To a Couple

 Strong as a Molave

There was a man who one day I met

A charismatic guy who can sell

And his tales I could never forget

For in me they really rang a bell.

From the once-large province of Davao

He matured in a big Vic Lumber

Drove a truck and not a carabao

A handsome guy and a great lover.

He crisscrossed Zamboanga del Norte

As lumber was highly in demand

Yet lovely ladies were his forte

While age-old trees abound in the land.

He found somebody to love and trust

From among the molders of the youth

And for a partner, she was a must

So his truck took the less bumpy route. 

Like a Molave, he's firm and strong

To bring her to the altar of love

And he knelt that nothing will go wrong

A message to the great One above.

He poised his vision to the urban

For a valued opportunity

As a worker of the sea and land

He is a man of diversity.

The air trip to the U.S.-Midwest

And his wife was beautiful and bright;

Hugs and kisses and shook hands with guest

That homesickness now was out of sight.

It was time to plan a legacy:

Business and an organization.

The right time called for an urgency

Davao  U.S.A. was in fruition.

The president and founder survived

The grueling test of dire circumstance

His momentous time has not arrived

"Besame Mucho" - he sang; they danced.

Penned for: Ely S. Labja & Edit R. Darcera Labja- lovely couple & best friend

of Greg Intas Caponong Trabanca & Eva Rueles Caermare Trabanca

Ely S. Labja - Founder and 1st President of Davao U.S.A of the Midwest.

Ely sang this song, his favorite, in a Karaoke Eatery on lovely weekend nights.

"Besame Mucho" ( Kiss Me a Lot), a bolero song written in 1940 by

Mexican songwriter Consuelo Velasquez.

Induction

 The Making of a Leader

Emerged from a noble profession

Came a humble person at last

"Just be your best," was his confession;

"Defined the future from your past."

I met him at the Phil embassy

Of a meeting among the Pinoys

Indeed it was a necessity

On that forum, each has a voice.

A friendly pedestrian guy he is

Amidst the streams of the middle class

To be humble he tried his best

Honesty is what people trust.

Real Estate: the route for the wise

As he once loves plowing and planting

His hopes spring as he sees the sunrise

That the land's treasure would be lasting.

In his quest he found America;

A force, eternal: Caritas-Love

While there's a group from North Zamboanga

Where there is God, service, and a job.

He tried his best to be generous

To serve more whatever the cost

To toil, to seek, to find what was lost;

There are thorns and perfume in a rose.

A poem for Donaldo Pactol, on the induction as president of ZAMNAI.

The momentous celebration: Gala, Induction, and Christmas Party.

"I expect to pass through this world but once, any good things therefore

that I can do or any kindness that I can show to any fellow creature. let me

do it now, let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again."

(Stephen Grellet-1773-1855), 

(By Greg Intas Alcala CaponongTrabanca, former past president of ZAMNAI)

A Thanksgiving

Reminiscence

 From the Silent Generation

Surviving the Second World War

The Baby Boomers' innovation

And the strong Millenial doors ajar.

The ocean of mercy opened up

God's incarnation in Mary's womb

And the blessings would never stop

Through the years and glad we are not doomed.

Embedded in humanity's soul

Is Christ's personal relationship

Must be the essence of life's goal 

For all mankind: our fellowship.

Christmas: season of transformation

Christ's real presence is our concern

Great jubilation for the nation

On this, we must profoundly discern.

Deus fit homo ut homo fieret Deus

(God becomes human so humans must become God.)

Catholics and non-Christians called Him Jesus,

The Saviour and we are immensely glad.

A Dedication

 The Children's  Memories

We remember you our dear mother

As a mother, you love your children

Unassuming but there is power

This is how it's going to begin.

In the Queen City, it started

Love grew, nourished until it blooms

This was not the plan but studied

And as Baby Boomers, it zooms.

Soon  the couple received a token

Four beautiful girls and two bright boys

Of the sun's smile and the joyous rain.

"Remember this is life", said the Voice.

The children's role model was their aunt:

A Florence Nightingale sans hubris;

"Strict discipline on what you must want

Will not lead you to your nemesis."

