Lollyland in La Carlota in this Christmas Seasons

Why the City of La Carlota becomes sweet in this year's Christmas seasons?

Lollyland in La Carlota

Christmas time is already in the small city of La Carlota. It has kicked off by the opening of lights for this year's Christmas Festival of lights.

A great number of people from all walks of life thronged at the public plaza to witness the momentous opening of this yuletide festivity.

Lights are pervading the entire plaza. They are illuminating all standing trees there assigned to respective government agencies, schools, and civic organizations. It pays to stay there with all the family members to be entertained by the songs and dances of various Christmas songs medley every night.

'Halad kay Kang-Laon' : 1st Mt. Kanlaon National Park Festival held by La Carlota

All roads led to Sitio Guintubdan, Brgy, Ara-al, La Carlota City on August 11 for the first Mt. Kanlaon National Park Festival as "Halad kay Kang-Laon" (Offerings to Kang-Laon). Its theme was "Pag-amlig sa Dungang Manggad para sa Kaayuhan sang Katawhan" (To Protect the Natural Resources for the Good of the People).

The City Tourism of La Carlota had initiated to celebrate this festival to give honor and respect to Haring Laon or Kang Laon as the great protector and provider of the natives who lived long time ago in the said volcano. And also this is to boost tourism industry in the said place which the neighboring towns and cities could benefit too.

According to local history or local legend, Kanlaon or Canlaon is an ancient name of a Visayan god. It is idolized by the natives as their highest Ruler. The natives did highly esteemed by worshiping him as "One who is the Ruler of Time".

The volcano is where the said Ruler stayed wherein native priests and priestesses visited and did some rituals and some offerings of their good harvest as tokens of their gratefulness and respect. Some other versions of this legend had been handed by the natives to one generation to the other.

Elder Plarao, One-Handed Missionary Completes Mission with Honor

President Plarao

I know a true latter-day saints know the importance of doing a missionary work. They know it in doing so for they've done their part in fulfilling one of the 3-fold mission of the Church, and that's to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

But what about if you're unable to do it due to a handicap or physical disability, can you do the missionary work? In one of our leadership meeting with the Church leaders, if a member is disabled and wanted to spread the Gospel in doing the missionary job like the full-time missionary is doing in the field, by his honest and willing desire he is already doing it  and he doesn't need to go out anymore to fulfill it.

On the other hand, if you're partially handicap, like the one I know from La Castellana Branch. He is Bro. Angelo Plarao who has no right hand which was amputated due to firecracker accident when he was 14 years old. His Branch President, the late Rogie Belarmino encouraged him to go out for a mission in spite of that handicap. Bro Angelo responded approvingly. He never hesitated or had a second thought "because all circumstances and problems have their own worth of purpose" in which he strongly believes it.