CENEWOF Trustee Honored

The Cebu Newspaper Workers Foundation, Inc. (CENEWOF) had a special lunch at Casino Español de Cebu to honor one of its trustees, Atty. Pachico “Cheking” A. Seares, who was U.P.’s Gawad Plaridel Awardee 2008. This is the first time a Cebuano was given this award “for his outstanding contribution to the community print media.” According to Rep. Raul del Mar… “no matter what – the floodlights always followed him!” Co-hosting the lunch was SM City Cebu, headed by VP-SM Prime Holdings Marissa Fernan.

Present during the affair were Board of Trustees president Pureza Oñate, Marissa Fernan, Atty. Tomas Alonso, Bobit Avila, Rep. Raul del Mar, Eileen Mangubat, Dr. Mila Espina and this writer. Representing SM City Cebu were VP for Marketing- Vismin Hester Jane Amigo, mall manager Sharry Tuvilla, assistant mall manager Maria Teresa Mempin with Newscoop manager Mely Verano and MSF Press Center manager Jocelyn Lim.

To dear Cheking, congratulations and more power!

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Congratulations to our dear friend, Dr. Jose “Bebe” Barba who has accepted the position of Director of Radiation Oncology at Mountainside Hospital in Montclair, New Jersey.

Dr. Barba, after his long tenure as Chairman of Metcalf Institute of Radiation Oncology, concentrated in his private practice at his Bronx Clinic in New York. When he returned to New Jersey after a 10-day holiday in Cebu, he decided to close his Bronx office and retire. But then, luck for him was always there and before he knew it, Mountainside Hospital opened its door for him.

Dr. Barba is a Diplomate of the American Board of Radiology in Radiation Oncology (cancer specialist in layman’s term) and the department he’s heading is upscale and state of the art, an offer so hard to resist, and something he actually loves to do, too. His arrival to the hospital enhances their radiation oncology program and to show how much he is being loved by the people in Mountainside, there was an “Open House to Welcome Dr. Jose Barba” to the fold headed by C. Barry Dykes, president and CEO!

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Author Baby Brainard was in town recently and was inducted into the fold of Cofradia de San Juan Bautista composed of devotees who have their spiritual lives under the inspiration and guidance of St. John the Baptist.

The founding member of the Cofradia de San Juan Bautista under the then spiritual director Msgr. Cayetano Gelbolingo were Pepit Gorordo Revilles, Louie Nacorda, Margie Matheu, Dodong Paulin, Val and Ofelia Sandiego, Gavin Bagares, Luz Mancao Sandiego, Cookie Newman, Yolly Oporto, Linda Martinez and Jeremi Nacorda. New members added to the group are Joy Gerra, Solly Taladua, Inday Abarre, Janet and Chilet Hermosa, Jerry Alfafara, Nandy Ventura, Chona Bernad, and Cecilia Brainard. Spiritual director is Msgr. Boy Alesna of the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral.