First, these insertions: Lawyer Damaso Bangaoet Jr., chairman and trustee-in-charge of the Panagbenga 2010 Market Encounter would like to announce the winners of this year’s Landscape Competition: In the open category are Jeverdalyn Pascual, 1st prize; Arnaldo Aromin, 2nd prize; Rachel Ann Marie Perez, 3rd prize with Ricardo Catapang, Ruben Zaparita, Wilfredo Dugenia, and Jose Acosta as honorable mentions. In the carpet of flowers category are Ricardo Catapang, 1st prize; Jeffrey Visaya, 2nd prize; Ruben Zaparita, 3rd prize with Edgar Mayos, Luisa Comicho, Enrique Alimondo, Simplicio Sawey, and Jose Acosta as honorable mentions. Congratulations!

Kudos to B-4, a hiphop group, composed of young and energetic heartthrobs, for being declared as champions of Baguio Also Has Talent 2010 Grand Finals held last Wednesday at Upper Session Road. Singing sensation Aubrey Cabanlig, a student of the Baguio City National High School, was 1st runner-up while the lovely singing pair of Jeffrey Aquino and Ingrid Payaket were 2nd runner-up. Judges include Mam Bhing Bangaoet, Rei Baquirin, Ely Adora Bautista, Janice Kaye Lacsamana-Aquino, Karlo Marko Altomonte, and Glen Gaerlan. This near-sighted Ibaloi writer was the event’s master of ceremonies. Intermission numbers were presented by semi-finalists Revivalz Deafinitely, a truly inspirational hiphop ensemble composed of deaf-mute members from the San Lorenzo Ruiz Institute, and last year’s champion Lloyd Celso singing a piece from the musical, Phantom of the Opera. To everyone, cheers!

Lastly, a memorable Women’s Month to all you members of the female species out there as I greet a belated happy, happy birthday to PIA-CAR director Helen Tibaldo. Ma’am, you may have turned a year older but definitely also wiser and lovelier. The years have really been kind to you. May you have more birthdays to come and regards to Manong Art and your children. God bless.

Anyway, something has to be done, and pronto, about the apparent lack of parking space in our dear old City of Pines. If memory serves me right, there was a plan several years back to construct a multi-level parking structure to address this problem but so far, nothing seems to have come out of it. Be that as it may, our honorable powers-that-be should formulate ways of easing this lack in parking space especially during peak seasons like the on-going Panagbenga Festival(which ends today, by the way) where the problem becomes acute. Baguio is a city, after all, whose main revenue-generator is tourism and many of our visitors come in private vehicles. Imagine coming all the way from a distant place and arriving in Baguio tired and weary only to find out you do not have a place to park your vehicle. Discouraging, isn’t it? Just asking.

Here’s “Lady Lost” by the American poet John Crowe Ransom: “This morning, there flew up the lane/ A timid lady-bird to our bird-bath/ And eyed her image dolefully as death;/ This afternoon, knocked on our windowpane/ To be let in from the rain/ And when I caught her eye/ She looked aside, but at the clapping thunder/ And sight of the whole earth blazing up tinder/ Looked in on us again most miserably,/ Indeed as if she would cry.//

So I will go out into the park and say,/ “Who has lost a delicate brown-eyed lady/ In the West End Section? Or has anybody/ Injured some fine woman in some dark way,/ Last night or yesterday?/ “Let the owner come and claim possession,/ No questions will be asked. But stroke her gently/ With loving words, and she will evidently/ Resume her full soft-haired white-breasted fashion,/ And her right home and her right passion.”//

Until next week and may our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ continue to bless and keep us all safe.