Dear mother is on a lovely bed;

We pay our last respect and goodbye

But there's a place where we must not  dread

Peace and joy that no one can deny.

=====================================++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Belen Fortich Caermare 

Husband: Luisito Rueles Caermare

Children: Geraldine, Riza, Christy, Francis,  Antoniette, Rexis.

The bereaved family of Belen Fortich Caermare would like to convey 

their heartfelt gratitude for those who in one way or another had eased 

their sorrows in time of her demise.

Thank you very much!

The Children

(N.B.) Evangeline Rueles Caermare Trabanca is the Aunt, deceased, an LDR nurse.

"Help someone in distress and you lighten your own burden; the very joy of alleviating

the sorrow of another is the lessening of one's own."  (Fulton Sheen.)

Reflection

One Sky.

From the sunny East to the Midwest

Then traveled to the South and the North

I noticed one sky and went to rest

This is it and so on and so forth.

One sky, one moon, and a guiding star

Glad to know the wonder of this earth

Of the question of peace and of war

Bothered me and also of our birth.

I looked up at the sky one evening

It's the same sky four scores ago

This memory keeps on revolving

That there's one sky and all must know.

I seek wealth but I found wisdom

While faith offered me security

Laughter is a drink of freedom

Patience gave me my immunity. 

On Pre' Nonoy's Blessed Day

 A Dedication ...

Many  happy returns of the day

To my dear friend with the Jaycee

ZAMNAI and would-be members would say

As a founding leader, you should be.

In August nineteen eighty-nine

An idea was mulled over

By a man who felt good and fine

To new immigrants who were sincere.

On relationship and engagement;

The strength and power of unity,

Vision and purpose of assignment;

Activity in society.

Our  group from Zamboanga del Norte

Made a compact for togetherness

Anchored on the sea of honesty

And minding just our own business.

The sea was rough, yet the sky was blue

And we glimpsed our destination

Blessed with grace and mercy so true

Onward we went; no explanation.

( Note:) ZAMNAI is an acronym for Zamboanga del Norte Association in Illinois.

(Beresimo Refugio, a Civil Engineer, was the prime mover and the initial president of 

the then-fledgling association. I was one of the pioneers of that group that made a chapter in the 

wonderful history of ZAMNAI.

Friend

 Our Moment is the Only We Have 

From ZAMNAI with Love

Three scores and fifteen years ago

You basked in the glory of the earth

And that all and sundry may know

That dear life is not all full of mirth.

You were born in Katipunan

A Zamboanga del Norte town;

Dipolog and Cebu drew a plan

Architecture is not just around.

Saudi Arabia. America.

Land of rich oil. Land of the free.

La vida: dulce y amarga.

And Dodong cannot disagree.

There is a time for everything.

Time to laugh and a time to cry,

Time to lead and a time to sing,

Time to be born and a time to die.

Our hero said, "to die is to rest."

And Dodong left a legacy.

Leader, he is: one of the best

Of great ZAMNAI with ecstasy.

God is good to shower us with grace

And follow up with His mercy

The charity we must embrace;

A blessing for eternity.

After all, words are said and done

We shall pursue eternal life

And the hard-earned riches are gone;

Only the moment is our stripe.

An elegy is written for you

Dominador T. Santos, Jr.;

Rest in peace. The perpetual light glow!

Condolences to your survivors.

(N.B.) Life is a mystery. It is short and fleeting. We must do our best version of it as we have at the Moment. On Sept. 25, we have a phone talk. I wished him the best of luck. And what I heard later he's out of luck. 

I first met Dominador T. Santos, Jr. (Dodong) years ago when he left the hot desert of Saudi Arabia to seek a cooler place and landed in the Windy City, Chicago, that is. Friendship blossomed as he is a likable fellow and he came from Katipunan, Zamboanga del Norte where my High School Biology teacher was from. Then Dodong became one of the presidents of ZAMNAI, whose founder and first president was his high school classmate, Beresimo "Nonoy" Refugio. Then the arrival of HUDYAKA, in Chicago. This became the annual ZAMNAI celebration which was the brainchild of Zambo del Norte's former governor Rolando Yebes.

