The
making of new Barangay Traditions
Philippine
Independence Day Celebration
Every
year, the 12th of June, is a red-letter day as the whole country commemorates
its independence as a nation. And it was
on that auspicious 12th day of June 2008, that the residents of Barangay
Greater Lagro, as one people united with one purpose, came out in droves and
joined the nation in celebrating the 110th year of independence of the Republic
of the Philippines with a colorful civic parade and an elaborate flag-raising
ceremony right within the community.
It was the first time ever that such
an affair was held in the history of Barangay Greater Lagro since it achieved
its present status as an independent local government unit in 1997.
A brain-child of then newly
installed Barangay Captain, Atty. Renato U. Galimba, the event was replicated
the following year and then every year thereafter.
Enjoying the popular support and uncompromising acceptance and
participation by the great majority of the people in the community, the event
soon became an annual observance and emerged as part of a growing number of
evolving new community traditions.
That year’s celebration was marked by an enchanting and heart-warming
display of the kind of patriotism and loyalty and love for flag and country --
and of God -- by the people in the
community. It proved to be an occasion
which gave them the opportunity to show the kind of unity, understanding and
cooperation that have been prevailing among the residents within the barangay.
That affair was spear-headed by the
Barangay LGU and the Knights of Columbus, Fr. Walter De Vilder Assy. (ACN 2895),
in collaboration with various people’s and non-government organizations, the
religious, educational and business community and other sectors of society
within the barangay.
The civic motorcade/parade, which
kicked off the festivities, started at the Centennial Park situated at the
south-end portion of the barangay and snaked through the main thoroughfares and
ended at Misa de Gallo Street in front of the Lagro High School where an
elaborate flag-raising ceremony took place.
Community
Flag-Raising Ceremonies
It was on a sunny Monday morning in December
2007, which happened to be the first official working day of the first
three-year term of Atty. Renato U. Galimba as the newly elected and installed
chief executive of the Local Government of Barangay Greater Lagro, when the
first civic flag-raising ceremony was held.
The affair was attended/participated
in by the new set of barangay officials who were elected during the October
2007 barangay elections; newly appointed barangay staff/employees, city
officials and guests and multitude of residents belonging to the various
sectors of society within the community.
It was the first time that an event
of such great magnitude was ever held or seen in the history of the barangay
since it became an independent local government unit in 1997. And since then, this initial occasion was to
be replicated -- in terms of attendance and scope of participation by the
inhabitants of the community -- the next Monday of the following week and every
Monday of the succeeding weeks and months and years thereafter.
That groundbreaking event, like the
other new observances/practices introduced and held during the first term of
office of Barangay Captain Renato Galimba, soon became a most anticipated and
participated regular weekly community affair and became part of the evolving
community traditions.
In a special message which appeared
in his regular column in the Greater Lagro Gazette entitled “The Chairman
speaks”, Atty. Galimba, emphasized the value and significance of holding a
regular weekly flag-raising ceremony as follows:
“-x-x-x- ...Only by presenting a compact and undivided front to all
issues of the day can we hope to erect the foundations of a strong and enduring
community.
“We consider as rallying points of
our unity, the Flag; the National Anthem; the Oath to the National Emblem
(Panunumpa sa Watawat ng Pilipinas); and our duly elected officials or
leaders.
“The Flag, because it symbolizes the
sacrifices of our heroes and harmonizes our common tradition and heritage.
“The National Anthem, because it
epitomizes the trials and tribulations, and crystalizes the longings and
aspirations of our people.
“The Oath to the National Emblem
(Panunumpa sa Watawat ng Pilipinas), because it affirms the unconditional
loyalty and allegiance of our people to our national flag and to the country to
which it stands for.
“And our duly elected officials,
because they are the ones who have been chosen by the majority of our people to
lead us and to hold the reins of our
government, which in our case, the Local Government of Barangay Greater
Lagro.
“Whether by force of an official
mandate, directive, canon or law or by a subliminal show of civic-mindedness or
patriotic fervor and devotion to our motherland, this day affords us the
opportunity to gather and stand as one people of one race and renew our
affirmation of loyalty and servitude to our National Flag and the country by
which it stands for.
“I direct therefore, this appeal to
my fellow barangay officials and employees.
Let us be the first to show the example.
You know my sentiments about the matter.
Please take heed.”
Barangay
and Patronal Fiesta
Were in our country, fiesta celebrations
are the most salient parts of our culture and traditions. Held mostly during the months of May and
June, fiestas are characterized by merrymaking, prayers and thanksgiving. But
most important, these events invariably showcase the customs, heritage and
traditions unique to a particular place or community and celebrated year after
year.
