The chaplain of the University of St. La Salle today reminded Mayor Evelio Leonardia and members of the Grupo Progreso (GP) slate to put God first at the center of public service.
“You are called to be Doulus, servant leaders to the community,” Fr. Jerryvel Celestial said in his homily at a mass at the Lupit Church Friday, March 25.
The GP mass coincided with the celebration honoring the Solemnity of the Anunciation of the Birth of the Lord.
Leonardia thanked Celestial for his reminders to public servants.
As a tradition, Leonardia said, the GP starts the official campaign period with a Holy Mass.
“Just like Mary, you said your Fiat (Yes) to become servant of the Lord. Just like Mary, we believe that all things are possible with God. Entrust everything to God and you can do all things if you believe,” Celestial said in his homily.
The mayor was joined in the mass by his wife, Elsa, and daughter Kara; Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran and family as well as congressional aspirant Dan Atayde and family and the rest of the GP slate.
The Lupit Church was only capacity filled but the grounds were teeming with supporters as Lizares Avenue was closed to traffic.
A caravan participated in by more than 600 vehicles, over 500 riders, hundreds of PUJs, trikes, e-bikes and trucks was held after the mass. Authorities estimated the whole stretch at more than 7 kilometers, a GP press release said.
“Ang ulo sang caravan nagtabu na sa ikog,” a traffic enforcer commented.
Thousands of Bacolodnons stood by main thoroughfares to cheer on Leonardia and show their support to him and the GP slate, further stalling the traffic flow as the caravan headed towards the Pope John Paul II Tower for the program, the press release added.
The GP grand opening salvo is slated at 3 p.m. tomorrow at the Bacolod Public Plaza, where the Tribu Pulahan will be entertained by purely tumandok or local talents in a pre-rally segment.*