat sa Barangay San Rufino, usa nga tay-aw nga Barangay nga unhan san Barangay Tarabucan sa Oquendo District. An nasabi nga aktibidad diin mayda 37 nga padis an nagpakasal usa san mga buruhatun san Local Civil Registry Office san ciudad san Calbayog. Presente durante san Mass Wedding sira Konsehal Virgil Clemens, Konsehal Susano Salurio ug Konsehal Ronald mark Aquino. Kaupod guihapon an mga empleyado san LCR nga guin pangunahan ni Mrs. Fe Queroljioc ug an iya assistant nga si Leonor Aquino.

40 Years in 40 Faces

"40 Years in Forty Faces" chronicles the history of SOS Children's Village - Calbayog and the way it affected the community through  the stories of 40 of its wards, friends and benefactors. Copies of the book are available at SOS - Calbayog.

Below are two pictures I managed to take during the Book Launching which was part of the SOS - Calbayog 40th Anniversary Dinner

An Patrun Sa Calbayog

The Sts. Peter and Paul Cathedral in 1928. This picture was taken 16 years after today's feature article was written.

I first did this in 2008 and I’m doing it again this year. I would like to feature an old account, a very old account - 1912 to be exact – of the fiesta celebration in Calbayog. I got this from the September 1912 issue of the Eco de Samar y Leyte. It was written by someone who called himself “namatron”. The account also mentioned the name of one Señora Trinidad Camilon. If one is to check the list of the hermanas pasadas in the Calbayog Fiesta souvenir programs, that name is the first entry in the said list. The copy I got was not a clear one and that explains the blanks in this feature.

Here’s that article entitled “An Patrun sa Calbayog”:

“Masadya, maribhung, malinao an cadagatan, mahayag an langit, mapaua an adlao sama san daguay sin usa nga Angel, amo _______ san ca-adlauan sadto san mahal nga Patrona dinhe sa Calbayog nga guinsalinorog sadton 8 sini nga bulan. Ngatanan mga binohat dao nabuñog san cahayag ni Maria Santissima dida san adlao san iya pagcatauo. Tubtob san ante vispera, nag ticang an pag-abut san magcalainlain nga domoro-ong, labi na an Cat_____on. San mga balay, mga cadalanan nacarahibut an tauo guican sa magkalain-lain nga dapit. San visperas san aga, nag suot na an tauo dinhi sa ciudad nga tungod san cadamo, macuri magpaca-agui an mga caleza. San pag a las doce catapos pagpahibaro san linganay sa Catedral san mahal nga Patron. Pagcabuas an mga musico san Parroquia ug sa Ipao nag libot san bungto. Ug san pagcaculop, nag canta san visperas an _____ nga cura san Catedral R. P. Jose Diaznes. Pag ca aga _______, san may mga a las 4 nag Diana an mga musico nga _______ san pagtauagtauag sa Catedral, sin usa cadali napuno san maniringba san siapa nga misa san Señora nga may mga lima nga mga babayi lalaqui bata tigurang nga dinara-on sa pag _____ san mahal nga lauas ni Jesucrisdto. Ug hasta san a las 7 nga eguin repique sa misa Mayor, waray pahuway an tauo nga maniringba san damo nga capadian nga nagmisa. San mga a las 8 amo an eguin ticang san misa cantada nga dinoyogan san ma ranog nga Organo, sa Catedral paroc san Señor Obispo. An misa nga guin canta an guin ngangaranan Pedro de las Heras, an masabut ug bantugan nga organista si Sr. Malaquias Nonato, Professor san musica sa Seminario eguin paquita an iya quina-adman dida san pag doyog niya san organo, cay pacasiring namon dao nahimomotang cami sin Paraiso san pagbati namon sadto nga mga awit. An nagcanta amo an mga capadian sa Seminario nga alagad san ira cabatiran ug maluay nga tingog inabutan an mga maniringba sin cahinoclob. An nag misa an Cura san Catedral linoyoloyohan san mga ministros nga si D. Ignacio Arganda, Diacono ug si D. Ramon Codilla Subd. Catapos san Evangelio nag wali si P. Conrado Maga, Coadjutor sa Catedral.”

