LIMBAG BLG. 30 PAHAYAGANG PAMPAROKYA NG STO. NIÑO DE PANDACAN DISYEMBRE 2011

As we approach our tercentenary as a parish, our parish priest Fr. Lari Abaco has decided to replace the church’s long defective sound system.

This nearly million peso endea- vor needs our support. There are three levels of donation to choose from:

•300 @3K- 300 people to give Php 3000.00, •3K @ 300- 3000 people to gve Php 300.00, and •30k @ 30- 30,000 people to give Php 30.00 Each donor shall be given a Pearl Certificate.

May this be our gift to our parish as it strives to effectively proclaim the Word of the Lord and to reach out to as many Pandaqueños as possible.

SNDPP’s Pearl

CertificateBy Garvin Artie E. Valenzuela

The Buling-Buling dancers from our parish welcome theSanto Niño de Pandacan held by Fr. Lari Abaco as the Image enters the patio of Baclayon Church in Bohol

THE CEBU- BOHOL PILGRIMAGE

L A K B AY-DA L A N G I N 2 011

TheFamily RosaryCrusade:The Family that PraysTogether p.4

rom November 8 - 11, 2011, 150 pilgrims from the Santo Niño de Pandacan Parish

embarked on a journey to the is-lands of Cebu and Bohol for the Lakbay- Dalangin 2011. The trip, conceptulized by our Parish Priest, Fr. Lari, and coordinated by our Boholano guest priest, Fr. Ikon, not only spiritually energized the participants but also gave them a greater appreciation of our coun-try’s cultural heritage as well as its natural wonders.

Upon arrival at the Mactan International Airport in Cebu at past 5 in the morning on Novem-ber 8, the group headed right away to the Minor Basilica of the Santo Niño de Cebu where they heard Mass.

During his homily, Fr. Ikon introduced our parishioners to their Cebuano coun-terparts. Fr. Lari for his part recounted the history and devotion of the Pan-daqueños to the Holy Child since His image was discovered around three centuries ago in the pandan reeds from which Pandacan got its name. The Basilica’s Rector, Rev. Fr. Rodolfo A. Bugna O.S.A., in turn told of how an image of the Holy Child, the old-est in the country, was given by the famed explorer Ferdinand Magellan to Queen Juana of Cebu in 1521 when the Spaniards first arrived and how the peo-ple of Cebu have taken the Santo Niño to their hearts. (Continued on page 3)

New Archbishop of ManilaBy the Tercentennial Commission As our parish begins its countdown to its tercentennial in 2012, it welcomes the new Archbishop of Manila, Most Rev. Luis Antonio “Chito” Gokim Tagle, D.D. He will be celebrating the Pistang Dakila Mass with us on January 14, 2012 (see p. 5). He was installed as the 32nd Arch-bishop of Manila on December 12, 2011 at the Manila

Cathedral. In keeping with the season, the 54 year-old Archbishop has this mes-sage to the religious and faithful of the Archdiocese in his homily on that occasion: “ I feel humbled. There is much that I will learn from you. Teach me. Be patient with me. Let us love one another at all times. Extend your love to all, especially the poor and to the Churches in Asia. As one Church we will journey together even if the night is long and wearisome. We will welcome the ever new dawn who is the Lord, the light and the shepherd of the Church. Everyday will be an advent of the Lord.”

By Garvin Artie E.Valenzuela

F

Happiness

p.4

What they say about the Cebu-Bohol Lakbay Dalangin... p.2

2 PANDAHAYAGAN DISYEMBRE 2011

What they say about the Cebu-Bohol Lakbay-Dalangin...

T h e Salubong [be-

tween the Santo Niño de Cebu and the Santo Niño de Pan-

dacan] was for me the most memorable event during the Lakbay-Dalangin. It was

a living testimony of our faith in the God-Child which has long been embedded in the hearts of every Filipino Catholic.I owe so much to the forefathers of our faith as I owe the same to the young of today and the

coming generations. Rev. Fr. Ikon Supremo

It was my first time ever to join a pilgrim-age and heritage tour. I feel so lucky I was part of our parish’s endeavor of enthron-ing our dear Santo Niño de Pandacan to other parishes to promote devotion to Him. Take note that it was not just a nearby parish but parishes so far that we had to ride a plane to get there and that it would take four days to enthrone four Santo Niños in four parishes.

