Friday, January 9, 2009

Update #1 from Cebu, Philippines

Pit Senyor, from Cebu, where the Sinulog festival is warming up! Last year a million people were here to participate in the week-long celebration focusing on the Santo Nino (Child Jesus) of Cebu. These past years, festivities have expanded to include not just the religious proceesion and mardi-style parade, but exhibits, performances, etc. One such event is the Handuman, which focuses on the revival of the Cebu pre-War Carnaval Days. Odette Jereza, vice president of the University of Southern Philippines, was appointed Handuman Chair by Vice Mayor Mike Rama. Odette conceived of the Carnaval idea, and apparently the memorial website of my mother, Concepcion Cuenco Manguerra, inspired her. There will be a full-blown production this Jan. 17 at USP's theater.

And Odette asked me to be Carnaval Queen, to represent my mother. My first instinct was to decline: I don't have anything to wear, I will have guests here in Cebu and must take care of them, etc. etc. But I heard a little nudging in my heart - I will call it my mother's voice: Go ahead, hija, you'll have fun. So, even though Odette is calling me Carnaval Queen, I call myself a proxy of my mother.

They are making a gown that'll echo what my mother wore during those Carnaval Days (1930s), and all festivities will "copy" what had happened back in the 1930s - including a balak by Vice Mayor Rama. The Carnaval Queen will have 2 attendants, and apparently whatever dancing, singing (by famous Cebuana Dulce) will be offered to the Carnaval Queen and attendants. So, basically, after whatever walk the Queen does, she just sits and watches the program. There is talk of a throne, crown, and a projected background of my mother in her Carnaval garb.

Very funny - I will keep you posted about all this, dear readers.

Cebu's traffic is now getting impossible because the processions and parades have started and roads blocked. You can feel the heightening excitement of the people in Cebu.

As far as I'm concerned I'm still nursing a congested ear, which occurred in California but which got aggravated in the plane. Seems to be better today, but it's like that: the ears feel clear in the morning, but gets congested in the afternoon.

I attended the art exhibit of Paulina Constanzia, Cebuana artist who lives in Canada. There I saw familiar faces: Terry Manguerra, Chinggay Utzurrum, Tina Escanao Chiongbian, Elena Chiongbian Young, Marilou Briones Chiongbian, and many more.

I was saddened to hear that Tony Garcia, husband of Lucy Franco Garcia, died on Christmas Eve. I also heard that Mayor Tommy Osmena has cancer and undergoing chemo treatments. Cecilia Picornell had a mini-stroke, but is doing fine. Husband, Jaime reported she and Cecilia are on a diet and Cecilia has lost kilos. These are my childhood friends dear readers, which adds to my disconcertment.

I haven't had time to connect with the historian/academic crowd, although I did hear from Jing Ramos of Zee Quarterly. A number of people praised the article (Life in Parian Now) in the November issue of Zee Quarterly, and Jing (who had invited me to write the article) will be dropping by to give me copies.


All for now, dear readrs.

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