Cebu Daily News / Opinion

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CONCERNED BYSTANDER Concerned Bystander : The lights and sights of Christmas By V.P. Vamenta Cebu Daily News Posted date: December 05, 2008 It was on a dark midnight ages and ages ago that three wise and learned men, the Magi, looked up to the skies, as did shepherds watching their flocks in the fields. They followed the Star which led them to pay homage to the Babe in the Manger in Bethlehem as angel choirs sang – the Magi with the regal gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh, and the shepherds with their humble flocks. And then last Monday, we in the Philippines also looked up to the night sky to see a rare planetary conjunction with Venus and Jupiter and the waning crescent moon forming a smiling face in the sky, which was seen on TV and later in the papers. Could this be a sign for our dark and difficult times, to look to the stars, as a reminder that, with the Advent of Christmas, we turn/return to prayer with hope and thanksgiving for God’s gift of Christmas? More good signs: our star lanterns, the Philippine “parols,” are starring in a current lantern contest for children, and pretty soon, the Misa de Gallo to presage Christmas joy at the birth of the Christ Child after which Christmas is named. As early as the last days of November, joyous Christmas parties started being celebrated. For us media people, the earliest was last week at the annual Aboitiz Christmas party at the Grand Ballroom of the Marco Polo Hotel. The theme was “Kasadya sa Pasko sa Barangay Aboitiz.” What fun it was “to be a child again” as hard-working media people played childhood games in a format inspired by the hit reality show “The Amazing Race.” Ten teams consisting of occupants of ten tables, each headed by an official of Aboitiz (our table was headed by AEV chief financial officer Stephen Paradies), each had to race through ten childhood games to win the major prizes. As a real (and senior!) Bystander, I sat it out and had as much fun watching everybody. Some of the games were “Luboay og Mais,” “Kaguray og Lubi,” “Bagul Race,” “Roll that (Huge) Tire,” and “Punong Brazo.” Besides the major prizes and the valuable raffle prizes, all of us got at each table minor gifts and, before the ballroom dancing got underway, two big gift bags filled with valuable items and food items. Thank you, Aboitiz! Meanwhile, more on what I already previewed in last week’s column. Last Monday, the first of December, Cebu City launched “Pasko sa Sugbo” and “Pasko sa V. Rama” activities, with houses, commercial establishments, and streets enjoined to put up Christmas decorations centering around the traditional Belen portraying the Holy Family with the Christ Child in the manger, while yesterday, “Fiesta sa Carbon” opened. Tomorrow night, the Cebu United Radio and TV Artists, Corp.’s (CURTA) dinner for a cause, “Sam Enchanted Evening,” opens at Baseline Restaurant. While our CURTA annual Christmas Party will be held the following day, Sunday, at founder Mil Rizada Jr.’s Labangon residence. For time out on the busy pre-Christmas days of preparations and anticipations, Mil and Rose Rizada invited me to a quiet dinner with a former dyRC talent of ours, Delia Gandiongco and her Australian husband Jeff, now on an extended visit to Cebu from their Australian residence. Delia was one of our very best singers during the early years of dyRC, and who later turned to professional singing. We had a wonderful time reminiscing over our golden years with dyRC. Would you believe – we broke up after midnight, saying “Good (early) morning”! I look forward to seeing Delia and Jeff in tomorrow night’s “Sam Enchanted Evening” at the Baseline Resturant, where she used to sing and where Jeff met her after which they eventually married. Memories. Last week, I mentioned that Ester Velasquez recently retired as Cebu Normal University (CNU) president and is now a consultant on international relations for the provincial government. Well, next Friday, CNU will hold the Investiture Ceremony for its Third University President, Dr. Marcelo Lopez, at the University Public Square, 5 p.m. I look forward to returning to my alma mater then, for even more memories. I would like to go on with reflections on the state of education today, but that should hold for next week. Meanwhile, last Nov. 30, we paid homage to the man that our country considers our other National Hero, the Great Plebeian, Andres Bonifacio. Cebu City observed it with a Heroes’ Walk on Colon Street to launch “Kasadya sa Downtown 2008,” part of the Cebu City government’s project to revitalize the country’s oldest street. There, 65 booths display items and products from all over the country, as the city does along Osmeña Boulevard during the Sinulog festivities. With just 19 days before Christmas, here’s wishing you even more of God’s blessings!