EVERY January, it is always a welcome gesture and an honor to receive an Ikebana calendar from the Japanese Consulate here in Davao City.
It includes a detailed backgrounder about the art of flower arrangement, a part of which we would like to share with everyone: “Of all Japan’s traditional arts, perhaps the most famed and actively practiced today is IKEBANA, the art of flower arrangement. While tracing its origins back for hundreds of years, it still exists as a vital element in the contemporary world of art. It has emerged from its historical setting within the Toconoma alcove of the Japanese house and entered the modern everyday world: the office window or conference room, the hotel lobby or public square. In the same way, Ikebana is no longer the exclusive province of arrangers or artists in Japan, but counts among the devotees, professional and amateur designers in all nations and walks of life.”
Ikebana International Davao Chapter 133 invited us to the Installation of Officers for 2025 – 2027, held at Hotel Tropika on June 13, 2025, in which Honorable Consul Ono Hirotaka, the newly-appointed Japanese Consul, was the inducting officer and guest speaker. Vice Consul Nakata Airi was also present.
Newly-elected president, Leticia S. Averion, in her acceptance speech said, “It is with great honor and gratitude that I accept the role of President of our Ikebana Club. Ikebana is more than the artful arrangement of flowers. It is a practice of mindfulness, balance, harmony, and quiet elegance. It teaches us to honor nature, space, and the beauty of every fleeting moment.”
Those who took their oath were: president – Leticia S. Averion; vice president 1 – Danney Robles Sangregorio; vice president 2 – Crisenda C. Liu; recording secretary – Clarice S. Lu; corresponding secretary – Maria Lourdes Victoria T. Imperial; treasurer – Diana C. Lozano; assistant treasurer – Cristina C. Soriano; auditor – Estrellita E. De Jesus; P.R.O. – Alice D. Reyes; historian – Maria Zenaida S. Delos Santos, and ex-officio – Amelia C. Valle.
