CEBU CITY – Even during his early years in Malacañang, Press Secretary Cerge Remonde, who hails from Argao town south of Cebu, always made sure to get away from his busy schedule to come home and join the Sto. Niño fluvial parade every third Saturday of January.

Last Saturday, Remonde again made his annual homage to the miraculous image of the Sto. Niño de Cebu, arriving early dawn at the Ouano wharf in Mandaue City.

He was the only government official allowed to board the makeshift Galleon Trinidad that carried the image of the Sto. Niño, the Our Lady of Guadalupe, and that of St. Joseph during the parade.

The Trinidad was the original galleon that carried Magellan to Cebu, carrying the image of the Sto. Niño that he gave as gift to Cebu’s King Jumabon and Reyna Juana.

Before the fluvial parade started at past 6 a.m. Saturday, Remonde called up his friends at radio station DYLA, where he was once general manager, and informed Station Manager Jun Tagalog that he was very happy to be onboard the Galleon again.

He was at his usual jolly self, said Tagalog, and Remonde finished the entire fluvial procession despite the rain.

Although he had been joining the annual solemn procession on the eve of the feast of Sto. Niño, Remonde on Saturday insisted to be among those to pull the carriage bearing the image of the Holy Child.

On Sunday, Remonde dropped by station DYLA to meet his former staff. He even showed some bruises on his palm as a result of pulling the carriage during the procession that lasted six hours and spanned more than six kilometers.

“When he went to the station, he was very jolly. He was sharing jokes and we saw no sign of stress whatsoever,” said Tagalog during a special broadcast program Tuesday noon.

The special broadcast anchored by Tagalog, news direct Junnex Napallacan, and broadcaster Fred Languido was interrupted several times by sobs and silence from the three anchors, who all worked under Remonde when he was station manager.

Remonde went back to Manila Sunday afternoon.

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said he was ‘’deeply shocked and deeply moved” by the untimely death of Remonde.

“He is not just a personal friend but also a devoted public servant. He was one of the few Cabinet secretaries who hailed from the south, particularly the province of Cebu. As I used to fondly call him, he was a member of the Cebuano mafia,’’ he said.

“His untimely passing will leave an empty space in the Cabinet of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. His previous performance will be very hard to duplicate by any replacement of the President. Again, I would like to give my deepest condolences to the family of Secretary Cerge Remonde. God bless his soul,’’ he added. (With a report from Mario Casayuran)