IT’S been a decade. That long, indeed. We started in 2007 and this year—just last week to be precise—our Kabig (Kapalohan Bisita Iglesia Group) completed its 10th straight Bisita Iglesia. To the uninitiated, this is our devotion, panata, to pray the 14 Stations of the Cross commemorating the Death, Passion and Resurrection of our Dear Lord Jesus Christ leading to the Holy Week observance (March 20 to 27).
This time, we established a record: Whereas before when he visited churches found in towns along neighboring provinces, this time we did it in only one province: Pampanga. For some in our group not of spring-chicken build anymore, it was a big relief.
We began at the Metropolitan Cathedral in San Fernando, where President Emilio Aguinaldo and his Cabinet viewed the Philippine Revolutionary Army from the convent windows on October 9, 1898. The church and the convent were burned by the Army on orders of Gen. Antonio Luna on May 4, 1899. They were rebuilt in no time but succumbed to fire anew in 1939. Its present structure was restored by Pampango architect Fernando H. Ocampo in 1948.
After visits/prayers in Bacolor (San Guillermo); Betis (Our Lady of Lourdes, Saint James the Apostle and Saint Claire Monastery); Guagua (Immaculate Concepcion); and, Santa Rita (Santa Rita de Cascia), we ended up in Lubao, whose claim to fame is its having produced two Philippine presidents: Diosdado Macapagal and his daughter, Gloria.
It was at Lubao’s Saint Augustine Church, built in 1572, where Diosdado Macapagal was baptized in 1910. Easily, Saint Augustine is a work of art, its massive Saint Augustine at the altar (donated by Bong Pineda) a sight to behold, indeed. Made of bricks and sand mixed in egg albumen, the edifice ranks, hands-down, as one of the country’s most beautiful churches.
All the Kabig members aboard a Toyota Super Grandia and a Nissan Navarra—Ching and Dante Fernandez, Baby and Tito Laurel of New York City, Elvie and Fiscal Vito Florido, Calauag (Quezon) Mayor Louie Visorde and his daughter Liezl, Sol Juvida and pilots/back-up Bogs Mendoza, Benjie Romero and Reggie Abadines—were all amply lifted soulfully as they proceeded to Subic for a night of more reflection and restful sleep, spirits soaring high as ever. All this done for the glory of God the highest.
Ambassador Cabangon Chua
MY family and I condole deeply with the loved ones of Ambassador Antonio L. Cabangon Chua, a man of immense attributes who was a giant among his peers but whose single most endearing trait was his being Mr. Humble, who stayed grounded even after he had achieved dreams beyond his wildest imaginations. Among his numerous successes was owning grand resting places fit for only the wealthy like him, but he chose a public cemetery for his final resting place. He loved his mother, Dominga, so much that he made sure he’d be buried next to his mother’s tomb. Not only once but twice did he gift Pope Francis with Isuzu-based popemobiles, one for the Holiness’s use while on a historic visit here only a while back and another he sent to the Vatican after the Prince of The Church had gone home. And twice, too, that the Ambassador did it without fanfare—even as he had built a virtual media empire with his Aliw Broadcasting Corp. (flagship radio DWIZ 882), Pilipino Mirror, CNN Philippines and BusinessMirror. His cerebral weekly Philippines Graphic has become the Bible of the nation’s literary giants, with National Artist Nick Joaquin (he wrote a book about the Ambassador) as the magazine’s most famous editor in another era of not-so-long ago.
The former ambassador (he chose LaoPDR over the more swanky and plush Austria—yet another proof of his humility) being a philanthropist is also a nationalist as well, so that it was also the Ambassador’s avowed wish that the Philippines Graphic should provide a section for Tagalog writers—a desire echoed no less by his son, T. Anthony C. Cabangon, the publisher of the BusinessMirror and Philippines Graphic we all fondly call Anton.
“We are Filipinos and so, it is but right that we must put premium to our national language at all times, as my Dad had always said to us, his children,” Anton has said to me some days back while we were in Bohol covering the Toyota launch of Fortuner and Innova.
If only to put a backbone to this, I had offered Anton my humble services to make his Dad’s wish become a reality. Not known to many is that the Ambassador’s father was a patriot, who was killed by the Japanese for his guerrilla activities during World War II. Orphaned by a cruel war, Antonio the toddler became a shoeshine boy to help his mother tide the family over. Ending up as a business tycoon and a media mogul, his is a classic rags-to-riches story—not to mention he was also a reserved colonel in the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Good-bye Sir. Rest well and, please, enjoy your richly deserved vacation.
PEE STOP. Honda’s “EGGciting Surprise Campaign” during the Holy Week gives cash bonanzas from P5,000 to P100,000 to customers who will inquire, reserve or purchase a Honda vehicle from today to March 27, on top of other dealer promotions, according to public-relations specialist Abigail Diane O. Granada (tel. no. 0977-8040735)…The price of the Suzuki Alto amazingly starts at P398k; call 462-5000…The Vios Cup 3 today and tomorrow at Clark is a no-miss event for its sheer impact on motor sports. Toyota President Satoru Suzuki himself wouldn’t dare skip it, knowing fully well that the race is a brainchild of his predecessor, Michinobu “The Rocker” Sugata.