The San Guillermo Parish Church in Bacolor town, virtually buried in lahar 20 years ago, recently hosted a Eucharistic celebration commemorating the two decades that Mt. Pinatubo left it devastated and saw it rise again.
In his homily, Archbishop Paciano B. Aniceto referred to Bacolor as the “Athens of Pampanga”, having been the seat of cultural origins and owning a slice of history having been once a capital of the Philippines during the Spanish occupation.
“Bacolor has bounced back, by God’s grace, and we thank all those who have contributed to help it rise again from the ashes of Pinatubo.”
He also said that the courage of the people of Bacolor, and Pampanga, for that matter, is deeply rooted in their faith in God and in their love for their place of origin. This, he explained, fueled their determination to “pick themselves up and create new lives for themselves”.
He mentioned RA 2757 approved by Congress which appropriated P10B for the rehabilitation of Pampanga. The bill was sponsored by then Senator Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo who fought for its approval in the belief that this was the amount needed to rehabilitate Pampanga and spur its growth to heights even greater than where it was before Pinatubo erupted.
“We are confident that whatever needs to be done will be done successfully under the able leadership of the mother of the province, Governor Lilia G. Pineda,” the Archbishop declared.
For his part, Rev.Fr. Jess Manabat, parish priest of Bacolor, urged the people to look beyond the lahar and other physical elements of the eruption.
“We should be able to discern the deeper significance of the calamity that befell us because this will help us move on more meaningfully in life, and leave this as a legacy to the next generation.”
The former President and now second district congresswoman Macapagal-Arroyo explained why Kapampangans should celebrate.
“After the Pinatubo disaster, we should commemorate the fact that every person –big or small, plus their friends and people who cared to help – contributed towards the slow yet continuous recovery of the province and its people.”
She thanked Governor Lilia G. Pineda for her leadership in the province and emphasized that “we should celebrate the next step to Pampanga’s progress under this same passionate and capable leadership”.
She also shared the story of how she fought in Congress for the approval of the P10B budget for the province’s rehabilitation, to the point of shedding tears of frustration when her proposal was encountering rough sailing in the Senate.
“Nung nakita nila akong umiiyak sa isang sulok, they must have thought I sincerely believed that it was what the province required, and so they backed down and approved my proposal.”
Also present during the Eucharistic celebration and the program held after the mass were Mayor Jomar Hizon of Bacolor, third district Congressman Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales, other mayors and provincial board members and department heads. (Pampanga PIO)
