The Cathedral Museum of Cebu successfully celebrated its 2nd anniversary just a while ago with songs, poems, dances and good food. Capping the celebration was a mass celebrated by Bishop Julito Cortes, the chairman of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines’ Episcopal Committee for the Cultural Heritage of the Church. I was very late for the mass — I actually arrived at the end of it already — so I was not able to hear what the good bishop said in his homily but I’m pretty sure that it was all about the ecclesiastical museum and its role in evangelization and heritage work in general.

Below: The members of the curatorial board with Bishop Julito Cortes, the chairman of the Episcopal Committee for Cultural Heritage of the Church of the Catholic Bishop’s Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).

Anyway, after the mass came dinner at the museum courtyard. As usual, no celebration is complete without good food. I learned that the menu was taken cared of with a caterer by the museum’s very own Mrs. Louella Alix — no wonder why the servings which were laid out in a buffet table were very delicious! I would have wanted to eat the second time around but my stomach was telling me to take no more.

A simple program followed where various personalities rendered songs, poems, and dances. I could no longer remember the exact titles of the poems and songs but it sure did feed my senses well.

Below: A folk dance to the tune of “Mutya ka Baleleng.”

Rendering the first song was Mr. Gil Maningo whose deep baritone voice coupled with a very perfect pitch was an opener that partially gave me goosebumps. What was more delighting was to see Bishop Cortes, who was just a seat away from me, close his eyes perhaps in deep reflection and appreciation of the song. The good bishop though surprised us all at the very end of the program when he rendered a Cebuano version of the Ave Maria. Prior to that were poems by Mr. Balbino Guerrero, Mrs. Louella Alix, and Mrs. Frankie Despi’s mother, and a folk dance to the tune of “Mutya ka Baleleng.” A Cebuano composer and singer, Mr. Paul Melendez, also rendered his piece.

Below: Mr. Gil Maningo of the Taytayan sa Paria-an group singing “Carmela.”

Below: Poem recitations.

Below: Mr. Paul Melendez, a Cebuano folk singer and composer.

Below: Bishop Cortes singing a Cebuano version of Ave Maria.