The Legacy of My Father: A Daughter's Eulogy
By: Evangeline Rueles Caermare Trabanca
"There is an appointed time for everything," goes the New American Bible," and a time for every affair under the heavens. A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to uproot the plant..."
My father's time has arrived when the shadows totally disappeared from the face of the earth. It was seven in the evening when my father surrendered to a fully-lived life. And he has spent well his time, so that we, the living must appreciate the value of time. He has embraced the American time not the Filipino time. He never dilly-dallies.
My father had known that smoking was bad when as a young elementary pupil he was caught smoking and was punished. That incident made an indelible mark that proved to benefit him in his growing years. With that started the grain of discipline, obedience, honesty, and temperance that germinated into a purpose-driven life.
Teodorico Magallanes Caermare was born on that lovely first day of July, nineteen hundred and ten (07/01/1910) in Maralag, Polanco, Zamboanga del Norte. As a young man, he already saw the promise that the soil would bring. Instead of working in an office, or working with a company, he poised his vision to work in his own office, his own company, and with his own boss. And it was no bed of roses but thorns of struggles and sacrifices. Yet his attitude was different because he saw crowns, not thorns in his struggles. Then he fell in love with a woman and built a marital nest only to be uprooted by indifference and doubts. But he doubted not his heart as he saw a star in his gloomy nights.
He found a very young lady, " mutya sa buhat, salamin sa kakugi ug bililhon." He made a vow to protect, defend and love her as long as the Patawag River flows. He married Agapita Bahao Rueles on June 16, 1934. In 1935, a baby boy was born coiled with an umbilical cord. Life was short-lived. In 1936, a girl has christened Esperanza which means hope but that hope's spark lasted only for thirteen years.
1940 - the year I was born. I was named after the sweetheart of Gabriel in the high school story - Evangeline, The Tale of Acadie. After the demise of my sister Esperanza, I became the eldest and the Evangelizer. True to my name, I promised to be a role model to my brother and sisters. The yoke of responsibility was now on my shoulders and I followed the star of my dream to be a Florence Nightingale. 1942 - Antonietta came followed by Arturo in 1944 but witnessed the world only by three years. Then another boy arrived. He was baptized Luisito but fondly nicknamed Boy. Then Elizabeth (Abeth), Lucila (Baby), and Ruelca (Inday)
My father at this point in his life vowed to do his level best and held on as four children were down in the playing field of life. He fully consecrated himself, so to speak, to God, to his family, to his neighbor. He cultivated and developed his land and his talent. While others spent their time on worldly fun and frolics, he happily busied himself on his land, on his family with the ever-guiding, ever-providing, and ever-thinking wife. He woke up before dawn appeared. And gleefully greeted the world as the rays of the sun broke through the hills and valleys of the countryside. He found the bluebird of happiness in the honest daily toil of his jungle land. He discovered joy as he watched his plants grow. And the land was his. With his time, talent, and treasure, he toiled this land under the aegis of stewardship. This land became his retirement treasure. He gave his share to the church, to his God of which he is but a steward and so are we all. And to his family.
For the sake of our Father, who is now at peace with God, let us siblings and those linked with us preserve this land which is our precious LEGACY. Let us renew our vows through thick and thin, in good times and in bad times to take good care of this our Land, and not abandoned it nor let transgressors trample it- so that our children and their children and the children of their children will have the pride to relate the story of a man who loved the soil, loved life and loved his family.
My father has a musical inclination. He made a violin out of a Kamagong (a tree with fine lumber) that was comparable to the world-famous Stradivarius violin made by Antonio Stradivarius of Cremona, Italy. He proudly tackled this violin with his favorite classical tunes during his break time, and on moonlight nights when he was home after a hard day's labor, or when loneliness visited his agrarian life. My father can also strum/play the ukelele (small guitar), the banjo, and the tenor. All were string instruments.
