Happy Anniversary Sir Pio and Ma'am Francie

Mr. Pio Santos and Dr. Francisca Palermo - Santos will celebrate their 53rd Wedding Anniversary today. Congratulations and Best Wishes!

Two new priests ordained today

The Diocese of Calbayog has two new priests. Rev. Jeorge Plaza and Rev. Miguel Rebato will be ordained priests by Bishop Isabelo Abarquez at the Sts. Peter and Paul Cathedral at 9:00 o'clock this morning.

Rev. Plaza is from San Jorge while Rev. Rebato is from Paranas.

An unappreciated landmark

Or maybe, a local treasure would be a more appropriate title to this blog post. These are pictures which I took last November 1, 2011. It's the arch at the entrance of the Calbayog Catholic Cemetery. I have featured this in my previous blog posts and I am doing it again. After all, not all cities in Samar have a landmark which dates back to 1885. 

La Milagrosa Academy is 101 years old

La Milagrosa Academy will be 101 years old tomorrow. Just in case you'd be interested, I have featured a short history of LMA which I took from the "Calbayog" coffeetable book:

Colegio de la Milagrosa. Soon after his arrival in Calbayog, Bishop Singzon decided that Catholic education should be made available to the women of the town. So he invited the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul to set up a school for girls, which was then called Colegio de la Milagrosa. He provided the school with a new two-storey building by the seashore (at the site where it still stands today). With Sor Concepcion Cordnach, DC as first directress, the school opened in 1911. It has an initial enrollment of 100 girls. Established for the purpose of molding damas cristianas (Christian ladies), it proved a boon to the town.

In 1927, the Daughters of Charity left and Mrs. Dolores Hacbang, the sister of the Bishop, became the Directress until 1935 when the Dominican Sisters of Sienna took over the administration. The school (now called La Milagrosa Academy) opened a complete High School and, just before World War II, graduated its first 24 alumnae. The school was closed during the war years. In 1989, the Dominicans returned the administration of the school to the Diocese of Calbayog. Eventually, Fr. Anton Verzosa, a diocesan priest was appointed as its director. Today the Academy remains under the direction of the Diocese, striving to live up to its past tradition and glory. 

(n.b. this data needs some updates, in case you have some  materials, you may please email it to: froiray@yahoo.com)

The marker which was unveiled during the LMA Centennial Anniversary Celebration on November 27, 2010.

A message for Educators and Christie Regians

Last October 28, 2011, during the celebration of the the 25th Anniversary of the Spirit of Assisi at Christ the King College, Mr. Pio Santos and his wife Francie were given the Bahandi Samarnon Award as Outstanding Educators. Mr. Santos delivered an acceptance speech which paid tribute to the teachers and personnel of Christ the King College. He reminded everyone the first and foremost teaching is a vocation. He also paid tribute to Christ the King College and how it helped mold many generations of Calbayognons.


Here's the text of that speech:


... honored guests, members of the faculty and other school personnel, ladies and gentlemen, good evening.


We will be the biggest liars on this globe if we will dare say that we have not been deeply touched or emotionally overwhelmed by the wonderful gesture bestowed on us by the Christ the King College community.


Never, even in our wildest dreams, did we ever expect that we will be accorded such a distinct and signal honor as what we are receiving today. For the two of us and for the members of our family, this is a momentous day. It is a day to be treasured and remembered by all of us until the last breath of our lives.


This evening's event is supposed to be a recognition of what we have done or what we have contributed in making CKC into the fine institution of learning that it is today. And CKC believes that it is payback time. We are however, of firm belief that while it might be true that we have done something for the growth and development of CKC, we cannot also ignore the fact that we were not alone in the task of educating the young; that the teachers and the other school personnel have also contributed immensely in transforming CKC into an excellent academic institution. It is not a one-man job, it is a team effort. If nothing can be done without God, then nothing can also be achieved without the cooperation of the teachers and the other school personnel.


Thus what makes this evening's affair so meaningful and doubly significant is the fact that the accolade bestowed on the two of us by CKC silently includes also the members of the faculty and the other school personnel. While the plaques that are given to us are personal in nature and the citations written on them are meant for us, behind those inscriptions are also etched the recognition by this institution of the work and cooperation of the teachers and personnel; it is a recognition of the collective pleasures, the triumphs, the joys and the little disappointments that we, the teachers and personnel, have all shared together. These plaques symbolize our collective friendship, camaraderie and companionship. These plaques and citations are not only meant for the two of us - these are intended for all of us - for our shared victories and defeats, for our laughter and tears.


