The Bishop-Businessmen’s Conference-Lipa Chapter is set to hold its General Assembly on January 8, Thursday, at the Archbishop’s Residence. Atty. Ramel Muria, BBC-Lipa Secretary, has provided copies of the invitations and program of the whole day affair, which will start with a forum on electoral reform. Incidentally, the morning will be devoted to the “Christmas party” to be hosted by His Excellency, Most Rev. Ramon C. Arguelles, for the mayors and other government officials.
”I had no time to host a Christmas gathering for the mayors of the province,” explained the Archbishop. ”I will take this opportunity to appeal to them to help us in our advocacy on good governance, and to show our support for their good endeavors for our fellow Batanguenos.” Governor Vilma Santos Recto is expected to lead the government functionaries in this function. Last year, the mayors were given some gifts by the Archbishop, which included statues of Mary Mediatrix of All Grace, one of the favorite Marian titles of the Blessed Virgin Mary, of whom Archbishop Arguelles is a devotee.
Archbishop Arguelles also disclosed that he has invited COMELEC Commissioner Rene Sarmiento to talk to the local executives about the forthcoming elections. ”We are very interested in this, especially in the computerization,” added the outspoken prelate. It would be recalled that the Archbishop, through the BBC-Lipa chapter, has come up with a public statement expressing support of this. among others, the statement called on COMELEC to include Batangas Province, if and when the move to have the computerized election nation-wide fails, in its pilot areas in Luzon.
In the afternoon, the Archbishop, together with BBC-Lipa chapter President, banker MAcario Laurel, will preside over the BBC general assembly. Among others, the assembly is to hear the BBC-Lipa chapter’s report on its organization, membership, and planned advocacies.