He has an entrepreneurial prowess too, In fact, he pioneered the Evinrude/Pinta pump boat-outdoor motor water transportation in the 50s when there were no roads yet connecting Labason to the neighboring municipalities of Liloy and Salug. Excursion to Bayangan (Murceilagos) island was made possible by this mode of water transportation. It was also during those years that my father was involved in the fishing business (Baling-Sinsuro). And my mother was always there to be his secretary, treasurer, consultant, and home provider.
And, in all these, my father was a strict disciplinarian and markedly honest. He always tells the truth even though it hurts. He never dodges or hides an issue. Time to him is precious as he was always on the precise time when he has an appointment. To him, what is true is right, and what is false should be condemned. What I can't forget about my father was his very beautiful cursive handwriting which is rare nowadays in our highly technical world.
As Father Thomas Merton said, "Every moment and every event of every man's life on earth plants something in his soul. For just as the wind carries thousands of winged seeds, so each moment brings with it germs of spiritual vitality that come to rest imperceptibly in the minds and wills of men. Most of these unnumbered seeds perish and are lost because men are not prepared to receive them; for such seeds as these cannot spring up anywhere except in the good soil of freedom, spontaneity, and love."
As a farmer, a husband, and a provider- my father did not die he just fade away with his carabao, his outboard motor in a palm-silhouetted sunset.
On behalf of my brother, sisters-in-law, and relatives, I am grateful to all of you here. Your presence is highly appreciated in our moments of bereavement. Thank you very much!
Saturday, August 25, 2018
Sunday, August 19, 2018
Miracle or what?
On the Miracle of the Lord of Pardon
The whole world is a series of miracles... but we're so used to them; we call them ordinary things. (Hans Christian Andersen)
A miracle to my own understanding is a phenomenon that is unusual, or beyond everyday happening. Life is a miracle by itself because among many competitors, I came out triumphant. Of course, with the help and guidance of an Unseen Power. Like a plant growing in the forest. I was exposed to the vicissitudes of the elements of nature. Reaching maturity and beyond the bonus, age was by itself a miracle.
The travel from the village, to the town, and to the city is also a miracle being that there were no roads for motor vehicles so that travel was normally by walking on dusty roads, through a horse or carabao (water buffalo) or by water transportations. And to be invited to enroll in a school on the largest island of the country was also unusual to a farm boy. However, the twist and turn of life were tricky and my young mind dreamed of the impossible. Then the travel from the East to the West by air, in another country, a distant world, a different environment, a sophisticated lifestyle.
One night while at Project 6, Quezon City before I went to sleep, I found a thin rectangular small prayer book with the picture of Jesus Christ, and the first page was the picture of Jesus nailed on the cross with this inscription, Miracles Of Our Lord Of Pardon. As I flipped the next page I saw the Ten Commandments and The Chief Commandments of the Church.
Thus started my devotion to the Miracles of the Lord of Pardon. I have to say this prayer every night or sleep was a stranger. This devotion served as a sleeping pill. This is the prayer:
" My Lord Jesus Christ, remember that I am a sinner, Most Holy Virgin, pray for me. You shall always be praised and blessed. Pray for this sinner to your beloved Son, precious Beauty of the Angels ( more praises for Mother Mary, I just shortened it).....Mother of the living God, because you have delivered Him, pray for all of us sinners, so that He may pardon us, save us from the wicked enemy that is fighting us, and grant us eternal glory. Blessed be forever the Sacred Passion and death of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen "
Then I have to recite 15 Our Fathers and Hail Marys in honor of His 5,455 wounds. I pray this every night before I go to sleep. I have been faithfully doing this devotion since that time when I found that thin rectangular booklet and I always have that in my wallet which serves as a weapon in face of danger. It serves the purpose and the miraculous effect is still intact.
I believed in the power of the Lord of Pardon. And later, in my life, I came across the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy which is the 3 O'clock Prayer devotion.
