Grace Poe and her Bohol connection; Louie Digal’s Facebook account hacked

• Grace Poe and her Bohol connection

• Louie Digal’s Facebook account hacked

 

Wake-uppers:

Scene: The statue of St. Pedro Calungsod, the second Filipino saint, will arrive today, Nov. 25, at 10 a.m. at the Carlos P. Garcia Sports Complex.  A short motorcade will bring the statue to St. Joseph Cathedral passing through CPG Ave. where a liturgical ceremony will be held before the start of a Holy Mass. The Cathedral will be opened 24 hours for the veneration on Sunday. The statue will be brought to the Diocese of Talibon in a motorcade the following day.

 

Seen: Cory Quirino, owner of Miss World-Philippines franchise, was spotted in Bohol last Nov. 12. She dined at Gerarda’s (30 J.S Torralba Street, Tagbilaran City; Tel No. 038- 412 3044).  

 

Scene: The clan members of the Udtohan/Pajota will gather today, Nov. 25, to reconnect with family members and to celebrate the foundation of who they are. The 7^th grand reunion and election officers will be held at Libaong, Panglao. Assembly time is 7 a.m.at the residence of businessman Benjamin Udtohan, Sr along Airport Road, Tagbilaran City. The Udtohans from Tagbilaran City, Batuan, Bilar, Carmen, Sevilla, Danao and Sierra Bullones are expected to attend. Special guests are Gov. Edgar Chatto and 3^rd district Rep. Art Yap. Benjamin Udtohan, Sr. is this year’s over-all chair.

 

Seen:  Senatorial aspirant Rep. JV Ejercito of San Juan, Metro Manila was in Bohol recently. “I have my commitment to Bohol especially on tourism,” he said. He was all praises to the P-Noy’s administration in the government’s commitment of “daang matuwid” and “kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap” campaign.

 

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Grace Poe and her Bohol connection

 

Did you know that besides senatoriables Zambales Rep. Milagros “Mitos” Magsaysay (whose relatives are the Pernias in Panglao. She told Bared in May 2012: “Dami kong mga kamag-anak dito na mga Pernia ng Panglao.”) and San Juan Rep. JV Ejercito (with JCI friends  including Gov. Edgar Chatto and Rep. Rene Relampagos. He said, “Pabalik-balik na ako ng Bohol.”), former Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) chair Grace Poe -Llamanzares has strong Bohol connections? Grace Poe is running for senator in next year’s elections, an independent candidate, and FPJ die-hard supporters in Bohol are all-out behind her, even hosting a presscon among local reporters for her recently.

 

Da King's daughter

So what’s Grace Poe's other Bohol connection?

Although her Bohol visit was her first time, she has an attachment to Bohol because her father, the late Fernando Poe, Jr. (FPJ) or Da King,  told her many stories about Bohol. In fact, when she was a kid, Grace Poe was thinking the chocolate hills of Bohol were really made of chocolate.

“Akala ko totoong chocolate ang Chocolate Hills,” she told members of the press.

 

FPJ did shoot Esteban in 1972. The famous Alona Beach is named after FPJ's leading lady Alona Alegre.

"Malapit ito sa puso ng tatay ko sapagkat dito siya nagshooting ng pelikulang Esteban noong 1972," she said.

FPJ saw the beauty of Bohol when it was not yet a popular destination.

"Pero noon pa man hindi pa masyadong sikat ang Bohol sa mga turista, nakita na ni FPJ ang kagandahan ng lugar ninyo. Kaya kahit papaano ay merun po tayong attachment dito sa lugar na ito," said Grace Poe, "kaya kung ano ang aking magagawa para sa ikauunlad ng Bohol ay para na rin sa alaala ni FPJ."

She jested, "sana may FPJ beach din kayo."

Wife to Neil Llamanzares and mother of three (Bryan, Hannah and Nika), she is also planning to hold a film festival in Bohol to showcase FPJ films.

 

Grace Poe as a young girl with her parents, the Queen of Philippine Movies Susan Roces and the late FPJ. Courtesy: TeamGracePoe on Facebook/Twitter

From the time she was a little girl, Grace Poe was fascinated by politics and social issues. Grace Poe sees the need to focus poverty alleviation efforts on the family as a basic social institution. She wants government to take a more active role in helping children of poor families. She believes that the future of Philippines depends on the kind of citizens these children will become.

 

Last Friday, I (and other media friends, too), ehem,  got a text message from Grace Poe: “Maraming salamat po sa mainit ninyong pagtanggap sa akin. Mahalaga at makabuluhang karanasan po ang ating pagtatagpo. Inaasahan  ko pong simula lamang ito ng ating bukas, malaya at malalim na ugnayan. Maraming salamat poe! Karangalan ko pong makapiling kayo. Magkita-kita poe ulit tayo!”

 

See you next time Poe!

