+++ As a kid, I dreaded Holy Week
because I could not grasp the spiritual
implication of the event and it only meant that
there was nothing for me to do. There was
nothing to hear over the radio but the seven
last words and soap operas of Bible stories. And then there was
nowhere to go because the entire city went to sleep.

But as I got older, I discovered there were better ways of
enjoying Holy Week to the fullest. It being a time for
homecomings and vacations, I found it to be a wonderful way of
getting in touch with friends whom I had not seen for ages. One
Holy Week, I went biking in Siquijor along with friends. That was
fun.

Tomorrow, my wife and I are headed for Siquijor. We want to
see up close the rituals of the folk healers when they gather for the
Good Friday ceremony. To my surprise, I learned that we would
not be the only ones going there for that purpose. Christina
Banluta of ABS-CBN and Judy Flores of this paper also told me
we'll be seeing each other there. I suppose this will be an
interesting weekend. And Manny Piramide is already excited to
read about this travel in my next column.

The passing away of the City's First Lady, Ma. Eugenia Araneta
Perdices, is one event that seems to be timed right for Holy Week
because it makes me stop and reflect on what I remember of her.
I was still in my teens when Gov. Mariano Perdices died.
Thousands of Negrenses showed up to bid him farewell. With the
passing of Mrs. Perdices, we see a repetition of the overflowing
sympathy from Dumaguetenos and Oriental Negrenses.

I seldom saw Mrs. Perdices attend public occasions as the City's
First Lady. In fact, I remember having spoken to her only once,
and that was when Mayor Tuting had just won his first term in
1988. I asked her how long she wanted her husband to stay as
Mayor and she said, "for as long as the people need him."

Mayor Tuting, during one of our conversations during the wake,
said Mrs.Perdices was actually his spiritual guide. I'm sure the
Mayor wouldn't mind if I share this with our readers, but Mrs.
Perdices made Tuting vow before he entered politics that he
wouldn't run for public office in order to make money. And she
must have prayed hard that Tuting would stick to that vow. She
had her own identity, apart from her being known as the wife of
the Mayor. Always ever on the go, she was also actively involved
in service groups like the SUMC Women's Auxiliary. Dumaguete
will miss her.

I could also not resist striking a parallel between Christ's death
and resurrection with the ongoing salvage operations for the
downed US Chinook MH47 helicopter that crashed February 22
near Apo Island.

This being Holy Week, it is but fitting to think of salvage
operations. Christ came to the world to make something good out
of all of us who were born spiritually dead. In a sense, He
salvaged our souls from the brink of a second death.

Have a blessed Lenten season.*