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Busy, busy are stores these days in anticipation of Christmas. At the mall the other day, I was overwhelmed with so many people busying into their Christmas shopping in spite of the current financial crisis and other crises as well.
Speaking of which, why was it so easy for P728 million and P9.2 million to, respectively, “go for scam” and to fund a few favored “euro generals” (and their wives, yet!)? And one of them, a retired/retiring general generously out to buy a couple of extremely high-priced watches for a friend (that friend’s money, okay)?
Developing events on the national front moved me to quote again, as I did in an earlier column, Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland observing there, that things were getting “curiouser and curiouser,” especially when she met the grinning Cheshire Cat (which should now be immensely amused at our current national news developments), and the Queen whose way to settle all difficulties was to order “Off with his/her head!” And the Mock Turtle speaking about the courses in his school at the bottom of the sea, as “Reeling, Writhing, and the different branches of Arithmetic: Ambition, Distraction, Uglification and Derision.”
Well, as I wrote this yesterday to meet my deadline, the news headlines in media continue to startle with the latest revelations. So enough said on that, for now. Because if we bewail all that we hear and read is bad news, actually the good news is happily reported, if you look for it.
Take Mayor Osmeña. He still maintains a saving sense of humor (including the familiar “arrogant bite”) as he gallantly goes through his current health crisis, and keeps in touch with his delegated city doings. And his nemesis, Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, a lady I also admire (and would also vote for if we in the city could do so) for her political will, tempering her ripostes for Mayor Osmeña, while standing by her convictions and plans for the province (now happily considering plans to invest in the SRP) with the Ciudad project on hold. And the same for Congressman Eddie Gullas (another friend and political figure I admire), who is happy at Talisay’s open prospects at the SRP.
With government officials like them, Cebu is proud to be “second only(?)” to the National Capital Region. And I admire them for their plans and accomplishments as government officials, and not because of any partisan politics. Happily, they are friends since before they became politicians. Ditto former governor Lito Osmeña of “Ceboom” accomplishments, though he is not on the current political stage.
There’s sad news about three Cebu cities being reverted back to town status. But activity towards a reversal of that decision is still in the works.
Meanwhile, happy fiesta to our neighboring city across the channel, Lapu-Lapu City, honoring its patroness, Birhen sa Regla (Lady of the Rule). Greetings to Mayor Arturo and Mrs. Paz Radaza, who is also mayor of Mactan and our Girl Scouts of the Philippines-Cebu Council president. Lapu-Lapu City’s fiesta celebration started with the colorful “Garbo sa Lapu-Lapu” fluvial parade last Wednesday.
Our own Cebu City is also launching its own garbo on Monday next week, December 1st, the 7th “Pasko sa Barangay,” a Christmas contest among various Cebu City barangays, which started seven years ago as “Pasko sa V. Rama.”
Belated happy birthday to Rorie Agudo, who celebrated with friends and her sisters at the beautiful seaside Agudo residence in Talisay last Tuesday night. She was our first record librarian at dyRC, then on Colon Street, in the late 1940s. Her sister Annie was dyRC’s secretary when we moved to the Lim Bonfing Building in the early 1950s. Her sister Perla was prominent on the social scene before Martial Law, after which she moved to the United States. Now she is the prime and active mover behind the revival of the popular Bachelors-Femina Club, which is holding its Innocents’ Day Ball in December.
My connection with the Agudos includes her brother Nestor, who was our dyRC record librarian when we were on Osmeña Boulevard, the site of which is now occupied by Cebu Doctors’ University and Hospital. My father knew their father Vicente before the war when he used to work for the telecom, while I came to know their mother Digna, a public school teacher, when I was also teaching in the public schools before and after World War II. Connections, connections.
Back to the present, the Zonta Club of Cebu, of which I am a member, held its monthly meeting yesterday at the Casino Español, which I shall report on next week. Meanwhile, the traditional annual Aboitiz Christmas gathering for media will be held at Marco Polo Hotel next Friday. While the CURTA (Cebu Radio and TV Artists Association) presents “Sam Enchanted Evening – 2” dinner-for-a-cause on Dec. 6 at the ballroom of the Baseline Restaurant. Our CURTA Christmas Party will be the day after, Dec. 7. That’s all for now, for this pre-Christmas Bystandering. Till next week, as always, may God continue to bless us all!