Dominador "Dodong" Santos, Jr. gained leadership prowess as a vice mayor of the municipality of Katipunan, Zamboanga del Norte, his involvement as a town planner and a project manager for a commercial complex, and his employment in Saudi Arabia.

I wrote this elegy as a dedication to our friendship. Rest in peace my friend, Dominador T. Santos, Jr.

The Wonder of Flowers

 Blooming Flowers

Beautiful blooming flowers exude

The most amazing melody

That one can forget the dire feud;

A very handy remedy.

These beautiful blooming flowers   

Charm the secret corner of the soul

They are very refreshing showers

For the distressed, the weary, and all.

These flowers bloom but are unseen

Permeating the earth's corners bare;

In our hearts, we pray in deep serene

The world is asleep but we care.

In our journey, ideas just show

We have to care for and to nourish

It's God's gift that we'll let them grow

So they will bud and not perish.

What's for us...

 The Moment

Our dear moment is all we have

To nurture, cherish and protect

As God is watching us above

And He is waiting to collect.

Enjoy our life on this planet

We have anything we needed

What we pursue is what we get

This life is worth living indeed. 

Era of Unity

 Unity

Forget not the power of three.

It is the thing that we must need

'Cause by that there is unity

God. Son. Spirit: eternity.

Three words: grace, mercy, and blessing.

We hear these in the human lip.

It is our prayer as we sing

It is profound we cannot nip.

Things we don't deserve, God gives us.

He spares us for faults we deserve;

Rightfully, He gives us a plus

His blessing for us to preserve.

In my aloneness, I wonder

The nuance of grace in our life

That divine mercy is so near

A blessing in avoiding strife.

Things Essential

 What is/are:

GRACE - is when God gives us good things that we don't deserve.

MERCY - is when He spares us from bad things we deserved.

BLESSINGS - are when He is generous with both. (Grace and Mercy)

Truly, we can never run out of reasons to thank Him.

-------********* --------*******------------************

A good husband is not a man who is rich or handsome. He is a man who knows the value of a woman

( which are respect, understanding, honesty, and love)

 Likewise, with a good wife. She is not rich or beautiful. She is a woman who knows the value of a man

( which are respect, understanding, honesty, and love)

 *******************************************************************************

Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the  human face ( Victor Hugo)

Train your mind to see the good in everything 

SMILE - a sign of joy.  HUG - a sign of Love. LAUGH - a sign of Happiness.

TEARS - the sign of Hope that things will get better. NEVER GIVE UP!  

My Birthland

 God Bless the Philippines

God bless our cherished Philippines

Land of treasures, mountains, and seas

Of sugar cane and its central plains

Guide her O God and these our pleas.

God watches over our Philippines

Through its resurgence of progress

That you have never before seen

The Communists had their digress.

Mindanao looms with ideas

Among them is Federalism

And one of the panaceas

Of dream into realism.

SIX LITTLE STORIES

With Lots of Meanings

1. Once all villagers decided to pray for rain. On the day of prayer, all the people gathered, but only one boy came with an umbrella. That is FAITH. 

2. When you throw babies in the air, they laugh because they know you'll catch them. That is TRUST.

3. Every night we go to bed without any assurance of being alive the next morning, but still, we set the alarm clock to wake up. That is HOPE

4. We plan big things for tomorrow in spite of zero knowledge of the future. That is CONFIDENCE.

5. We see the world suffering, but still, we get married and have children. That is LOVE.

6. On an old man's shirt was written a sentence. "I am not 80 years old, I am sweet 16 with 64 years of experience." That is ATTITUDE.

HAVE A HAPPY DAY and LIVE YOUR LIFE LIKE THESE 6 STORIES. REMEMBER - GOOD FRIENDS ARE THE RARE JEWELS OF LIFE, DIFFICULT TO FIND AND IMPOSSIBLE TO REPLACE. 

(- Julie Bustamante Garmen'a - The Senior Citizens of Today and of Tomorrow)

On Father's Day

 For All Lovely Parents

As we observe  dear Father's Day

We recall what fathers have done

Help us, dearest God Almighty

To love them and those that are gone.

All of them have their own story

Of unsung sacrifice and love

In this life, we must not worry

God is in heaven up above.

