Monday 31 January 2011: Don Bosco Day - DBYC

Tonight was the culmination of the 'I Touch' event. The new children were gathered for the 6pm mass. The church was packed and Fr. Andy spoke about the Salesian Family, both in Pasil and around the world. There was a special Our Father as all children held hands to sing the prayer. After the mass there was another parade around the streets of Pasil and Suba with the rosary being said.

Once back in the center all the children, around 300, were given a rice broth with chicken, onions and ginger and juice. After the feeding there was a variety programme. It included many different games along with performances for example from the KOA (Knights of the Altar) and the Children's Choir.

It was a great evening and hopefully some of the new children will become permanent members of the DBYC so the message of Don Bosco can be spread to many more.

Food for 300

Monday 31 January 2011: Don Bosco Day - DBTC

Today was the feast of Saint John Bosco and the start of the Intramurals for the trainees of Don Bosco Training Center Pasil. The morning began with mass in the church. Fr. Bonni's key message was that you should not let the past be an excuse for your present. Don Bosco lost his father at the age of two years old. He also lost his teacher Fr. Calosso. Finally, he lost his best friend in the seminary. However, Don Bosco did not make excuses and instead became the Father, Teacher and Friend to the young which proclaimed by Pope John Paul II in 1988 during the celebrations for Don Bosco's 100th anniversary.

Next, there was a Grand Parade through the streets of Pasil and Suba with the statue of Don Bosco. All the sections carried their own banner and there was a Sinulog band. Once back in the center there was a grand opening; the national anthem was said, the Intramural torch was lit, there were opening and inspirational talks and the oath of sportsmanship.

Statue of Don Bosco

Machine Shop Seniors

Saturday 29 January and Sunday 30 January: I-Touch Saint John Bosco

Saturday 29 January - This afternoon was the beginning of another round of 'I-Touch'. As part of the arrival of Don Bosco's relic in the Philippines in December 2010 a 'Getting to Know Don Bosco' iniative was created. The DBYC were to spread the news of Don Bosco to children in the parish and try and recruite new members. In the area of Pasil and Suba there are around 30 chapels. The DBYC children were split into groups and were each assigned a chapel. They went to the area and gathered the children. It was amazing how many young children were excited to join in with the activity.

Monday 24 January 2011: Feast of St. Francis de Sales, the patron of Don Bosco

Today is the feast day of Saint Francis de Sales, the patron saint of St. John Bosco.

St. Francis de Sales was born in Savoy, France, on 21 August 1567. He was ordained as Bishop of Geneva in 1602. He dedicated his life to trying to bring those in Chablais back from the Protestant faith as a result of the Reformation. He educated the Christian people and showed them that spirituality was attainable in every walk of life. He saw his mission as a pastor, simply discussing theology with the Protestants, introducing them to the love of God and ensuring for the laity that devotion was pleasant and desirable. He used extensively the printed word and promoted work and culture, treating everyone with loving kindness and unpretentious wisdom. 

Sunday 23 to Friday 28 January 2011: Celebrations for the feast of St. John Bosco

Every evening for the next week there will be a series of activities for the celebrations of the feast of St. John Bosco. 

Sunday 23 January - After the special rosary, said in the dark facing the statue of St. John Bosco with extra prayers and songs at the end, there was a game of Labang-Labang. All the youth were thoroughly excited and it was a lively game. A grid was drawn out on the floor in water. One team stood on the grid and had to catch other members as they attempted to run past to get to the other end.  

Saturday 22 January 2011: Opening Salvo of the feast of St John Bosco

Tonight was the opening salvo for the feast of St John Bosco the founder of the Salesians. The children of the youth center paraded around the streets of Pasil with banners and a marching band inviting children to join them with the hope they would become new DBYC members. 

The feast of St John Bosco will be held on the 31st January to mark the anniversary of his death. For the next nine days there are many activities planned as part of the lead up to this special day. 

