Beautiful Cebuanas are not robots

“Hi! Please cover the Miss Cebu 2009 media event this noon. Eight candidates will be there.” The text message read as I struggled to get up from bed from a late night. “Sure,” I typed in a quick reply pretending I was disinterested.

What a beautiful way to start off 2009. This job seems to get better and better. During a live radio program held at Kia Gorordo just recently, eight of the 12 candidates in the upcoming Miss Cebu Pageant were present for a simple get-to-know gathering.

Vying for the coveted crown this year are Ana Coritha “Coring” Desamparado, Sheda Lynn Dusaban, Christine “Kit” Tan, Nadia Claire “Carmel” Urbino, Tara Frances Oliver, Ethel Bitoon, Phoebe Kaye Fernandez, Kimberley Therese “Kim” Burden, Michelle Iva “Isa” Eguia, Angela Grace “Eiya” Alinabon, Rizzini Alexis “Rizzi” Gomez and Kris Tiffany Janson.

A question was raised during the table talk about how these ladies would react to people stereotyping beauty pageants as a mere “business enterprise.” Every contestant disagreed.

“It’s not only a beauty pageant. It’s a venue to mold great women,” Tara replies.

“And this is just not for fun. This pageant is a very good platform to promote what you believe in,” Isa says.

Kimberley—who’s a self-confessed first-timer when it comes to pageants and beauty contests—let us in on to a little trivia.

“My mom had a great influence on me. She was a former Bb. Pilipinas candidate and she’s also a cardiologist. She’s proof that beauty and brains is a reality,” she shares.

A fun discussion about self-defense also transpired.

“Anyone of you girls skilled in arnis?” Radio and TV show host, and Sun.Star Cebu entertainment columnist Sam Costanilla joked.

Rizzi relies in the power of possessing “two cans of pepper spray.” And Kris says that “she prays to her guardian angel” everyday and that gives her protection. Isa did give a line though, which the eight seemingly agreed to and they repeated in chorus. “Hit them where it hurts.” These girls can get “scary,” but you half think they are joking.

They were also given the opportunity to share what they think their assets are.

Sheda thinks she’s the “patient and understanding” type and those would be her best traits.

“Sincere and pure.” Only two words came out Phoebe’s lips, but one can still sense conviction and certainty in her reply. But there was a notable line that caught everyone’s fancy though.

“Well,” she pauses and smiles. “I’m just the kind of girl that when I love— I love,” Coring replies and in an instant, you can feel every heart melt like mozzarella in the room and voices going “aww.”

Some of the ladies weren’t able to attend the talk show as they had other matters to look into. Carmel was out of town. Ethel, a CPA and general ledger accountant, had to report to work. The group did visit Sun.Star Cebu days later, but the two still couldn’t make it for various reasons.

The tension leading to the final day is building up. The awaited pageant will be held on Jan. 14, Wednesday night, at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino’s Grand Ballroom.

I guess we’ll have to wait a few more days before we find out who will be crowned Miss Cebu 2009.

Sentro kang Sto. Niño (Sinulog Update)

NABALAKA ang kadagkuan sa Simbahan nga daw nawagtang na ang pagka relihiyuso sa atong pagsaulog sa Sinulog.

Grabe na kuno ang pagka komersyal niini ug nabahiran na sa pulitika.

Ang ato lang mao: ingon man gyud niini ang pista bisan sa mga gagmayng lungsod. Dunay daghang mga kalingawan, mga gagmayng negusyo ug magpapapel sab ang mga pulitiko.

Apan klaro nga ang sentro sa kasaulogan mao ang novena, ang misa, ug ang prosesyon.

Gani, nagkaanam kadaghan ang manambong sa mga kalihokan sa simbahan labi na ang religious procession karong umaabot nga Sabado.

Bisan pa man, angayan lang sab nga pahinumdoman ang mga Sugbuanon nga kining atong kasaulogan karong semanaha nagsentro kang Senyor Sto. Niño.

Gani, ang sentro ug inspirasyon sa giingong grand Sinulog parade nga gipasiugdahan sa Sinulog foundation ug sa Syudad sa Sugbo mao man ang Senyor.

Dugang pa, di nato kalimtan nga kining Sinulog mao kini ang sayaw nga pangaliya kang Senyor Sto, Niño sukad pa kaniadtong panahon sa mga Katsila.

Gipadayon nato kining maong tradisyon ug di na kini mawala pa gikan kanato.

Midaug sa Sinulog sa dakbayan kagahapon

MALAMPUSON ang pagpahigayon sa Sinulog sa Kabataan sa Dakbayan kagahapon sa Cebu City Sports Center.

Ang mga mananaug sa kategoriya sa elementarya: Lahug Elementary School, unang dapit; Pasil Elementary School, ikaduhang dapit; PuntaPrinsesa Elementary School, ikatulong dapit; Talamban Elementary School, ikaupat nga dapit; ug Banawa Elementary School, ikalimang dapit.

Sa kategoriya sa sekondarya: Don Sergio Osmeña, Sr. Memorial National High School, unang dapit; Camp Lapu-Lapu National High School, ikaduhang dapit; Pardo National High School, ikatulong dapit; Florencio Urot Memorial National High School, ikaupat nga dapit; ug Abellana National High School, ikalimang dapit.

Ang Best in Costume nakuha sa Camp Lapu-Lapu National High School.

