Thank the Lord for 2011

We really have to thank the Lord for the many blessings of the year that just ended. And, of course, my prayers and hope are that the Year 2012 will give us more of the same gifts which God had showered us with last year.

Especially for me, my 11 children, and my 24 grandchildren and a lone great-grandchild.

For the past 12 years since my late wife, Dr. Lourdes L. Espina, had passed away, the Lord has been compassionate and generous. Of course, for the first time in 27 years God has designed it that I missed the presence of our youngest, Jay, from our Christmas reunion. Still, he did manage to send his greetings for the Feast of the Nativity.

Jay’s absence left a void. But as I had said, this was made up by his promises to visit us soon. And his being with us in spirit.

All the rest were with us and we really had a rollicking time of it.

But the thing that touched me was that God spared us from the natural calamity that hit Metro Manila and only recently, Cagayan de Oro and Iligan of Mindanao.

One cannot stop but express gratitude to God for having spared us the calamity of the magnitude that hit the Mindanao cities. Although the death count reached only 1,000, many believe that it must have exceeded 3,000 since some of the missing are still floating around in the sea or are buried under the mud.

But the most heart-warming was the sight of many young people crowding the church and the long lines of young communicants outnumbered the fading generation during Christmas and the New Year’s Eve Eucharistic celebrations.

And the most touching was the response of Bacolodnons and Negrenses to the past plight of Mindanao’s two cities, population. It was instantaneous. And voluntary gesture of Christian compassion and generosity. A sense of community that amounted to an almost patriotic gesture. The awareness that we should help our brothers and sisters regardless of creed or ethnic identities.

I saw it when after the giving of gifts to our grandchildren, a request by Inday (Ma. Salvacion Espina-Varona) elicited P6,000 from our grandchildren. For them, they shared what little they had received with the victims of the floods in Iligan and Cagayan de Oro.

Later, when we canvassed their opinions on the use of firecrackers to greet the New Year, no one wanted to “waste” their money on fireworks.

Even the teenaged ones frowned on the use of their money to buy something that could give them only a momentary pleasure.

That is why I wondered how 39 Bacolodnons still suffered injuries from firecrackers last New Year’s eve.

But, of course, the lessening of firecrackers after the spectacular New Government Center display of fireworks may have helped discourage the tendency to use fireworks to celebrate the exit of the Old Year and the onset of the New Year.

So much wasted time on firecrackers and the havoc they have and continue to register with the population.

I guess it is time to zero in on the forthcoming “Magkitaay kita sa Kabankalan 2012”. This is the grand global reunion of Kabankalanons for January organized by Elmer Cordero and Toti Quizan.

Msgr. Vic Rivas, the vicar general of the Bacolod Diocese, himself a Kabankalanon, is the local coordinator.

The affair is in time with the Sinulog Festival of the southern city.

Thus, Kabankalanons from abroad will have their launch with Msgr. Rivas in Bacolod on January 5 and dinner in Bacolod. On January 6, they are going for a motorcade to the city and later, a parade there.

They have come up with a series of activities that will contribute to the gaiety of Sinulog, Toti said. He is donating several equipment and items to his former school.

My own son, Rolando Jr., is however going to Cebu on January 6 to participate in the Jan. 9 marathon. He will bring along with him, spouse Mercy, Cabile, and their eldest daughter, Daniella. Both are reportedly joining the long distance Kabankalan run.

To all of you, Mayor Elpidio Zayco extends his invitation to this Year’s Sinulog. And may God shower His blessing on you all for this year.*

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