Wake-uppers:
Scene: Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao and Mexican legend Juan Manuel Marquez will try to settle
who's the best boxer in their prime when they clash December 8 (December 9,
Manila time) for the fourth time. Where to watch for free? Geresonic
(along Ma. Clara Street) and Diccion
Electronics (along CPG Avenue fronting the Bohol Cultural Center) provide small
screens for their parokyano for the nth time. If you want to witness the fight
on a wide screen, go to Island City Mall
Screenville Cinema and BQ Mall
Cinema.
Scene: All roads lead to
Sevilla and Booy District, Tagbilaran City on Dec. 12 for the fiesta, in honor
of its patron saint Our Lady of
Guadalupe. Happy fiesta to all the good people of Sevilla headed by Mayor Ernesita Digal. Like Sevilla,
Booy District in Tagbilaran City will also celebrate its barangay fiesta lead
by Barangay Captain Jun Telmo. It is
also a nationwide celebration in Mexico in honor of Virgin of Guadalupe.
Scene: The Loboc town
plaza comes alive with a dancing lights and vibrant Christmas parols. Christmas lights adorn the facade
of the centuries-old Loboc Church.
Scene: There was no streetdancing
during the Sambat Mascara y Regatta Festival in Loay town last Dec. 1.
Scene: The Philippine National Police (PNP) told Rappler.com, a social news network
where stories inspire community engagement and digitally fuelled actions for
social change, that Bohol is the only province in Central Visayas that has private armed groups (PAGs). PNP says
PAGs are organized groups of two or more persons,
legally or illegally armed, who use their weapons to intimidate for political
or economic purposes. Meanwhile, another website www.boholrepublic.com posted the same news and asked, “Where
are Bohol’s 2 private armed groups at?”
***
Fishing vessel ravaged by Pablo. LPU |
Willy
“Robocop” Maestrado (of dyRD), Edward Guyano (of dyTR) and I searched for news the morning after Typhoon Pablo (international name
Bopha) visited the province.
Pablo was relentless.
Hundreds were forcibly evacuated in several areas of Bohol as Pablo headed towards land. Residents were evacuated in Villalimpia, Loay , barangays Looc and Cantagay in Jagna, barangay Magsaysay in Sierra-Bullones, Bool in Tagbilaran City, barangays Casbu and Trinidad in Guindulman, Moalong River in Loon and Mantatao Island in Calape.
We also witnessed how Pablo ravaged
eight fishing vessels in Mayacabac, Dauis town.
Fishermen try to look for the missing boats.LPU |
Some 100 Badjaos were evacuated in Totolan because of the
rising waters. Dauis Mayor Jimmy Jimenez who, unlike most public
servants/officials who forever “cannot be reached, please try again later,”
answered the call himself. He spent sleepless night monitoring the situation.
It was Mayor Jimenez who told us that there’s one
casualty in his hometown.
We checked with the Badjaos several minutes after we
interviewed Mayor Jimenez and they said that, yes, the Mayor had helped them
while they feared for their lives.
More small talk.
Jimenez: Quick to the rescue |
On the way back to Tagbilaran yesterdays afternoon, we
saw on TV scores of people in Compostela Valley and Davao del Norte (and other
parts of Visayas and Mindanao) begin to rebuild their lives from massive death
and destruction wrought by Pablo last week.
The
storm is over now…
***
Perhaps
because of advances in technology, not many people bother to send Christmas
cards like they did in olden times. They simply text or email which are
admittedly faster and much cheaper. Oh, sad!
That’s
why Tessie Labunog-Sumampong of Loboc Riverwatch was so thankful when
she received a Christmas card from someone special — the Queen of All Media Kris Aquino.
The
card has picture of Kris and siblings. It is written by Kris herself which says,
“Merry Christmas to you my friend. I thank God for the blessing that is you.”
So
Tessie treasures the card.
“I
didn’t expect a Christmas card from Kris. I was thinking that Christmas cards
are passé,” says Tessie. “This is my first Christmas card I received this year.”
Meanwhile,
Tessie also shares that the Kapamilya Network will have
a new teleserye. Part of the story,
there will be scenes situated in Bohol.
ABS-CBN
will bring another quality entertainment to the Filipino viewers worldwide as
it will launch a new project, May Isang
Pangarap, topbilled by Vina Morales
and Carmina Villaroel with a special
participation of Rico Blanco.
If
plans do not miscarry, the shooting will be on Dec. 13.
May Isang Pangarap is a series that
will showcase acting, singing and dancing prowess of its cast. It will be directed
by award-winning Jerry Lopez- Sineneng
(of
who visited Tessie in Loboc last week.
***
Thanks for your
letters, all will be answered. Comments welcome at leoudtohan@yahoo.com, follow
leoudtohan at Twitter /Facebook.
Jerry Lopez- Sineneng
(front, extreme right) who will direct the Kapamilya’s new teleserye.
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