A short summary of the life of St John Bosco: 

St John Bosco was born on August 16 1815 in Becchi, Morialdo, Castelnuovo near Turin in Italy. His father, Francis Louis Bosco died when he was only two years old. He had a step brother called Anthony and a brother called Joseph. He was brought up by his mother Mama Margaret. The family were poor farmers and John had to help with the manual chores.

When John was just nine years old in 1824 he experienced the most important dream of his life. In the dream he saw himself fighting a large crowd of fighting boys. He tried to stop them but they did not listen to them. Suddenly, he saw a man who said to him, "Not with blows will you help these boys, but with goodness and kindness". Next, a woman appeared and John saw the boys change into a group of wild animals and then into a flock of lambs. John now knew he had to serve Jesus, Mother Mary and the young. 

Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 January 2011: Sinulog - feast of Santo Nino

This weekend the whole of Cebu celebrated the feast of Santo Nino. Santo Nino is also the patron of the parish in Pasil so there was a fiesta in the local area too. 

On the Saturday morning at dawn there was a Fluvial parade. The Parish and DBYC each had a boat which members boarded ready to sail to Mactan bridge. There were thousands of people present on the bridge waiting to catch a glimpse of the Santo Nino. The Santo Nino was placed on a special boat and was paraded around the waiting vessels for everyone to see before making its way to Pier One to enter the Basilica for a mass before traveling round the streets of the city.

Mactan Bridge

Thursday 13 January 2011: Pasil youth leader to join youth congress in Germany

This article by Ivy Cabatingan appeared in the local newspaper describing the DBYC leader Buboy and his travels abroad to Germany: 

"In a world of standards, it is refreshing to know that you don't have to be somebody to make a difference. All you need is to take a stand and inspire. If Buboy can do it, what's stopping us? 

In today's massive world population, only forty were chosen to represent the youth of the entire world in the International Youth Camp to be held in the city of Bonn in Germany from Jan. 13 to 25, 2011: Ten Germany youth, fifteen from selected European countries and only ten from the rest of the world. Two of them are Pinoys, only one of them is Buboy. 

Emmanuel Barwado, or 'Buboy' to his peers, is a youth leader of Don Bosco Youth Center in Pasil - a place considered by many to be one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the city. While drugs and crime run rampant in the streets of Pasil, Buboy sets a prime example of how one person can break free from the cycle, and be a role model for the whole community. He will be attending the International Youth Congress with another Salesian scholar, Mae Kristine Goopio from Don Bosco Youth Center in Dahican, Mati, Davao Oriental.

Saturday 8 January 2011: Youth Night

There are 25 chapels in the area of the parish. They have been grouped into clusters. Every evening each cluster performs a dance as a pray outside the Church to Santo Nino as part of the Sinulog celebrations. Following this there is a cultural performance from a different group in the community. Tonight it was the turn of the DBYC to perform. Practices had been taking place all week and everyone had been working hard.

The storyline of the event was music through time. There was a grandaugher and grandfather commenting on the different music genres thoughout the years. There were performances of hip-hop, ballet, 80's music, Hawaiin dancing and much more. It was an excellent show. All the audience were impressed with what the children and young people had produced. 

To view the 11 videos of the evening see below: 

Thursday 6 January 2011: Start of the feast of Santo Nino

Today was the start of the feast of Santo Nino. Before the Philippines was visited by the Spanish there were many native tribes. They would dance to the rythmn of drums which was similar to a water's current or Sinulog in Visaya. The natives worshiped their pagan gods through these dances.

Ferdinand Magellan landed in the Philippines in 1521. Magellan tried to win the trust of Rajah Humabon, a chief in Cebu. Humabon's wife, known as Queen Juana of Cebu, was very interested in a small statue of the child Jesus, or Santo Nino, that Magellan owned. Magellan gave it to her as a gift. Magellan offered to fight Humabon's rival tribe a group under Lapu Lapu. However, he did not consider the tides so the island of Mactan was out of reach by the Spanish naval guns. Therefore, his troops had to wade through the muddy land and were severely defeated. Magellan was killed during the battle.