Every 3 o'clock either PM or AM I have to say this: "You died Jesus, but the source of life flowed out for souls and the ocean of mercy opened up for the whole world. O Fountain of Life, immeasurable Divine Mercy, cover the whole world and empty Yourself out upon us." " O Blood and Water which flowed out from the heart of Jesus as a fountain of Mercy for us, I trust in You!" " Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and the whole world." (3x). Amen. Jesus King of Mercy we trust in You! Jesus, I trust in You.
And we know that we all have an end. However, we all will be with the good God that created us. This by itself is a miracle to reckon with. Please have FAITH!
The whole world is a series of miracles... but we're so used to them; we call them ordinary things. (Hans Christian Andersen)
A miracle to my own understanding is a phenomenon that is unusual, or beyond everyday happening. Life is a miracle by itself because among many competitors, I came out triumphant. Of course, with the help and guidance of an Unseen Power. Like a plant growing in the forest. I was exposed to the vicissitudes of the elements of nature. Reaching maturity and beyond the bonus, age was by itself a miracle.
The travel from the village, to the town, and to the city is also a miracle being that there were no roads for motor vehicles so that travel was normally by walking on dusty roads, through a horse or carabao (water buffalo) or by water transportations. And to be invited to enroll in a school on the largest island of the country was also unusual to a farm boy. However, the twist and turn of life were tricky and my young mind dreamed of the impossible. Then the travel from the East to the West by air, in another country, a distant world, a different environment, a sophisticated lifestyle.
One night while at Project 6, Quezon City before I went to sleep, I found a thin rectangular small prayer book with the picture of Jesus Christ, and the first page was the picture of Jesus nailed on the cross with this inscription, Miracles Of Our Lord Of Pardon. As I flipped the next page I saw the Ten Commandments and The Chief Commandments of the Church.
Thus started my devotion to the Miracles of the Lord of Pardon. I have to say this prayer every night or sleep was a stranger. This devotion served as a sleeping pill. This is the prayer:
" My Lord Jesus Christ, remember that I am a sinner, Most Holy Virgin, pray for me. You shall always be praised and blessed. Pray for this sinner to your beloved Son, precious Beauty of the Angels ( more praises for Mother Mary, I just shortened it).....Mother of the living God, because you have delivered Him, pray for all of us sinners, so that He may pardon us, save us from the wicked enemy that is fighting us, and grant us eternal glory. Blessed be forever the Sacred Passion and death of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen "
Then I have to recite 15 Our Fathers and Hail Marys in honor of His 5,455 wounds. I pray this every night before I go to sleep. I have been faithfully doing this devotion since that time when I found that thin rectangular booklet and I always have that in my wallet which serves as a weapon in face of danger. It serves the purpose and the miraculous effect is still intact.
I believed in the power of the Lord of Pardon. And later, in my life, I came across the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy which is the 3 O'clock Prayer devotion.
Every 3 o'clock either PM or AM I have to say this: "You died Jesus, but the source of life flowed out for souls and the ocean of mercy opened up for the whole world. O Fountain of Life, immeasurable Divine Mercy, cover the whole world and empty Yourself out upon us." " O Blood and Water which flowed out from the heart of Jesus as a fountain of Mercy for us, I trust in You!" " Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and the whole world." (3x). Amen. Jesus King of Mercy we trust in You! Jesus, I trust in You.
And we know that we all have an end. However, we all will be with the good God that created us. This by itself is a miracle to reckon with. Please have FAITH!
Friday, August 17, 2018
08/17/18 Night Before the Celebration of Sto. Nino' de Agosto
"Beautiful things happen when you distance yourself from the negative. You're given this life because you are strong enough to live it."
'Twas the night before the annual celebration of the Holy Infant devotion popularly known as the Sto. Nino', when devotees were busy decorating the church and the gym where the program will be held after the procession and Mass on Saturday (08/18/18).
