CEBU CITY (PNA) — The Archdiocese of Cebu has declared a Year of Grace for the San Roqué parish in Barangay Yati, Liloan, Cebu, granting special blessings to any Catholic who visits the church next year.

Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal has signed the declaration for 2011 to be the Year of Grace for the parish.

The same declaration granted the parish’s request to be a place of pilgrimage for the same period. The declaration is in line with the parish’s celebration of its 25th founding anniversary on Aug. 16, 2011.

The Year of Grace and the parish’s status as a place of pilgrimage took effect Thursday and will last December 30 next year.

“I grant to every Catholic who takes part in the liturgical celebrations at the parish, plenary indulgence after praying for the intentions of the Holy Father, one Our Father, one hail Mary, one Glory Be and the Apostles’ Creed,” Vidal said in the declaration, which was also signed by Archdiocesan Vice Chancellor Renato Beltran Jr. Unlike a partial indulgence, a plenary indulgence in Catholic practice is the full remission of temporal punishment due for sins which have already been forgiven.

The indulgence is granted by the Catholic Church in the belief that indulgences draw on the “treasure house of merit accumulated by Christ’s superabundantly meritorious sacrifice on the cross and the virtues and penances of the saints.

Manobos get generator
TACLOBAN — A tribe of Manobos will benefit from a generator set, according to a party-list member of Congress.

An Waray party-list Rep. Florencio “Bembem” Noel said his group has donated a gasoline-fed generator
set to the Manobo tribe to help provide electric power in their community in a forested area of Barangay Bagacay.

Noel stressed that the donation is timely because the generator set was given during the Christmas season and the tribe enjoyed electric lights during the holidays.

He said that the Manobo tribe composed of 25 households has not yet enjoyed the benefit of electricity
despite living in the highly urbanized city.

The An Waray party-list has also provided the wirings, electrical installations and two incandescent bulbs for each household. He said that the Manobo tribe from Agusan del Sur migrated to Samar in 1984 to work in one of the logging companies operating in the island.

However, in 1989 with the logging moratorium, the Manobos lost their jobs and settled in Tacloban City, he said. (Restituto A. Cayubit)

Dinagyang Fest tickets out January 4
ILOILO CITY (PNA) — Tickets for the 2011 Dinagyang Festival will be available starting on January 4.

During the working committees' general meeting at Philippine Red Cross–Iloilo Chapter here, the organizer announced tickets for the Iloilo Freedom Grandstand will be sold at P1,200 (main stage) and P1,000 (side stages).

For Stage 3 located at Quezon-Ledesma streets, tickets will be sold at P900 (main stage) and P600 (side stages).

At Iznart Street fronting Grand Hotel, Stage 4 tickets will be sold at P600.

The price already covers tickets for the Kasadyahan and the Ati-ati competitions.

Sale of the tickets is on cash and first-come, first-serve basis requiring no previous reservation.

The organizer is advising prospective ticket buyers to proceed to either Dinagyang Lounge at the City Tourism and Development Office or to Iloilo City Hall Asst. Department Head II Jess Sio's office at the third floor of Robinsons Mall.