TACLOBAN CITY-City Mayor Alfred S. Romualdez together with Committee Chairperson on Market Councilor Dalisay Erpe led the formal opening of Tacloban North Market held at the City Hall North Extension grounds in Brgy.106 Sto. Niño on August 31, Saturday.
In his speech, Mayor Romualdez shared that the launching of the market is part of his vision for the Northern barangays. Also, he revealed that the programs and services that the city government is providing for northern part of the city are all for the convenience of the resettled communities.
Apart from the launching, the distribution of farm hand tractors to the nine farmer associations and awarding of market stalls at Supermarket for the 12 farmer associations and vendors were also highlighted.
“Taboan ha Norte Tacloban,” will serve as ‘bagsakan’ or trading center for farmers in the north and will have its “Market Day” every Saturday of the week from 4:00 to 6:00 in the morning.
Present during the opening were Councilors Aimee Grafil and Leo Bahin, City Agriculture Office Head Alfredo Camposano, OIC Market Superintendent Joel Bugho and other department heads. (CIO)

BY: EILEEN NAZARENO-BALLESTEROS

VALLEJO, California-In spite of hectic day-to-day grind, devotees of Our Lady of Assumption and their family members from across Northern California and have roots from Tanauan, Leyte recently gathered to celebrate the feast of their Philippine hometown’s patron saint.
Coming together in their common ground called Tanauan Leyte Assumption Society (TLAS), the members make it a point to annually celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Assumption in August, commemorated by the Catholic Church largely worldwide on August 15.
This year, albeit a week late, the officers and members of TLAS and its spin-off humanitarian outreach group Tanauan Leyte Assumption Foundation (TLAF) carried out the tradition at the St. Basil Catholic Church, this city.
Rev. Fr. Jeremy Santos, SBCC parochial vicar under the Diocese of Sacramento, presided the Mass.
In his homily, Fr. Santos gave emphasis on the dogma of Mary, Mother of Jesus, assumed by God to heaven body and soul and on her being one with Christ Jesus and God even while in her life on Earth.
He underscored the value of life, as can be gleaned on Mary’s humanity.
Mary’s closeness to God
“While she lives on this Earth, Mary shares in the closeness of God. She is close to each one of us, she can hear our prayer. She is given to us as our Mother whom we can call every time we are in need,” he said.
He spoke as well on the importance of commemorating Our Lady’s Assumption to Heaven, which dogma in the Catholic Church teaching states that the Virgin Mary “having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory”.
Dogma defined
The dogma was defined by Pope Pius XII on November 1, 1950, in the apostolic constitution Munificentissimus Deus, exercising his papal infallibility.
An article on Catholic News Agency, read, “According to St. John of Damascus, the Roman emperor Marcian requested the body of Mary, Mother of God at the Council of Chalcedon, in 451.
CNA added, “St. Juvenal, who was Bishop of Jerusalem told the emperor “that Mary died in the presence of all the Apostles, but that her tomb, when opened upon the request of St. Thomas, was found empty; wherefrom the Apostles concluded that the body was taken up to heaven,’ the saint recorded.”
Further CNA informed, “By the 8th century, around the time of Pope Adrian, the Church began to change its terminology, renaming the feast day of the Memorial of Mary to the Assumption of Mary,” quoting theologian and EWTN senior contributor Matthew Bunson in an account to CNA.
Value of life
Fr. Santos, in his homily stressed, “In the midst of suffering in the 1950’s, Pope Pius XVI wanted to remind all humankind the value of human life in fulfilling the will of the Heavenly Father.”
“Materialism is destroying the value of body and soul. Our Lady’s Assumption into Heaven brings importance to man’s body.”
Tradition and devotion
As in each year of feast day celebration, a key sponsor headed the celebration. This year it Patricio Lauzon and Maddy Salvaña.
The celebration commenced, as done each year, with a Holy Mass followed by a banquet and partying.
Faith mixed with traditional social bonding
Elizabeth Buban-Ortiz, a native of Tanauan in Philippines’ Leyte province but has long been a US citizen, recalled how she got involved into the annual devotion and traditional get-together.
She remembered that since she arrived in US in January 1976, her mother Josefa would bring her to gathering almost every Saturday where there were partying and prayers.
Among those which she could fondly recall was the Santa Cruzan (May flower devotion) where among the participants was the TLAS.
When August came, they had the celebration of the Feast of Our Lady of Assumption, the patron saint of Tanauan, her mother’s hometown in the Philippines.
She said that the nine months prior to the August 15 Feast of Our Lady of Assumption there were monthly Novena prayers in her honor.
Having to drive for her mother Josefa, now deceased, she became actively involved and developed the devotion to Our Lady of Assumption.
Monthly Novena prior to feast day
In the local tradition, which they follow here in Northern California, an image of Our Lady of Assumption goes to the house of the ‘hermana’ (main sponsor of the annual fiesta) where the monthly prayer devotion is said.
Elizabeth recalled that when her family, along with few relatives, were the main sponsors, they said the novena prayer in Waray, the dialect spoken by natives of Tanauan.
Reading in the dialect was even harder than in English, according to her.
“Every time the image of Our Lady of Assumption was in the house, I feel the love, joy and happiness and feel so specially blessed,” she remarked.
Petitions granted
“Every time I asked for help my petition was always granted. Every time there were obstacles in my life, I asked the Lady in Blue and her eyes will look at me as if she is talking back to me,” she stated.
She added that the traditional gesture of getting blessings from her by her sons before going to work and upon arrival back home was all from her devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and praying hard to her.
Faith and outreach
The TLAS and TLAF members who are devotees of Our Lady of Assumption do not confine their fervor in church-related events.
The officers and members and families get involved as well in humanitarian outreach activities like donating goods to the needy in Tanauan and sending indigent but deserving students to school.

