IN BACOLOD
Santacruzan set Sunday

The Bacolod Cultural Foundation Inc. will celebrate Flores de Mayo – the month of flowers – in honor of the Virgin Mary, with the traditional Santacruzan on Sunday, a press release from the group said.

The Santacruzan is a popular religious-historical event, and is held in Bacolod and other cities, towns and barangays in the Philippines every May. It commemorates the search for the Holy Cross by Queen Helena (Reyna Elena) and her son, the newly-converted emperor Constantine. After the Holy Cross was found in Jerusalem and brought back to Rome, there was a joyful celebration of thanksgiving, the press release also said.

The BCFI Santacruzan will start with a mass at the Bacolod San Sebastian Cathedral at 3:30 p.m., to be followed by the procession, from the Cathedral passing through San Juan, Luzuriaga, Araneta, Gonzaga, Gatuslao and Rizal streets, towards SM for the flower-laying ceremony.

The group has been organizing the Santacruzan for the past 27 years, and it has become one of the most colorful and anticipated religious May festivals in Bacolod. BCFI president Araceli Mirano is inviting the public to join the celebration, the press release also said.

The event is in association with the Bacolod City government, Negros Occidental Culture and Sports Foundation, SM Bacolod, ABS-CBN, and the Coca-Cola FEMSA Philippines, the press release added.*

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Panganiban-Evora
wedding May 21

Louis Niel Panganiban and Erika Evora will be married at the Christ The King Parish, Green Meadows Avenue, White Plains in Quezon City, 3 p.m. on Wednesday.

Louis is the son of Isaac Panganiban and Elsa Viñalon Ramirez, while Erika is the daughter of Raymond and Emelyn Evora from Negros Occidental.

Principal witnesses will be Vincent Arjay Mea, Rodolfo Yumang Jr., Geraldo Talisic, Guy Donoghue, Ananias Del Mundo, Romulo Rodel Bicol, Vilma Bathan, Roxanne Quevedo, Glorieta Franco, Socorro Anna Unson, Ma. Teresita Custodio, and Marisa Alice Cabazor.

The best man will be Franz Panganiban, and Kris Antonette Flores as maid of honor.

Sponsors will be Frederick Chua, Ian Andre Del Mundo, Jasper Eduardo Baldovino, Warren Rounan Medrano, Jose Gabriel Recio, Christian Alan Vibandor, Larissa Evora, Mary Julie Panganiban, Irene Joyce Merle, Glenda Rumohr, Anne Margaret and Demi Grace Panganiban.

Secondary sponsors will be Marvin Quinn Panganiban and Shanda Marie Salting, Hendrix Reyes and Ma. Hannah Carleen Vergara, and Mark David Bautista and Lesley Louise de los Santos.

Travis Sebastian Evora, John Renzo Panganiban and Kent Iceaac Mariano will carry the symbols of faith, love and treasures.

Flower girls will be Francine Eunice Flores, Stella Fe Deomano and Maria Caroline Joy Tapales.*

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BLT meeting held in Cebu

The Busog, Lusog, Talino 2014 Visayas Partners meeting was held by the Jollibee Group Foundation at Hotel Elizabeth in Cebu City recently, a press release from the BLT said.

The BLT staff of the University of Saint La Salle-Institute for Negros Development, headed by Katherine Maguad, the Balayan Social Development Office, Business Resource Center, USLS-IS Community Services Center, Department of Education Division of Negros Occidental, DepEd divisions of Silay and Sagay, Talisay and Sipalay city governments, and the Rotary Club of Bacolod South attended the event, the press release said.

It was a gathering of partners all over the Visayas implementing the BLT, a 120 days of school feeding program for grades 1-6 pupils of public elementary schools, the press release added.*

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Lactao,
36 others promoted

Col. Oscar Lactao, former commander of the 303rd Infantry Brigade in Negros Occidental, has been promoted twice in 11 months, military records show.

Lactao was promoted to brigadier general, when he was designated as chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Command Center in June last year.

Six months later, he was designated AFP deputy chief of staff for Operations (J3), a two-star position, and got his second star early this month, as approved by President Benigno Aquino III.

Lactao and 36 other newly-promoted generals and flag officers of the AFP will take their oath of office before Aquino at the Rizal Hall in Malacañang today.

With him will be Major Gen. Rey Leonardo Guerrero, Army chief of staff, who used to be commander of the 61st Infantry Battalion in Cauayan, Negros Occidental.

Guerrero later served with the Presidential Security Group, under former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. He is also a member of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1984.

Other senior military officials formerly assigned in Negros promoted recently are Lt. Gen. John Bonafos, AFP Central Command chief, and Brig. Gen. Alexis Tamondong.

Military records show that Bonafos was deputy commander of the 302nd Infantry Brigade in Negros Oriental, while Tamondong was commander of the Army’s 542nd Engineering Construction Battalion in Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental.

The oath-taking of the 37-newly promoted AFP generals and flag officers will be followed by a courtesy call on AFP chief of staff, Gen. Emmanuel Bautista, at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.*GPB

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