Mga sindikato nangabot, mopahimulos sa Sinulog

HUMAN sa kapistahan sa Black Nazarene sa kaulohan, gipaabot nga karong semanaha hinayhinay na nga mangabot dinhi sa dakbayan ang nagkadaiyang sindikato sa mga kawatan ug mangunguot alang sa Sinulog.

Subay niini, gihingusgan na usab sa kapulisan ang ilang pagbantay batok sa maong mga grupo pinaagi sa pagpahugot sa ilang monitoring ug pakig-alayon sa management sa mga pension house ug mga guwardya sa mga mall ug kan-anan.

Gitug-an ni S/Insp. Michael Anthony Bastes, hepe sa Theft and Robbery Section (TRS) sa Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) nga ilang gipaabot nga maghinayhinay nag pangabot dinhi ang mga kawatan nga gikang namiktima atol sa kapistahan sa Black Nazarene didto sa kaulohan.

“Kadtong atong nadakpan sa unang mga tuig gikan to sila sa Black Nazarene kay inig human didto, anhi man dayon dire,” niingon si Bastes.

Hinuon, niingon si Bastes nga gawas sa mga notadong mga personalidad nga ila nang nailhan human usab mangasikop, maglisod gyud sila og identify sa ubang mga kawatan.

Ang pagpaniid nalang sa mga lihok maoy bugtong paagi sa kapulisan sa pag-identify kanila.

“Mailhan mana nimo sila pinaagi sa ilang lihok kay kon ang uban magtutuok gyud og tan-aw sa Sinulog, kana sila magsige og lakaw-lakaw, magbahas-bahas kay mangita og biktimahon,” pagtug-an pa ni Bastes.

Sanglit di man tanang mga kawatan o mangunguot ang mabantayan sa kapulisan, matod ni Bastes nga nakig-alayaon na sila sa mga guwardiya sa mga mall ilabina na sa mga kan-anan.

Duha ka dagkong fastfood chains nga base sa nangaging tuig maoy sagad gisudlan sa mga kawatan ang giadto na ni Bastes aron pahimangnoan ang mga guwardiya.

Matod ni Bastes nga iyang gitudloan ang mga guwardya unsaon pagbantay sa mga kawatan.

“Kanang mga tawo nga inig sud di mo-order, maglingkodlingkod lang unya magbalhinbalhin og lingkuranan,” dugang tug-an ni Bastes.

Samtang ila usab nga giadto ang ubang mga pension house ug gipasidan-an sa pagtawag dayon sa kapulisan kon dunay mamatikdang mga tawo nga kadudahan og mga lihok.

Matod ni Bastes nga sagad usa ra ka tawo ang mo-check-in kay kadaghanan kanila way mga identification card.

Sagad sa mga sindikato gikan sa Ormoc, Metro Manila ug Mindanao.

Hapit na 2009 Sinulog Festival

Hay! hapit najud ang sinulog festival sa Cebu. After christmas ug new year mao napud ni ang dakong celebrasyon nga ginahulat sa tanang bisaya. Ginacelebrar ni every third sunday of January. Sa mga deboto ni Senor Sto. Nino viva Pit Senor!
Dili lang diri saCebu, bisag unsang dapit sa Pilipinas ug sa abroad ga sinulog sila.
Excited na kaayo ko sa Sinulog, daghan napud bag ong nawong atong makita ug ma kauban.

Daghan pang update ani ako ipost sunod.

STO. NINO FESTIVAL (Nationwide)

A grand procession of over two hundred well-dressed images of the Child Jesus.

History:

The Santo Niño de Cebú ("Holy Child of Cebu") is a Roman Catholic depiction of the Child Jesus, similar to the Infant Jesus of Prague, and other venerated statues. Like them, it is clothed in textile robes. Santo Niño de Cebú literally means "holy child of Cebú." For centuries Santo Nino served as the patron saint of Cebu, and continues to be celebrated at the Sinulog, the primary festival of Cebú. Currently, the statue is the oldest Roman Catholic relic in the Philippines, and it is located at the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño in Cebu City, Cebu.

In April 1521, Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, in the service of Charles I of Spain, arrived in Cebu during his voyage to find a westward route to the Spice Islands [1]. He persuaded Rajah Humabon and his wife Hara Humamay, to pledge their allegiance with Spain. They were later baptized into the Catholic faith, taking the Christian names Carlos and Juana. Magellan gave Juana the Santo Nino as a symbol of the alliance. However, Magellan died during the Battle of Mactan later that month, and the alliance became more or less moot.

The Spanish returned to the Philippines in February 1565. Cebu was the first stop of Basque explorer Miguel López de Legazpi, who would later found Manila. He defeated Rajah Tupas (nephew to Humabon) on April 27, destroying the village in the process. The Santo Nino was found relatively unscathed in a burnt-out dwelling. This event was quickly acknowledged as miraculous, and a church was later constructed on the purported site of the discovery. Today, the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño is an important historical and religious landmark in Cebu, with devotees forming long line up to pay their respects to the Holy Child.

The Holy See has approved special liturgical texts for use during the local Feast of the Santo Niño in the Philippines, set on the third Sunday of January. The festival that follows is known as the Sinulog, which combines the street festivities and religious devotion of the Cebuano people.

More updates about Senor Sto. Nino Festival (Sinulog Festival)