The Rite of Ordination: "Brother, Let Me Be Your Servant..."

"Brother, let me be your servant...Let me be as Christ to you...Pray that I might have the grace to let you be my servant, too..."

(The seminarians of the Sacred Heart Seminary 

of the Diocese of Bacolod) 

These lyrics of The Servant Song as sung by the seminarians of the Sacred Heart Seminary rang throughout the walls of the San Sebastian Cathedral as the Most Reverend Patricio Buzon, Bishop of the Diocese of Bacolod, and Diocesan priests welcomed with Christ's embrace the three new Servants of God, Rev. Emiel Pasco Mijares, Rev. Rommel Falc Gomez Palivino, and Rev. Joemar Docto Solano, as they were ordained into the Sacred Order of Presbyters on January 14, 2020.

(Bishop Patricio Buzon, SDB, DD. 

leads the ordination of the three ordinands)

This was the first time I attended an ordination, although during my formative years spent at a Catholic school I was surrounded by priests whose duties, I understood then, included guiding our young lives and molding our characters with strong Christian virtues and values.

That morning, before the ordination, as I watched the three ordinands walked with their parents to the Cathedral’s altar, I realized it was a symbolic procession of a mother and father offering their child to God, much like Abraham’s offering of his son Isaac as his sacrifice.

As The Servant Song ended on the last rite, the Kiss of Peace, before Rev. Emiel, Rev. Rommel, and Rev. Joemar joined Bishop Buzon to celebrate their first Mass as Catholic priests, their dreams of becoming priests were fulfilled amidst the applause of everyone in the Cathedral that also brought a special kind of joy and happiness to their parents and families.

Witnessing a ceremony full of symbolisms and traditions as old as the Church itself, I also realized that it was a fulfillment of one man’s sacrifice to serve Jesus and His Church for the rest of his life.

And as the choir continued to sing the words of The Servant Song’s, “We are pilgrims on a journey…We are brothers on the road…We are here to help each other…Walk the mile and bear the load”, we, as parishioners, should help in their ministry as we are part of the journey of Rev. Miel, Rev. Rommel, and Rev. Joemar.  And while the rite of ordination had been completed, their work as Servants of God has just started.

And with each Holy Mass they celebrate, each holy sacrament they administer, and each blessing they give, we should pray for them till they have seen their journey through.

                                  
                                *  *  *  *  *

Here's a short clip on the rite of the 'Kiss of Peace' that I took during the ordination.

                                 * * * * * 

This piece was originally published by ADSUM, the official publication of the Diocese of Bacolod, Negros Occidental, Philippines.

In its issue for February 16 - 22, 2020.

#itsmorefuninthePhilippines : Silay's Kansilayan Festival & Street Dancing Competition 😍

It is called the Paris of Negros because of its charm, heritage, and being home to famous artisans and artists, according to an article at Reader's Digest I read when I was in grade school. 

Well, Reader's Digest forgot to mention that, more than just a treasure of heritage homes and culture, for me, Silay City is my center of gastronomic delights on the Negros island here in the Philippines!

From fresh lumpia to panara, to dulce gatas and Monsignor Gaston's adobong milyonaryo! One lunch break or an afternoon wouldn't be enough to squeeze in these culinary treasures into one enjoyable meal time! That's why during the City's festivities, there's Kaon Ta Festival at the Balay Negrense grounds along the Cinco de Noviembre Street every June during the Kansilayan days. If it were not for this awful pandemic, I would have been there again myself!😃

Photographs of well-preserved heritage homes you'd see online couldn't even compare to the festival of flavors on your palate when you savor the native delicacies from recipes of old Silaynon families. And the one stop you can enjoy these goodies is El Ideal Restaurant which is just about five minutes from the Bacolod-Silay Airport. Whether you're arriving or departing from that airport, an enjoyable visit to El Ideal is a must!😄

On June 12 every year, Silay City celebrates the anniversary of its being declared a Chartered City, and it is one of the top 25 tourist destinations in the Philippines with its role as a center for the arts, culture, and ecotourism in this part of the country.

And to bring color, fun, and artistry to the streets of Silay City, the Kansilayan Festival holds its street dancing and arena competition, where creativity and showmanship of local Silaynon performers entertain and impress locals and tourists alike.

I am glad I was able to enjoy the street dancing competition last year. But with positivity and prayers, we will all celebrate the Kansilayan Festival again once this pandemic blows over.

These photographs remind me how fun it was, even under the heat of the noontime sun.😎

See you next time, Silay!😍

#itsmorefuninthePhiippines : What MassKara Festival Can Learn From Dinagyang Festival

Yes, Bacolod City's famous Masskara Festival can definitely learn from Iloilo City's Dinagyang Festival (read blog here), which, ironically, is just a short ferry ride away.

Last year, I attended both Dinagyang and Masskara Festivals. Dinagyang is held every January (read blog here); Masskara in October.

Dinagyang Festival, which is one of the most popular festivals in the Philippines alongside Ati-Atihan of Kalibo, Aklan, Sinulog of Cebu City, Masskara of Bacolod City, and Kadayawan of Davao City, showcases the aeta, or ati, history of Panay Island.

Although the streets of Iloilo City were closed to vehicular traffic, the residents and local and international visitors to the city were able to watch the performances of the competing tribus, or tribes, because the organizers of the Dinagyang Festival assigned five (5) performance stages around the city center where the tribes performed.

The closest performance stage to our hotel in Iloilo City was just a hundred meters away, but since the tribes had to move from one performance stage to the next, all of them passed right in front of our hotel, where we just conveniently waited and took photos.

