A letter from a Cebuano priest in Japan

Yesterday morning I got a call from Cebu Gov. Gwen F. Garcia in response to the column we wrote yesterday entitled “Those who exalt themselves shall be…” Gov. Gwen categorically told me that her intention was not to exalt herself, rather to inform talk show host Boy Abunda about the truth of her achievements, which she correctly pointed out can be quantified or measured. I tried to Google that portion of the interview, using Boy Abunda’s Bottomline, but somehow, it was difficult for me to access it and I simply ran out of time as I had to meet my deadline.

 Anyway, let me say it here that too much of this issue has been said already and if you ask me, dragging this on the airlanes only proves that the political season is already heating up for the 2013 elections. Our nation is beset by a host of problems; we shouldn’t be making a mountain out of a molehill about who is the greatest or who is not the greatest Governor or Mayor. That is totally irrelevant. I would rather use the words of the Governor: “Not through words, but through actions. Let my work speak for itself.”

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 Before we forget the Mar.11th Japanese earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis, allow me to reprint a letter from a good friend of my sister Adela Kono and her husband Yuki. He is Fr. Jack Serate, a Cebuano priest whom I met in Japan a few years ago. We’ve been corresponding via email since. When we learned of the earthquake that struck Japan, I immediately emailed him, asking if he is okay. He responded only a few days ago. Here’s his letter in full so we would know what he and the many other Filipinos are doing in Japan to help the victims of this disaster.

 “Dear Adela, Yuki and Bobit,

 Thank you very much for your prayers and concern for us. I’m fine here though stress is slowly crawling into my veins. Sorry for the delay of my reply to your emails. Dead scared of the radiation which is slowly sipping into the water system, milk and vegetables. Right now the Diocese of Saitama is looking for more volunteers to serve in the evacuation centers in Ibaraki Ken and Sendai. One week lang ang duration sa mga volunteers sa evacuation centers kay very stressful ang trabaho then pulihan na pud og lain nga mga volunteers.

 Some Filipino evacuees are already in Tokyo. I collected donations in my Tagalog and English masses and the Filipinos are very generous. All the donations are forwarded to Caritas Japan. Last week I went to Omiya Chuo Sogo hospital for check up because of chest pains. The doctors checked everything but luckily found nothing serious. Maybe I was just shocked because of the very strong earthquake and seeing the terrible news on TV about the tsunami and radiation scare.

 No wards, no matter how carefully chosen can adequately describe the pain and anguish of the victims of the triple disasters. But I really admire and was awed by the Japanese people’s calmness, organized actions, patience and sense of duty in times of calamities. Everybody is helping each other. The Japanese people are teaching the world on how to deal with disasters and calamities like this.

 My family in Cebu wants me to go home but I cannot leave the people during these trying moments. Mag-unongay mi tanan diri bahala nag unsay mahitabo (feeling “martyr kuno ba”, hehehe). Maayo unta kung tungod sa radiation magmutate mi tanan diri ug mahimo ming Super Men ug Super Women or Darna ba kaha. Molupad nalang ko pauli diha sa ato. (Joke! Joke!)

 March 11, 2011 was indeed the day when “the sun did not rise in Japan”. But the Japanese people are very committed and optimistic to stand up and bring back the title as the Land of the Rising Sun. They rose up after the Second World War and they will surely rise up after this disaster. In the midst of chaos, there is still plenty of hope here in Japan. Please continue to pray for all of us here. Daghan kaayong salamat. God Bless. Fr. Jack.”

 When Oksan, Sachiko Kono, the mother of my brother-in-law Yuki Kono passed away a few years ago, we brought half her ashes to be buried with her husband and daughter at the Narita Cemetery near the Narita Airport and Fr. Jack Serate officiated the very first Holy Mass ever said in that cemetery. Since then we’ve always checked on him. I ask our faithful readers to pray for him to have the strength and the courage to continue his work.

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 There is a public hearing today on the proposed ordinance on Barrier-Free Tourism that will be held at the SP Session Hall of the Legislative Building of the Provincial Capitol from 1:30pm to 4:00pm. This is led by Committee of Tourism chair Hon. Agnes Magpale and committee on PWD Hon. Sitoy.

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Email: [email protected].