>Leyte Landing

>Last Friday I woke up early at 3:30AM to catch a 5:00AM flight to Tacloban. I have only been to Eastern Visayas 5 times before (twice for conferences in Ormoc, once for a wedding in Ormoc where I was a ninong, once for a regional meeting in Agta and once to check out a site devastated by landslides). So this trip was going to be something new for me. We got to Tacloban in time for breakfast and got to break bread with the Archbishop of Palo, Archbishop Palma, at his home with his priests! What a privilege. We don’t really get opportunities like that here in Manila, since the Bishops here are so busy all the time. There is some appeal to having a life in the province.

With the Regional Coordinators of the Episcopal Commission on Youth and Abp. Palma of Palo (Standing L-R: Fr. Jun of Naval representing Central – Eastern Visayas, Fr. Kune of ECY, Peter of Pasig rep. NCR, Eilleen of YouthPinoy, Toyang of ECY, Jet of Bangued rep. Northern Luzon, Janice of Lingayen-Dagupan rep. Northern Luzon, Badette of Chiro rep. FNYO, RB of Butuan rep. Mindanao-Sulu, Dan of Calapan rep. Southern Tagalog, Noel of DLSU (Facilitator) and Fr. Manny of Palo. Kneeling L-R: Fr. Glenn of Kalibo rep. Western Visayas and Xavy Padilla of YouthPinoy

After breakfast, and the usual picture taking, we were taken on a tour of the province! Here is a picture of the Cathedral, and a beautiful wood carving I saw hanging on the wall 🙂

After a day of moving around Leyte, we ended up in Biliran for the meeting proper. More on those later 🙂

I am appreciative for the opportunity to have come along with the Regional Representatives of CBCP Episcopal Commission on Youth. Even if the original intent was to present http://www.YouthPinoy.com, it became a fun-filled, friendship-forming, faith-enriching and fellowship-full-of-food experience over 3 days. I am excited for the 25th Anniversary of ECY in 2011, and this is only after hearing of initial plans! I am blessed to be serving the Church!