Bohol killer quake, sorrow & hope in words

Wake-uppers:

Seen: Gremerson Idulsa Aladad of the Bohol Island State University (BISU)-Tagbilaran has topped the Oct. 2014 Mechanical Engineer Licensure Examination.  Aladad got a 93.8 percent rating. According to PRC, there were 2,960 out of 3,841 who passed the exam.

Seen: Miss Bohol 2014 Queenie Melody Fullante is Miss JCI Phiippines 2014.

Fullante

Scene: October 15, 2014 is a special non-working holiday in Bohol, by virtue of Proclamation No. 887 signed by President Aquino.

Scene: Holger Horn is elected president of Panglao Scuba Diving Association (PASS). Other elected officers are Henry Hoeppner, vice-president; Laarni Lehtonen, secretary; Kwatz Gomez, treasurer; and Marlon Lamagna, auditor. The association is institutionalized through Municipal Ordinance No. 12, Series of 2013 and therefore fully recognized by the Municipality of Panglao.

Scene: The successful 1st PanubigFestival of Pilar town yesterday. Take a bow, Butch Bernas! Take a bow, Mayor Nita Cubrado!

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Day of disaster/I can never forget/tired and thirsty.

This Wednesday, Oct. 15, will mark the one-year anniversary of the horrific earthquake that struck Bohol.

In the year that has passed, much has changed. Mountains of rubble have not been fully cleared. Bohol mourns the deaths of more than 200 people and five missing, one year after.

When an earthquake hit Bohol, Latigo (FT. kidothz), a group of Boholano rappers, wrote these words in Nov. 2013:

linog! atung siyudad kay gi uyog/ daghang natumpag kay ang yuta ni kurog/ na hugno ang mga kabalayan/ unya nangaguba ang mga simbahan

waytubig, way kurente ug walay pagkaun/ nagdungan ang ka uhaw ug ang ka gutom / maonay problema sa mga biktima karun / mao ng mamalihug ta ko sa inyung donasyon

Another rap group, Anastazy Pro from Calape town, composed the song Bangon Bohol in Jan. 2014.

Collected here are recent images of those affected by the disaster, 

coping and moving on one year later. -LPU

Nakita sa kadaghan ang atoang katilingban,/ Akip na ang kahimtang ning atong ka igsuonan/daw na wad-an sa pagla-um,/ uban natong igsuon dili pa-ulahi para mobalik ta / ug mobangon sabay sampit sa kahitas-an / dili nato kalimtan ayaw huna-hunaa nga mo duol rata / kung kinahanglan kay wala siyay gi pili / andam siyang mo alagad sa atong palibot /  nga daghan na ang nanga samad.

Another song dedicated to the victims of the earthquake Bangon Bohol written by Ralph Maligro:

Itinayong tahanan gusali't simbahan / naglahong bigla , na parang bula /ang pangkabuhayan ng bawat isa/ 'san na napunta , 'san na kukuha

Bangon Bohol , bangon bol-anon/ Tayo ay sinubok lamang ng panginoon / ano mang hamon sa buhay haharapin/ lahat susuungin , lahat kakayanin

sa likod ng ngiti ay mga luha/ naghihinagpis nangungulila/ buhay'y nasawi , di na maibalik/ hinahanap-hanap , yakap mo't halik

Engr. Soc Saletrero’s Bangon Igsoon (Bohol Sandugo Song Festival 2014 grand winner), reminds us to put our trust in the Lord.  

Pailob lang igsoon sa na-aguman mo’ng katalagman nga ningdangat/ Hinumdumi nga ang tanan pagsulay man sa Kahitas-an.

Rhymathics Featuring Thea’s Bohol We Will Rise tells us that the Lord is our protector and strength.

Much has been said and written about the Oct. 15 quake. Yet, for all these words, the scope of the disaster and the depth of the sorrow have felt unknowable. The good part is we come to understanding/acceptance/moving on.

It’s now safe, /It’s over,/the Lord is on our side.

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Thanks for your letters, all will be answered. Comments welcome at leoudtohan@yahoo.com, follow leoudtohan at Twitter /Facebook.

Bohol will rise again!

Need to say more? The 7.2 magnitude earthquake that hit the province last Tuesday damaged infrastructures, pulverized historical monuments, polarized commerce, destroyed livelihoods and killed people.

Photo by Leo P. Udtohan

Hours after the quake, my heart broke when I saw the centuries-old churches destroyed by the killer quake. Oh, very sad! 

The quake was a great equalizer, sparing neither rich nor poor, neither the famous nor ordinary mortals.

Environmentalist Boy Ancog and friends are right that for being good and prayerful people, we are still lucky that:

. . . the calamity did not happen on a Sunday when all churches should have been crowded with churchgoers;

. . . the incident did not happen after 10:00 am, when all the malls should have been opened for jam-packed shoppers;

. . . that day was a non-working holiday where schools should have been full of children and offices and workplaces are full of working people;

. . . that it was daytime and everybody was awake and alert. . .

Truly, it is the nature of Nature to follow its course no matter what it cost . . . but it is God's nature to bring us miracles.

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Earthquake cancels wedding

Bohol is also famous as a wedding destination.  Our old churches give timeless and precious memories for those who want to seal their love in the province.

On July 15, this year, Mikel and Eden Ceballos (nee Descallar) got married at the famous Our Lady of Assumption Church or Dauis Church.

“We chose Dauis because the church itself is timeless. It was a privileged for us to hold our special day in Dauis,” said Mikel.

Joan Jagonos and Benjie Oliva

Three months after, the couple woke up last Tuesday and learned that the Dauis church severely damaged.

“We visited the Church and I cried. The place is very memorable for us where we promised to love each other,” said Eden, who is down-trodden by the tragedy.

The other day, the couple went to Loboc and Maribojoc to give relief goods together with their Globe Telecom family.

Dream weddings don’t happen easily.

It took former Commissioner of the National Youth Commission (NYC) and Department of Agriculture administrative officer Benjie Oliva and his wife Joan Jagonos over a year to prepare for their dream wedding which was supposed to be held yesterday (Oct. 19) at Dauis Church.

What the Oliva couple was not prepared for was a 7.2 magnitude earthquake that would shatter their wedding unforgettable.

“We decided t postpone the wedding considering the damage cost by the earthquake that hit Bohol. The Dauis Church was totally damaged,” said Benjie in an interview while he and Joan are volunteering at the St. Joseph Cathedral for the relief goods.

Mikel and Eden (nee Descallar) Ceballos

“We have no choice, I think it will be awkward to celebrate while there are countless people who are suffering because of the earthquake,” said Joan. “We can celebrate anytime but helping other people in times of need, you cannot postpone it.  You have to help now.”

They held relief operations in the affected areas of Catigbian, Loon and Maribojoc.

Even their honeymoon in Australia, scheduled for a few days after their wedding, was already set. But the couple decided to donate the money for the affected families.

“Joan and I decided that our budget for our honeymoon will be used to our relief operation,” said Benjie.

On the other hand, I heard that actor Cesar Montano is now finalizing a fund-raising concert for the quake victims and survivors.

GMA News: Click here.

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Thanks for your letters, all will be answered. Comments welcome at leoudtohan@yahoo.com, follow leoudtohan at Twitter /Facebook.