What struck me most was when we were welcomed by a very big rainbow right at the port of Bohol. I felt ecstatic seeing it full from end to end very vibrant in its colors. To me, that was GOD welcoming us, the pilgrims, to the beautiful unspoilt province of Bohol. Unspoilt, in the sense that up to now, the first churches built by the Spanish conquistadores are still up in their splendid antiquity after almost fivecenturies or so. They are so gorgeous!

I thank the organizers, most especially the mastermind of this endeavor, Fr. Lari, for this very memorable and enriching ex-perience for the Pandaqueños. Viva Santo Niño de Pandacan!

Marie Viviane P. Joson

My experience during our Cebu-Bohol Lakbay-Dalangin was really a wonderful one. Theencounter between the two images of the Santo Niños was a first in history. Our very own Santo Niño de Pandacan visited the place where Christianity was first established — one of the oldest cities in our country, Cebu City. I have witnessed how Cebuanos worship their San-to Nino through dancing the Sinulog. In response to their presentation our very own Pandacan dance of worship and thanksgiving to the Santo Niño, the Buling-Buling, was also presented. Our parish priest Fr. Lari Abaco, together with Fathers Russel, Ikon, Mike, and Sol, danced so gracefully while holding the images of the Santo Niño de Pandacan. Let us continue to propa-gate our faith and love to the Santo Niño de Pandacan after 300 years of faith, hope, and love.

Viva Sr. Santo Niño! Thank you for all the blessings and good health to allthe devotees of Santo Niño de Pandacan.

Jhun Alcober

Lakbay-Dulaan (skit performed at the close of the Lakbay-Dalangin at Elijah Spiritual Center)

Scene 1 (Planning)Ang imahe ng Sto. Niño de Pandacan ay nahanap sa pandananHumigit-kumulang tatlong daang taon na ang nakararaanKaya naman ang paggunita, hindi lang pang-PandacanKundi patalun-talon sa mga island Tama po mga katotong Pilgrimo,Naisipan nga ang island hopping, este Lakbay-Dalangin sa CebuKung saan matatagpuan ang kauna-unahang imahe ng Sto. Niño sa PilipinasAt sa Bohol na may sarili ring Niño…Si (Fr.) Niño Macondray Supremo (Fr. Ikon) Scene 2 (Eyeball)Sa Cebu, nageyeball ang Sto. Nino de Panda-can at Sto Niño de CebuSa gitna ng simbahan nagsayawan,kasama ang kaparian at taong bayan (music up and under)

Scene 3 (Ferry ride to Tubigon)Tumungo sa pantalan kung saan umulanLumulan ng fast craft na nag-menor, talaga na-manMay mga nawalan ng upuanKaya nabulong overloading at nabanlawan si Kapitan.Tumulak na papuntang Tubig-onKung saan binati ng bahag-hari ng Panginoon. Scene 4 (Bohol Adventure)Nagpuntang Baclayon, Nag-Locboc River buffet luncheonNinuno daw ng Boholanos alyas tarsier ay sini-layanPati Chocolate Hills na kalaban ng rayuma ng bayan Scene 5 (Sa Loob ng Bus)Prayer Novena, Angelus, dasalang walang humpayAng iba naman sa antok nakahapay

Amoy-danggit, pusit, dilis tiniisGanito pala ang buhay ng pilgrim. Scene 6 (Beach at si Bayoyoy)Nagpaligsahan ng swimsuit sa Bohol Beach ClubKay Bayoyoy, the little man, they left some loveIsinapuso ang bilin ni Father Ikon Inihambing ang tourist at pilgrim, opo may ga-non.(“Ang dala ng tourist camera, the pilgrim brings his faith.”) Scene 7 (Thank You)Kaya naman nagpapasalamatSa island hopping, este Lakbay-DalanginSalamat sa Panginoon (“Salamat sa Diyos, Salamat sa Diyos”)Salamat, Fr. Lari, Fr. Russel, Fr. Ikon, Fr. Michael, Fr. Sol (“Thank you, thank you,thank God for you, the wind beneath our wings”)At salamat sa ating lahat (“Thank you, thank you, ang babait natin.”)

