Ang lalawigang Bol-anon
May anak nga bantugan
Matarung ug maligdong
Sulundon ug buotan.
Ang iyang mga mithi
Gugma ug kaangayan
Pag- alagad nga hingpit
Sa yuta tang natawhan.
Ug halad ka sa langit
Alang Bol-anon katawhan
Ang mga buhat mong matarung
Kanunay namong gikamingawan
Ang dila mong balaknon
Garbo ning yutang tabunon
Carlos P. Garcia buhi ka sa tanang panahon.
Ikaw mao ang kadasig,
Ikaw mao ang kalagsik,
Ikaw mao ang kahayag,
Sa dalan namong mangitngit.
Among paninguhaun ang pagsunod sa imong mga lakang
Ug ang imong pagtulun-an
Dili namo hikalimtan.
-- Carlos
P. Garcia: Bantugang Bol-anon
While singing and humming
that song (composed and written by Onecimo “Onie” Oclarit from his Ubilandia album), you and I can
further reflect on the greatness of the late Carlos P. Garcia as Bohol
celebrates his 122nd birth anniversary, Nov. 4.
 |
Pres. Carlos
P. Garcia’s commemorative postage stamp in 1973.
Contributed
caption |
As we remember CPG, may we
be inspired by his example of prioritizing the interests of the Filipino
people.
Born in November 4, 1896,
CPG was a teacher, poet, orator, lawyer, public official, political economist
and guerilla leader. His administration was anchored on three basic policies:
Austerity, Filipino First Policy and Cultural Revival.
Here are excerpts from the
post of Prof. Marianito Jose Luspo on CPG:
Recently, I have been asked why is it that CPG never
became popular among our people( no Garcia portrait in Philippine currencies,
no major Manila thoroughfare named in his honor, etc.), both before and even
now among millennials, especially the Boholano kind. Perhaps one reason is that
Nationalism during the time of Garcia had never been popular at that time.
We have to admit that from the 1950's to well into our
time, Filipinos have been notorious for the so -called "Stateside"
mentality.
How do you think Garcia's nationalistic policies be
received by the PX generation?
On the other hand, how would our present- day
generation living under this prevailing climate called Globalization appreciate
the rhetoric of Filipino First? In other words, the CPG legacy is saddled by
the misfortune of having occurred at the wrong historical place and time, a
beautiful song sung amidst the noise of adverse realities.
Still today, we continue to remember his birthday not
just because he happened to be one of ours, but also because this " one of
ours", the Lone Blue Star in the Bohol flag, once gave our people a dream
and a greater vision of ourselves as Boholanos, as Filipinos.
***
Loved ones should not be forgotten
At least 15,000 people
visited the Victoria Memorial Park on Thursday night, All Saints’
Day.
Most of them spent the
night at the park, according to Aurelio “Ondoy Kalag” Gahit, the park’s
caretaker.
After they offered
flowers, candles, and flowers, some family members had dinner.
Some teenagers wore
Halloween costumes such as “Valac,” a horror character. They roamed around the
cemetery for fun.
Instead of being scared,
some people came to have pictures taken with the horror character.
But the crowd was not bigger
compared to last year.
“Some came early to visit
their loved ones,” said Gahit.
 |
Some
residents have spent the night at the Victoria
Memorial Park in Tagbilaran
City, Bohol on Thursday, Nov. 1.
Photo by Helen Castaño |
The Victoria Memorial
Park, which opened in 1975, has around 3,000 graves. Notable interred here
include Doña Basing, JJ’s Obdulio Caturza Sr. and his wife Juana, businessman
Antonio Ong Guat, Dr. Prisco and Socorro Tallo, Gov. Erico Aumentado, Peanut Kisses matriarch
Carolina Alvarez, Grace Christian Church founder Dr. Nelson Rio Sr., educator-
lawyer Victoriano Will Tirol Jr. and his wife Cristeta, et al.
Gahit said police
visibility helped deter the occurrence of crimes in the area.
Memories give comfort as
people also visited the tombs of their loved ones. At the Taloto Catholic Cemetery, it houses
the remains of Gregorio Penaflor.
The Dampas Catholic
Cemetery in Tagbilaran City features the final resting places of many
professionals and leaders. Dean of Boholano journalists lawyer Zoilo “Jun”
Dejaresco and his wife Rosario, Miguel Parras, Bernardino Inting, UB treasurer
Asuncion Mira, composer and soldier Alberto Cainglet, former city councilor Dr.
Margarito Lim and Alona’s entertainer Uly Dolojol are among the most
recognizable of the interred.
Only a few meters away from Dampas Catholic Cemetery is the resting place for
United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) members. Interred here are Dr.
James Alexander Graham and his wife Merne. Graham was a native of Scotland, the
first medical missionary in Bohol. The Graham Avenue is named after him.
The Masonic Cemetery of the Dagohoy Lodge No. 84 also hosts some of the most
prominent deceased. First University of Bohol president Victoriano D. Tirol Sr.
and his wife Illuminada, educator Pio Castro, Catalino Castillo and Angelita
Tormis are among the diverse famous buried here.
My Visita Cementerio last week brought me to Anda Cemetery and
the ancient graveyard in Barangay Basdio, Guindulman.
Believers of Potenciana
Saranza, also known as “Inday Potenciana”, never forget.
 |
Instead
of being scared, Babie Baricuatro and some
people came to have pictures taken
with the
horror character “Valac” roaming around the cemetery.
Photo by Helen Castaño |
Every year, on All Saints’
Day, they gather before the tomb of local saint at her shrine inside the Anda
Cemetery.
Cresencia Gultiano, 63, a
resident of Anda, never missed a year visiting Inday’s grave. It’s been like a
tradition for her, right after offering candles for her dead parents, whose
crypts are also at the Anda Cemetery.
But only
a few boat coffins are now left inside the caves. Boat coffins can also be found in the towns of Duero, Candijay, Mabini and Anda.
Prof. Jose Marianito Luspo
said that boat coffins were utilized by our ancestors to understand the belief
system particularly in relation to beliefs about the soul and the afterlife. The boats were
thought as a vessel for “sailing” to the heavens and the stars.
“The secondary practice
here in Bohol stems from the belief that the passage of life to the next life
always takes on the passage way of water. This is actually part of universal
belief system of the importance of water in transmission of life,” he said.
Luspo said he would ask
the National Museum to save the remaining boat coffins.
“We really would like our
people to be aware of the importance of secondary burial coffin because this
will help understand that our culture is that age old and it has been here for
the past thousands of years and this will help chart our course towards the
future,” he said.
To all those who’ve gone ahead, our prayers and flowers.
From the press: Dean of Boholano journalists Zoilo Dejaresco, Palanca winner
and Bohol Sunday Post columnist Cloviz Nazareno, radio reporter Fil “Hitman”
Layao, Bohol Balita Daily News publisher Tony Silagon, Bohol Sunday Post
columnist-lawyer Isabelo Sales, dyTR’s Showbiz Chikka anchor Anzing Poquita,
radio reporter Ben Pingkian, Bohol Sunday Post publisher Boy Guingguing, Bohol Standard publisher and Tagbilaran
councilor- lawyer Aleckoy Lim, broadcaster Nestor Daarol, Reynaldo Daro, Sr. , Engr./Chairman Maurito
Lim, Loy Palapos, Joseph Ligan, and people’s lawyer Tim Cabatos.
***
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