The Sto. Nino' devotion is usually celebrated in the Philippines, on the first month of the year but due to the season here in America, an idea was hatched by Rev. Leoncio Santiago, former Pastor of St. Genevieve of 4835 W. Altgeld, Chicago, IL 60639.(1998-2008) to have a one grand celebration on the month of October to unite all the different devotional groups. The venue selected was St. Matthias Church in the north side of Chicago which was accessible for everybody.
This year's 14 participating groups were: (1) Senor Sto Nino Devotees of Zamboanga del Nortte, (2) Sto Nino devotees of St Lambert, Skokie, (3) Divino Nino/Divine Mercy group of Transfiguration, (4) Sto Nino Devotees/Divine Mercy Apostolate/Crusade, (5) Sto Nino of the Midwest, (6) Sto Nino/ Mother Cabrini Prayer Group, (7) Sto Nino Devotees - Tanghal Family,(8) Sto Nino del Ciudad de Zamboanga, ( 9) Sto Nino - St Matthias Legion of Mary, (10) Sto Nino/ Legion of Mary, Our Lady of Ransom, (11) Sto Nino/Society of Beloved Disciple, St. Matthias, (12) Sto Nino, Fil-Am Group of Skokie, (13) Cathedral Filipino Network, (14) Sto Nino Prayer Group of South Dupage.
On this night, barely before the departing time, I was engaged in a likable conversation with a man from Tarlac province of the island of Luzon, Philippines. He was a pleasing guy, a product of one of Manila's top universities. He said that the present president was running the country well as changes were felt and seen everywhere but only one thing he doesn't like is about justice on human rights, that a person is innocent until proven guilty.
Our conversation drifted to food, about the Filipino delicacies that lead to some nostalgic scenario about the culture of our country. We touched on the tasty frog legs. That frogs could only be caught at night on the ricefield with a flashlight or a petromax (a brand name for a type of pressurised paraffin lamp (US: kerosene lamp) that uses a mantle; synonymous with the paraffin lamp on the continent as Tilley lamps are in Britain and Coleman lamps are in the U.S.) and that not all frogs were edible. I said I have my first bite of tasty frog legs in a restaurant in Tarlac province on my way to Villasis, Pangasinan where I spent a summer vacation. I also continued that, it was at Villasis where I have my first taste of a native dog meat and also the intestines cooked like sausage, where the man's best friend was left to fast and only water was given to drink, days before this became man's food on his table. I was then in my 20's. The favorite drink with that was lambanog, a drink from a concoction of coconut sap or sugarcane juice.
In Mindanao, where I came from, our favorite drink which was affordable was tuba, a concoction from the sap of the coconut tree. This man from Tarlac province of Central Luzon said people of his ilk learned well the value of guts and survival as Mother Nature provided everything. So the people gathered edible things that grow from the fertile soil and converted them into food. And they cooked simply by practically boiling , grilling or maybe frying. They just boiled the vegetables, then sprinkled with salt to taste. These foods were fresh and healthy.
On the mass, Fr. Leoncio Santiago gave a homily that touched on simplicity and complexity. This complicated world's secret is to live a simple life with less stress by practicing the philosophy of simple living and cooking a poor man's meal. Make sense, really !
"Beautiful things happen when you distance yourself from the negative. You're given this life because you are strong enough to live it."
'Twas the night before the annual celebration of the Holy Infant devotion popularly known as the Sto. Nino', when devotees were busy decorating the church and the gym where the program will be held after the procession and Mass on Saturday (08/18/18).
The Sto. Nino' devotion is usually celebrated in the Philippines, on the first month of the year but due to the season here in America, an idea was hatched by Rev. Leoncio Santiago, former Pastor of St. Genevieve of 4835 W. Altgeld, Chicago, IL 60639.(1998-2008) to have a one grand celebration on the month of October to unite all the different devotional groups. The venue selected was St. Matthias Church in the north side of Chicago which was accessible for everybody.
