Bountiful Sinulog in Talomo Cemento

The extraordinary expression of faith to the infancy of Jesus Christ is reverberating every year especially during the month of January. The original Sinulog celebration in Cebu City is one of the best examples of such an awe-inspiring tradition of Catholic faith. People all the over the Philippines really took time to be in Cebu for the magnanimous celebration of praise and thanksgiving to Señor Santo Niño de Cebu.
With the personal experience of Sinulog in Cebu, which I have kept in my heart ever since, I can only say that no better faith can ever compare to kind of faith Filipinos have for Señor Santo Niño. Faithful people flock together in the Metropolitan Cathedral just immediately outside the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño to sing, dance and wave praises to the Child Jesus. Even if I wasn’t a child then, but still I can say it was definitely a certified heart-warming experience.
This year may not have been a luxurious time for me to join my Aunt Espie, Joffer and Kuya Jappy in going to Cebu to offer dance of praises to Señor Santo Niño, but God was amazingly good because He still gave me and the rest of the people who cant be in Cebu our very own Sinulog celebration in Talomo Cemento, Davao City. It was indeed a clear cut Sinulog celebration with lots of colors, dancing, and offerings of praises and thanksgiving inside the Sto. Niño Chapel. Local folks gathered oozing with enthusiasm and sincere faith to Señor Santo Niño, which a dayful of rainfall could never stop them from converging inside the humble covered court immediately outside the chapel to witness a fantastic display of extraordinary faith seen in vivid colors and well-choreographed dance steps, reinforced with resounding praise chants and songs.
The Sto. Niño Chapel GKK (Gagmayng Kristohanong Katilingban) in Talomo Cemento was established in 1956 under San Lorenzo Ruiz Parish. It has been a tradition of faith in the community to prepare abundantly for Señor Santo Niño every January. From procession, fluvial parade, and streetdancing, all these and more are evident in the Sinulog Celebration in Talomo Cemento. During this year’s joy-filled and bountiful Sinulog celebration, local folks have experienced immeasurable blessings and graces of God for them and their families. With the simple ways of life in the community, local folks have been continuously grateful to Señor Santo Niño. They have been thanking God for the continuous good weather, good health and safety of the community, which is a faithful gesture worth emulating.
So if you can hardly be in Cebu for the Sinulog next year, why not be in Talomo Cemento and witness the same expression of faith that can move mountains!
P.S. Sincere thanks to Ms. Jenelyn Cañada for the photos and facts, and Congratulations to St. Uriel Group , champion of the Sinulog streetdance competition in straight three years!

(Simultaneously Published in Mindanao Times, the number 1 daily newspaper in Davao!)

MAKE SURE YOU'RE FIT!

Ending the year with style, energy and fun-filled play moments is such a memorable task. With activities that will enhance not only the special skills and talents but also give one the chance to reap optimum fitness and personality enhancement, it is but a hundred percent sure that one can make sure that he is fit, inside and out.
On the traditional Christmas Festival celebration of the University of Mindanao Fitness & Wellness Centre (UMFWC), special physical education students were ushered to a prolong moment of jaw-dropping experience as performance from their fellow students unfold surprisingly in front of them. The day-filled activity was jampacked with great events such as Cheerdance Competition, Music Video (MTV) Bloppers, Dance Showdown, and the search for Mr. & Ms. Fitness 2009.
Vieing for top awards are six different teams representing different colors, namely: Orange, Blue, Yellow, Green, Pink, and Red. All special physical education students of the UM Fitness & Wellness Centre were assigned to different team colors as they all happily prepared for their respective events to join in.
The Christmas Festival 2009 was also the fitting day to officially launch the latest shoutout of the UM Fitness & Wellness Centre for the new year 2010 in campaigning for healthy lifestyle to all the students in the University of Mindanao: “MAKE SURE YOU’RE FIT!”. “Make Sure You’re Fit!” became a loud shoutout during the festival as students kept shouting them literally in the entire event. This shoutout is in conformity with the vision, missions and goasl of the UMFWC as the prolific fitness and wellness arm of the University of Mindanao.
The cherished bonding moments of the UM Fitness & Wellness Centre during its Christmas Festival 2009 was another record-breaking success as it proved once more that the UM Fitness & Wellness Centre is the home of the physically fit and mentally alert. UMFWC Managing Director, Prof. Espie Chinel Aparis and Assistant Director, Dr. Casilda Aparis, were very happy to have witnessed the awesome display of magnanimous talents of the students.
UMFWC Christmas Festival 2009 expresses heartfelt gratitude to the following Sponsors: Atty. Karlo Nograles and Family, Past Rotary District Governor Billy Parilla, Engr. Bendor Calamba, The Holiday Gym & Spa, Ms. Anne Zapanta, Metrolifestyle Fitness Center & Spa, Ms, Yvonnie Jonelas and Family, Banoks, Villa de Mercedes, Rotary Club of South Davao and WILD 92.3 FM. Likewise, the UMFWC thanks the following gracious individuals who served as judges to the different events: Sir Boie Jamisola, Sir Jappy Fernandez, Prof. Greg Calamba Jr., Machelle Fernandez, Anne Michelle Sevillano, Jabar Umpar, and Alahdin Repollo.
UMFWC Christmas Festival 2009 Working Committee: Overall Chairman-Nino Calamba, Production/Pageant In-Charge – Roy Vencent Miano, Video Presentations – Joffer Aparis, Tabulator – Darling Romero, Technical Coordinator – John Rey Paradanas, Stage Decoration & Physical Set-up – Jigger Balles and company, Documentation – Claire and the Green Team, Program Coordination – Jayzel and the Yellow Team, Logistics – Ronnie and the Red Team, Games – Darwin and the Orange Team, Secretariat – Razel and Rona.

