The beauty of a pilgrimage

We would like to congratulate Silay City Mayor Jose “Oti” Montelibano and the people of Silay on the official inauguration of its airport today by Vice President Noli de Castro.

Opening of multi-billion projects like an airport is an important milestone in the life of a city like Silay.

The airport can create downstream businesses that will surely benefit all.

This will test the mettle of the city executive and the officials in promoting investments to the city.

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The Retain Bacolod Airport Movement, true to its original stand of being supportive of the airport, will be there. We want the Bacolod airport retained but we were also for the Silay Airport .

We believe people must not stop progress.

We expect, because of the airport, a big increase in the income of Silay is forthcoming.

The Bacolod port at Bredco has brought about tremendous benefits to Bacolod . This year's increase of the city budget by 32 percent that now goes beyond a billion-peso mark has been because of the many businesses like the SM Shoemart buildings.

Give to Bredco's Sammy Palanca the credit for the foresight. I know it has been because of the close frienship between Palanca and SM's Grand Man Henry Sy that SM was opened here.

What I knew was the Sy family was not keen on having an SM branch in Bacolod . But Henry Sy told his family, “I have a commitment to a friend.” He was referring to Sammy Palanca.

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Tomorrow will mark the opening of the Jubilee Pilgrimage in the Cathedral that will be held throughout the year.

This also marks the end of Pilgrimage Walk from the different parishes of the Central Vicariate to the Cathedral.

This also ushers in the Feast Day of San Sebastian, Patron Saint of Bacolod the following day.

Fr. Felix Pasquin, Rector of San Sebastian Cathedral, told us the ceremony tomorrow afternoon is the liturgical opening of the Cathedral Door. The liturgical opening of the Cathedral Door is held very seldom and only on the most important events of a church celebration.

Bishop Vicente Navarra, leading the Pilgrims, will knock at the Cathedral Door three times. And this will open and he enters followed by the flock.

A Mass will be officiated by Vicar General Vic Rivas.

Fr. Pasquin told me, it will be in Latin, to refresh the memories of those who love the Mass in Latin.

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I like that word “Pilgrim”. A pilgrim is a person who goes into a journey for a religious purposes. And life is a pilgrimage, a journey towards a glorious end. Are we not all pilgrims in this valley of tears? The journey may be rough but the trip is worth it.

The Europeans who landed in Plymouth , New England were called Pilgrim Fathers. And in 1902 there was a club founded called The Pilgrims with branches in London and New York .

And one of the best books I read during younger days was “Pilgim's Progress” by John Bunyan written in the late 1660s.

“Pilgrim's Progress” is an allegorical journey masterpiece that tells of a Christian pilgrimage that is beset with trials and temptations but with incidental encouragement, he pushed on until he reached the Celestial City where he was joined by his wife and children.

The influence of the book to world literature has been tremendous that in our younger days, it was a must reading.

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Poet Henry Quarles wrote in 1620, “What is Life? A weary pilgrimage / Whose glory in one day doth fill the stage; / With childhood, manhood, and decrepit age.”

Or Percy Besshy Shelley calls us all, the pilgrims of eternity.

I deplore the loss of the beauty of our old customs of going to a pilgrimage. The word “Pana-ad” refers to pilgrimage. If you had a vow for Señor San Vicente, you would go during his feast day to his shrine to gain indulgences and blessings. Pana-ad has been commercialized.

We called it “mapalapak”. After the Mass, the devotee would line up and the statue of a saint, object of the pilgrimage, would be used to touch one's head.

My beautiful memories of younger days were those on going to a pilgrimage on the feast day of San Vicente Ferrer, a saint known to have done many miracles.

We hope the Diocese in this 75 th Jubilee Year of the Bacolod Cathedral we promote the idea of the pilgrimage.

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I insist on having the Ceneco-Kepco contract open to the public. I was disappointed when told top officials of Ceneco were not aware of the provision in the Ceneco-Kepco contract that provides payment by Ceneco of a security deposit of nearly P190 million.

They either really wanted to hide it or they did not read the contract before signing it. Sad indeed.*

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