“An Señora opod an mga magtoto-on sa Seminario ug mga Seminarista, nag tambong didto san iya trono. Sugadman an mga Colegialas opod an mga Madres naray caculang. Catapos san misa, nagsugod na liwat an aringasa ngan ribhong, cay an mga estudiantes sa Colegio sa San Vicente nga guican sa Singbahan vinistihan sin mga cadete, nag ejercicio ug nag parada sira sa cadalanan nga nacalingao san mga tauo. Pagcacolop may mga a las 3 pinangolohan san Presidente Sr. Malaquias Nonato, nag tiroc an mga sacop san Sociedad Milagrosa ug nag buhat sin rumba, carrera de bicecleta, juego de anillos y Cintas canan bag-ong tubo mga hatag hasta magcalainlain nga premio. San pagca a las 5 guin himua an macaserendac nga Procesion nga inopdan ni P. Bonifacio Villora Cura sa Oquendo, linoloyohan san mga Seminaristas inopod man an Señora nga guin lilibutan san mga capadian. An carro matahum caupay, mapaua, tacos ug angay nga nahimomotangan sen mahal nga Patrona, halad san ma-abiabihon nga Hermana Mayor si Sra. Trinidad Camilon. An ira balay pono pono sin tauo ticang pa san tinicangan san novena nga guin solemne sa ira. Diri hicalimtan an camapuanguron san mga anac, labi na si Sra. Lolay ug si Loling nga uaray hingan san cahago, paglipay san ira mga dapit.”

“Sa tuig tuig ngatanan quinita nga an pagto-o sini nga bungto ug an ira pag alagad sa Dios nag titidogang la lugod, bisan con guin tatalingoha san iba an pag parong condao calayo, cay an ira an pag contra sa Dios ug pag supil san mga mahi___lo nga pamatasan, cay basi matumanan san ira mga maraut nga guinaui-an ug hunahuna, condi sa Dios uaray magtatamay, may adlao san pag panodia, cay polong pa nga an tinonto mo, intoy, sa lauas mo o-oli.” (namatron)

The celebrity hound struck again

As I have announced in an earlier blog post, Jamie Rivera had a dinner concert at Ciriaco Hotel on September 5. The following day she went to SOS to attend the inauguration of the SOS TechVoc Center. And as for me, each time a celebrity is around, expect me to do one of the things I enjoy most: piktyur-piktyur

from Mr. Eli Cinco of the Manila Bulletin

CALBAYOG CITY – This coastal and bubbly city of 180,000 is celebrating the feast day marking the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mother – its patron saint – tomorrow, September 8.

(It is also my annual pilgrimage to dear old hometown.)

Since the religious event falls on a weekend, thousands of visitors from nearby islands and highway towns have started converging here beginning yesterday, the “ante-vesperas” day. (read more)

SOS TechVoc Training Center formally inaugurated

The SOS Technical-Vocational (TechVoc) Training Center was formally inaugurated today with Helmut Kutin (wearing a yellow cap) as the guest of honor. The Training Center is located in Barangay Dagum at the old CKC Elementary Schotool campus. In photo with Mr. Kutin are (r-l) Councilor Danilo Bernate, Mayor Ronaldo Aquino, Representative Mel Senen Sarmiento, Calbayog City National High School Principal Lolita Alera, SOS Philippines National Director Bienvenido Delgado, Bishop Isabelo Abarquez, SOS Continental Director for Asia Shuba Murthi, TESDA Samar Provincial Director Cleta Omega, Councilor Regina Rabuya and Archbishop Fernando Capalla. For details about the training center you may call up SOS at (+63 55) 209-3169.

SOS Calbayog is 40 years old

SOS Children's Village Calbayog is 40 years old. Among the activities on hand was the launching of the book entitled "40 Years in 40 Faces". It was held during an Appreciation Dinner earlier tonight at the Ciriaco Hotel poolside. I will be posting more details about the book, in the meantime I'd like to give you a brief history of SOS-Calbayog.

