Hi there! It’s another weekend. Let me do something different today. I was supposed to cap today’s column with this paragraph, but I decided otherwise. I had to put it on the first paragraph. Yup that’s how important the issue is for me. This was supposed to be a continuation or something related to the last paragraph of my column a week ago today. It explains today’s title which I borrowed from the Balangkas Resource Book:
(Once again,) in celebration of its Centenary, they are doing something about the Sts. Peter and Paul Cathedral. Enough with plenary indulgence billboard. Let’s pan our focus on what’s being done at the church (the building) itself.
They have started doing what they have announced as a landscaping project. Yup, As far as I can remember that’s what the announcement said: it’s a landscaping project. They are beautifying the cathedral in time for the centennial celebration next year. And the project amount is in the 7-figure level. Well, money should never be a problem, the people of Calbayog are rich, they never complained, or so I thought, or so I would like to believe. But I hope they (the Calbayongon) will take notice or at least give a second look if it’s the cathedral, the symbol of the religious and cultural history of Calbayog that’s being re-done (I know, the term is too mild, I can’t use the word I have in mind, otherwise I’ll be off this publication).
And what is happening? They are stripping off the plaster on the outer wall of the cathedral. As of this writing, they have stripped the plaster on the outer buttresses and so far exposed the red bricks and lime stones. Fine that will make it more authentic (read: old, antique) and hopefully inspire more people to visit the church which is a pilgrimage site and gain indulgence and become holier; and when you become holier, you become more generous.
My comments will end there. That’s because I still need to get hold other details about the project. In the meantime, I would like to give my friends in the diocese these friendly, albeit unsolicited reminders which I got from Balangkas, the NCCA Resource Book on the Care of Built Heritage in the Philippines:
- (On the conservation of structures) page 17, entry number 12 on what is “antiquing” and why is it wrong: removing the plaster to expose the stone – actually hastens the deterioration of the stone.
- (On specific concerns for Catholic churches) page 20: The Church of Las Piñas was stripped of its plaster. The stone wall is now eroding.
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Some local news: Last Tuesday, Mayor Sarmiento attended the Family Day cum 4-Ps Orientation Program spearheaded by the City Social Welfare and Development Office.
Mayor Sarmiento took time to be with some beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilya Pilipino Program (4-Ps) of the Office of the President. Said program was launched on the local level through the City Social Welfare and Development Office.
The assembly which was held at the Joggers' court in Brgy. East Awang was the first of a series of assemblies that the CSWDO will be spearheading in various barangays of Calbayog up to September 28, 2009. It is part of their effort to orient 10,821 indigent-beneficiaries from the districts of Calbayog who have been identified by the DSWD Regional Office.
Among the benefits that the beneficiaries will get is monthly financial assistance for their medical, school and other needs as the case maybe. The assistance could be availed from at least one year to a maximum of five years.
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Let me give you part of Eleen Lim’s report on the Kalayaan Barangay Program projects in Calbayog:
Calbayog City_/As the rest of the country marked the 37th anniversary of Martial Law, 5 barangays in the northern part of the city received the fruits of their “liberation” from being affected by the insurgents: the Kalayaan Barangays Program or KBP Projects of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
In a simple ceremony at Brgy. Peña in Tinambacan district, Col. Arnaldo Fernandez, Jr., commander of the 53rd Engineering Brigade, together with Col. Arnolfo Atendido, commander of the 803rd Infantry Brigade, turned over to city mayor Mel Senen Sarmiento and the 5 punong barangays the fully-accomplished KBP project packages consisting of a 2-room school building, a health center and street lights. The projects which cost around Php1.5 million per package were warmly received by the Barangay officials, health workers and teachers of Barangays Peña, Cagmanipis Norte, Malaga, Tinaplacan and Bugtong.
According to Lt. Col. Rizalito Tibon, the commanding officer of 543rd Engineering Construction Battalion which erected the said projects, the Kalayaan Barangays Program of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was intended for conflict-affected communities all over the country. It is specifically given to such barangays who lack the basic infrastructure projects such as school buildings, water system, and the like.
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And yes, just in case you might be interested, according to our bubwit (did I say our?) isang pari sa diocese ang nag-canvass na (yup, as in like canvass for prices and the like), nope, not for any church paraphernalia or machine or implement to be used by his parish, but (drum roll please!) for an SUV! La di da! Yun lang! Oops, to give him the benefit of the doubt, baka naman talagang need nga ng parish niya ang SUV. Oh! I’m not green with envy, I’m drooling, sana nagpari na lang ako, oops, me and my mouth!
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This is it for now. Have a nice weekend everyone. Ciao!
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