Summertime

“Summertime, when the livin’ is easy”, goes a familiar standard song this Bystander used to play back in my good old years in radio years some ages ago.

But not so this year, with temperatures hitting the high 30 degrees Celsius as we suffer, which the media confirms. And so this “high” with the onset of the El Niño (the Boy), alluding to the appearance of the current phenomenon near Christmas in these latter days of May, which the weather bureau says may extend even longer this year.

The week before last, on April 23rd, our Cebu Council of the Girl Scouts of the Philippines held our 2014 Annual Council Meeting and Awards Ceremony at the Cebu Grand Hotel in Escario Street.

The morning session opened with the entry of the colors, a reflection, the presentation of the council board members, guests and awardees by Council Assistant Secretary Erlinda Sanchez. The welcome message was then delivered by vice president for field Venus Flores, and the treasurer’s report from Council Treasurer Anita Abapo.

After lunch, achievement awards were given out for membership, badgework and badges bought, camping, training, and finance and NES sales.

Vice president for fund development Leticia Canoy introduced our guest speaker: Cebu Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale. Magpale professed heartfelt concern for the Girl Scouts, having once been a member of our council board, believing in its vision and mission.

She lauded Girl Scouting as “a wonderful pro-life training and learning experience… intended for instruction, discipline, guidance and empowerment… helping refine human character… shape values, and inculcate patriotism and love of God.” She said “Society needs the kind of citizens… molded in the way Girl Scouting does.” And that “the Girl Scout Promise and Law are basic principles that can… apply to solve the problems besetting (the current) government and its bureaucracy.”

After her talk, Vice Governor Magpale was presented with a plaque of recognition by our GSP Cebu Council president Ida Yting. Thank you, Vice Governor Magpale, for reminding our girls of their responsibility as future citizens of our country!

What followed was the awarding of various service awards: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Jade, Crystal, Garnet, Amethyst, Pearl, Coral, Bronze Trefoil Breast, Silver Trefoil Breast, and Gold Trefoil Breast. The top three winning schools each for Achievement Awards in Membership, Badgework, Badges Bought, Camping, Training for Girls and Adults, Finance, NES Sales and District Committees Registered, will be mentioned next week.

The following week, April 30th, at our Girl Scouts Council Executive Committee Meeting, we discussed details of our Golden Jubilee Senior and Cadet Encampment at our Marina Yulo Vargas Camp at Capitol Hills on May 13 – 18 with the theme, “Camp Marina @ 50 and Beyond.” What a busy two weeks will it be for our Cebu Girl Scouts!

And now, for our monthly meeting of the Cebu United Radio and TV Artists (Curta), Inc. at the Rizada Residence in Tisa. It was mainly about the financial results of our “Pasiklap” fund-raising with our “Operitang Hilaw” stage presentation. Presiding Honorary Chairperson Rose Rizada reported a sizeable donation from friends and relatives in the States and a number of Cebu City Councilors, a partial sale of 27 enhanced DVDs of the production, a number of which were given as gifts to sponsors who were duly acknowledged during the presentation.

A total of P93,455.92 were duly deposited in the bank with separate deposits for medical aid funds of Curta. Rose concluded her financial report with the news that Curta will soon be officially accredited as a nongovernment organization. This Bystander is proud to be a member of this long-lasting, professionally managed organization, Curta!

Now back to summertime this year not being a time when “livin’ is easy”. Not so when in addition to the searing temperature, developments on the news front, locally, nationally and internationally, current “livin’ is NOT AT ALL easy” with all the you-know-who’s and more-to-be-unearthed-or-revealed still accountable for all the “pork”, scams and what-else-even-graver. Do forgive this Bystander for “over-wording” here.

Yes, back to this current searing summertime, and this significant month of May, the Month of the Ocean. Ironically, this month in Talisay along the oceanside, we are shocked to learn that the shark trade is going on, reportedly sans the knowledge, of the “unaware” BFAR whose job it is! As also of the seaweed ban against the illegal harvesting of “samu” or brown seaweed.

Yesterday, May 8th, was the Feast of St. Joseph, patron saint of Mandaue City. Happy Fiesta, Mandaue City! St. Joseph the Worker is also the patron saint of the Associated Labor Unions-Visayas Mindanao Confederation of Trade Unions (ALU/VIMCONTU) that owns and manages Radio Station dyLA near Pier I, where I continue to host the monthly “Women’s Kapihan” at 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. every second Saturday of the week, which is tomorrow. St. Joseph’s Chapel is in the same compound.

Earlier in the week, last Tuesday, the 6th, was Red Cross and Red Crescent Day. In my early years in radio (then at dyRC), we used to help campaign for the blood bank at this time of the year, in cooperation with the Cebu Chapter of the Philippine National Red Cross.

Memories… memories. The later developments on the also heated (political?) news front will be among the subjects of my Bystandering next week. So until then, as always, may God continue to keep and bless us, one and all!