One of the highlights of the Danao fiesta celebration used to be the coronation of the “Balik-Danao Queen”. This year, a “Santa Cruzan” was introduced in its place, which is a religious commemoration of the coronation & procession of “Reyna Elena” & her “Sagalas” during the time of King Constantine. It was a rainy day on the 14th of September, 2007 when the Holy Eucharist was concelebrated in the Cathedral of Danao to precede the coronation of “Reyna Elena”; but amazingly, the rain stopped when the procession of all the queens in their respective beautifully decorated floral “Arcos” started & paced the major streets of the Poblacion of Danao.
We hope & pray that the well-participated DAUSA medical mission & the colorful traditional festivities in the City of Danao every September continue to attract more tourists & encourage more “Balikbayans” to visit Danao in 2008 & in the years to come.
Viva Senyor Santo Tomas De Villanueva!
Anita Cal Jackson, M.D., F.A.C.G.S.
DAUSA President
Chief of DAUSA Medical Mission
01, November 2007
www.dausa.org
A Message from DAUSA
In commemoration of the feast day of the patron saint of Danao City, “Senyor Santo Tomas De Villanueva”, which falls on the third Sunday of each September, it is with great pleasure that we extend our gratitude & felicitations to all, & share a brief story about our association, the Danao Association USA (DAUSA).
The people who originated, or with roots coming from the City of Danao in the province of Cebu, fondly call themselves, “Taga Danao ni Bay”, which I would interpret as, with joy & pride, let it be known that “I am a native from Danao”! It was fourteen years ago that a very small group of these natives residing in the county of Los Angeles spontaneously gathered together and started a religious devotion to “Senyor Santo Tomas De Villanueva”. They recited & sang together a novena ..”nangilaba..” in humble prayer of praise & thanksgiving, sharing happiness, friendship & nostalgia as a preparation to their own celebration of the fiesta away from home. These few devotees spread the word locally in the beginning, and farther more to the other States, to Canada, Switzerland & all over the world, year after year. That was how the Danao Association USA (DAUSA) started: only with a handful of members which now has become participated world-wide.
The year 2007 marks the 14th anniversary of DAUSA. One of the most appreciated project, (if not the most), is the DAUSA Medical Mission. The mission was spearheaded 10 years ago by enthusiastic volunteers, both medical & non-medical, who returned to Danao not only to join in the festivities in September, but also to extend blessings to deserving fellow-Danawanons in the form of medical, surgical & dental services & scholarship awards known as, “Adopt-a-Student”. This return visit is popularly known as “Balik-Danao”. The mission was so wholeheartedly welcomed and strongly supported by many benevolent hearts that it became not only a joyfully anticipated event every year, but also an annual commitment of DAUSA ever since.
