Belenismo sa Tarlac

Right before the holy season of Advent, I asked the Lord what I could do for Him for His birthday. I told Him I wanted to serve Him but to please show me how. So when I received a call from Fr. Gerard de Vesa requesting me to play Mama Mary in the Nativity Scene of his fundraising concert at the Meralco Theatre recently, I immediately said yes and donned a white long-sleeved dress and blue veil. I essayed the role sans speaking lines while I was surrounded by my hubby who played Joseph, all the angels (my son was one), Three Kings and farm animals.

Shortly after that, I was invited by the Sangguniaang Panlalawigan of Tarlac to be a judge in Belenismo. The province recently passed an ordinance declaring December as Belenismo Month to promote Belen-making as a major cottage industry. It was the very first ever Belenismo sa Tarlac.

So while people back in the city were busy shopping, we were traversing the roads of Tarlac with a lively entourage, ready to spread Christmas cheer and goodwill to the Tarlaqueños. We viewed the 80 Belen entries vying for prizes in the competition. It was a most exhilarating experience for me, my beloved sisters Christine and Yvonne and fellow judges Cito Beltran, Ces Drillon, Eric Pineda and Joey Panlilio whose joyful company I truly enjoyed. Spirits were high. All that we ate at a resto called Nay’s House on Romulo Boulevard, Tarlac City was finger smacking delicious and the Tarlaqueños were absolutely the warmest. So overwhelmed was I that I expressed to Gov. Victor Yap and his sister Susan, Mrs. Isabel Cojuangco Suntay and her daughter Dr. Isa Suntay of the Tarlac Heritage Foundation that I am so proud to have been adopted by this province blessed with a rich community spirit.

Others involved in this project were Fr. Alex Bautista, Jun and Milit Baron, Amado Go, Dr. Restie and Chit de Ocampo. It was almost two in the morning yet everywhere we went families were smiling and singing Christmas carols around their proudly made Belens. Through them, I indeed felt God’s presence.

I wish I had enough space to feature all the Belen entries. There were personal ones, dioramas, monumental, municipal and a grand category. I had never seen so many Belens in my life. To me, all of them are beautiful because they were all made by loving hands and hearts. Since I only have limited space, I will therefore share with you the winner of the grand category: the PNP Belen Project of Bgy. Salapungan, Tarlac City. To me, it was quite significant because it was done by the Tarlac City Police who had a powerful message.

I interviewed some of the people behind the winning entry. Here goes:

“I wanted the children of Tarlac who never had a Belen in their homes to experience the birth of our Savior in their own environment.” — Police Superintendent Aniceto Frany

“As I look upon the manger, it reminds me of the immeasurable love and humble beginning of Jesus Christ that dictates peace and love to each and every one of us in this world. I put my heart into the project when I was tasked by my provincial director to conceptualize the Belen and I am just happy, we won!” — PO2 Rowell Bermudez

“I seldom join my husband in PNP-related activities because of the nature of my job. But for Belenismo, I made it a point to lend a hand as a moral obligation together with the other spouses of the officers. It gives me pleasure to see people flock every night at the glittering PNP Belen and it makes me even prouder that my husband is a PNP officer.” — Dr. Noemi Bartolome (wife of Police Senior Superintendent Nicanor Bartolome)

“Since the completion of the Belen, I, together with my family, have been visiting the place almost every night. Many people/commuters stop in front of the Belen just to see its beauty and appreciate the meaning behind it.” — Wilma Domingo (wife of Police Senior Inspector Gregorio Domingo)

“For the very first time, Belenismo contest in Tarlac has been successfully done. The Tarlaqueños have shown their unity through the active participation of the different municipalities, traders and individual families. Though they had hectic schedule, they were able to show the different concept of Belen and it was how the PNP had explored their talents in the making of Belen. For us, the PNP Family Belenismo depicts a family surrounded by love, understanding and unity. And we are proud to say PNP won the first place in the Belenismo contest. This would have not been possible without the unified effort of the Men in Uniform headed by Police Senior Superintendent Nicanor Bartolome, provincial director, Province of Tarlac.” — Malu Javier, vice president, Tarlac PNP Officers Ladies Club (wife of Police Superintendent Rodolfo Javier)

“It may come as a surprise to find out that we have a pool of so many talented architects, engineers, artists and craftsmen in the ranks of our police in the province. Together with family members, these talents and skills were utilized in a display of bayanihan and latent artistry. It took us one month to construct our Belen that resembles the gates of Camp Crame. This is a commitment for us Tarlaqueños to help elevate the province as a cultural and tourist destination.” — Police Senior Superintendent Nicanor Bartolome, provincial director, Police Provincial Office

“The Belen being adjacent to Police Community Precinct 1 (PCP 1) gave us the opportunity to be closer to the community. Since there are many people who visit the Belen every night, it made our office livelier. Our policemen who are on duty are always included when they take pictures of the Belen. We get to interact with them and this is one way of bringing the police closer to the people.” — Police Senior Inspector Imelda Dulay

“I always wanted to do the story of the Nativity in some way or another; its story has touched my heart ever since I was a kid. From the night the angel Gabriel came and spoke to Mary to the birth of Jesus Christ our Savior. Building the Tarlac Provincial Police Office’s entry for the Belenismo has made that goal a reality. But it was not an easy task. I have to ensure that the lights are properly installed and checked to prevent any accident that may arise due to power overload. Considering that almost all the indigenous materials used are highly combustible, setting up the lights needed much concentration and artistry to give an elegant effect to the Belen.” — PO2 Crysler M. Benedicto

“I enjoyed every single minute of it! The Tarlac Police Provincial Office Belen is a Belen that reflects the sincere intent of the Tarlac Police Provincial Office to reach out to the community in the spirit of Christmas with the promise of promoting peace throughout the province and providing assistance to all in need.” — Ding Mercado, overall project consultant for the winning PNP Belen entry

Thank you to all the Tarlaqueños for your warmth and hospitality! May Tarlac be blessed abundantly with boundless peace and prosperity!

(Would love to hear from you at miladayjewels@yahoo.com)