This year's 14 participating groups were: (1) Senor Sto Nino Devotees of Zamboanga del Nortte, (2) Sto Nino devotees of St Lambert, Skokie, (3) Divino Nino/Divine Mercy group of Transfiguration, (4) Sto Nino Devotees/Divine Mercy Apostolate/Crusade, (5) Sto Nino of the Midwest, (6) Sto Nino/ Mother Cabrini Prayer Group, (7) Sto Nino Devotees - Tanghal Family,(8) Sto Nino del Ciudad de Zamboanga, ( 9) Sto Nino - St Matthias Legion of Mary, (10) Sto Nino/ Legion of Mary, Our Lady of Ransom, (11) Sto Nino/Society of Beloved Disciple, St. Matthias, (12) Sto Nino, Fil-Am Group of Skokie, (13) Cathedral Filipino Network, (14) Sto Nino Prayer Group of South Dupage.
On this night, barely before the departing time, I was engaged in a likable conversation with a man from Tarlac province of the island of Luzon, Philippines. He was a pleasing guy, a product of one of Manila's top universities. He said that the present president was running the country well as changes were felt and seen everywhere but only one thing he doesn't like is about justice on human rights, that a person is innocent until proven guilty.
Our conversation drifted to food, about the Filipino delicacies that lead to some nostalgic scenario about the culture of our country. We touched on the tasty frog legs. That frogs could only be caught at night on the ricefield with a flashlight or a petromax (a brand name for a type of pressurised paraffin lamp (US: kerosene lamp) that uses a mantle; synonymous with the paraffin lamp on the continent as Tilley lamps are in Britain and Coleman lamps are in the U.S.) and that not all frogs were edible. I said I have my first bite of tasty frog legs in a restaurant in Tarlac province on my way to Villasis, Pangasinan where I spent a summer vacation. I also continued that, it was at Villasis where I have my first taste of a native dog meat and also the intestines cooked like sausage, where the man's best friend was left to fast and only water was given to drink, days before this became man's food on his table. I was then in my 20's. The favorite drink with that was lambanog, a drink from a concoction of coconut sap or sugarcane juice.
In Mindanao, where I came from, our favorite drink which was affordable was tuba, a concoction from the sap of the coconut tree. This man from Tarlac province of Central Luzon said people of his ilk learned well the value of guts and survival as Mother Nature provided everything. So the people gathered edible things that grow from the fertile soil and converted them into food. And they cooked simply by practically boiling , grilling or maybe frying. They just boiled the vegetables, then sprinkled with salt to taste. These foods were fresh and healthy.
On the mass, Fr. Leoncio Santiago gave a homily that touched on simplicity and complexity. This complicated world's secret is to live a simple life with less stress by practicing the philosophy of simple living and cooking a poor man's meal. Make sense, really !
Tuesday, August 14, 2018
A Unique Politician
(8/13/18) Not an Ordinary Man
Is it not that " beneath every strong independent man lies a broken being who had to learn how to get back up and to never depend on anyone? "
The mayor who became the Chief Executive of his country, the Philippines, was no ordinary man. He inherited his unique personality from a lawyer-politician father and an educator mother. According to his sister, he was a "Mama's boy" and finished high school for 7 years, a record so to speak. I laughed at myself or LOL in the internet lingo as it took me years to have a Bachelor's degree as the other years were not in the Transcript of Records. My personal record showed that I matriculated at five institutions of learning in college. They were; (1) the School of Arts and Trades, (2) a Seventh-Day Adventist College, (3) a Jesuit Seminary (4) a Non-Sectarian College (5) another Non-Sectarian College. However, my freshman to junior years were all from a catholic co-ed high school while the Senior year was from an all-boys Ateneo school.
