Wednesday, October 08, 2008 A wedding and a book launching By Jenara Regis Newman
FOR Erlito “Junjun” Ortiz Jr., and Ma. Luisa “Malou” Jurado, Aug. 8, 2008 was an auspicious date to commit to a lifelong togetherness. The couple was married at the Sacred Heart Parish Church with Bernardita Jurado de la Rosa, Alicia Leynes, Marylou Llenes, Rowena Divino, Engr. Edgar Batiquin, Andy Manatad, Nestor Abello Jr. and Engr. Christopher Momongan as principal sponsors. Reception was held at the JBK Pension House rooftop.
The bride is the daughter of photographer-about-town Loy Jurado and his wife Inday.
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Do you know why the Philippines is called the Pearl of the Orient Seas? That is the subject of a book recently launched at the Casino Español by the Centre for International Education (CIE) together with another book. The Pearl Principle subtitled Ang Diwa ng Perlas ng Silanganan, both by educator Professor Nelia Cruz Sarcol.
The first book, The Legend of the Pearl of the Orient Seas, is an illustrated book that tells of a journey of Chinese merchants in search of goods to trade in neighboring lands. In a storm, they were shipwrecked and were led to the Philippine islands by the glitter of lights which they thought came from mermaids said to possess highly luminous pearls. Rescued by the natives of the place, the merchants discovered that “the greatest treasures are found in the hearts of the people.” The book is illustrated by artist Andrew Barba.
The Pearl Principle, on the other hand, espouses a modern-day workable Philippine ideology through the ten tenets of the Pearl Principle. The principle “is rooted in the transformation of adversity into a gem of life… as in the creation of a pearl.”