Indeed, life is so short, so very short!

Tomorrow, the three major business chambers in Cebu - the Cebu Business Club (CBC), the Cebu Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Inc. (CICC) and the Mandaue Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Inc. (MCCI) will be holding a Presidential Forum at the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) dubbed as “Choices and Voices for 2010: An Encounter with the Presidentiables.” This forum is perfectly timed because we’d really like to know whether these Presidentiables are up to speed about what they should do with the country, especially to cities outside Metro Manila.

This forum is sponsored by the Aboitiz Equity Ventures (AEV) and the Visayan Electric Company (VECO) and is expected to draw a crowd of 2,000 participants from the various chambers of commerce in Cebu, including student leaders, the academe, Local Government Units, Sectoral Organizations and private organizations that were invited to attend that forum.

* * *

There is no doubt that the ways of our Lord God almighty are not the ways of humans. I had a lot of things to do yesterday, but I decided to drop most of them and just be by myself; pondering about how short life is. Just a day before our dear friend, Cerge M. Remonde died of a heart attack, we spend most of the afternoon at the Redemptorist Church for the solemn funeral mass for another dear friend who passed away a week ago last Thursday; Mr. Ernesto Aboitiz. The Holy Mass was officiated by our beloved eminence Ricardo Cardinal Vidal. It was a very solemn mass and the choir sang so beautifully, it made you think that heaven was just around us.

We have known that Ernie Aboitiz was stricken with cancer. But just a year ago, he was given a clean bill of health. Who would think that a few months later, he would already be in an advance stage in his cancer? Indeed, God works in strange ways. While Ernie was a young man of 77 years, he was full of life, vibrant and always on the go, especially with his advocacies. He spent a great deal of time convincing us to see things his way and Ernie was a man who would take no for an answer. That’s because he was almost always on the right side of the argument.

Last Monday, we wrote a tribute to Ernie in time for his funeral on Monday. Quite a contrast from the joyous celebrations we had last Christmas and during the Sinulog Festivities. Somehow, one would think that after Ernie’s funeral mass, we would move away from our somber mood; after all, we have to move on. Then suddenly we heard the tragic news of the untimely passing of Cerge Remonde, whose remains will be brought to Cebu this Friday and then to his beloved town of Argao for his funeral.

In contrast to Ernie Aboitiz, Cerge was a much younger man, having celebrated his 51st birthday only last Dec. 21. While we had months to pray and hope that God would grant Ernie a miraculous cure, we would not be given that time for Cerge as he succumbed to his first and only heart attack that took him away from us. Indeed, Cebu has lost a favorite son. Cerge was a close confidant of the President, who is certainly mourning the loss of Cerge.

We offer our “Sinug” to the Holy Infant Jesus Christ to show our love and devotion to the only begotten Son of God in a kind of prayer/dance offering. Somehow, the passing of Ernie Aboitiz and Cerge Remonde has kept my mind always in a somber albeit prayer mood. Once more, may we ask our readers to please pray for the repose of the souls of Mr. Ernie Aboitiz and Cerge Remonde.

* * *

While the SWS Survey still shows Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III having a strong lead amongst the other Presidentiables, it is notable that here in the Visayas, the Lakas-Kampi-CMD is emerging as the candidate for the Visayas. In a survey conducted amongst the local chief executives in the One Visayas Movement, former Defense Secretary Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro Jr. came up with two-thirds of the support from the 30 city mayors and 16 governors coming from the Visayas.

Antique Governor Sally Perez pointed out that Gibo has the support of Gov. Carlito Marquez of Aklan, Gov. Isidro Zayco of Negros Occidental and Felipe Nava of Guimaras for the Western Visayas. While in Central Visayas, he has the support of Gov. Gwen Garcia, Orlando Fua of Siquijor and Bohol Gov. Enrico Aumentado, who was earlier dubbed as to have supported Manny Villar, but told me that it was mere black propaganda. When you have these numbers supporting Gibo, I have no doubt that he would emerge very strongly in the coming May elections and be our next President.

* * *

Email: [email protected]