Rogelio V. Osmeña: 1941-2010.

It seems that for the past four weeks, we’ve been writing only about the deaths of friends and relatives. I really do not relish writing obituaries or eulogies, but after we buried my brother-in-law Rey Tenazas last Saturday, I thought we’d finally have a respite from so many deaths. But I’m sad to report that former Councilor and CITOM Chief Rogelio “Jing Jing” Osmeña Sr. passed away at 1:00am yesterday at the Perpetual Succor Hospital of complications due to his kidney problem. His remains lie in state at the Cosmopolitan Funeral parlor in Nivel Hills.

Jing Jing was a long time friend and we share a lot of things in common. He loved guns and hunting, sports cars and motorcycles. He created the Cebu Pistol and Rifle Association (CPRA) that he headed for a long time. We were the original members. We were also the original members of the Cycluns motorcycle club and later he was the chairman of the Star Touring and Riding Group. He also founded the V-Max Owners Group (VOG) motorcycle club. We rode big bikes together to many places all over the country. Few even remember that Jing Jing founded the Hotel, Restaurant and Resorts Association of Cebu (HRRAC).

Django as we often called him was part of our golf group and we competed often as partners or opponents. Later we got together in CITOM where often our ideas clashed. Like brothers we did quarrel over small things and would not talk to each other for months but then we do reconcile.

Last year, we talked about his kidney transplant and how much it must have cost him. I bluntly asked him if he was prepared for the afterlife and told him that it was time for him to join our Monday group, the Sons of David. He was very receptive to join this charismatic group and it was there that we found out that he wanted to know more about our Lord Jesus Christ.

A few months ago he joined the group and right after Holy Mass he told me that he hasn’t confessed and received Holy Communion in the last 30 years. We arranged for his confession with Fr. Robin Dumaguit and he began receiving the Holy Eucharist weekly. I’m sure that Jing Jing had no inkling that his time was already up, but somehow God in his strange ways always makes us return to him when our appointed time will soon be up.

I tried to visit him last Friday, but missed him by minutes because he was already brought to the ICU. The Sons of David then requested Fr. Robin to visit him last Sunday and he was given the anointing of the sick. While we thought that he’d pull through this medical crisis, alas, he didn’t make it as God had other plans for him and took him away. May we request the pious reader to please pray for the repose of his soul.

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I was just finishing my eulogy for Jing Jing when I got this email from another good friend, Ramon “Boboy” Durano III who wanted to express his sentiment over the death of Jing Jing Osmeña: “Hello Bobit: Allow me to pay tribute to an old friend and gentleman who was misunderstood by a lot of people. Rogelio “Jingjing” Veloso Osmeña was a man who had visions for the improvement of Cebu.

His theories were based on experience, practicality and simplicity for our city, province and country. He left his mark in Cebu, being an organizer, sportsman and a public servant. We will remember the likes of HRRAC, Cebu Waterski Association, Cebu Pistol and Rifle Association, a former City councilor and of course CITOM, to mention a few.

Now that he is gone, may his name and legend live on. We, friends of Jingjing will surely miss the guy who never runs out of stories, the man who plays golf with us, the person who loves to go biking with the gang, the legendary pistolero of Cebu and the servant who never failed to serve the public, country and God above all. May his name live forever in the hearts of many. Adios my dear friend… Boboy.”

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I got this report from Ms. Belinda Sales of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) that 50% or 30 Megawatts of the 60-MW Mahanagdong A Geothermal Power Plant Unit 2 in Leyte will be back on stream by midnight Feb.9, 2010. The full 60-MW of Unit 2 will be available by Wednesday today. We’re glad that this additional 60-MW is back on stream as it would greatly relieve us from the irritating rolling brownouts.

The NGCP also reiterated that it does not own nor operate and maintain these power generation facilities. They are only the system operation and their main responsibility is to transmit power and operate the power system in accordance with the Philippine Grid Code. I’m happy that the NGCP always gives us an update of the power plants in the Visayas which means that they are transparent in the way they are dealing with the power consumers.