Alicia Gerano and Romeo Lorca Renew Marriage Vows

Alicia Gerano ( whom I fondly call Nanay Alice ) and Romeo Lorca ( Tatay Roming to me ) celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary at the sprawling lawn of Tuburan Residence in Hibao-an Norte, Mandurriao, Iloilo City last January 11, 2011.

I was happy for Nanay Alice because she's very dear to me. She has actually played two important roles in my life - a loving aunt and a motherly teacher. She is tatay's elder sister and was my Home Economics teacher in my elementary years at Hibao-an Elementary School.

Nanay Alice and Tatay Roming got married in 1961. She comes from the Gerano-Tuburan clan of Mandurriao, Iloilo City while he comes from the Coloso-Lorca families of the 3rd District of the Province of Iloilo. At that time Nanay Alice was a young school teacher then who finished her degree in Elementary Education from the Philippine Women's College ( PWC ), Iloilo City. Tatay Roming was an employee of the Philippine Postal Corporation.

Nanay Alice and Tatay Roming have four children - Jerry, Jojie, Jonas, and Judy. All their first names start with letter 'J'. Jerry, the eldest, is based here in Iloilo City with his family. The two girls, Jojie and Judy, are now based in the United Kingdom ( UK ) with their respective families. They're both nurses. Jonas, who is still single, lives with Nanay Alice and Tatay Roming.

For almost 30 years, I have seen how  the two spent their marriage years. Yes, I believe that there's no such thing as perfect marriage but theirs was an ideal one. I used the verb 'was' here because Tatay Roming passed away a month after their golden wedding anniversary.

I can only guess what must have been the secrets of their lasting bond as a couple. Well, Nanay Alice was a good homemaker. She cooks well. Remember she was my Home Economics teacher and my first ever cooking lessons were under here. Truly, the surest way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Preparing a meal for someone, and for the whole family for that matter, is a significant act of love. 

Despite her role as a mother to four children who started growing up almost at the same time, Nanay Alice did not give up her work as a public school teacher. She could have just stayed at home and take care of the kids because Tatay Roming was also earning. For parents who have their respective careers, raising children is not an easy job. But Nanay Alice and Tatay Roming handled everything just so well.

Their children grew up to be fine individuals. Despite just having enough, they were able to send their children to good schools. Jerry spent his high school days in UP High School Iloilo ( UPSHI ), Jonas in the University of San Agustin High School, while Joji and Judy in Colegio del Sagrado Corazon de Jesus, a Catholic school run by the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul. 

Jerry, their eldest son, resides just beside their house in Hibao-an, Mandurriao. His wife's name is Marivic and they have four kids - Joy Anne, Jervice, Krisle Fe, and Mark Lester. Joy Anne works for a prestigious drug company as a pharmaceutical sales representative while Jervin, an HRM graduate from Central Philippine Universe, now works as a hotel staff in Doha, Qatar.

Joji, the second child, is a BSN graduate of the University of Iloilo-College of Nursing. She and her husband, Arthur Cristales, are now settled in Exeter, a historic city in Devon, England, United Kingdom. They have two kids, Kathleen and John Paul.

Jonas, the third child, is still a bachelor. He stays with Nanay Alice since he doesn't have a family yet. He has his own business.

Judy, the youngest, is also a nurse. She studied nursing at the Central Philippine University-College of Nursing. She and her nurse husband Vincent Munieza live in England, United Kingdom with their two cute sons, William and Henry.

Successful as they are, Nanay Alice's and Tatay Roming's children planned a special party for their Golden Wedding Anniversary. It's their way of thanking their nanay and tatay for whatever they have achieved now. All they wanted after all was to make their parents happy in their twilight years. 

Half a century of marriage calls for a celebration. Whether it's a big bash or a family get-together, it reminds of the couple love for one another and the promise they made before the altar on their wedding day 50 years back.

Their daughter Jojie and her family flew in from the United Kingdom just for the special occasion. However, her youngest Judy could not make it because of a very important work commitment. 

The Tuburan sisters, Aida and Susan, offered their place as the venue of the party. They've got a spacious lawn beside their newly-built house. They are Nanay Alice's first cousins, also my tatay's. They're both based in Canada and were here in Iloilo for their yearly vacation.

On the day of the celebration, the yellow color reigned supreme. It was the color scheme for the decorations. Even Nanay Alice was dressed in yellow. Tatay Roming was in barong. The next color was white. After all, all yellow with white accents is a classic combination for a 50th wedding anniversary. 

It was a dinner party. The guests started to arrive at around 4 PM. For the food, they hired the service of a catering company to avoid hassles and to ensure a well-managed dinner party. On top of that, they wanted to make sure that the guests would be satisfied with what they ate. 

There were less than a hundred guests, mostly relatives from Nanay Alice's side and Tatay Roming's side. They also invited some family friends and neighbors. Nanay Alice's former colleagues at Hibao-an Elementary School came, so did their Couples for Christ brothers and sisters.

The centerpiece of the event was the Eucharistic Celebration which included the renewal of marriage vows. After the Mass, there was a small program composed of speeches and testimonies. Then followed the dinner. 

Everyone enjoyed the food. Some would table hop to greet old friends whom they hadn't seen for years. The party served as an avenue for them to see each other again. While having dinner, everyone was entertained by an old school singer who belted out popular songs that were popular the during the time Nanay Alice and Tatay Roming got married. The party ended past 9 PM. Nanay Alice and Tatay Roming truly enjoyed the opportunity to be together with the people they love. 