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Vice Mayor Louie Digal’s Facebook account hacked

 

Loboc Vice Mayor Louie Digal fell victim to internet pranksters on Wednesday, Nov. 21, when his Facebook account was hacked.

 

Digal

A message promoting “political and venomous announcements” popped up on the mayoralty candidate’s page, and Digal was unimpressed that his account had been illegally accessed.

 

“Someone hacked into my account.Please ignore all the rubbish being posted,” texted Digal.

 

Digal's Facebook friends reacted with a mixture of confusion and dismay, with Tessie Labunog-Sumampong  saying: "Louya sad ni vice gibinuangan! "

Another suggested the messages may not have come from Digal himself, while Cirilo Matildo Rule said: "dili unta mag binuang! kay ang mga taga loboc nakahibalo na ug kinsa ang angayan para sa position nga ilang gi ilogan. be fair lang gud!”

Digal scored his political enemies are behind the hacking.

 

He has regained control of his FB last Friday. He hired a technician to help him recover the password.

 

"Finally, after days of investigating and waiting, the account is back to its rightful owner," said Digal.

 

Last August, Facebook had revamped its privacy settings, making it easier for users to secure their photos, status updates and personal data.

 

It can be noted that Digal, who is running for Mayor in Loboc against Mayor Leon Calipusan, has been vocal of saying Calipusan’s administration is full of corruption. Lately, he filed string of cases against Calipusan before the office of the Ombudsman-Visayas for the malicious mischief and grave threats and for backhoe overprice.

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A screenshot of the hacked Facebook page of Loboc Vice Mayor Louie Digal. Courtesy: Tessie Labunog-Sumampong

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

St. Pedro Calungsod: A model of purity, faithfulness for the youth

This just in: A five-foot tall statue of Blessed Pedro Calungsod (who will be elevated to the altar of the Universal Church today, Oct. 21, the second Filipino to be canonized in the history of the Catholic Church after Pope John Paul II canonized Lorenzo Ruiz de Manila in 1987) found in barangay Malbog, Jagna town, is now a popular pilgrimage site. The only statue dedicated to Pedro Calungsod in Bohol, tourists and pilgrims pray before the statue and leave written prayers at the foot of the statue.

in Malbog, Jagna, Bohol

For centuries, Pedro Calungsod has been a symbol of hope for many Filipinos, despite the grim details of his short and painful life.

Boholanos hold some affinity to the Filipino saint having reportedly stayed in Loboc. In fact, some Boholanos (Bishop Leonardo Medroso and some 45 Boholano priests and pilgrims including Rev. Fr. Alfredo Amora, Rev. Fr. Presciano Boncales, Rev. Fr. Eutemio Espina, Rev. Fr. Felix Tabigue, Rev. Fr. Abet Uy,  former Gov. and Mrs. Constancio Torralba and daughter Fluer de liz Tubio, former provincial board member Corazon Galbreath, Atty. and Mrs. Jun Amora,  Jun  and Anabel Caturza with children Joannah Lou and Jun Constantine, Dr. Grace Araneta, Dr. Maria Jasmin Relampagos, Dr. Leta Cutamora, Mr. and Mrs. Perkin Ong, Mr. and Mrs. Efren Tanjay, Engr. and Mrs. Gregorio Sayson, Mr. and Mrs. Peregrino Real, Aquilina Malanog, Estela Malanog, Imelda Moser, Betty Balatero, Zosima Acuram, Joaquina Uy,  Erlinda Sarmiento,   Adelia de la Serna, Minda Nemenzo, Maria Elena Amodia,  Charlie Balani, Bernadette Rances,  Zenaida Tapang,  Cristita Toleron, Carmelita Azarcon, Marielle Cheza Acedo, Alberlita Morales  and Zarah Dejaresco of Angels' Wings Tours and Travel  who escorted and organized the pilgrimage) are on hand at Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome to witness Calungsod’s canonization.

Very little is known about Pedro Calungsod.  According to the Calungsod website, he was a teenage boy from the Visayas who went with some Spanish Jesuit missionaries from the Philippines to the Ladrones Islands in 1668 to evangelize the Chamorros.

 "Very little is known about him. We do not even know where exactly in the Visayas he came from or who his parents were," the site said.

Historians take great pleasure in locating the birthplaces of great figures from the past. This is particularly true when the birthplace has been the subject of heated debate, as is the case for Pedro Calungsod. There have been claims and counterclaims. The Calungsods in Ginatilan, Cebu claimed that Pedro was their great-great-great-grandfather.  Other said Calungsod was born in Molo, Iloilo City circa 1655. Boholanos said Pedro was from Loboc. For various reasons, however, none of these provides a satisfactory solution.

According to historian and cultural icon Prof. Jose Marianito Luspo, there was no record of Calungsod’s education in Loboc.  However, he pointed out that there is a possibility that Calungsod stayed in Loboc.

