Baguio’s BER months start today with its 109th Charter Day Anniversary

HAPPY Birthday Magandang Baguio on your sweet Natal Day today! It is time once again, for the cosmopolitan residents of this highland paradise – “the highlanders, the lowlanders and the members of the foreign communities here” to celebrate the special occasion with hope and prayers for a more progressive and prosperous city, built on peace and solidarity, respect for human rights and the provisions of the Philippine Constitution, the guiding principle of our democratic way of life. Happy birthday to one and all! Let us enjoy what is in store for us for the whole month of the celebration.

Early yesterday morning, City Councilor Elmer Datuin, chairman of the City Council Tourism Committee and your truly were guests of Naimbag nga Morning Kapamilya an ABS CBN program. Councilor Datuin spoke about the 2018 City Charter Day monthlong celebration which is ushered in this morning with a program to be held at the Cordillera University gym, the parade that follows and the series of activities spread out through September. The series of community-based undertakings include medical missions, clean up and beautification activities in the barangays and school compounds, a number of sports events accentuated by the observance of the Victory Day in the city on Sept. 3, 1945 when the surrender terms of the Japanese Imperial Army in the Philippines ended formally World War II hostilities between Japan and the PHL. The surrender ceremonies was held at the U.S. Ambassador’s Summer House at Camp John Hay. On behalf of Japan, Gen. Tomoyuki Yamashita, Supreme Commander of the Japanese Imperial Forces in the country signed the historic surrender documents before the presence of U.S. Fen. Jonathan Wainright, Overall Commander of the Allied Forces in the Far East Command. I was about 13 years old Baguio-born teener when that chapter of Philippine history was written with sweat and blood by Filipino and American soldiers who gave their lives that we may now enjoy their supreme sacrifices.

given moment of your life by deciding that you are not going to use your mind for anything other than peaceful thoughts.

Go to that quiet, serene and peaceful place within you. It is here where you know what being an instrument of peace means. Here, the emphasis is on giving, rather than receiving, peace.

You do not seek peace by looking into the lives of others and wishing that they would change so that you could become more peaceful. Rather, you bring your own sense of calm so that you could become more peaceful.

“All pain comes simply from a futile search for what you want, insisting where it must be found.”

Your problems can only be experienced in your minds, and when you bring peace to your minds, you put yourselves into a mode of taking appropriate action. You have the power to choose peace.

10. Find time to be alone and undisturbed, and “Let go, and let God”.

By doing so, you let go of your sense of taking personal responsibility for everything and everyone around you, and in a calm way you turn all that over to God, the God of Peace.

St. Francis said, “What is it that stands higher than words? It is ACTION. What is it that stands higher than Action? It is SILENCE.”

When you return to the noisy and chaotic world, it will now be with a new partner, God, which is “Thy Peace”.

Remember that no one and nothing can take away your peace without your consent.

Your peace is between you and God. It is not between you and anyone else, or any set of cirtect

Without to much ado, the ABS CBN MMK host asked about the mechanics of the Baguio Charter Day Babies sked, a very special humanitarian offering in our Baguio Day celebration. Like in previous years, the search for the lucky baby boy and baby girl will start midnight of August 31, at the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center, free ward section following established tradition, a search staff from the city Social Welfare and Development Office headed by Betty Fangasan had been earlier assigned to do the task. The celebrity babies will be visited by the guest host committee on September 2, at 9 AM at the hospital. A welcome gift package will be presented to the mother and child of both families. The “mabuhay kayo” gift items includes a cash “pasalubong” from the Baguio Charter Day Committee through the City’s Special Event Committee headed by City Administrator Carlos Canilao, baby clothes and blankets, assorted fruits, assorted canned goods, soft drinks and cookies and a cavan of rice for each family. The welcome endeavour is hosted by the Baguio Elderly Assembly (BEA) namely the BARP Foundation, FBASECA, PGRA, Baguio Chapter; USAFIP NL the VFP Baguio District and the National Correspondents Club of Baguio (NCCB). Mrs. Fangasan and yours truly will lead the gift givers at the hospital rites. Modesty aside, I initiated the baby honor activity and the FilipinoJapanese Friendship Day Celebration in the city when I was the Executive Officer of the Baguio Centennial Commission, then chaired by Archi- cumstances.

Make peace with yourself. Forgive yourself for all your errors, weaknesses and shortcomings. Let go of your self-destructive guilt over past mistakes. “There is value in your journey through the dark nights of your soul.”

