NEW YORK?The Archdiocese of New york is busy preparing for the scheduled visit of Pope Benedict XVI to New York on April 17. The Pope will address the United Nations on April 18 and meet with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
Pope Benedict will be the second Pope to visit the United Nations. The first was the late Pope John Paul II in 1979 and again in 1995 for the 50th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations.
Vatican Ambassador Celestino Migliore says that the Pope?s visit is eagerly awaited because the Pope is seen as a moral authority offering clear guidance on the foundational values of life and human society.
Beautiful Philippines
Emma Ruth Yulo, tourism director for North America and Canada, continues to sell beautiful Philippines. Through the Philippines Specialist Program initiated by the Philippine Tourism Office in New York, both foreigners and Filipino-Americans are given a preview of the beautiful destinations in our country. By logging on ?the Philippines: beyond the usual,? Internet surfers are given questions to answer after viewing World Heritage sites, exotic beaches and islands, shopping, festivals, ethnic villages and good food in every region in four seminars. According to Emma Ruth Yulo, the program has produced 800 graduates.
Monthly draws from June 2007 to May 2008 will give participants a chance to get a free trip to the Philippines. Log on at www.travelagentacademy.com. The good news is that 650 balikbayans and foreigners visited the Philippines last year. Emma Ruth says Tourism Sec. Ace Durano gave her the go-signal to go on with the specialist program?an idea that has been germinating for the past 15 years.
Bobby Yalong, the artist
Well-known fashion designer Bobby Yalong has reinvented himself. He?s now an artist doing exhibitions at the Philippine Center in New York. Now based in the United States, Bobby has held successful exhibits of flowers and landscapes. He never planned to paint until his son gave him a set of painting paraphernalia as Christmas gift years back. After a solo exhibit, he joined Al Perez for a joint exhibit last year. He is set to show his works again on March 31 to April 12.
Bobby told me that it is difficult to live in the US because one has to do everything, but I?ve seen how fulfilled he is with what he?s doing. Over coffee at Starbucks on Fifth Avenue with visiting artist Tito Estrada (March 3 to l4 at the Philippine Center), he told us that he also writes for Pinoy Chronicle in between painting and baby-sitting for his grandchild when his son and daughter -in-law, both nurses, are on duty at the hospital.
Another painter we met was Dorothy Teves Dicker, who also attended the opening exhibit of Tito Estrada. Dorothy used to work with the United Nations, but is now retired.
Janice Lingad-Thabet, former editor of the defunct Miscellaneous magazine, told us during a dinner at the exclusive National Arts Club on Gamercy Park with Fr. Erno Diaz that she is planning to put up an exhibit of her paintings and that of some American painters in Manila to mark Philippine-American Friendship Day. Fr. Diaz, on the other hand, is preparing this early for the celebration of San Lorenzo Ruiz?s feast day on Sept. 28 at the St. Patrick Cathedral. If the benefit dinner concert featuring Jose Mari Chan and Deeda Barretto at the Manila Hotel on July 11 would be a success, Fr. Erno would be able to go ahead with his TV program ?San Lorenzo Global Hour? beamed from the Chapel of San Lorenzo Ruiz in New York. To help, please call marketing director Bel Madamba at 09l8-926-7l89.
Labyrinth walk
Do the Labyrinth Walk during Holy Week, March 19, Holy Wednesday, to March 22, Holy Saturday, at the Field of Faith Sanctuary in Pili Drive, Calauan, Laguna. The Labyrinth Hall is a vast open-sided structure where one can follow a maze of tiles with open hearts and quiet minds, until one reaches the center amidst soothing meditative strains. Here, you can reflect and contemplate on what is important to you. It allows you to connect with your inner self without interference.
For inquiries, please contact Carissa Singson at 0917-815-1585, e-mail fieldoffaith@yahoo.com or Nene Quintos 0919-378-1664, and www.fieldoffaithsanctuary.com
Semana Santa
The Hermandad y Cofradía de la Sagrada Pasión in Santa Maria, Bulacan begins Semana Santa not on Palm Sunday but on March 9 to 13?seven days of prayer, which is also called the Solemne Septenario Doloroso in honor of the Seven Sorrows of Our Lady.
The Septenario ends on Viernes de Dolores when the María Santísima de la Esperanza Macarena, Queen and Mother of the Hermandad, is borne in solemn procession. It is the first Lenten procession in Santa María. It is followed by a concelebrated Mass and the annual besamanos?a ritual where devotees line up to kiss the hand of the Virgin as a form of devotion.
Domingo de Ramos [March 16] is when the town holds, aside from the traditional Blessing of Palms, the second procession for Lent which is the Estación Mayor in the early evening led by the Jesús Nazareno and the Mater Dolorosa.
Another procession is the Procesión del Miércoles Santo [6 p.m., March 19] where the faithful can see pasos depicting the Lord?s public life and Passion. The Procesión del Viernes Santo [6 p.m., March 21] concludes with the burial of the body of Jesus.
Seven Last Words
Boots Anson-Roa will host this year?s television presentation for Lent, ?The Seven Last Words, a pilgrimage of faith to the Holy Land?. Produced by ABC Promotions, Inc., this special airs on March 21, Good Friday, 9 a.m.-12 noon, on RPN Channel 9.
In cooperation with Fortune General Insurance Co., Eternal Gardens Memorial Park, Fortune Care, Eternal Plans, Citystate Bank, Pagcor, Baguio Oil, Fern C, Italfil Tiles, Circulan, Alysons Chemicals, PCSO, Alka-C, Lakan Metal Corp, Ben Hogan Men?s Boutique, Gibson Shoes, Ephesus Travel & Tours and Praise, Inc. the program features the following guest homilists: Imus Bishop Chito Tagle; Fr. Mario Sobrejuanite, SSP; Fr. Edgar Panlilio; Fr. Arlo Yap, Cubao Bishop Honesto Ongtioco; Fr. Anton Pascual; and Msgr. Sabino Vengco, Jr.
Producer is Ben P. Canlas with Meng R. Canlas as executive producer/director and Catherine M. Chua as writer.