By Gleo Sp. Guerra and Annie Rose A. Laborte

DISYEMBRE 2011 PANDAHAYAGAN 3

After Mass, the Cebuanos present-ed a reenactment of how the image of the Santo. Niño de Cebu was found again by the Spaniards when they returned in 1565. The Kaplag (the Cebuano word for “discovery”) festival celebrating this event is held every April 28. The Cebuanos also showcased their dance-worship to the Santo Niño as performed in their Si-nulog festival every third Sunday of January. Sinu-log comes from the Ce-buano adverb sulog (“like the water current move-ment”) adverting to the forward-backward move-ment of the Sinulog dance. For their part, the Pandaqueños, together with their priests Fr. Lari, Fr. Ikon, Fr. Russel, Fr. Mike, and Fr. Sol, performed their own dance-worship to the Holy Child, the Pandacan Buling-Buling (meaning “well-polished”) The dance was choreographed by Sr. Myrna Verecio. The program culminated with the presentation by Fr. Lari to Fr. Bugna of a replica of our Santo Niño de Pandacan for installation in the Basilica.

After lunch and some sightseeing, the pilgrims proceeding to the pantalan for their ferry ride to Bohol where they were greeted by a rainbow upon landing in Tubigon. “A sign of God’s love for His people,” commented Fr. Lari. The group then traveled by chartered bus to their temporary “home” in Bohol, the Elijah Spirituality Center in Tagbilaran.

In Bohol, the group first heard Mass at Loboc and Baclayon Church, two of the oldest churches in the island. There the Pandaqueños again performed the Buling-Buling dance. In both churches, a replica of our Santo Niño and novena booklets were given to the local parish-

ioners who were most appreciative. On the Lakbay-Dalangin’s last day, we visited the beautiful Our Lady of the Assumption Church with its miracu-lous well at Dauis; and finally, the St. Joseph the Worker Cathedral in Tagbi-

laran where we also heard Mass. There-after, we paid a cour-tesy call to Bishop of the Diocese of Tagbilaran, Most Rev. Leonardo Y. Medroso, D.D. The amiable bishop re-ceived from Fr. Lari a replica of the Santo Niño de Pandacan.

The itinerary Fr. Ikon drew up also included visits to the Sandugo monument commemorating the historic event on March 15, 1565 in Bohol where Spa-

nish explorer Miguel de Legazpi and Datu Sikatuna, the chieftain of Bohol, sealed the friendship between their two

the sumptuous dinner at Fr. Ikon’s fam-ily home.

peoples by drinking wine mixed with drops of each other’s blood; the famed Bohol Chocolate Hills; and sanctuary of the adorable but shy tarsier. We also re-laxed in the Bohol Beach Club’s pristine beach that can beat the best Boracay has to offer. Particularly memorable was the Loboc River cruise lunch where in the spirit of the moment, several mem-bers of the group sang and danced ac-companied by the local band as well as

Cebuanos venerate up close the original image of the Santo Niño de Pandacan.

Some pilgrims served as the choir in the Holy Masses of the Pilgrimage.

The Elijah Spirituality Center was the pilgrims’ home in Tagbilaran, Bohol.

Sister Myrna Verecio, the choreogra-pher of the Buling-Buling dance of the

Pilgrims.

Grateful for the efforts of their priests in making the Lakbay-Dalangin to Cebu and Bohol a success, the parishioners held on their last night in Bohol a short program at the Elijah Spiritual Center where they gave thank you cards to the five priests and Bro. Boy Magdael, the President of the Parish Pastoral Council. There were also games and entertainment numbers showcasing the group’s talents, hidden and otherwise.