This guy by himself was not an ordinary man. He has a teenage life built on the solid ground of clean fun and frolics. Following his life on social media, FB, YouTube, newspapers, and from friends, I was reminded of the Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (Samuel Langhorne Clemens), "about a lighthearted excursion into boyhood." Imagine a teenager coming home after midnight (1 or 2 A.M.) and his mother who loved him avoided the opening of the door by letting him sleep in the bunkhouse swarmed with mosquitoes but was smart enough to solve this problem with a mosquito net in which even to this day prides to bring this gadget (mosquito net) wherever he goes. He has the instinct of a problem solver.
Then, he sneaked out at night when his father, the governor was sound asleep, bringing the car out with the help of their driver and male helper to push the car and start it far from the hearing distance of the father's ears. And how about the overwhelming joy of passing the airplane driving license test! And when he piloted the plane that almost hit the window where his father was sleeping. Furthermore, the expulsion from Ateneo de Davao and the punishment at San Beda College for a mishap paved his way not to attain the Graduation ceremony. Still, he had a clever answer to this phenomenon but beyond all doubts, he passed the bar on this tumultuous period of the country's history, the Martial Law era. This man is no dummy. And he said, in one of his vignettes', that he was told to memorize the dictionary as a punishment for his mischief.
I wrote this because those episodes about this president's life had some sort of semblance ( who am I, anyway) in my adolescent years. I have that experience of coming home late past midnight and sometimes almost the break of dawn. You know life in a village (barrio) was beyond compare. Everybody loves everybody no spacing or discrimination whatsoever. All are children of the Author of Humanity. Pollution was a stranger. Foods were fresh and organic. Water was not bottled but from a well, You would go serenading with the village teenagers to beautiful, innocent rural maidens and they would love songs. I mean unadulterated tunes from unpretentious minds. You mingle and bond with sons of peasants, as you are one of them, to capture the essence of rural life pregnant with sweet dreams of mystery, with ambition, with meanings. And, in order to be better equipped on the rough and rugged road of life, one must enroll in the Academy of the streetwise, to the College of higher practical skills then would graduate from the University of Hard Knocks.
This president is not an ordinary man. He was not a graduate of the University of the Philippines where some presidents and leaders came from but from the Institute of Common Sense. a Private Religious College, and the University of Hard Knocks. This guy took his master's in the areas of legislation, prosecution, and executive (elected as mayor of Davao City), His doctorate degree's thesis was about peace and order, the elimination of the lethal drug, the demise of graft, and corruption. This was unanimously approved by his landslide win in the election. And you know why this leader was a graduate of Vox Populi University. He favors justice rather than the love of money he dislikes publicity and the appalling crimes of humanity like lethal drugs and terrorism. He profoundly loves his country and his people and loves peace rather than trouble.
Is it not that " beneath every strong independent man lies a broken being who had to learn how to get back up and to never depend on anyone? "
The mayor who became the Chief Executive of his country, the Philippines, was no ordinary man. He inherited his unique personality from a lawyer-politician father and an educator mother. According to his sister, he was a "Mama's boy" and finished high school for 7 years, a record so to speak. I laughed at myself or LOL in the internet lingo as it took me years to have a Bachelor's degree as the other years were not in the Transcript of Records. My personal record showed that I matriculated at five institutions of learning in college. They were; (1) the School of Arts and Trades, (2) a Seventh-Day Adventist College, (3) a Jesuit Seminary (4) a Non-Sectarian College (5) another Non-Sectarian College. However, my freshman to junior years were all from a catholic co-ed high school while the Senior year was from an all-boys Ateneo school.
This guy by himself was not an ordinary man. He has a teenage life built on the solid ground of clean fun and frolics. Following his life on social media, FB, YouTube, newspapers, and from friends, I was reminded of the Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (Samuel Langhorne Clemens), "about a lighthearted excursion into boyhood." Imagine a teenager coming home after midnight (1 or 2 A.M.) and his mother who loved him avoided the opening of the door by letting him sleep in the bunkhouse swarmed with mosquitoes but was smart enough to solve this problem with a mosquito net in which even to this day prides to bring this gadget (mosquito net) wherever he goes. He has the instinct of a problem solver.