Lastly, be a Peacemaker. Practice peacemaking. For it is in giving that you receive.

By giving peace, you will receive peace, and after you are at peace, your problems all dissolve.

My Dearest Children and Grandchildren (may you read this someday),

You all know what makes me lose my temper, and distances me from peace.

At work, it is any act or omission that displeases the customer or guest.

of work, it is seeing what is wrong triumphing over what our values tell us is right.

It is seeing persons taking advantage of our weaknesses, including the abuse of “kindness” or “benevolence”.

It is seeing a sense of entitlement rather than a sense of gratitude being displayed.

It is seeing pride and arrogance and disrespect for elders, and disobedience in God’s normal order of things.

It is seeing impunity and abuse of authority by people in power.

But rather than be angry at such people, we are told that they are our greatest teachers. They assist us in being instruments of peace.

How? As Rick Warren says, we develop good character traits and become better disciples of Christ by being exposed to people and events that normally would bring out the opposite trait in us. Thus, by not succumbing to such “natural” inclinations of anger, frustration, and impatience, we develop peace in our inner selves.

By repeating this mantra: “I CHOOSE PEACE, RATHER THAN THIS”, may we all be at peace and be instruments of “THY PEACE”. Judy Alabanza and later on by educator Virgilio Bautista of the University of Baguio.

By the way, the Shrine of the Brown Madonna at Km, 7, Asin Road will be celebrating its 32nd year anniversary on October 4, next month. The shrine was inaugurated October 4, in 1986 as a symbol of our unblemished love for the Holy Trinity, in our quest for unity and solidarity among all Pilipinos. Unfortunately, we are not as yet reconciled completely as a people and as a nation. When will we achieve our dreams to become reality is still a big puzzle. A concelebrated Holy Mass will be offered at the Shrine when the day comes to the fore. Our project committee is presently preparing a little “pinikpikan”fellowship social after the Holy Eucharist. This early, we are reminding devotees of Mama Mary from the nearby Barangays of Benguet, La Union and Baguio City to join us celebrate the forthcoming religious-spiritual event. Of course, the general public is warmly invited to join us, come Oct. 4.

The development of the place of worship was initiated by the National Correspondents Club of Baguio and approved by the Roman Catholic Church Diocese, the local Municipal Government of Tuba, Benguet, the Campo Filipino St. Vincent Parish Church authorities and the residents Sitio Pacac and officials of the area.

going home to get some rest and be up at 8. I leave at 9 anticipating some traffic from Alabang to Manila. There was some traffic along the Skyway. It was light but heavy southbound.

I sleep all the way. A little past 10, I get to my meeting still drowsy and groggy I take my seat. I ask for coffee. It took some time. Seemingly I am the only one who is asking for one. A sip and it is not even hot anymore. I just drank it. Food was served but I hardly touched it.

By noon time I realized that I spent almost 24 hours just inside the confines of my car in traffic. This doesn't end here.

The 25th to the 39th hour I will still be back in the car. How? After my meeting I head back to Alabang to pick up my son. We get his bags and head for Baguio. Skyway, SLEx, EDSA and worse were the toll gates along NLEx and TPLEx. A long weekend I said it would be. It was soon dark and traffic everywhere. I didn't mind this much as I was sleeping most of the time. My day still not over and still inside the car.

Getting to Baguio came even worse. It seems many wanted to go up to dark, stormy and rainy Baguio. Rains were so strong along the way. By this time I was back to driving after some rest. Upon exit from the tollways and in the main highway we experience a blowout for our tires, the bad roads from flooding and rain at fault. We crawl to a lighted area. I parked alongside a gas station and a 24 hour restaurant.

We have no spare tire, cars of today have none. Yes! I sent my driver back to Baguio by bus. He arrives back with the spare and it is now 1 in the morning of Sunday. He had to get to my home and take another car. He says it was traffic going up to Baguio. The fog must be the culprit and so is the uphill stretch leading to the city along Marcos Highway where trucks are always stalled. Going back down was traffic too since it was so foggy and he couldn't see much of the road. I advised him to not speed up and just be safe.

Despite the strong rain, we changed tires. We convoy heading back, we are wet and cold. By now my Joy and girls were a joy to see. Again I get to bed at 5. Being a Sunday our family day, I drive for Dads in Itogon. To my disbelief from my house to the next corner it was traffic until South Drive and Mansion. So many tourists even when it was raining heavy. I reach my Dads place at 2. Traffic was it.