(THIS ARTICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED ON MINDANAO TIMES, THE BEST DAILY NEWSPAPER IN DAVAO CITY)

RCSD Dancing Christmas Party !!!

During Christmas time, young and seasoned alike gather together for merry-making, renewal of acquaintances, reunion of family ties and spiritual reflection but most importantly and most especially, Christmas is a season to give thanks for the gift of love magnificently seen and felt at Jesus Christ’s birth.
Christmas time is also a grandiose moment for giving and sharing what we have to the less in life, to reach out to the lonely and the brokenhearted, the orphans, the sick and the aged.
There are a lot of ways to make Christmas celebration grace-filled and a worthwhile experience, one is by becoming God’s missionary of peace, love and joy to the family and the entire community. The Rotary Club of South Davao, being one of the leading civic organizations in this part of the archipelago and the most outstanding Rotary club in Rotary International District 3860 celebrates Christmas with numerous community projects to boot. After fulfilling service above self for the entire year, RCSD kick off their shoes as they party all night long at the Marco Polo Grand Ballroom with thanksgiving and happiness for the success of all their community projects for this Rotary Year.
President Casilda “Sising” Aparis, the visionary leader of the Rotary Club of South Davao for RY 2009-2010, encourages her fellow Rotarians that Christmas is a season for all of them to renew, intensify, and continue their significant projects and community outreach programs. She reminded her fellow leaders to bear in mind that they are doing all those communitarian mission to ensure brighter future for their less fortunate brothers and sisters and just because they wanted to take part in shaping the beautiful future for them and for them to enjoy a better world devoid of sufferings and disadvantages.
The Christmas Fellowship of the Rotary Club of South Davao continued with so much fun and laughter as each group present in the grand ballroom were called on the dancefloor to perform. From RCSD Female Rotarians and Spouses up to Male Rotarians and Guests, all were given equal chance to perform and show what they’ve got on the dancefloor. Dancing become the theme of the night as everyone went home with memorable dance performances to cherish, aside from the raffle gifts given to them. Up until the wee hour, RCSD family and guests kept on dancing for the 2009 RCSD Christmas Party and Fellowship!

(This article was featured by MOTLEY on Mindanao Times, the number one daily newspaper in Davao)

REVERBERATING CHEERDANCE COMPETITION

Galingg-galing talaga ng cheerdancers ng UM Fitness & Wellness Centre! yay!

FULLY CHARGED DANCE SHOWDOWN

DANCE SHOWDOWN of the UM Fitness & Wellness Centre's Christmas Festival 2009 celeb!

The YOUNG, The BEAUTIFUL, and the FIT!

The search for MR. & MS. FITNESS 2009 of the UM Fitness & Wellness Centre!

The search for Mr. & Ms. Fitness 2009 of the University of Mindanao Fitness & Wellness Centre (UMFWC) has once again proven that with young minds, pretty faces and beautiful bodies come great responsibility. Special physical education students of the UMFWC have gathered for this momentous event as selected gorgeous ladies and dashing gentlemen from different P.E. levels will vie for the most coveted title of being Mr. & Ms Fitness 2009 in the campus. The new Mr. & Ms. Fitness will not only be images of beauty and fitness but will become ambassadors of goodwill as they will be in partnership with the UMFWC in promoting healthy lifestyle to all the students in the university which in conformity with its latest shoutout for 2010: “MAKE SURE YOU’RE FIT!”
Officially launched last December 13, 2009 during UMFWC’s Christmas Festival ’09 at the UM Main Gymnasium in Bonifacio Street, the UMFWC’s latest shoutout “Make Sure You’re Fit!” will become the guiding motto of the new winners. Candidates representing their respective team have shown everyone present their glamour and elegance as they paraded onstage oozing with confidence. During the parade of candidates in their P.E. uniforms, each candidate performs different kinds of aerobics and group exercises. They were also very charming in their respective Christmas-inspired creative jeans. Audience was even more awe-struck as candidates came out on stage in their fashionable sports wear. They were able to characteristically project the kind of sport they are trying to portray with their costumes.
The new Mr. & Ms. Fitness 2009 of the UMFWC are Giovannie Siglos and Darlene Arcaya. Giovanni is a Hotel and Restaurant Management student who hails from Magsaysay, Davao del Sur. He is humble, friendly, handsome and fun to be with, say his closed friends. He performed Hip-Hop Aerobics during the parade of P.E. Uniform. Darlene, on the other hand, is a B.S. in Accountancy student who hails from Bayawan, Negros Oriental. She loves writing poems, dancing, and playing the guitar. She performed Jazzercise during the parade of P.E. Uniform. Both Giovanni and Darlene represented the Yellow Team of the UMFWC Christmas Festival ’09.
The search for Mr. & Ms. Fitness 2009 of the UMFWC became successfully blessed because of the generous support of the following persons and groups: Atty Karlo Nograles and Family, Engr. Bendor Aparis Calamba and Family, the Holiday Gym & Spa, Ms. Anne Zapanta, Metrolifestyle Fitness Center & Spa, Ms. Yvonnie Jonelas and Family, Banoks, Villa de Mercedes, and 92.3 WILD FM. The UMFWC family headed by its Managing Director, Professor Espie Chinel Aparis, expresses its sincerest thanks to all its sponsors and warm congratulations to all the winners!
P.S. Thank you Joffer Aparis, Cinday Dumapias and the Green Team for the photos!
(This article was previously published on Mindanao Times, the # 1 daily newspaper in Davao City)