Fiesta De Ronda and Mater Dolorosa

Today and tomorrow, all roads lead to my hometown, famous for its "Humba' De Ronda," Bodbod and Bibingka, and above all, next to the Lord, our patroness, Our Lady of Sorrows or Mater Dolorosa. It is bisperas today and tomorrow will be the Fiesta.

We salute our dynamic mayor, young, hard-working and high achiever, Terence Mariano V Yap Blanco, my cousin and kumpadre, and his loyal and silent performer, Rocky Tobis Gabatan and all the councilors led by Ann Marie Blanco. Whenever we celebrate our town fiesta, Ronda (which is named after a big town in Malaga, Spain. The name of Ronda  is also is usually attributed to the Spanish word ”ronda” which means ”to round” or ”to patrol” but evidence suggests Ronda is derived from Arunda, presumably of Celtic origin however its meaning is uncertain. Its old name was Huluyaw, or Jolo Kuyaw due to constant raids by Moros during the Hispanic times.

Compared to Dumanjug, its southern neighbor, Ronda is small and is a 5th class municipality. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 21,005 people It is bordered to the north by the town of Dumanjug, to the west is the Tañon Strait, to the east is the town of Argao, and to the south is the town of Alcantara. It is 91 kilometers or 57 miles from the city of Cebu. It has only 14 barangays (Langin, Vive, Malalay, Can-abujon, Cansalonoy, Cansayahon, Butong, Tupas, Ilaya, Liboo, Palanas, Canduling, Santa Cruz and Poblacion. It has  an area of 57.10 square kilometers or 22.05 square miles. This is the home of the Blancos, Villagonzalos, Villalon, Carreon, Gimenas, Maribaos, Bucog, Layaguin, Ibarbia, Gimarino, Gaquing, Gabatan, Malabago, Andan, Requilme, Chiong, Remotigue, Albero and Famor, Yap, Yee, Sia and Yu, among others.

The original Ronda is a town in the province of Malaga, southern Spain. I was able to visit this beautiful town up there in the mountainous region of Malaga which is located about 105 km (65 mi) west of the city of Malaga, within the autonomous region of Andalusia. Its population is about 35,000. Ronda is known for its cliffside location and a deep canyon that carries the Guadalevin River and divides the town. It is one of the towns and villages that are included in the Sierra de las Nieves National Park. Our research show that American artists Orson Welles and Ernest Hemingway spent many summers in Ronda as part-time residents of Ronda's old-town quarter called La Ciudad. Both wrote about Ronda's beauty and famous bullfighting traditions. Their collective accounts have contributed to Ronda's popularity over time.

Our town Ronda, Cebu is famous for producing a governor, the late Francisco Emilio Famor Remotigue who was later appointed by President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. as secretary of the Department of Social Services and Development, then called the SWA or the Social Welfare Administration. One of Ronda's famous sons was the late Atty. Rafael Gimarino, a trusted executive of President Diosdado Macapagal. One of the first female judges in the whole province of Cebu was the late Judge Lourdes Villalon Diama. One of the best prosecutors in Cebu was the late Fiscal Ananias Maribao. The lawyer who died during the campaign by Serging Osmena Jr. against Marcos was David Villagonzalo.

The Blancos had been the unquestioned political leader of our town, started with the late Major Mariano Albero Blanco Sr., followed by his wife the late Victoria Yap Blanco, then Mariano Y Blanco III and now Terence Mariano V Yap Blanco. Our former mayors include Lorenzo and Nene Villalon, Lucio Ortiz, Toribio Chiong, Mercedes Ortiz, Socorro Gabriel, Aproniano Taypin, Esteban Sia and Rocky Tobes Gabatan. i am coming home to Ronda to pray before the Mater Dolorosa and to meet my loved ones while eating humba, bodbod, and bibingka, and singing "Noche de Ronda."