Santo Niño de Malitbog returns home
After 32 years of being ‘lost’
TACLOBAN CITY – After more than three decades, the Señor Santo Niño de Malitbog has finally returned to His home, the Malitbog Church.
Prior to His return to the Malitbog Church, the Child Jesus first visited the Santo Niño Church here in the city last November 27 where He was welcomed by Señor Santo Niño de Tacloban and Señor Santo Niño de Limasawa at the entrance of the church.
Devotees and religious leaders were also present when the image arrived.
Señor Santo Niño de Malitbog was brought back to the region by Francis Ong, a collector who was in possession of the image since November 2019 after its previous owner died.
He was accompanied by Prof Eric Zerrudo, priest from Malitbog, and the lead dancer of Malitbog festival contingent to Sinulog when it was lost.
A blessing was offered by priests of the Santo Niño Church when the image arrived last night.
Last Saturday (Nov.28), a formal turnover of the image was held at the Santo Niño Parish Malitbog which was accepted by Maasin Diocese Bishop Precioso Cantillas at the more than 200-year old Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption of Maasin commonly known as the Maasin City Cathedral from Ong.
In his message, Bishop Cantillas shared the great joy of the diocese and the rest of the faithful on the return of the image which he compared to the Gospel story when the child Jesus was lost in the temple and was later found by Mary and Joseph.
Bishop Cantillas added that the finding of the lost Santo Niño de Malitbog will never happen without the help of Francis Ong whom he referred as “used by the Santo Niño” for the diocese to find him.
“For this Mr. Francis Ong, the Diocese of Maasin are grateful for you for the coming of Santo Niño de Malitbog and in the Diocese of Maasin,” he said.
After the turnover of the image to the Diocese of Maasin, a motorcade from the Maasin Cathedral to the Malitbog church, which is more than 60 kilometers away, followed.
The motorcade was welcomed with a festive mode by dancers and hundreds of faithful in Malitbog town.
A Eucharistic celebration was held at the Santo Niño Parish Malitbog after the motorcade.
The Santo Niño image believed to be crafted by local artisans in the 1720s “to be a replica of Cebu’s Santo Niño,” was first enshrined inside the parish in Malitbog town after its church construction in 1857.
The image was lost in 1988 after the contingent from the town joined the Sinulog Festival in Cebu.
Last September 18, Ong said that he found an article with photos about the missing statue and had “uncanny semblance” to an image in his collection.
With the help of his friends, Jayson Maceo, who is creating a Sto. Niño that the Diocese of Maasin will use for the 500th anniversary of the first Mass in Limawasa next year, on March 31, 2021 and was working as an apprentice to Dr. Rafael Lopez, a protégé at restoring antique pieces, they immediately get in touch with the Diocese of Maasin, which confirmed is in fact Malitbog’s lost icon.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
Christmas on Wheels’ competition launched by the city government
TACLOBAN CITY- This city glimmers with Christmas spirit during the launching of the Christmas on Wheels Competition 2020 in partnership with TNT / PLDT/Smart Telecommunications, Inc.
Eighteen lighted jeepneys paraded the metro during the pre-judging in the hope of winning the coveted prizes.
Councilor Aimee Grafil, representing Mayor Alfred S. Romualdez, in her speech, marveled at the resilience of Taclobanons who have been shaped by the challenges that they have faced and storms that they have weathered.
She said that she hopes that this activity will inspire and give hope to everyone in spite of the ‘darkness’ of the pandemic as she thanked the sponsors, partners, and organizers for their participation in this Yuletide activity.
Roy Nebrija of TNT explained that the activity will bring the spirit of the Christmas season to people’s barangays/homes without Taclobanons gathering in certain places if only to feel the spirit of the holidays.
He also expressed his thanks to the city government for the success of the first-ever Christmas on Wheels.
Driver Joey Oreno said in an interview, that he was encouraged by the jeepney’s operator to participate in this trailblazer event to boost every Taclobanons’ spirit despite having a tough year.
He excitedly shared that if he wins the prize, his family is in for a treat this Christmas and New Year’s.
