PostHeaderIcon Prelate rues over slanted coverage of Penafrancia fiesta





When Tong Pilar, my friend and classamate in New Jersey told me that a brawl erupted during the Traslacion in the Penafrancia celebration in Naga City, I felt sad. I thought this year’s fiesta was marred by a few irresponsible people of Maogmang Lugar.

My friend’s story of seeing in TV a priest assaulted during the Friday procession was very disconcerting. As far as I could recall, such disdainful behavior did not happen when I was growing up in that peaceful city. The bad news came to New York in tandem with the local government promoting a secular program of public drinking, gay beauty contests, and other “demeaning” activities that wasn’t in synch with the fiesta’s religious purpose. With civic activities that tend to denigrate Ina, I thought, Penafrancia had gone to the dogs.



Daet Bishop Gilbert Gacera however had a different take on the issue. He said the Penafrancia celebration this year was supposed to be as peaceful as before. It was the media who sensationalized the melee which painted an ugly picture of the whole event. The isolated incident was aired in the internet and in major national TVs as though it dominated the celebration. This he said wasn’t true.

As a result of the bad publicity, Bicolanos were unduly portrayed in a bad light. The peaceful procession was made to appear that it ended in trouble. Bishop Garcera was saddened by the lopsided coverage of the fiesta which came at a time when the Catholic Church made effort to make Ina’s tribute more spiritually meaningful at the eve of her tercenary. (Photo Credit: Roy Fernando; Msgr. Vergara; Marive Roc-de Guzman) =0=

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