“Actually, I have not found any direct evidence to prove that Beato Pedro Calungsod ever studied in Loboc,” continued Luspo, “In fact, the only claim that the people of Loboc have about his origin there are people carrying the family name “Cal” living in the town. Other than that there has not any documentary evidence that he was a student.”

The Caturzas- Jun Caturza and his wife Anabel with children Joannah Lou and Jun Constantine- and other Filipino pilgrims are in Rome today to witness the canonization rites of the young catechist and martyr who remained true to his Catholic faith until his death. Contributed Photo

One thing is for sure- there was a school in Loboc, the Seminario Colegio de Loboc.

“They have undergone the same system followed since the beginning of the school. Training school dili na seminario para mga pari,” clarified Luspo, “The school was the training ground for westernization not only the religion class but also how to believe like a westerner including teaching them the western music.”

He elaborated, “We have to put everything in context.  The Jesuits in the places that were assigned to them, they opened schools for the natives. These are not ordinary natives but children of the local nobility. They started in Iloilo. They believed that to educate the nobility, when they would become rulers of the place or their own kingdom, they would make also everybody Catholic."

After 1604, Loboc has no record of the students of the school.

“We don't have records right now who were the students of the school,” said Luspo. “The school was a strong training in terms of academic and at the same time they are helpers of the missionaries. They kept moving around Bohol, these students assist the Jesuit missionaries.”

Asked if Calungsod belonged to a wealthy family, Luspo said that maybe Calungsod came from a prominent family.  “Either he comes from the royalty or local nobility; we never had a record of him.”

Msgr. Ildebrando Jesus Alino Leyson in his book Pedro Calungsod Bisaya, Prospects of a Teenage Filipino said that “"Calungsod" is a very native and descriptive Visayan family name. His family name is variously spelled in the different documents as "Calonsor,"  "Calongsor,"  "Calangsor,"  or "Calansor".  His real family name must have been Calungsod. The variations of the spelling of Pedro's family name in the documents may have been due to the Spanish authors' inability to accurately hear a Filipino name.”

His baptismal record cannot be found.  Most, if not all the baptismal records of the 17th century in the Visayas have been destroyed by fires, typhoons or termites.

The only source of information about him are found in the documents on the martyrdom of P. Diego Luis San Vitores, SJ.  

According to Vatican, Pedro Calungsod may only have been in his early teens (between 12 and 15 years old) when he went with Padre Diego to Guam in 1668. He was one of the young catechists who went with some Spanish Jesuit missionaries to the Ladrones Islands to evangelize the Chamorros. At that time, the Ladrones Islands were part of the Diocese of Cebu.  

Pedro died at 17 in Guam while trying to defend his fellow mission worker, Jesuit priest and now Blessed Diego Luis de San Vitores, when natives attacked them on April 2, 1672.

Calungsod was struck by a spear and his skull was split by a machete blow. Their bodies were then tied together and thrown into the sea.

“The record is not very clear. He was no longer affiliated with the Jesuits in Loboc. The Jesuits mentioned him by name which was very rare at that time. During the Spanish period, seldom you can find natives being mentioned.  There was no mentioned of Pedro Calungsod before, but he was martyred, his name was reported among those who died in the faith,” said Luspo.

Cardinal Vidal had called Calungsod a Cebuano, as he was part of the Cebu diocese at the time of his death. In the 1600s, the diocese included the whole of Visayas, Mindanao and the Marianas Islands. He was also the one who revealed that the young catechist would be known as “San Pedro de Cebu.”

Luspo clarified: “Everybody now, from Cebu, Iloilo, Bohol, is claiming he comes from his own province. But we should not quarrel over that. There was only one Visayan Jesuit mission at the time, the Cebu mission. Even if his name is Saint Pedro Calungsod de Cebu, the Cebuanos should be historically opened enough to admit that the Cebu there doesn't mean the only town or city of Cebu but it means the entire region.  Bohol and other islands are always reported under Cebu.”

“If you are considered a saint,” added Luspo, “you are saint with universal appeal. Saints are not supposed to be nationalistic figures that tend to be divisive in the long run. Saints are people who have gone above the call of nationality in order to answer the higher cause of the Universal church. Therefore, I am not convinced that the promotion of saint is based on regionalist or ethnic ground. It should be all for the glory of the universal church.”

In his homily during the beatification, Pope John Paul II called on the youth to emulate Calungsod. “From his childhood, Pedro Calungsod declared himself unwaveringly for Christ and responded generously to His call. Young people today can draw encouragement and strength from the example of Pedro, whose love of Jesus inspired him to devote his teenage years to teaching the faith as a lay catechist,” John Paul said.

The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said Pedro Calungsod is a model of purity and faithfulness for the youth.

If walls of Loboc Church could talk, I am sure it has many stories to tell about the young martyr.

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