Post Script:

My photos at the party...

With cousins and nephews -- Mark Lester Lorca, Jervin Lorca, Jonas Lorca, Henry Munieza, William Munieza, and Joji Lorca-Cristales

Arnold Geraneo and Cheryl Continente Say "I do" -- At the St. Joseph the Worker Parish Church and MO2 Westown Hotel, Iloilo City, January 8, 2011

January 8, 2011, Saturday was a red-letter day for my second cousin Arnold Geraneo and his fiancee Cheryl Continente as they finally exchanged 'I do's' before God and man at the St. Joseph the Worker Parish Church, San Isidro, Jaro, Iloilo City

Present at the ceremony were kins and friends of the groom and the bride. Tito Tonio, the groom's father was elegant in his pina barong. Tita Nita, the mother, looked younger in her lilac-colored gown. The bridesmaids and the sponsors also wore Victorian lilac, the motif of the wedding. 

The St. Joseph the Worker Parish Church was decorated with lilac and white flowers combined with sage greens. For me who loves colors, the combination of lilac and sage is an example of mixing a cool color with a more earthly, neutral tone creating a dainty and delicate feeling. Kudos to those who conceptualized everything!

Actually, I had no plan to attend the wedding because I had a class in UP Graduate School. You know in UP, once you miss a four-hour session, it's like missing four thick books already. On the other hand, my cousin Marie Geraneo, the groom's sister, had asked me months earlier to be the commentator during the wedding rites. Dilemma, indeed. I reflected, and I came up with a very good solution - attend the wedding in the morning ( which meant being absent absent from my morning class ) and go to UP in the afternoon before 1 PM. So I did attend the wedding.

After the wedding rites at the St. Joseph the Worker Parish Church, we proceeded to MO2 Westown Hotel in Smallville Complex for the reception. Yet again, I was asked to host the program for the newlyweds since the original man for the job was not around. It wasn't much of a task since I just welcomed the new couple to the presidential table along with their parents and principal sponsors. After a small introduction then came the usuals - cutting of the cake, champagne toast, tossing of the garter and bouquets, as well as speeches. There was also a live band which played familiar wedding songs throughout the reception as guests continued to celebrate the special occasion with Arnold and Cheryl.

True to plan, I left the hotel some 20 minutes before 1 PM, just in time for my afternoon class in UP with Prof. Donne Jonne Sodusta. To Arnold and Cheryl, may you spend each day with so much love for each other. Congratulations!

Guests partaking the bounty shared by the newlyweds, Arnold and Cheryl

Post Script:

Me at the wedding...

With Kat Cristales, JP Cristales, Henry Munieza, William Munieza, Antonette Geraneo, Marie Geraneo, Jong Geraneo, Gina Geraneo-Lagasca, Anj Dechilla, and Joevannie Ibanez

More Inside the Trappist Monastery, Jordan, Province of Guimaras -- December 2010

The Trappist Monastery is one of the most famous retreat centers in the whole Western Visayas Region. Most of its patrons are from the city and province of Iloilo due to accessibility. Ilonggos who go to in-country destinations usually visit the island-province of Guimaras with the Trappist Monastery as part of their itinerary.

This visit to Guimaras was a school-based thing. I will find time to go back there again for a personal retreat to give myself a 'spiritual vacation'. I know I have done countless bad things but there is still an internal divine yearning to reflect, to contemplate, to meditate, to pray. Focusing on quiet and seclusion, I am positive that the Trappist Monastery will provide time, space, and conditions to accommodate my ever restless heart.

During my two-day stay inside the monastery, I was able to observe lots of things. As a lover of history, I was happy to see for myself how the Cistercian monks spend the days of their lives. I presume these are men of great talent and culture who are attracted to seek God in the monastery. 

Their life inside radiates a spirit of simplicity and obedience to their vocation. There's evident austerity, manual labor, and prayer, the very things that spell their Order. Their livelihood involves agriculture. They have a farm which produce various products. They have a large orchard of mango trees whose yield they make into jam. They have a small bakery where they make cookies. They sell all these products in the store located facing the gate of the monastery. 

The Chapel, Trappist Monastery, Jordan, Province of Guimaras -- December 2010

The chapel of the monastery is very spacious. It has a simple facade yet very functional. It is located quite far from the entrance. It's easy to locate because of the well-cemented walkway lined by trees and bushes. There are a lot of pine trees around the chapel area.

Getting inside, my attention was caught by the ceiling design highlighted by its sleek reddish brown color. The chapel boasts beautiful tall ceilings. The modern lighting and clean, shiny floors give the wooden ceilings an updated look.

It was not a Sunday when we went there, so we were not able to hear Mass in the chapel. I heard from my students Aurelia and Anna Philippa Nava that they would usually attend Mass there on Sundays.

I and my co-teacher Bena Sumagaysay were the only ones around the chapel area.  After saying a little prayer near the altar, we roamed around checking the statues and icons that we saw. We were happy because all the photo opportunities were ours!

Adjacent to the chapel are the houses of the monks. These structures sit on a lushly carpeted yard accented by proud conifers. We were told that we're not allowed to enter that area but we disobeyed. Bena and I ventured a little bit for some camera clicks. Fortunately, I had already taken more than 10 shots when we saw a monk in brown robe coming. We managed to get back to the chapel just in time.

We left the place before the Angelus, just in time for dinner at the guesthouse refectory. I took lots of photos and when I checked my disk space, it was almost full. This meant I enjoyed the place very much. So did Bena.