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COMMUNITY
September 5, 2017 | The Valley Catholic
The “Paring Pinoy” Perform
By Harvey I. Barkin
MILPITAS – When word got out that
the Paring Pinoy (Filipino priests) of the
Diocese of San Jose were going all out
to do an Igorot dance, it spread faster
than the faith.
The event was Tayo na sa Houston,
the barrio fi esta fundraising dinner
towards the upcoming Third National
Assembly of Filipino Priests in the USA
set for November 7-11 in Texas.
Close to 400 parishioners, friends
and guests came to dinner at the
Pavalkis Hall of Saint John the Baptist
Parish in Milpitas proving that the Par-
ing Pinoy don’t have a problem packing
them in.
Vicar General and Moderator of the
Curia, Monsignor Francis Cilia joked,
“Of the almost 100 priests in the Dio-
cese, there are now 33 Filipino priests.
That’s like a third of the priests in San
Jose. And that is awesome.”
Cilia also said that the sheer number
of the diners proved their love and sup-
port for the Paring Pinoy. He added that
“We all want to be home on a Friday but
I want to be here.” Although he asked
why there was no adobo.
The Paring Pinoy gave their all in
performing diff erent regional dances.
The old guards who turned out to see
if they were, indeed, going to perform
in Igorot loin cloths were probably
relieved that knee-length black shorts
preserved decorum.
That night’s entertainment was not
about the full regalia of Filipiniana
pageantry but the extraordinary spec-
tacle of Pinoy priests shucking off the
strictures of their collar and dancing to
near abandon with great joy.
The Paring Pinoy served dinner,
sang in Chorus, performed the Sarong
Bangui, Igorot rain dance, Maranao, La
Jota Manileña, Sayaw sa bangko, Curacha
The Paring Pinoy of San Jose gave their all in performing, as well as in service – here serving
dinner before dancing are (l-r) Father Junar Enorme, CRS, Father Andrew Garcia, SJ, Father Gener
Geronimo, Father Daniel Urcia, Father Ritche Bueza and Father Vincent Pineda. (l-r) Father Vincent Pineda and Father Mark
Gazzingan in a spirited version of the Tinikling.
Headliner for the event, Igorot rain dancers (l-r) Father Joseph Page, Father Andres Ligot, brothers
Fathers Mark and Michael Gazzingan, and Father Engel Gammad. (All photos by Robin Barkin) (l-r) Father Ritche Bueza and Father Jeff Fer-
nandez dueling in Sayaw sa bangko.
and Tinikling.
The Igorot dance group of Father
Engelbert Gammad, Father Mark
Gazzingan, Father Michael Gazzingan,
Father Andres Ligot and Father Joseph
Page bagged the “Most Daring Cos-
tume Award.”
“Most Artistic Award” went to the
Maranao dancers Monsignor Willie
Manrique and Father Celso Singson.
Audience participation award went
to Curacha with Father Jesus Tito Carta-
genas, Jr., Father Eddie Obero, Father
Edsil Emmanuel Ortiz and Father
Chady Segovia.
Father Mark Gazzingan was cited
for best individual performance in Ti-
nikling. At Mass, a slight, soft-spoken,
bespectacled clergy delivering no non- sets of two songs. Father Edsil Ortiz’s
rendition of OPM tunes was near fl aw-
less. Father Eddie Obero’s songs elicited
teeny-bopper reaction from the ladies
who off ered fl owers. Father Jonathan
Dumlao’s ‘Lean on Me’ rocked the
house. And Father Norman Segovia’s
cover of Rico J. Puno would have given
Michael Bolton an inferiority complex.
Father Dumlao and Father Bong Rojas
are just two of a growing number of
Pinoy priests who also sing in Italian.
Emcee Jorge Doctolero warned the
ladies fl ashing iPhones and iPads not
to post on Facebook. But most blissfully
ignored it and sometimes blocked the
audience’s view, not wanting to miss
the once-a-year chance to see their
beloved priests perform.
BUSINESS DIRECTORY
sense sermon but let loose on the dance
fl oor, more dervish than some ascetic
Muslims.
The La Jota Manileña dancers con-
sisting of Father Angelo David, Father
Gener Geronimo, Father Vincent
Pineda, Father Daniel Urcia and Father
Anthony Uytingco placed third.
Second prize went to the spirited
performance of the dueling Father
Ritche Bueza and Father Jeff Fernandez
in Sayaw sa bangko.
First spot went to the Sarong Bangui
dancers with Father Ritche Bueza and
Father Jeff Fernandez. Adding “grace
and elegance” were the Augustinian
Recollect Sisters.
The Paring Pinoy also boasted of
crooners