It’s Good Friday

I left the house early for the Visita Iglesia but I only visited the Shrine of Our Lady of Light here in our town. I chanced upon the yearly procession, a dramatization of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, fasting for forty days and nights and ended being nailed on the cross. The participants were garbed in colorful garments including our ex-mayor Atty. Nieto who is our municipal administrator now. That cross being carried seems to be really heavy. There were lots of people watching the procession.

The church was closed but they put the fourteen stations of the cross in some corners outside which is more convenient for the people doing the Via Crusis or the way of the cross which commemorates Jesus’ passion and death on the cross. I took some shots after doing the fourteen stations, praying and reflecting on what happened on good Friday.

This is the facade of Our Lady of Light Shrine where our good friend Fr. Aly is now the Rector and Parish priest. Inside are various renovations they have made including those paintings on the dome of the altar, the ceiling and stained glass figures that are truly beautiful.

The belfry. Every time I hear it, I am reminded of the ringing of the bells in the church in our hometown where 6am starts the day and 6pm is thanksgiving on how we ended it.

An image St. Francis of Assisi. There are more images of different saints.

I am looking forward to watch the Seven Last Words online at the Sto. Domingo Church. I love the reflections by the seven Dominican priests tasked to share with the parishioners.

A blessed and meaningful Good Friday to all🙏🙏🙏⛪️❤❤❤

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It’s Our Town Fiesta

We our celebrating our town fiesta today in honor of Our Lady of Light.

Yesterday, I went out for a while to buy nuts and apples. Parola near the church is teeming with people from all walks of life. So many merchandise in store from pillow cases, bedsheets, shoes, shirts, dresses, Christmas items for gift-giving and many more. We are also in the middle of celebrating the SUMBINTIK FESTIVAL (suman, bibingka and latik). Cainta is known as the Bibingka Capital of the Philippines. Bibingka is a rice cake cooked in coconut cream and topped with latik.

Those slippers that sell in department stores for three hundred plus cost only a hundred there in Parola. I bought Josef a pair. By the way, there are streets decorated in relation to the festival, sort of a contest. In Tagalog, pagandahan ng dekorasyon. Concerts by famous music groups were also held at the municipal hall grounds. Although some villages like ours are far from the town proper, we celebrate with all Cainteños. HAPPY FIESTA❤️🥰🌷😘

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Duty Done

It happens every first working day of the year. Being a dutiful citizen of our town, I  pay our realty tax along with some  citizens from other barangays.  There was a time when there was a long wait before you are served but today that has changed. Even the offices inside were renovated and the tax collectors on every window have their names in front of their cubicles.  It took me all of twenty minutes and I am done. I was so surprised though that land tax has increased by about 60%. It’s a good thing I brought some extra cash with me. I asked the cashier who processed my payment how much additional cash I have to pay and he said it depends on the area and location of the property. I noticed that they added the words cor.lot (corner lot) on the receipt. Does that mean that we have to pay extra for a corner lot like ours?

I am impressed with all the changes I saw at the Municipal Hall.  Most of the offices have been renovated, airy and seem wider. The ladies’ rest room is air-conditioned and smells so fresh and clean. When the government is working for you, you feel happy and proud.

Ours is a first class town, an entry point to the lovely province of Rizal and I am proud of it.

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Service With A Heart

With Atty. Kit Nieto , Mayor of Cainta, Rizal

I admired him from day one, rather from the day he introduced  himself and laid his agenda if he wins in our town.  He did with overwhelming support. Yesterday was the third time I met Mayor Kit Nieto but it was yesterday that I personally witnessed how he deals with his constituents – no fanfare, no fuss, just immediate actions on the problems at hand. We are so lucky to have someone who looks after the welfare of all the people of Cainta, be it personal problems, garbage collections in our area, improvements on the entire town, and such other important concerns that his constituents have.

It was my birthday and he gamely posed with me in a photo-op at his office when some of  my neighbors and I visited him yesterday. I told him in jest that if he becomes President someday, I would have this photo enlarged and framed.  He laughed.

Hats off to you Mayor Kit. We are so blessed  to have you around 🙂

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