By KATHLEEN T. OKUBO
www.nordis.net

He was a board of trustee of the Philippine Press Institute when I first met Jose L. Pavia in one of PPI’s writers workshop. In a conversation over a meal, my curiousity got the better of me, I wondered if he was related to the now late Dr. Pavia who was then married to a relative in Baguio. He laughed and said yes, they were cousins and he went on to tell his story of growing-up in Baguio where he went to high school at the Saint Louis Boys High School, and going home to Ambuklao where his father worked as an engineer. He left when he had to go to college in Manila then later settled to raise his family and get into media work.

The next twenty years, he worked on his advocacies for the skills development of the community based media under the PPI. He would stand up for press freedom, and lobbied for policies to protect the independence of the Philippine press, and even the Asian press. We would cross paths for a warm hello, and updates in this chosen field of work. Now, he had to move-up to take his seat by the Great Editor. We will miss his mentorship but never forget the lessons he passed us in his lifetime.
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It surprised me that Baguio was crowded on Palm Sunday. The bumper to bumper traffic and the market was packed with tiger grass broom toting, noisy and large plastic bag lugging shoppers. I thought the Holy Week crowd of tourists would arrive only by Maundy Thursday. Well, they made it earlier, good for them. I hope the water supply would be enough until they leave on Easter.

While in other places, the Holy Week usually finds the crowd in the churches and penitence retreat temples, in Baguio they are all over the parks, markets, hotels, restaurants, shrines and even the malls. Local business and entrepreneur traditionally prepare for this annual crowd. Even the local media organization (Baguio Correspondents and Broadcasters Club) chooses and hosts the annual Lucky Summer Visitor this time of the year. Presidents of the land and their family since the colonial American governor generals usually spend the Holy Week here. Baguio people usually keep close to their homes to avoid jostling or being jostled in the city’s business district.

Around this time, the Sengeg ni Ibadoy have their annual reunion. That means, so there goes our fasting from meat if we do or did fast as Igorots from afag, as we celebrate our ancestors and renew ties with our clans.

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We were informed that all 10 of our La Trinidad honorables had to post bail, Tuesday, to keep out of jail for a case of graft and corruption filed against them by one of Baguio’s journalists. Horrorable? LT Mayor Greg must have been worried his council would go on forced leave. He just must have checked to make sure he would not be left without a council to serve the fast growing town.

My kids already found out rabbits do not lay Easter eggs so the Easter egg hunt in the family compound has remained cancelled since they realized they’re grown, Happy Easter! # nordis.net