Confident Expectation and Commitment

(This column appears in today's edition of the Leyte-Samar Daily Express)

Hi there! It’s another weekend, a long one at that, thanks to National Heroes’ Day. Let me repeat my opening line in my column which came out last Wednesday (where I referred to this Monday’s holiday as Araw ng Kagitingan). It’s interesting to note that for two consecutive weeks we got long weekends to honor heroes, or at least what they stand (or stood) for. Now, what do you think do most of us do during long weekends (like last week and this week)? Rest, I suppose? As to the ideals that the heroes are there for, I guess we have to observe or at least be reminded about it not only during holidays, but in all the days of our lives.

* * *

Mobile Passporting Service in Calbayog. The City of Calbayog through the Local Civil Registry Office, in partnership with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) RO 8 will once again offer a mobile passporting service.

This service will be held on September 12 - 13, 2009 (Saturday and Sunday) at the Old Barracks Building (Handumanan) Conference Hall.

In line with this, authentication of Civil Registry documents will be conducted by the National Statistics Office (NSO) Provincial Office at the Calbayog City Hall Sala on September 10, 2009 (Thursday).

Basic Requirements for Mobile Passporting are:

· Four (4) Passport size photo
· Two (2) valid IDs
· Marriage Certificate (applicable only to married women)

* * *

Early this week, Mayor Mel Sarmiento was in Tacloban for an RDC meeting. In the agenda was the giving of a special RDC citation to Mrs. Lourdes Lauderes – Matan. It should be recalled that Mrs. Matan made it as one of the national winners of the 2009 Metrobank Search for Outstanding Teachers.

This year’s winners will be presented with plaques and cash amounting to Php 300,000 each during the formal awarding ceremonies at Metrobank Plaza in Makati, which will serve as the highlight of the 47th anniversary celebration of the Metropolitan Bank & Trust Company on September 4, 2009.

On September 3, 2009, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will confer gold medallions to this year’s awardees at Malacañan Palace. Mayor Mel Sarmiento was among those invited to the event.

This year’s winners will join the rank of 276 outstanding teachers, who have been honored by the Foundation for the last 24 years. They automatically become members of the Network of Outstanding Teachers and Educators or NOTED, an honor society of outstanding teachers committed to nurturing a culture of excellence and service among educators through professional development, publications, research, and advocacy in active

* * *

This is it for now. Let me leave you with what I got from a TV Talk show (the title of the show and the name of the person who said this line I don’t remember) and a homily last Sunday.

The title of the talk show and the name of the guest escapes me. What I did not forget was how simply he defined hope, as just that - confident expectation. So what about it? It was the simple presentation or definition of something that we need nowadays that got me; and that hope can come in forms we don’t expect.

On the other hand, I am reminded of the homily delivered by Fr. Jun Jungco last Sunday - the Sunday of Commitment. Among the points he said were that we will be mystified to know that even in a very difficult situation, even when one is already in a dilemma, one will be surprised that God Himself will find solutions to one’s problems which one did not even think about. God intervenes in our most hapless moment if we have recourse to Him because of our commitment. Huwag tayong padadala sa mga sigalot nga buhay, sa mga pagsubok sa buhay at sa ating pagseserbisyo sa gubirerno o pribado man. They are part and parcel to test our commitment. Even gold has to pass the test of fire in order to be sure that such gold is really golden. Let us all go back to the ideals of commitment and look at them as a redeeming factor for us to continue even when our commitment has become shaky and unstable. Lest we forget, God will always come to our rescue so that we remain faithful to our commitment.

* * *

Have a nice long weekend everyone. Ciao!