HUNDREDS of Kagay-anons on Friday waved white and maroon handkerchiefs to honor the replica of a centuries-old statue of the suffering Black Nazarene.
Some were in tears while others cried "Viva Nazareno" as the procession wind its way to the Nazareno Parish Church in Barangay Lapasan from St. Augustine Cathedral where a mass officiated by Cagayan de Oro Archbishop Antonio Ledesma was heard. But unlike their counterparts in Quiapo in Manila where hundreds of devotees were injured, Friday's procession in Cagayan de Oro was "relatively peaceful."
City Police Director Isagani Genabe estimated the number of those who joined the procession at 6,000.
Security was tight, however, with a contingent of Philippine Army soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division providing the muscle and shield to keep the crowd away from the revered religious icon.
The procession snarled vehicular traffic in the roads designated by the Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) as alternative routes.
Weighing about 250 kilos, the religious icon was carried on the shoulders of "Translacions" or official escorts.
Devotees from Quiapo, who came all the way to Cagayan de Oro City, taught locals how to carry the icon by swaying it along the way.
"Kailangang i-sway ng konti ang imahe sa pagkarga para hindi masyadong mabigatan ang nagkakarga sa Poong Nazareno. Nakasanayan na rin yan--naging tradisyon na ang ganyang pagkarga ng imahe," Edgar Domillasin, a Black Nazarene devotee told the locals.
A ring of student cadets, soldiers and lay members encircled the "Translacions" as they bodily carried the icon through Velez Street and Claro M. Recto Avenue before entering the Nazareno Parish Church.
"Ang ako lang nga makita nako ang imahe. Bisan gani iyang anino lang, ok na," Juliet Trevas, another devotee, said.
Jonathan Bernales, a resident of Barangay Lapasan who came with his 70-year-old mother, was amazed by the big turnout of devotees.
"Wala ko ma-expect nga ingon ani ka daghan sa tawo ang mosunod ug nagtuo ko nga sunod tuig doblehon pa ang kadaghanon sa karon nga nisunod," Bernales said.
Brisk business
Vendors have a field day selling bottles of cold water, peanuts and foodstuffs. But the hottest items are the white and maroon handkerchiefs brought by Quiapo vendors who are devotees themselves and who came all the way from Manila.
"Last Thursday afternoon ako dumating dito sa Cagayan de Oro at sa awa ng Panginoon okey naman po ang benta," 32-year-old Policarpio Villota, who hails from Quiapo, told Sun.Star.
Villota is among the 11 vendors from Quiapo who sell the handkerchiefs to local devotees.
"Pareho lang ng pananampalataya sa Black Nazarene ang mga tao sa Cagayan de Oro at sa Maynila, at ang pagtanggap nila sa presensiya ng imahen," he said.
Villota said he plans to stay in the city for a few days more since devotees will continue to flock at the Nazareno Parish Church, where the replica of the Black Nazarene from Quiapo will be permanently enshrined.
Right devotion
Monsignor Rey Manuel Monsanto, parish priest of the Nazareno Church, warned devotees not to resort to religious fanaticism when they revere the Black Nazarene.
"We should not lose sight of what is important. Ang importante nga pinaagi sa atong debosyon kang Señor Nazareno, maghinulsol kita sa atong mga sala ingon man sa pagpakabana ug pagpas-an sa krus sa atong mga isig kaingon," Monsanto said.
Monsanto said devotees should learn that the Black Nazarene is a symbol of sacrifice and repentance.
The Church is discouraging local devotees to emulate the behavior of Black Nazarene devotees in Manila where scores are injured in its yearly tumultuous procession.
Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales said on the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) website that the way atonement shown by some devotees in Quiapo is “excessive.”
Devotees briefly interrupted the procession of the Black Nazarene in Manila Friday as they untimely rushed to touch the reputed miraculous image while a mass for the Black Nazarene was ongoing.
The cardinal stopped the ceremony but the devotees didn’t seem to mind.
Rosales said these problems happen when devotees get too emotional.
“That’s the devotion we want to purify. When one’s emotion gets too high, it takes over the reason, the holiness of the event and the devotion,” he said.
Devotion is good, he said, “but if you see them climbing, scampering... do you want that? Of course not.”
“We want to let them express their own devotion in a quiet and very humane way with charity for others and without disturbing others,” he added.
The Manila archbishop said “fanaticism” has no place in image of Christ “and that exactly what we have been telling the people.”
“We still have a long way to go and there are many things to purify even in religious matters because there are excesses,” Rosales said.
Source:Sunstar Daily
THE series of flashfloods that hit Cagayan de Oro and Misamis Oriental has reached humanitarian crisis proportions on Thursday.
Figures at the Cagayan de Oro Disaster Coordinating Council showed the disaster has affected 16,104 families or 83,321 individuals jampacked in various evacuation centers in 47 barangays or more than half of the city's 80 barangays.