Everybody went back to Manila with their spirits refreshed and their faith renewed from their unforgettable Lakbay-Dalangin experience. The next Lakbay-Dalangin pil-grimages will visit churches within the Archdiocese of Manila.

(Lakbay-dalangin continued from page 1.)

4 PANDAHAYAGAN DISYEMBRE 2011

Getting on with others, especially those who are sick is always difficult BUT getting on with other people is, to some, even more difficult. Most of our trouble in life arises from poor human relationships. One of the things we have to do to get along with others is to put up with bad treatment to show others a better way. In heaven, there are all saints; in purgatory, there are all souls; and on earth, there are all sorts, and we must know how to put up with them if we want to be happy. We must learn to adjust to unjust treatment and not retaliate mindlessly.

We can’t change the world, but we can certainly change ourselves and in doing so, change the world around us. It is said that some people spread happiness wherever they go, oth-ers WHENEVER they go. If we want to get on in life, we must learn the art of spreading happiness, wherever we are, amidst the numerous sorts of people we encounter, live, or work with.

Mix up one part of patience with two parts of tact, add a concentration of people virtues INSTEAD of their faults, sweeten the whole with plenty of humor, sprinkle works of kindness for flavor, and serve with the warmth of human sympathy and under-standing. Every person that comes into this world makes happiness the object of his/her life and YET, we must confess that most people are unhappy. AND why is this so? It is precisely because of taking the WRONG WAY and pursuing the WRONG GOAL.

Much of our sinful inclinations are caused by unhappiness, sometimes with others but mostly within ourselves. This un-happiness or lack of satisfaction is often expressed in our relationship with others through mean-spirited back biting, gossip, etc. We seek to find fault in others by being critical and harsh. If we can only see and acknowledge all that GOD has given us and we are grateful and satisfied with them, many of those impure attitudes or habits would never even get started. The root of impure attitudes is dissatisfaction.

Happiness will not be found in having more or better things in the world. “Happiness is not having all that you want but WANTING all that you have. The secret of happiness is NOT doing what you like but LIKING what you do. Happiness is not determined by your possessions. Happiness is determined by our relationship with GOD. Our good relationship with God will result in our attitude to others. Our relationship with family, friends, neighbors, and others are enhanced, heightened more with our relationship with GOD.” Amen

ERRATUM: The Editorial Board apologizes for the inadvertent interchange in identifi-cation of the pictures of Fr. Jose Sonny H. Cantillano and Fr. Francis Fredrick K. Manlapig in the Pandahayagan Au-gust 2010 article “Pandacan Priests and Nuns.” Their pictures should have been identified as follows:

Fr. Cantillano

Fr. Manlapig

The Family Rosary Crusade: “The Family that Prays Together”

By Gleo Sp. Guerra

It will always be a seminal child-hood memory of mine: my parents, my three siblings, and I praying the Holy Rosary after dinner with candles flickering in the background and the smell of sampaguita garlands perfuming the air.

That this is a familiar scene in many a Catholic home may be largely at-tributed to the founder of the Family Ro-sary Crusade (FRC), the iconic Fr. Patrick Peyton of the Congregation of the Holy Cross. It was he who famously said, “The family that prays together stays together.” Indeed the FRC’s mission is to promote family prayers, particularly the Holy Ro-sary.

This year, the FRC is celebrating its 60th anniversary. It was in 1951 when Fr. Peyton, conducted the first Rosary rally in the Philippines at the request of Fr. Francisco Muñoz, OP and student leaders of the University of Sto. Tomas

Student Catholic Action. Right now, the FRC is enlisting one million Filipinos to pray the Rosary from October 10 - May 30, 2012; each day from Monday to Saturday is dedicated to one nation in the world, while the Sunday Rosary is for our families and our country, the Philippines.

If you are interested in join-ing the FRC, please get in touch with the Santo Niño de Pandacan Parish FRC Coordinator Ms. Virginia “Sister Virgie” Tirazona, at 09497792828.