Here in Barangay Greater Lagro, the
traditional Patronal Fiesta used to be held yearly on the 40th day after Easter
Sunday, though the celebration was usually held on the Sunday nearest to the
40th day.
In May 2009 however, the observance of the Patronal Fiesta in our
community had been more encompassing and lasted longer.
That year, Atty. Renato U. Galimba,
who was chosen as Hermano Mayor -- together with his espouse, Josie as Hermana
Mayor -- and considering his mandated position as then the newly elected
Barangay Captain, decided to hold -- for the first time ever -- a Barangay
Fiesta in conjunction with the observance of the traditional Patronal Fiesta.
And so, through this act of inspired
leadership and vision, the seed of a new tradition was sown, not on hard,
concrete grounds, but on soft and fertile hearts and minds of civic-spirited
people in the community. So much so,
that in the ensuing years, it soon became a traditional annual festivity that
is much awaited and observed by the people in the barangay.
That momentous, ground-breaking
event was a month-long celebration characterized by an enchanting display of
songs, dances, stage plays, sports, religious rites, among many others.
Moreover, the occasion gave the residents the opportunity
to show the kind of unity, understanding and cooperation that has been
prevailing among the people in the community.
Barangay
Foundation Day
Barangay Greater Lagro celebrated
its Foundation Day Anniversary on September 10, 2009 with a colorful civic
motorcade/parade and a simple but meaningful flag-raising ceremony. It was the first time that such an affair was
held in the 12-year history of the barangay since it acquired its status as an
independent local government unit in 1997.
The date and month of the
observance, however, was subsequently changed and moved to the 8th of December
the following year and the years thereafter upon the instance of Quezon City Councilor Godofredo T. Liban II, who was
the principal proponent/author of the City Ordinance (Ord. No. SP-439, S-2006)
which led to the creation of the barangay.
Councilor Liban correctly pointed out that Barangay Greater Lagro was
officially proclaimed as an independent LGU through a plebiscite held on
December 8, 2007.
Nevertheless, this development did
not in any way change or diminish the significance and the fervor that the
occasion has been eliciting from the residence of the community during the
succeeding years. If at all, the change
of date only added pump, color and
gaiety to the occasion, considering that it now falls within the traditional
Christmas Season.
Like what happened when the barangay
held -- also for the first time -- its month-long celebration of its barangay and patronal fiesta in May that same
year, that groundbreaking observance in September 2009 signaled the start of
the emergence of another evolving new tradition in the community.
Again, the observance was an occasion
which afforded them the opportunity to show or demonstrate the kind of
unity, understanding and cooperation that prevail among the residents within
the barangay.
The day-long festivities included a medical, dental and optical
missions. Also part of the festivities
were one-day mini-tournaments involving sports disciplines such as basketball,
tennis and chess.
The affair was spear-headed by the
barangay LGU headed by its Chairman, Atty. Renato U. Galimba and his Council,
in collaboration with the various peoples’ and non-government organizations,
religious groups/sects, educational and business communities and other sectors
of society within the barangay.
“Araw
ng Kagitingan”
t was on a Friday, the 9th day of April 2010 when,
for the first time ever, a colorful civic motorcade/parade was held in Barangay
Greater Lagro in celebration of the “Araw Ng Kagitingan”.
This ground-breaking event served as
a fitting tribute and recognition by a grateful community to the heroism of
their countrymen who fought and died in the struggle to defend the Filipino
nation’s freedom and democracy.
Another brain-child of Barangay
Captain, Atty. Renato U. Galimba, the affair was spearheaded by the Local
Government of Barangay Greater Lagro and the Knights of Columbus, Fr. Walter De
Vilder Assembly (ACN 2895), in collaboration with the Barangay Development
Advisory Council (BDAC) which is composed of the various peoples’ and
non-government organizations, including the other religions/sects, educational
and business communities and other sectors of society within the barangay.
And so, once again, just like what happened in the case of the
community’s observance of the country’s “Araw ng Kalayaan”, the event elicited
instant popular support and uncompromising acceptance and participation by the
great majority of the people in the community.
The event soon became an annual
observance and emerged as another part of a growing number of evolving new
community traditions.
During the said affair, certificates
of appreciation were awarded by the local government of Barangay Greater Lagro
to World War II Veterans, most of whom came and/or belonged to the “Sapang
Palay Post”.