In 1972, the third SOS Children's Village of the country was built in Calbayog in Samar Island, the third largest island of the Philippines. The island is very fertile, and so agriculture plays an important role in its economy. The city is an important exporter of vegetables and other more exotic agricultural produce to the rest of the region.

SOS Children's Village Calbayog consists of twelve family houses, the village director's house and a community house. There is an SOS Kindergarten, which is also open to children from the neighbourhood. In the kindergarten's 4 classrooms, up to 55 children can be taught. The kindergarten also has a kitchen, where the meals for the children are prepared. Next to the SOS Children's Village, there is a home for retired SOS mothers.

In Calbayog, there is also an SOS Social Centre, which provides child day care, counselling and psychological care to the population of the neighbourhood. The SOS Social Centre consists of two rooms for the day-care centre, a kitchen and dining room for the food programme, two offices, a library and a classroom for counselling and education.

In 2007, SOS Children's Villages launched its family strengthening programmes in Calbayog. These programmes are intended to support families at risk of abandoning their children and to encourage families to stay together. SOS Children's Villages therefore works with local authorities and other service providers to support families and enable them to take good care of their children. Family strengthening programmes provide nutritional, educational and health support as well as vocational training, career counselling sessions and job placement support. Families are linked with existing self-help groups; if there is no group, a new one is formed. The programmes also aim at raising awareness of hygiene and child rights and improving people's parenting skills.

In the town centre of Calbayog, there is an SOS Youth Facility. Older boys from the SOS Children's Village normally move to the SOS Youth Facility when they start a vocational training course or go on to higher education. With the support of qualified youth workers, they develop realistic perspectives for their future, learn to shoulder responsibility and increasingly make their own decisions. They are encouraged to develop team spirit and build up contacts with relatives and friends, as well as with the relevant authorities and potential employers.

In 2009, an SOS Vocational Training Centre was opened in Calbayog. It consists of 14 classrooms, an assembly hall, an administration and service area and accommodation for the participants. The training centre also includes a demonstration farm.

Jamie Rivera and Blakdyak onstage tonight at Ciriaco Hotel

Walk for Peace held in Calbayog

In celebration of the National Month of Peace, a "Walk for Peace with Mama Mary" was held in Calbayog yesterday. The event which was jointly organized by the Diocese of Calbayog and the LGU-City of Calbayog was participated in by student and members of various religious and non-religious organization. The walk commenced in front of the City Hall and was capped by the celebration of the Holy Eucharist the the Nijaga Park.

Bishop Isabelo Abarquez and Mayor Ronaldo Aquino as they led the release of the doves. In photo are Rev. Fr. Julio Gaddi,  Dr. Socorro Bohol and PCInsp Eifronio Obong, Jr.

It has been 40 days

It has been 40 days since mama received the gift of eternal life.
Sa mga dumuyog san amun kasubo DAMO NGA SALAMAT!

Dr. Francie Santos laid to rest

Dr. Francisca Palermo-Santos was laid to rest yesterday. Bishop Isabelo Abarquez presided over the funeral mass at the Sts. Peter and Paul Cathedral. Here's my raw video of Rev. Fr. Tony Rosales, ofm as he delivered his homily during the funeral mass.

in memoriam Bishop Sincero Barcenilla Lucero

Today we commemorate the 19th Death Anniversary of Bishop Sincero Lucero,
the Seventh Bishop of the Diocese of Calbayog (1979-1984)
(Photo courtesy of the Diocese of Calbayog)

Date	Age	Event	Title
22 Dec 1935		Born	Carcar
18 Mar 1961	25.2	Ordained Priest	Priest
8 Mar 1977	41.2	Appointed	Bishop of Borongan, Philippines
24 May 1977	41.4	Ordained Bishop	Bishop of Borongan, Philippines
10 Dec 1979	44.0	Appointed	Bishop of Calbayog, Philippines
11 Oct 1984	48.8	Resigned	Bishop of Calbayog, Philippines
3 Sep 1993	57.7	Died	Bishop Emeritus of Calbayog, Philippines