After a weekend enjoying the Dinagyang Festival, we left Iloilo City as very happy tourists.

Then came the Masskara. 

                   (Masskara souvenir masks)

Having lived in Bacolod City, the host of Masskara Festival, I thought it was just easy to watch and enjoy the performances of the participating tribes.

I was wrong.

Since the tribes competing at the Masskara Festival were performing only at one spot, the Bacolod public plaza, you have to squeeze through the tight crowd to get a seat around the performance spot. Those seats I think were reserved for local officials and local sponsors. So, if you're not a politician or a bigshot businessman, you can never get a seat in there; you'd never be able to watch the performances during the Masskara Festival highlights at the public plaza.

In short, if you're a nobody, you never get a seat at the grandstand.

(Bacoleños at the Araneta Street entrance could not get into the Bacolod public plaza grounds)

Last year, I attempted to watch at the public plaza but it was locked down by the police. They closed off the area mid-afternoon and only the people who were there early were inside. If you were trying to get inside the public plaza premises before the performances, you could never get in. Disappointing.

(I joined the disappointed people who 

were turned away by the police at the 

Bacolod public plaza entrance) 

(Kept out: The scene at the Araneta St. 

entrance to the public plaza)

I tried entering through the entrance in front of the San Sebastian Cathedral, they wouldn't let us in. I walked around the plaza and ended up at the Araneta Street entrance, still no luck. There, I joined the crowd of unhappy Bacoleños who couldn't even enjoy their own festival.😠

(A baby and her mom hoped to watch and enjoy the performances. Like me, they were disappointed.)


If only the organizers of the Masskara Festival assigned a few other performance stages around the city center, more Bacoleños, and local and international tourists would have been able to enjoy the dancers' elaborate costumes and their performance.😢

If the issue is the energy of the dancers or the heaviness of their masks and costumes, then they could probably just perform a snippet (maybe for a minute or two) of their full performance during these 'stopovers' en route to the Bacolod public plaza. 

Because the whole point of the Masskara Festival is to provide enjoyment to the public through street dancing wearing those colorful masks and elaborate costumes. This was the main reason why it was organized in 1980. 

And aren't there separate prizes for the street dancing and choreography? So that their dancing and performances could be appreciated by the public?

If ONLY the government officials and VIPs are allowed to watch the performances comfortable sitting at the public plaza stage, and NOT the Bacoleños and visitors, WHAT THEN IS THE POINT of all these? They could just have a fashion show of their costumes along Araneta Street instead, after which we could all go home without breaking a sweat.😩

This is the Dinagyang Festival's route for the competing tribes showing five (5) performance stages:

(Map courtesy of dinagyangsailoilo website)

Does the Masskara Festival also have a ROUTE MAP like Dinagyang's? Where can I find it?

So, my first question is: Will the Masskara Festival have several spots at the city center where the tribes will be performing snippets of their whole dance routine?

(Locals trying to have fun amidst the lock down)

I'm also asking: if the Ilonggos at Dinagyang Festival could perform at FIVE spots around the city center, carrying their costumes and props along with them, why couldn't Bacoleños at Masskara? (Watch them carry their costumes and props around the city in this video).

But my most important question is: Am I going to make the trip so I can watch, too?😱 

Hmm. Don't know. I may just be disappointed again.😛

#masskara #masskarafestival #bacolod #negrosocc #philippines #festival #dinagyang #dinagyangfestival

A Tale Of Two Cities: Bacolod & Iloilo's Ferry Terminals

Ever since I was a kid, I have been crossing the Iloilo Strait from Bacolod City to Iloilo City (in the Philippines) and back. My grandfather had his roots in the Iloilo Province and I have a lot of relatives in both Iloilo and Guimaras Provinces.

And every time I finished my voyage - from leaving the ferry terminal in Bacolod City (Negros Occidental), to riding the fast craft and then arriving at Iloilo City's (Iloilo Province) terminal, I could not help but compare the two. 

Just like when I travel home from South Korea to the Philippines, I have to fly from Incheon International Airport to Ninoy Aquino International Airport. And it was like flying out from the best airport in the world and landing at the worst!

So, to compare the ferry terminals of Bacolod City and Iloilo Anyways, let the photos I took tell the story: 

2GO's Bacolod Terminal:

  (Entrance to the waiting area for 2GO passengers)
Iloilo Terminal's ticket counters:

         (The spacious ticket counter areas 
                 for all ferry companies)

                      (Terminal fee counter)                            
                                               *   *   *

Bacolod terminal's passenger waiting area:

              (Crowded and not enough seats)

Iloilo's passenger waiting area:

                  (Airy, well lighted and clean)  

                                                *   *   *

Bacolod terminal's walkway to the ferry:

                 (Under a canopy with uneven flooring)

      (Along the walkway, there's this small alley 
          to the right with roosters and junk)

Iloilo Terminal's spacious walk to the ferry:

                                *   *   *

Arrival area at Bacolod terminal:

(Passengers arriving at the Bacolod terminal pass through this narrow alley with crumbling path)

     (Parking area for tricycles, jeepneys & other 
        vehicles on disintegrating concrete flooring)

Iloilo terminal's spacious arrival area:

        (Orderly path for arriving passengers with  
           queuing lines for taxis & jeepneys)

                               *   *   *

After all these years when I crossed to Iloilo to visit relatives, I have wondered why the Bacolod City and Negros Occidental governments never bothered to build a better terminal. We need a new one if we are to attract new investors, local tourists, and international guests.

Iloilo City has done it, why can't you?