Santacruzan in the new normal

The mother and son pair of Fiel Angeli and Renji as Empress Helena 2021 and Prince Constantine, respectively.

Most Filipinos, including Boholanos, are devout Catholics. They honor and celebrate saints on feast days. 

In the Philippines, May is a merry month not only because it is the season of fiestas with gastronomic treats, but of the “Flores de Mayo” - Spanish for "flowers of May", one of the devotions to the Blessed Virgin Mary starting from the first until the last day of May of every year. 

It is the time when girls believing in “Ad Jesum Per Mariam” – to Jesus through Mary – offer flowers and implore her intercession to bring their prayers and supplications to Jesus.

The Santacruzan, derived from the Spanish term “santa cruz” or holy cross, is being held on the last day of the Flores de Mayo. It depicts Saint Helena (Reina Elena) and Constantine the Great of Constantinople’s search for the “true cross”. 

Some trace its connection to May from the May 3 date of “Roodmas” commemorating the finding by Saint Helena of the true cross in Jerusalem in 355 observed on May 3 in some Christian churches and rites. 

In the Philippine setting, Santacruzan is made a colorful festival and has become an integral part of Filipino traditions identified with youth, love, and romance  because of the personalities who portray the biblical figures and traditional personifications during the procession with Reina Elena holding the holy cross beside Prince Constantine. 

In Bohol, even with the pandemic, Birhen sa Barangay Shrine Parish relived the Santacruzan offering of flowers to Mary spearheaded by Msgr. Jeffrey P. Malanog, JCL, VG, parish priest, that started with the rosary, novena, holy mass, and ended with a motorcade around Barangay Cogon, the biggest barangay in the Tagbilaran City in terms of population. 

Following the COVID-19 health and safety standard protocols, the sagalas as well as their escorts wore face masks and face shields. 

This year is special because there are, indeed, so many things to be thankful for, especially the “angels” here on earth for their outpouring of generosity for the fundraiser which totalled P421,670.75 for the church improvement projects, specifically the completion of the counseling room and priests’ rooms.

Cogon Birhen sa Barangay Shrine Parish' Msgr. Jeffrey P. Malanog, JCL, VG with Empress Helena 2021 Fiel Angeli E. Araoarao - Gabin and her son, JF Regelbert Johnson "Renji" as Prince Constantine, and John Nino M. Dacullo, Santacruzan 2021 Committee chair.

Empress Helena 2021 is Fiel Angeli Espejo Araoarao - Gabin, daughter of Rep and Wincie Araoarao and a resident of Graham Avenue, Cogon’s Purok 2 for the past 51 years. 

She is married to Engr. Jerome John Gabin from Siquijor and has 2 children, AJ Wincielou Johanna “Cielo” and JF Regelbert Johnson “Renji” Gabin who escorted her as Prince Constantine. 

The “sagalas” were Luzviminda Bayne, Purok 5 (Queen of Sheba); Lolita Acedo, Purok 6 (Rebecca); Leonisa Eroy, Purok 4 (Reina Caridad); Rebecca Yecyec, Purok 1 (Deborah); Marie Anne Udtohan-Diores, Purok 3 (Reina Fe); Irenea Tocmo, Purok 8 (La Divina Pastora); Rosa Nina Aranilla, Purok 12 (Hagar); Cecile Vitor, Purok 7 (Reina Esperanza); Maricris Tumale, Purok 10 (Esther); Lovely Pilayo, Purok 11 (Ruth); and Debbie Calabria, Purok 9 (Reina Madre). 

The fundraiser was coordinated by John Nino Dacullo, chair of the Parish Youth Coordinating Council, together with Flor Anabelle Cesar, Venice Doron, and Merlita Cagata. 

Fashion designer Aileen Sendrijas Pasagad designed Empress Helena 2021’s white Philippine terno.

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Women power in Audio-Bohol

Bohol Governor Arthur C. Yap is flanked by figures of women empowerment in the Audio-Bohol: incoming president Ma. Lydia D. Bantugan of the Department of Agrarian Reform – Bohol and outgoing president Fiel Angeli E. Araoarao – Gabin of the City Government of Tagbilaran.

Former Tagbilaran City beauty queen and information officer of the City Government of Tagbilaran  Fiel Angeli E. Araoarao - Gabin turned over the leadership  as  president of the Association of United Development Information Officers (Audio) – Bohol to Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) – Bohol’s Ma. Lydia "Merly" Diez- Bantugan. 

The simple but meaningful ceremonies was held at the newly-opened Green Thumb Farm Al Fresco Resto in Purok 4, Barangay Sambog, Corella identified as one of the Agricultural Training Institute - Regional Training Center (ATI-RTC) -7 learning sites for agriculture, as well as tourism bubble destinations in Bohol owned by Jares and Rona M. Denque.

Fiel, who served as Audio president for two years, was thankful for her “purposeful, fruitful, colorful, and insightful service as president. 

She challenged her information officer-colleagues to be creative by doing concerted efforts and actions that transcend beyond the “usual” talking and exchanging updates in one’s comfort zones, as information to be shared should not only be confined or limited to those from or about the LGUs and NGAs, but most importantly, about necessary or critical information that can inspire and motivate the human spirit and even help save lives, especially during this difficult time of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Merly, for her part, encouraged fellow officers to cooperate and work hard for the attainment of the mission of Audio-Bohol by cascading information from the local government units and national government agencies in Bohol. 

She also formally requested the provincial government of Bohol, through Governor Arthur Yap, who graced the occasion as inducting officer, to provide an office space for Audio-Bohol at the Old Provincial Capitol Building where the Audio-Bohol members can converge and share updates during the monthly meetings, as well as keep records.

Gov. Yap told the information officers that “You are a very important sector to our province in these critical times. Your work is to inform, to educate, to inspire, to raise the people's consciousness on issues, this need not be belabored". 

He expressed gratitude and pride to have been invited to administer the oath of the incoming officers who are tasked to steer the direction of the group that is committed to disseminate news about the development and progress in Bohol. 

The governor also reminded the Audio officers, as development information officers of the province, not to be swayed by news that are fake, unimportant, and has leaning toward discrimination.  

Back in 1999, there used to be two organizations of information officers (IOs) in Bohol: the Bohol Association of Public Information Officers (BAPIO) composed of IOs from the local government units (LGUs); and the Association of Government Public Information Officers (AGPIO) with IOs from the national government agencies (NGAs) as members. 

Then came the time when the two groups were merged to establish what is now known as the Association of United Development Information Officers (Audio) in Bohol committed to cascade developmental information. 

The group has expanded its membership and strengthened itself to become one of the most active, if not the most cohesive group of information officers in Central Visayas. 

One of the many factors of this is the many years of support and guidance of the Philippine Information Agency (PIA)-Bohol serving as convenor, under the guidance of different information center managers. 

For years, the Audio-Bohol has been working in tandem with the PIA-Bohol which is being housed at the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) Building at K of Drive, Barangay Poblacion 2, Tagbilaran City.

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