I WAS unable to write my column last weekend. I was bedridden after a hectic month of preparing the necessary requirements of the 31st Kafagway Sports Awards and the Silahis ng Pasko sa Baguio 2016 patrons joint recognition program held last Feb 11 at the Silungan Center of the City Social Welfare and Development Office at upper Session Road. Thank Godm the special event, from any perspective was extremely successful. The major international athletes and sportsmen awardees were in attendance to receive their corresponding tokens of recognition. The same is true with the Silahis ng Pasko honorees. Once again, the one-and-a-half hour affair glittered with sports stars and the other VIP personalities from our local city government led by Vice Mayor Edison Bilog, City Councilors Lilia Fariñas and Benny Bomogao and City Secretary to the City Mayor Raffy Tallocoy who represented the City Executive. Admittedly, the historic episode would have not been worthy and commendable without the patronship of City Mayor Mauricio Domogan, the Filipino-Japanese Foundation of Northern Luzon, Inc. Led by Executive Director Arnel Cabanisas, and award presenters BARP President Prof. Federico Balanag, City Councilors Faustino Olowan and Bomogao and of course, the Mayor and the Vice Mayor.
On the other hand, the athlete-awardees was headed by ONE world lightweight champion Eduard “the landslide” Folayang, world wushu gold medalist (2015-2016) Divine Wally, senior masters medaliust Erlinda Lavandia and father and son car racing champions Carlos and teener Iñigo, among others. The sportsmen honorees, among others, included Mark Sangiao founder of Team Lakay, Bishop Carlito Censon, promoter of golf tournaments; University of the Cordilleras Athletic Director Danilo Cong-o and mediamen Roderick Osis, Editor of Sun*Star Baguio and sports promoter Pigeon Lobien. The SNPB ’16 honorees who received their awards included Judge Emetrio Manantan of SLU SVP Housing Cooperative abd tri-media practitioners Romy Gonzales, Tom Picaña, Dobbie de Guzman, Edong Carta, Zaldy Comanda, Milo Brioso, Gabby Keith and all committee officers of the recent quest for the Baguio Lucky Foreign Visitors ’16 international tourism promotion project to accentuate the city’s and the NCCB-CSWDO Christmas Season offering. With the forthcoming Southeast Asian Games edition scheduled this year, we expect more Baguio-Cordi international athletes and sportsmen making wives in their respective sports discipline. Again, “maraming maraming salamat po” to all our project event sponsors, supporters and admirers and specially the event participants of our various religious, educational, fraternal, cultural, sports and tourism programs spread throughout the month of December.
This morning starting at 9 o’clock, officers and members of the BARP Foundation will gather together at the BARP Center Auditorium for their monthly assembly. The main agenda of the meeting includes the inspirational message of the guest of honor, the induction of new members, presentation and gift-giving to the birthday celebrants for the month of February, hosted by the foundation’s Legal Adviser, City Councilor Faustino Olowan. Another highlight feature of assembly, held every last Saturday of the month, will be the presentation of mutual benefits to legitimate relatives of recently departed members of the Foundation. The day’s assembly ends with the president’s minutes where BARP Foundation president-CEO Balanag will dish out the most recent developments and programs of the Foundation. Again, we would like to remind all BARP’ers to attend the assembly in uniform. We are also reminding members of the BARP Board of Trustees that a special meeting take place after the assembly, Important matters will be taken up.
Tomorrow, Sunday, a Holy Mass will be celebrated at the Shrine of the Brown Madonna along Km. 7, Asin Road. The Holy Eucharist is set at 9 o’clock in the morning to ve oddered by Rev. Fr. Alejandro, Formateur of San Pablo Seminary at Barangay Crystal Cave. The reverend is the Spiritual Adviser of the Shrine of the Brown Madonna and the National Correspondents Club of Baguio ( NCCB), the project sponsor in the development and maintenance of the place of worship which started in 1981. The Shrine is a symbol of our quest for national reconciliation, lasting peace and solidarity among all Filipinos wherever they are here in our country or overseas through the power of prayer and everlasting faith in Jesus, our Father and Savior and His blessed mother Mama Mary.
A group of officers and members of the Federation of Baguio Senior Citizens AssociatioN (FBASECA), led by its president Edita Ibarra and also the Punong Barangay of Upper Quezon Hill Barangay will offer flowers and candle lighted during the mass, couple Wilfredo and Brenda Leyson and family from Urdaneta City, Jaime and Gladys from Nangalisan, Tuba, Benguet, Raffy Policarpio from the city and yours truly and my betterhalf Consuelo Sol will also be at the fore of the celebration. In a way, the mass at the Shrinbe is our modest participation in the EDSA 31 nationwide observance scheduled from February 23 to 25 by the national government led by President Rodrigo Duterte. The general public, particulary Mama Mary devotees from the city and nearby Benguet Province Barangays are cordially invited to join us. God bless us!