And so for all these shared experiences - 

• we thank you Lord, for the moment that gave all of us the opportunity to be in CKC and to work with the students as they embark on their journey of life; on their journey of faith and on their quest for knowledge, their search for truth, justice and peace.

• we thank you Lord, for giving all of us the chance to be in the place where many young people experience their first real contact with the Church; their first entry in a Catholic school that teaches them to try  to live more by faith, hope and love than by value of consumer society.

• we thank you Lord for CKC and the chance to learn that teaching is more than a job; that it is more than a means of putting food on the table; that permanent employment and a good pay are not the only motivation for becoming a teacher.

• we thank you Lord for CKC - for exhorting us that teaching is not just a profession, but a vocation. It is a ministry, a calling from God.

Finally, on a personal note, may I, on behalf of Francie and all the members of the family, extend to the CKC community - to Rev. Fr. Marcelo Tubac, OFM, President of the College, to the religious and lay administrators, to the members of the faculty, to the rank and file personnel and the students and parents, my heartfelt thanks and sincere gratitude.

We trust that everyone of you will find us worthy and deserving again of your trust and confidence.

Thank you, good night, god bless all of us. Mabuhay Christ the King College!

The celebrity hound struck again

Senator Antonio Trillanes was in Calbayog today to attend a "Magdalo Activity". His first business was to call on the City Officials of Calbayog. They had a meeting at the CMO conference room. After that meeting, the celebrity hound (read:me) made sure he had his picture taken with the Senator.

Images from my old hometown

This is one the pictures I took at the cemetery during the last All Souls' Day celebration. Nothing special about this grave. "Sugad san nababatasan", a good number of our local folks make their dear departed part of the cemetery "picnic" by offering them food, and in some instances, 1 "tagay" of whatever alcoholic drink there is. And in the case of this tomb, it's rice with pork, tsokolate, spaghetti, bread, juice and water.

In Samar Comelec: Verification of signatures to end this week

Tacloban City - Samar elections supervisor Maria Corazon Montallana said that the verification of the signatures attached to the recall petition against Governor Sharee Anne Tan and younger brother Vice Gov. Stephen James Tan would be finished as scheduled. (read more . . .)

Meeting the Archbishop of Cebu

Cebu Archbishop and incoming CBCP President Jose Palma attended the gala concert of the CKC Youth Symphony Orchestra at the Cebu Grand Convention Center. The celebrity hound in me made sure that I got my picture taken with the good Archbishop.

Archbishop Palma with Bishop Ranola, Fr. Pricillo Salomon, ofm, my sister Honey and me.

Archbishop Palma with Bishop Ranola, Fr. Marlowe Rosales, ofm and some members of the CKC Youth Symphony Orchestra during the customary picture-taking after the gala concert.

Samar prov'l Comelec office seeks extension of signature verification

Catbalogan City - Citing low number of verified signatures, the provincial office of the Commission on Elections based in this city, has sought for the extension (of the number) of days for signature verification in relation to the recall bid against Samar Governor Sharee Anne Tan and her brother Vice Governor Stephen James Tan. (read more . . . )

Samar gov decries petitioners of using P-Noy for her ouster

Tacloban City - Samar Governor Sharee Ann Tan decried claims by those calling for her ouster of using President Benigno Aquino in pushing for their agenda. (read more . . .)

Rehearsing for the Concert

As announced, the CKC Youth Symphony Orchestra did a concert yesterday at the Cebu Grand Convention Center. There was a matinee at 4:00 pm while the gala was at 7:00 pm. Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma was among those who attended the gala performance.

I'll be posting some pictures of the concert as soon as I get hold of these. In the meantime, let me share the pix I took during the rehearsal.

(And for the night's repertoire, please check this link)

Happy Birthday Mama!

Happy Birthday to my mom, Victoria Ladrero - Ricafort. She will turn 74 years old today.

Filipino is one of three Asian Finalists in 2011 Imprisoned Artists Prize

Filipino political prisoner Ericson Acosta -- former editor of the UP Collegian, and a detainee for ten months now at the Calbayog, Samar sub-provincial jail -- is one of the three finalists in the prestigious 2011 Imprisoned Artist Prize to be announced on November 19 in the Freedom to Create Award Festival in Cape Town, South Africa. (Read more . . .)

The CKC Youth Symphony Orchestra goes to Cebu

And here's the concert announcement from the Cebu Daily News.