Then, he sneaked out at night when his father, the governor was sound asleep, bringing the car out with the help of their driver and male helper to push the car and start it far from the hearing distance of the father's ears. And how about the overwhelming joy of passing the airplane driving license test! And when he piloted the plane that almost hit the window where his father was sleeping. Furthermore, the expulsion from Ateneo de Davao and the punishment at San Beda College for a mishap paved his way not to attain the Graduation ceremony. Still, he had a clever answer to this phenomenon but beyond all doubts, he passed the bar on this tumultuous period of the country's history, the Martial Law era. This man is no dummy. And he said, in one of his vignettes', that he was told to memorize the dictionary as a punishment for his mischief.
I wrote this because those episodes about this president's life had some sort of semblance ( who am I, anyway) in my adolescent years. I have that experience of coming home late past midnight and sometimes almost the break of dawn. You know life in a village (barrio) was beyond compare. Everybody loves everybody no spacing or discrimination whatsoever. All are children of the Author of Humanity. Pollution was a stranger. Foods were fresh and organic. Water was not bottled but from a well, You would go serenading with the village teenagers to beautiful, innocent rural maidens and they would love songs. I mean unadulterated tunes from unpretentious minds. You mingle and bond with sons of peasants, as you are one of them, to capture the essence of rural life pregnant with sweet dreams of mystery, with ambition, with meanings. And, in order to be better equipped on the rough and rugged road of life, one must enroll in the Academy of the streetwise, to the College of higher practical skills then would graduate from the University of Hard Knocks.
This president is not an ordinary man. He was not a graduate of the University of the Philippines where some presidents and leaders came from but from the Institute of Common Sense. a Private Religious College, and the University of Hard Knocks. This guy took his master's in the areas of legislation, prosecution, and executive (elected as mayor of Davao City), His doctorate degree's thesis was about peace and order, the elimination of the lethal drug, the demise of graft, and corruption. This was unanimously approved by his landslide win in the election. And you know why this leader was a graduate of Vox Populi University. He favors justice rather than the love of money he dislikes publicity and the appalling crimes of humanity like lethal drugs and terrorism. He profoundly loves his country and his people and loves peace rather than trouble.
Observe and follow his rise from transforming a moribund city, of crime and punishment to a progressive, dynamic, safe metropolis as a mayor of Davao City in the South (Mindanao) to occupy the executive chair of Malacanan Palace (Luzon) in the North. When he spewed the common man's lingo his words were understood and accepted, as the down-to-earth sincere man from the province. When he talked, his countrymen and countrywomen listened. They laughed and they even cried because he did this with fervor, with passion, with sincerity, with a profound love for his people- the common masses. He has even sung in one of his rallies. What the college students before demonstrated against the government and why communism was hatched and thrived in the Philippines because of the fading trust of the people in the leaders that they hoped would emancipate them from the pangs of penury, the sharp claws of corruption, and the quagmire of the economic life which are now being uplifted by this new leader. He is doing his best version to help especially the poor like what his late father (former governor) had done for them in the undivided Davao province era. His leadership is a psalm that enlightens and heartens the people from the bondage of corruption, illegal drugs, criminality, and bitter economic life.
And by the way, amidst the critical atmosphere in his administration, he proceeded to pursue what he had promised which is now visible in his "build, build, build" project that drastically altered the country's landscape and diminished the destructive activities of the CPP, NPA, and NDF.
Yes, Juan de la Cruz, this president of the Philippines, Mayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte is not an ordinary man.
Yes, Juan de la Cruz, this president of the Philippines, Mayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte is not an ordinary man.
