And so the 24th Youth for Christ International Conference was concluded in this humid but serene part of our country (idyay Norte as they usually say it) right in the heart of Laoag City in Ilocos Norte, on a sunny morning of Sunday, April 9, 2017. And what was so special about that conclusion of the 3-day event attended by more than seven thousand young people is that it ended on the day of Palm Sunday, a major Catholic observance of faith commemorating the triumphant entry of Jesus Christ riding into Jerusalem, the week before his death and resurrection. It is a triumph of faith for the young delegates coming from all over the country including those delegates that came all the way from twenty other countries where CFC–Youth for Christ exist because they were reminded to always stand firm or anchored on solid ground in their faith with the Lord Almighty.
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The Palm Sunday is largely a Christian feast that include a procession of the faithful carrying palms and see Jesus Christ as he rode into Jerusalem. The difficulty of procuring palms in unfavorable climates led to their substitution with branches of native trees. In the Philippines, communities re-enact Jesus’ triumphal entry with a procession. A statue of Christ riding a donkey (the Humenta), or the officiating priest on horseback, is brought to the local church by congregants, who wave palaspás (ornately-woven palm branches). At houses and chapels, white-clad children scatter flowers as they sing songs in the vernacular and to traditional tunes. Tapis (heirloom “aprons” made for this ritual) or large cloths are spread along the processional route, to be tread upon by the Humenta or the priest.
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Once blessed, the palaspás are brought home and placed on altars, doorways, and windows. The Church teaches that this is meant to welcome Christ, but many Filipinos believe blessed palaspás to be apotropaic, deterring evil spirits, lightning, and fires. Another folk custom is to feed pieces of blessed palaspás to roosters used in sabong (cockfighting); this was strongly discouraged by the Archbishop of Manila, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle. In other provinces, the flowers strewn by the angels during the procession are added to the rice seeds being planted, in the belief that these will ensure a bountiful harvest.
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The Holy Mass held at the Marcos Memorial State University open stadium, right in the very heart of the famed Marcos country in Amianan Ilocos Norte. The Laoag diocese, with around 500,000 Catholics covers the entire province of Ilocos Norte composed of the towns of – Adams, Bacarra, Badoc, Bangui, Banna, Burgos, Carasi, Currimao, Dingras, Dumalneg, Marcos, Nueva Era, Pagudpud, Paoay, Pasuquin, Piddig, Pinili, San Nicolas, Sarrat, Solsona, and Vintar, with component cities of Batac and Laoag. The Palm Sunday mass was presided by Bishop Renato Mayugba, an appointee of then Pope Benedict in 2012 as bishop of Laoag diocese vice bishop Sergio Utleg who was named Archbishop of Tuguegarao in Cagayan.
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It was actually a contrasting sort of personalities in the opening and concluding activities of the yearly event of catholic Youth for Christ. The Friday opening salvo was a welcome remarks of Governor Imee Marcos–Manotoc, the eldest among the Marcos siblings. It was such a rousing welcoming statement delivered extemporaneously reminiscent of Apo Marcos. She was probably amazed to see a very large crowd of youth displaying their faith in God and Jesus Christ in the midst of the fast-pace of life brought by social media. She profusely thank the organizers for bringing the youth to her province and invited the entire delegation to see and explore the many beautiful places her province would offer.
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And then we saw Bishop Mayugba concluding the event by leading a procession of palm-wielding young individuals (including the young in me as I remember almost instantly when my dear Nanang Ettang brought me without fail into every Palm Sunday mass that I can remember in Aringay with a personally-made palaspas leaves on hand). Contrasting I said because one has to remember that it was Bishop Mayugba who suggested that, in the wake of the controversial burial of Apo Marcos in the Libingan ng mga Bayani, a comprehensive account of the Marcos dictatorship should be included in the official curriculum of the Department of Education and that the account should include the various sectors including the Church, protesters and supporters so that the students should fully understand the events during the Marcos regime. That is so courageous act of Bishop Mayugba.
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But who is Bishop Mayugba? He was born in Sampaloc, Manila but took his early formation at Saint Louis University in Baguio City. At 12 years old, he entered the Minor Seminary at Binmaley in Pangasinan. He took Philosophy and Theology at Immaculate Conception Seminary in Vigan, Ilocos Sur and ordained at the age of 25. Mayugba went to the University of Angelicum in Rome to obtain his Licentiate in Sacred Theology. After he was ordained as priest of the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan in 1981, he served mostly in seminaries. He was then the rector of the Orientation Seminary in Bonuan, Dagupan, then dean and rector of the Immaculate Conception Seminary in Vigan. Before becoming a bishop he was ordained as auxiliary bishop to then Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz.
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This year’s Palm Sunday experience in a new and different place as I use to have is a meaningful one. Being an elder that accompanies our Benguet delegation, together with Dolly, my loving wife, Angeila Greff and Eddrei Benedic, our children, gives me a sense of belongingness as I am not old yet, but still young in heart. The YFC and the CFC gives us the reason to persevere in our faith. I am just too glad to have my fellow servants-couple leaders – Butch and Mazen Juguilon, Arnold and Vilma Agbanlog, and Jopher and Ana Lachica, to include the Singles for Christ members but serving as Full Time Worker for the youth, Evan “Banoi” Fucal, and Provincial Coordinator Aglaia “Gea” Ortile accompanying the our delegation. It was such a refreshing experience to see the youth defying the sweltering heat which to them is a symbol of God’s reassuring warm love to them. “Sunog na ako sa pagmamahal ni Lord,” said by Edson Lumibao, a Benguet delegate. “Pero okay lang, basta mahal ko din Siya” (referring to Jesus Christ), he also added.
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After the event, my family and I, our bigger family – Caloy-Doring, JB, Jojo, and Archie; including our gracious host and tourist guide – Rolly-Melen, Princess, Alfie-Love, and Akia, had the chance to see some famous tourist attraction in Ilocoslovakia – the famous Hannah white sand beach resort in Pagudpud, including the Saud beach resort (thanks to my panyera, attorney Margie Gines-Laroya, RTC Clerk of Court in Banggui), the Kapurpurawan and some of the Wind Mills in that part of Burgos, the Madungan dam in Dingras, the Paoay Lake, the Fort Ilocandia, the Malacanang of the North, and the famous Sand Dunes – all in Paoay. Oh the sand dunes in Paoay was enjoyed by all!
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Next time, we hope to see other places in the vast area of Ilocoslovakia! Dios ti agngina!
