Rough Groove

Flickr Cebu-Sugbo Sinulog pin

The Flickr Cebu-Sugbo Sinulog pin c/o Wantet.

Thanx Tet

Sinulog 2007

All roads are now going to Cebu as the island province celebrates its patron, the Sto. Nino. Unfortunately for me, I’ll have to pass up the chance to go there again.

Sayang lang jud kaayo!

More »

CICC didn’t make deadline

With the Cebu local government’s self imposed deadline of 15 November, the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) didn’t make it. When the different ASEAN representatives inspected the building, they were concerned that it would really not make that’s why it was then decided that most of the activities will now be held in the sprawling Mactan Shangri-la hotel. Some activities will still push through here though.

Related post:

Cebu International Convention Center

Another death on a Sunday

Five months and eight days and another death on a Sunday. I don’t exactly know why Sundays seem to be the favorite day for my loved ones to die. First it was my father. Now, its my Auntie Lon. How ironic. Didn’t Christ rose from the dead on this auspicious day? Life. Death. Death.

It was expected in the case of my Aunt. Ah my aunt. Of all my mother’s siblings, she’s the one I’m closest to. The youngest, she was the one who attended to me when I was still an infant as what my mother told me. Maybe that’s it. Right when I was starting to explor the world, we formed a bond. Now, more than thirty years after and I still have this closeness to her.

She’s been struggling with the terminal cancer that has been gnawing at her physical being. First it made its presence known when it was already at stage 3. Several bouts of chemotherapy seemed to have taken its toll on this disease. But then it resurfaced. She was admitted to the hospital and during that time, we were already expecting that she won’t make it as the cancer, the malignancy, has spread to her bones and several bodily organs. As she said during that time, struggling to write the words on the bed, she already saw the ghost of my father there in the hospital room where my mother, sister and some other relatives, including some of her family were gathered. But lo, a few days later and a miracle seemed to have happened. As she told it later, there came a boy with blue eyes, pulled the tube that was connected to her where the food passed to her stomach. The cancer disappeared. The doctors were dumbfounded and couldn’t explain. We rejoiced. She went home. I went home and brough her the best siopao in Manila. I couldn’t forget the twinkling in her eyes, the laugh and joy at seeing me in the flesh. But then, life’s just cruel. The cancer resurfaced and this time it has reached the brain. All the while we thought that it has disappeared but all the while, it was just hiding. Creeping and with a fatal blow announced its malignant presence with a vangeance. Evil is indeed among the living.

Now, this afternoon while attending a meeting with some Flickr Philippines friends, my sister called. They were already gathered around my aunt. The doctors have already given up all hope and her family was adviced to just bring her home and wait. Her blood pressure is already at 60/0. Prayers were already said. Tonight, 1930H I received a text message. I can’t open it for I was already expecting the worse. It was only minutes past 2300H when I reached my place that I read it.

Another death on a Sunday. I just really don’t know why Sundays are the favorite day for my loved ones to die. But I am happy that, at last, my aunt’s pain and suffering has ended.

She is free.

Note: I will be posting back after the interment.

Related post:

Death on a Sunday
Aunt Lorna and siopao from Emerald Garden Restaurant

Cebu International Convention Center

The Cebu government is frantically pushing for the completion of the ongoing construction of the Cebu International Convention Center in time for the December 2006 ASEAN regional summit to be held in this southern city, a first in this country. While it seems impressive, the original plan was actually a Cebu Megadome, that was touted to be bigger than the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao but didn’t see the light of day due to some opposition by some politicians. When it was announced that Cebu would be hosting the said summit, the plan was revived but due to budget and time constraints, a smaller building was eventaully approved and constructed with a different design.

Left, the finished building would look like this one. Right, stage of construction, 31 October. It has generated some media concerns especially that inspection by the ASEAN country representatives would be done this 9 November and many are afraid that it may still take time to complete this one.