Marikina prays for late 'Teacher-in-Chief'

MANILA, Philippines - Marikina Mayor Marides Fernando and her husband, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chairman Bayani Fernando, said yesterday they are joining the rest of the country in praying for the late former President Corazon Aquino, whom they described as the Philippines’ “Teacher-in-Chief.”

“We pray for President Aquino and her family. We pray for the nation. May the youth be forever inspired by her life – born to privilege but devoted to the people; educated in private schools but exulted in public life. She was more than a political force; she was a moral force.

“And by living a life of simplicity and uprightness, she became a Teacher-in-Chief, showing us that every person, could make a difference with personal courage, conviction and character. Our family grieves with her loved ones and the nation,” the Fernando couple said in a joint statement of sympathy to the Aquino family.

The Fernandos said the words “democracy” and “prayer” are synonymous with Aquino.

“She assumed power almost reluctantly because she never sought it. But when events pushed her to stage-center, she became the incandescent symbol of freedom and democracy,” they said.

The Fernando couple said Aquino became the catalyst for change against a well-entrenched dictatorship and “inspired every man, woman and child to defy the bayonet in the name of freedom and national concord.”

Once she became president, Aquino did all she could to help Filipinos attain “justice, peace and prosperity after the tribulations of martial law,” according to the Fernandos.

They said Aquino strove to fulfill the dreams of her husband, the late former senator Benigno Aquino Jr.

“Cory and Ninoy: What started as a love story in Tarlac and Manila became a struggle for the masa (people) on the national stage,” the Fernandos said.

They added that Aquino turned to prayer when her administration was troubled by mistakes inherited from the previous regime and repeated attempts by rebel soldiers to seize power.

“She rallied the people once more, using political will and prayer. Her faith was always strong: there is a higher God who will guide a leader and who will listen to a people in the hour of need. Prayers sustained Cory all her life. And Filipinos prayed with her,” the Fernandos said.

Camanava city gov’ts hold Masses

Local government units in the northern part of Metro Manila held Masses and offered prayers for Aquino.

In Caloocan City, Mayor Enrico Echiverri yesterday led thousands of employees clad in yellow T-shirts in offering a prayer for Aquino during the flag-raising ceremony at the city hall.

The city government also sponsored a noon memorial Mass at the San Roque Cathedral and the mayor, through a memorandum, directed all employees to wear yellow T-shirts for three days starting today, or pin a yellow ribbon on their shirts as a show of respect for Aquino.

Valenzuela City Mayor Sherwin Gatchalian yesterday apportioned a place at the city hall adorned with Aquino’s photograph for residents who could not make it to the Manila Cathedral to pay their last respects.

Gatchalian’s spokeswoman, Marither Menia, said residents could leave short messages in the condolence book, which the city government will deliver to the Aquino family.

“We are also continuously offering prayers here at the city hall and will be holding another Mass tomorrow,” Menia said.

She said business establishments in Valenzuela City adorned their buildings with yellow ribbons.

In Malabon City, Mayor Canuto Oreta also led some 1,000 city hall employees in offering a prayer for Aquino during their flag-raising ceremony.

Bong Padua, Oreta’s public information officer, said the mayor is set to go to Aquino’s wake.

In Navotas, the flag was at half-mast during the flag-raising ceremony but the city government has no other activity in relation to Aquino’s death, city hall employees said.

Work as gesture of thanks

The Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) set up first aid stations near the Manila Cathedral yesterday to assist those who may fall ill as they line up to pay their final respects to Aquino.

PNRC staff and volunteers helped during the transfer of Aquino’s remains from La Salle Greenhills to Manila Cathedral, and three ambulances were on hand.

PNRC secretary general Gwendolyn Pang said the PNRC volunteers’ effort is a gesture of thanks and appreciation for the help given by the Aquino family.

“Her family has been our calm and constant partner in our mission of alleviating human suffering. Their support to the PNRC helped us avail of additional equipment for our blood bank and serve the most vulnerable,” she said.

Meanwhile, Assumption College-San Lorenzo president Sr. Gertrude Borres said Aquino “was truly a woman of faith and action who peacefully and actively worked for democracy.”

“She was a beacon of hope, an icon of moral leadership and a pillar of strength in facing the challenges of nation-building. Never counting the cost, she embodied joyful detachment, fidelity to duty and love of simplicity in the gift of self to the nation,” Borres said in a statement. – Jose Rodel Clapano, Pete Laude, Mayen Jaymalin