Sunday, August 12, 2018
Lincolnwood Town Center
A friend's call early in the morning that he is coming within 5 minutes to pick you up for a Lincolnwood Town Center cup of coffee perks you up and makes your day valuable. Yes, every one needs a friend that will call you and say, "Get dressed, we are going on an adventure".
Lincolnwood Town Center is frequented by retirees mostly Filipino-Americans who gathered by a round table of 6 comparable to travelers marooned by blizzard. Or like the round table of King Arthur's legend where everyone were equal even the King. And on this round table everybody has his tale to tell. They have cups of their favorite flavors ordered from the Beanery Coffee shop few steps away. Sometimes dozen of donuts from a generous retiree, or a bag of produce harvested from a friend's backyard. Over these cups of coffee, diverse topics were ventilated and discussed ranging from yester years love escapades, juvenile adventures, the teenage fling, vignettes of salad days and what have they to insert and inject on this round table of friendly discussions. Most especially about their first years in the US in the 70's and the subsequent years. Then about the current situations around them in particular and the world in general.
Lincolnwood Town Center is the hub of retirees and seniors.It is the forum for them to exchange their views and ideas about the beauty and the mystery of Life on their bonus years. It is also a place to exercise, to relax, to let life flow its normal course.You just have to listen and live in the moment. You have done your best. You have enough. You have to breathe extra deep and let go. Sip your morning's fave coffee. Meanwhile, others love to brisk walk alone or with partners/best half. They make several rounds daily which is a part of their longevity scheme to lessen doctor's visit.
You are here because you love yourself. You come to socialize, to exercise, to escape from the boredom. You come to expand your little world. Truthfully these are really your liveable moments. And you come because you care and love yourself which is the only person that will cling to you with your joy and pain ; that will be the only person you will be spending all your life. But be careful because not all have your idea of peace and goodwill towards humankind. Let understanding and empathy guide you.
However, only bring on the round table the topic that is pleasant and agreeable. By that, your morning is well spent like your favorite flavored cup of coffee, refreshing to the last drop!
A friend's call early in the morning that he is coming within 5 minutes to pick you up for a Lincolnwood Town Center cup of coffee perks you up and makes your day valuable. Yes, every one needs a friend that will call you and say, "Get dressed, we are going on an adventure".
Lincolnwood Town Center is frequented by retirees mostly Filipino-Americans who gathered by a round table of 6 comparable to travelers marooned by blizzard. Or like the round table of King Arthur's legend where everyone were equal even the King. And on this round table everybody has his tale to tell. They have cups of their favorite flavors ordered from the Beanery Coffee shop few steps away. Sometimes dozen of donuts from a generous retiree, or a bag of produce harvested from a friend's backyard. Over these cups of coffee, diverse topics were ventilated and discussed ranging from yester years love escapades, juvenile adventures, the teenage fling, vignettes of salad days and what have they to insert and inject on this round table of friendly discussions. Most especially about their first years in the US in the 70's and the subsequent years. Then about the current situations around them in particular and the world in general.
Lincolnwood Town Center is the hub of retirees and seniors.It is the forum for them to exchange their views and ideas about the beauty and the mystery of Life on their bonus years. It is also a place to exercise, to relax, to let life flow its normal course.You just have to listen and live in the moment. You have done your best. You have enough. You have to breathe extra deep and let go. Sip your morning's fave coffee. Meanwhile, others love to brisk walk alone or with partners/best half. They make several rounds daily which is a part of their longevity scheme to lessen doctor's visit.
You are here because you love yourself. You come to socialize, to exercise, to escape from the boredom. You come to expand your little world. Truthfully these are really your liveable moments. And you come because you care and love yourself which is the only person that will cling to you with your joy and pain ; that will be the only person you will be spending all your life. But be careful because not all have your idea of peace and goodwill towards humankind. Let understanding and empathy guide you.
However, only bring on the round table the topic that is pleasant and agreeable. By that, your morning is well spent like your favorite flavored cup of coffee, refreshing to the last drop!
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