‘Our Lady’s Nativity’

(Mr. Eli Cinco wrote devoted his column for today's edition of the Manila Bulletin to the Calbayog fiesta celebration. He gave me permission to feature the said column in this blog. Check this link. If it doesn't work, do read the whole article featured below)

CALBAYOG CITY – The Parish of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin, patroness of this city, is celebrating the 316th annual observance of "Our Lady’s Nativity" today. This religious event is the centerpoint of the feast day that is commemorated by one of the earliest parishes in Eastern Visayas or what is administratively known as Region 8.

A fiesta event like today's basically a religious event. So all the major activities starting with the nine-day novena last August 30 which ended yesterday, and the feast day proper today are spearheaded by parish clergy officials and supported by the parish pastoral council composed of lay people.

The highlight of the commemoration is the concelebrated High Mass at 9 this morning, with Most Reverend Isabelo C. Abarquez, D.D., Bishop of the Diocese of Calbayog as main celebrant and homilist. His con-celebrants are diocesan, religious clergy and visiting priests which normally number around 20. The mass itself ordinarily lasts one hour and forty-five minutes, incorporating the homily, sermon proper, offering of sponsors and city officials, and other relevant hymnal ceremonies.

Rev. Fr. Julio Gaddi and Fr. Anthony Mahinay are masters of ceremonies.

The concelebrated high mass is always looked up to by parishioners, visitors from Manila, balikbayans, and guests from various parishes and dioceses of Region 8.

It is held at the cavernous St. Peter and St. Paul Cathedral, a huge cathedral with five altars (its main altar with a high retablo easily measuring 50 feet in height) cross-designed that can easily accommodate more than two thousand sitting worshippers. Its interiors have been given a fresh coat of paint by the feast day sponsors.

This year’s feast day sponsors are cousins and normally they share all expenses incurred during the fortnight celebration, the snacks for novena reciters, flower decoration of altars, the wherewithals during the procession, and concededly the most lavished of all is the dinner and entertainment for "hermanas pasadas" (past sponsors), visiting Calbayognons from Manila and abroad. It is said that expenses for all these activities could easily run up to half-a-million pesos.
Sponsors are prepared to shoulder all the costs, not only because they are financially capable, but because of their "saad" (pledge or "panata" to Tagalogs) to the Blessed Patroness. It is tacitly confirmed that the patroness reciprocates by helping the sponsors with spiritual upliftment, peace of mind and enhanced family relationships.

On the other hand, the city government is just as enthusiastic staging the civic participation in the celebration. Civic and corporate establishments do their share in enlivening up the two-week celebrations.

Focal point of the civic affairs is the staging of the famous "Sarakiki" festival and parade. This costumed and choreographed presentation with a cast of more than 100, has been winning accolades and prizes in street dancing competitions in Manila, Cebu and Tacloban. It is one of the native cultural achievements of City Mayor Mel Senen Sarmiento who has a number of citations and acknowledgements given him by the Department of Tourism.

Other cultural fronts that attract hundreds of onlookers are the Hadang 2008, a potpourri of musical and stage productions. It was staged last Friday at the fastidiously decorated Nijaga Park.

Already an institution, in one way or the other, is the holding of Anyag beauty and brains competition annually undertaken by civic clubs. Anyag is an old Calbayog waray term for beauty or radiance. Pretty young girls from various high schools and colleges in Samar (Western) eagerly vie for the title the grand-winner of which receives cash prize, trophy and other valuable rewards. Runners-up also receive cash and worthy items.

Proclaimed as this year’s Miss Anyag Friday night was a college girl of 18-years from Catbalogan, the capital town of the province.

Calbayog has a population of almost 198,000, but for the past week that figure has doubled, what with the influx of well-wishers, visitors, guests from everywhere, including nearby island towns, highway towns and even from the southern areas of Masbate.