MANILA, Philippines — Catholics celebrate Sunday the feast day of St. Thomas the Apostle (Santo Tomas Apostol), one of the 12 disciples of Jesus. Festivities and other commemorative rites will be held in honor of their patron in several Catholic churches, towns, and schools across the country.

Special devotional prayers, novenas, and processions bearing the image of the well-venerated saint are traditional observances on his feast day. Known as the patron of architects, St. Thomas was a great preacher and missionary worker traveling as far as India and Iran, where they converted thousands to the faith. (Christina Hermoso)

Holy Cross of Wawa on Sunday

Bocaue’s popular and much anticipated river festival in celebration of the Feast of the Holy Cross of Wawa will be held Sunday, serving as the highlight of the novena masses. Known for its many titles – “Pista ng Mapagpalang Krus ng Wawa,” “Pagoda River Festival,” “Pagoda sa Wawa,” and “Bocaue Pagoda Festival” – the feastival marks the discovery of a miraculous cross floating in the Bocaue river more than 200 years past.

In recent years, the festival pays tribute to the devotees who perished during the Pagoda tragedy in 1993. The tradition was temporarily halted in 1994 and resumed only in 1999 to this day while implementing strict measures to ensure the safety of the devotees. (Christina Hermoso)

Gov't aid

Malacañang said Saturday that the Philippine government will extend all the necessary assistance to the Filipina teacher who was sentenced to death in China for drug smuggling. Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte also expressed confidence that the bilateral visit of Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario to China next week will help ease tensions in the Spratlys dispute.

“I think all parties to the tension in the West Philippine Sea have repeatedly said that they want to settle the matter diplomatically and peacefully.” (Madel Sabater)

Support welcomed

Malacañang welcomed Saturday the support of the National Unity Party (NUP) to President Aquino’s reform agenda, saying it is eager to see how it would support the Aquino administration’s reform agenda. The NUP is mostly made up of political allies of former President Arroyo. Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte welcomed the support from the new political party.

“Mabuti naman po yun dahil ang nakita ko diyan, ksama na sila sa majority coalition ng House of Representatives at makikita natin kung yung pagsupport nila sa reform agenda ng Pangulo [That is good news because it is now a majority coalition in the House of Representatives and we will see how they will support the President’s reform agenda],” Valte said. (Madel Sabater)

Urban program

Vice President and Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) Chair Jejomar C. Binay said Saturday to workers that urbanization could go hand in hand with agricultural development. Speaking during the 1st Inter-national Agri-Tourism Expo, Binay noted that some people are concerned about the dangers that urban development may pose to farmlands and other agricultural areas.

“I am here to assure you that urbanization does not come at the expense of agriculture. It is built around it, and proper planning permits us to do just that,” the Vice President said. Binay stressed that random and arbitrary land conversion, not urbanization, is the “greatest threat” to agriculture, and this could be addressed through sound allocation of land resources. (JC Bello Ruiz)