TACLOBAN CITY- Mayor Alfred S. Romualdez warmly received in City Hall on Tuesday, September 3, the Tacloban Taekwondo jins that hauled gold and bronze medals in the recently concluded 2019 Batang Pinoy National Championship in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan.
During the courtesy visit, Mayor Romualdez lauded the two jins for bringing the name of the city and making the people of Tacloban proud.
Both studying in Leyte National High School, Sally Mae Aguirre, a Grade 8 student, topped the cadet category, while the ninth-grader Jesiah Noelle Bagarino settled for a bronze medal in the junior division.
“We are very thankful to God and to our coach for letting us achieve what we have now,” said Aguirre when asked how they felt after they received the award.
Meanwhile, their coaches namely Mansueto Paca-anas Jr. and Marlon Caing Jr. expressed gratitude for the support that the local government is giving for the sports and development program.
“The support was good from the City Government, we are accommodated very well. With that, hopefully, this will continue to ensure a bright future for the city’s youths,” said Paca-anas.
OIC of the City Sports Office, Carlos Dave Castello also appreciated the efforts of the athletes and players who represented Tacloban City and hopes for the continuing improvement of sports here in the city.
The 2019 Batang Pinoy National Championship was held in Puerto Princesa, Palawan from August 24 to 30. Athletes under 15 years old joined the annual sports event.
Aguirre and Bagarino will be competing again on September 7 to 8 for the National Age Group Taekwondo Championship that will be held at The Music Hall of the SM Mall of Asia.
(C. MERIN/CITY INFORMATION OFFICE)

TACLOBAN CITY – The chorale group of the Northwest Samar State University (NwSSU) in Calbayog City was adjudged as the best in an international chorale competition in Indonesia.
The NwSSU chorale group, formed just a year ago composed of 27 student-singers, bagged gold in folklore category and was also the gold medal winner for Church Music category at the 4th North Sumatra International Choir Competition 2019 held last August 30.
The group also qualified for the grand prix.
The NwSSU chorale group, whose conductor Jonathan Theo Robles named as the most promising conductor, competed against Zamboanga City State Polytechnic College (ZCSPC), Mo’Awo Youth Choir (MYC), Camarines Sur Teacher Choir, Simfonia Medan, San Pedro Chorale, Jorih Jerah Choir, St. Cecilia Bintang Timur Choir, and Paduan Suara Yapentra.
Robles said that they have no high expectation because it is their first time to join an international chorale competition.
The conductor admitted that he was hesitant to join the competition since his group was only formed year ago but managed to join upon the prodding of a friend.
“I knew already about the North Sumatra International Competition po since its 2nd and 3rd culmination. Then last year, a fellow conductor I met in PASUC National Competition in Davao motivated me to join. At first, I was hesitant and I have lesser singers, but my friend was very consistent in motivating me. So I did try contacting some of the organizers about our interest in joining, and if we can qualify, that was when we were sent the invitation,” Robles said.
He added that their victory in this year’s 4th North Sumatra International Choir Competition is an early anniversary gift as they are to celebrate their founding anniversary this month.
Among the songs they performed during the competition were ‘Ama Namin’ and ‘Let me Fly’ for the Church Music where they were declared as the champion.
For the folklore category, they sung ‘Pan Anup’, a folksong from Ifugao, ‘Tephaeyg,’ a Manobo folksong and ‘Soleram’, a traditional Indonesian folksong, a lullaby from the Riav province.
While in the grand prix they performed again Let me fly and ‘Lead me Lord.’
The NwSSU chorale group is composed of students taking education, agriculture, environmental science, hospitality management, food technology, architecture and civil engineering.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)