Countdown to Our Parish Tercentennial: What to Expect By the Tercentennial Commission

DISYEMBRE 2011 PANDAHAYAGAN 5

Fresh Encounter With Christ: Pistahan sa Bgy. 859 By Dolly Estacio

“That which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellow-ship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy maybe full.” 1 John 1:3-4

I saw Jesus in Bgy 859; I met Je-sus in the Bgy. 859 leaders; I encoun-tered Jesus in the residents of Bgy 859.

October 18-29, 2011. On those days we celebrated in our barangay the nine-day novena masses to our Child God, the Santo Niño de Pandacan. For nine mornings, we went from house to house inviting families to attend. For nine nights, we painstakingly put up tol-das, the sound system, chairs, and tables; prepared readings, etc. at different sites. I was gratified to see the barangay officials and members of different orga-nizations working patiently and harmoni-ously. Our requests for “love offerings”

from the residents were met with smiles and the response: “Sister, this is our third envelope already, pero okay lang po for our Santo Niño.” Our folks also didn’t mind missing their teleseryes just to attend mass. October 29 was the last day of our Pistahan. Every sitio brought food. Ev-erybody waited for their turn to be served.There was more than enough food for all. I will remember that day as one that marked the beginning of a special fellowship in Bgy 859. Together we will pray and work as we continuously jour-ney towards our 300th year Anniversary.

“Prepare the way of the Lord;

Make the paths straight…

And all flesh shall see

the salvation of God.” ….Luke 3:4-6 No specific names are mentioned in this article to give all Glory to God!

The upcoming 300th anniversary of the Santo Niño de Pandacan Parish on November 23, 2012 promises to be a historic one. Our parish priest, Rev. Fr. Lazaro “Fr. Lari” Abaco, in close coor-dination with the Parish Pastoral Coun-cil, the Tercentennial Commission, and the hermanos/hermanas of the Pandacan barangays and the invaluable support of devotees of the Santo Niño de Pandacan in and outside our parish, will be under-taking the following to commemorate this landmark event:

• January 14, 2012 Buling-Buling par-ticipated in by the Santo Niño de Pan-dacan Parish Pastoral Council and the different parish ministries and organi-zations;

• Also on January 14, 2012 (Saturday, Pistang Dakila) at 6:00 in the eve-ning, Mass to be celebrated by Most Rev. Luis Antonio “Chito” Tagle, D.D., Archbishop of Manila, in our parish church;

• 2nd leg of the Pistahan sa Barangay where a Novena and Mass will be held daily for nine days starting February 2012;

• Lakbay-Dalangin where pilgrimages to neighboring parishes as well as to those in nearby provinces will be un-dertaken to propagate devotion to the Santo Niño de Pandacan starting the third week of January 2012;

• February 4, 2012 (Saturday) at 2 p.m., Kumpilang Bayan to be officiated by Bishop Broderick Pabillo;

• The “PandaCandle Lighting” at 10 in the evening of our parish tercentenni-al, Friday, November 23, 2012, where our parish and devotees of the Santo Niño de Pandacan elsewhere will si-multaneously light a hoped for Guin-ness World Recordbreaking number of candles, signifying the light that is our Santo Niño; and the

• Grand Buling-Buling Worship Dance Festival on Saturday, November 24, 2012 where a contingent from each Pandacan barangay (30 including the parish) led by their respective herma-nos/hermanas and each accompanied by a band will perform one of the trea-sures of Pandacan, the Buling-Buling dance.

We invite all parishioners and San-to Niño de Pandacan devotees to take part in the celebration. Viva Santo Niño!

AN INVITATION: Want to share a miracle experi-ence with our Sto. Niño or sim-ply give us your comments and suggestions? Please send them to pandahayagan300@yahoo.com. Publication is subject to the sound discretion of the Pan-dahayagan Editorial Board. We also accept ad placements and publication of parishioner’s pri-vate milestones at very reason-able rates. For inquiries, please contact Bro. Manny 0918-9447413 or Sister Babes 0920-8347263.

La k b a yDalangin2011

Cebu-Bohol PilgrimageNovember 8-11, 2011

Photos by: Mr. Garvin Valenzuela, Mr. Jhun AlcoberRev. Fr. Michael Villaflor and Mr. Joey Cuento