Another fatality was reported on Thursday bringing the total number of dead in Wednesday’s flashflood to three.
Raminie Cabatuan, 17 years old , a resident of Barangay Dansolihon, this city, drowned while trying to cross a river along with four others last Jan. 14.
His body was found Thursday afternoon in Pigsag-an river, according to reports reaching the Cagayan de Oro Disaster Coordinating Council.
Disaster officials said as of 5p.m. Thursday, more than 313 houses were totally destroyed by the flash floods while 640 houses have been partially damaged by flash floods and big waves since Sunday.
The figures could run higher. A check by Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro with Barangay Canitoan officials showed discrepancy in the reporting.
Fe Daayata, City Social Welfare and Development (CSWD), said 54 houses were totally damaged in Barangay Canitoan not three as reported by the Cagayan de Oro Disaster Coordinating Council.
The disaster agency have placed the initial damages to crops and livestocks at P250 million.
Congestion
Barangay halls and schools that were converted into evacuation centers for the thousands of affected residents are now congested.
City Director Emil Rana of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) said congested evacuation centers are something to worry for possible outbreak of diseases.
Daayata said Canitoan Elementary School only has ten toilets for 974 families or 3,263 persons who have taken shelter there.
"Ang problema gyud namo sa pagkakaron kay ang mga bata sa mga evacuees, bisan asa lang mangalibang. Every day, we announce it to the evacuees para dili sila mangasakit. Hapit na baya ni sila magsemana dinhi (The problem is children in the evacuation centers just defecate anywhere. We remind them every day about this to avoid outbreak of diseases. They are here for almost a week now)," Daayata said.
Ferminda Dadol, a midwife of the City Health Office, said some of the toilet facilities at the school were already destroyed or damaged.
Dabol said many of the evacuees have run out of toothpaste, toothbrush, diapers and soaps.
She said doctors from the City Health Office came to provide medical checkups and provided sodium hypochlorite to ensure that the drinking water is safe.
Livelihood
Big waves continue to batter the coastline of Cagayan de Oro on Thursday and barangay officials are worried about the livelihood of thousands of residents who depend on fishing.
Jackie Lynne Biongco barangay council member of Barangay Bonbon said many of her constituents tried to go fishing Thursday but turned back due to the big waves.
She said more than 200 Bonbon residents rely on fishing as their livelihood.
Gomer Galanida, a fisherman said he only wished he have a small sari-sari store to augment his income.
Relief aid
Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro arrived on Thursday and promised local government officials that a Philippine Air Force C130 bringing tons of relief goods will arrive Friday.
Mayor Constantino Jaraula asked for blankets and sleeping mats telling Teodoro that the local government and donations from residents and private companies have aptly provided the food requirements of the evacuees.
"I can see that the local government is on top of the situation. Aayudahan lang namin ang city government in terms of relief goods," Teodoro said.
He said the government can handle the humanitarian crisis at hand. (Annabelle L. Ricalde, Cong B. Corrales, and Lynde Salgados of Sunstar Cagayan de Oro)
Source: Sunstar Daily
On January 11 2009, at 2 AM, rain started to pour lightly. Then started to grow heavy on an increased rate.
When I woke up, it was still raining and little did I know of the havoc it had already caused. At the early hours of 8am, it was still raining heavily and the canal was already full with rain water. I didn't realize back then that all the water that had occupied the canal was already coming from the creek.
Soon, the streets were already filled with rainwater and made its way slowly into the houses. I noticed the backyard was already filled with water and slowly making its way inside the house thru the backdoor.
In less than an hour, water filled our house and the maids and my siblings started to secure the clothing, appliances and other things. I ordered the maids to turn off the circuit breakers to avoid electrocution.
Before noon, the water was already knee high and things weren't looking good. Rain was still pouring down heavily and it was not letting up. My siblings went to my relative's house and I went to sleep at my friend's house. When I was walking towards the highway, the creek was already overflowing into the farm fields and into the roads. The intersection was filled with cold water up to the ankles and the bridge was inaccessible due to the flood. As I rode a taxi, I realized that there were floods all around the city, in different locations. There were instances of landslides in different areas as well.
The areas of Opol, Bulua, Iponan, RER subdivision, Goking Ville, Carmen, Consolacion, and other parts of Cagayan de Oro and some of Misamis Oriental were hit with flood. Some lost their houses, some lost their belongings.
At around 5pm yesterday, the rain stopped but the damage has been done.
Here are some of the images of the flood citywide:
http://www.cdobloggers.com/profiles/blogs/after-i-took-photos-sa
http://www.cdobloggers.com/profiles/blogs/aha-ang-dalan-bai
http://www.cdobloggers.com/profiles/blogs/lunop-sa-limketkai