Event sponsors are TNT, Uni-soft, Beybiko, Freeda, Cellcom, Panasonic, and RL Appliance in cooperation with Tingog Party-list, Rep. Martin Romualdez and his wife, Rep. Yedda Romualdez, Land Transportation and Franchising and Regulatory Board, Land Transportation Office, City Tourism Operations Office, Traffic Operations Management, Enforcement and Control Office, Highway Patrol Group, Tacloban City Police Office, Leyte II Electric Company, Sangyaw Foundation, Love Radio, and BLS.
The contest will run through December, and winners will be announced on the 20th, at 6:30 pm at the CEO Gym. Criteria for judging are as follows: Layout and design of the vehicle – 40%, and Visual lights effects – 60 %.
(TACLOBAN CITY INFORMATION OFFICE)
Eagles gives blood; to be donated at EVRMC’s blood bank
TACLOBAN CITY- Close to 200 individuals donated their precious blood that were donated to the blood bank of the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center (EVRMC), this city.
The bloodletting activity was spearheaded by the Tacloban Eagles District (TED) which aims to help address the lack of blood supply at the EVRMC’ blood bank.
Ahlyx Belleza, TED’s district governor, said that their bloodletting activity, held last November 21 at the covered court of the Santo Niño Speed Center, is very timely considering the pandemic caused by coronavirus disease(COVID-19).
“The bloodletting activity is very relevant nowadays considering that there is a need of blood supply during this time of pandemic and there are not enough blood supply at our blood bank at present,” Belleza said.
It was learned that the bloodletting activity undertaken by the TED is one of the requirements for one to become a member of the organization as it continue to expand.
For a member to become a regular member, he or she should have bring at least two blood donors.
For this particular bloodletting activity, the group was able to collect around 80 bags of blood from the donors.
The newly-established eagle branches are the Central Tacloban Eagle’s Club; the Central Balyuan Eagle’s Club; the Central Kanhuraw Lady Eagles Club; and Palo Eagles Club.
According to Belleza, this bloodletting activity will now become a regular activity of their organization in consonance of it being a ‘community service organization.’
The annual bloodletting activity will be known as ‘Dugo ng Agila.’
“We are happy that there are people who willingly donate their blood and (in the process) help other’s lives,” Belleza said.
The group has earlier conducted a gift-giving to 500 school children from different public elementary schools in the northern part of Tacloban under its adopt-a-school program. (JOEY A. GABIETA)
Region’s COVID-19 deaths now at 90
Latest to succumb from Calbayog City
TACLOBAN CITY-The number of deaths in Eastern Visayas due to coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is now at 90 with a new additional death from Calbayog City as reported by the Department of Health (DOH).
The DOH said that the latest fatality from the region due to COVID-19 involved a 72-year old man who died last Nov.28.
He became the seventh deaths of Calbayog City due to complications caused by the dreaded virus. The city has 676 COVID-19 total cases of which 69 are considered as active cases.
In Maydolong, Eastern Samar, its mayor, Godofredo Garado, submitted himself as well as all of his immediate employees for swab tests after one of his staff was tested positive of COVID-19.
The town has already recorded seven COVID-19 cases.
The regional office of the DOH announced on Monday night that Eastern Visayas has now 8,737 total COVID-19 cases with additional of 12 cases.
The new cases of the region were from Leyte province with six cases; five from Samar province; and one from Eastern Samar.
In Tacloban City, the region’s capital and economic center, its COVID-19 cases continue to increase with three additional cases.
Its total COVID-19 cases is now at 1,053 of which 16 of them have already died.
Pres. Rodrigo Duterte has earlier announced that Tacloban City will continue to be under general community quarantine (GCQ) for the rest of December.
In an interview, Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez said that he does not mind the city be remain under a strict quarantine status saying this could help address further increase of COVID-19 cases of the city.
He, however, said that its GCQ status could also be attributed to increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the region where some of their patients are confined in different hospitals operating in Tacloban City.
The rest of the region, however, is now placed under a less stricter modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) status.