Heaven watches the strong fathers

As they work for the family

So here are the lovely feathers

For making the home life happy.

Dear Lord watch over their siblings

At work or on the battlefield

Keep them safe away from bad things

That to evils they will not yield.

(Greg In Trabanca)

The Electoral Result

The Winner 

From the annals of colonial Spain;

Notes of Imperial America

We learned we rebelled with cause and pain

PILIPINAS, TIERRA PRECIOSA.

The Tiger and the Eagle landed

On the land among  the water

And all the people were excited 

Healing the wounds altogether.

The troubled people were happy

To join the festive celebration

With stories of the victory

Forewarned is forearmed with emotion.

Now is the time to continue

Federal and building as started

The plan that was honest and true

Urgently this will be noted.

Let's work the talk and roll the sleeve

As we are true Pilipino

Whatever we have we must give

This land is ours: the world to know,

Farms and forests will be an envy

The seas will swell with diverse fish  

Factories will hum with industry

Education, health, trust: our wish.

Unity finds a home in Congress

And change is now the battle cry

The nation moves toward great progress

Peace sans drugs, the people must try. 

Raise up above the red, blue, and white              

Stand proud with the right hand on thy breast

With rugged hands that do what's right

Busy building with a day of rest.

The people who lived fought, and died

In giving new birth to freedom

Be remembered for this great ride 

Peace to all men; Thy kingdom come.

(Greg In Trabanca)

The Presidency

The Choice

The Modern Times and the Living Past

"Every act of love is a work of peace, no matter how small." ( Mother Teresa)

  I belong to the Silent Generation and am a product of an American regime.  I am a vintage of that textbook era, Modern Times and the Living Past and The Good Manners and Right Conduct. The Filipinos were immensely taught with heartfelt sincerity by their first English teachers, the "Thomasites who arrived in the Philippines in June of 1901. They were a group of 600 American teachers who traveled from the United States to the newly occupied territory of the Philippines on the US Army Transport Thomas which included 346 men and 180 women hailing from 43 different states and 193 Colleges, Universities, and Normal Schools."

 In High School English and Literature class, we were given the assignment to read the story of  The  Lady or the Tiger written by a full-time American writer Frank Stockton which is mind-boggling. On that day the class was in a  hullabaloo.

 As the national election approaches, I surmise to have some mental exercise. for the Silent Generations,(1928-1945), Baby Boomers,(1946-1964), Generation X, (1965-1980), the Millennials, (1981-1996), and the post Millennials. (1997- present) voters.          

The author's purpose in "The Lady or the Tiger is to present a familiar fairy tale with an ending that will provoke enthusiastic discussion about which choice the princess made. We all make decisions and decisions come with consequences to explore the concepts such as justice and human nature. What actions have consequences? After all, it is the action of the princess to decide if her love is killed before her eyes or if he opens the rest of his life married to another woman." 

"The climax takes place at the end of the story. Just at the moment when the young man accused in the arena, selects the portal that the woman told about. If the accused choose the door with the lady behind it, he is innocent and immediately marries her. If he chooses the door with the tiger behind it, he is deemed guilty and immediately devoured." Now the discussion curtain is open to possibilities. What if that vicious tiger met and gained friendship with the accused? Probability!

"The mood or feeling of the story is passionate, tense, and full of suspense; a chilling and barbaric mood that makes the reader anxious. The feelings run very high, dark feelings of hatred, envy, and anguish over the lost love dominate the story of The Lady or the Tiger."

The take now comes from the voters and all those who can vote. The ball is in their court. Their choice is very important. And this is about choices and consequences. And here's a perspective.

How about a president who unites the people to a noble cause, sans revenge but with love in the heart, who builds to sustainably improve the landscape of the country; resumes the former programs and the unfinished infrastructure projects of past leaders, and rejects the dogma that is impregnating the young minds to topple the government. What about a president who wants to put an end to the destructive drug problems, prune the power of the Oligarchs' political and business clout, and continue the laudable National Task Force-ELCAC program. 

Also, the cleaning of the Augean stables (clearing away of corruption) in the government by this coming election with the likes of the Ocho Derecho phenomenon. The advent of independent and unbridled social media is a boon to the populace whose means of communication was the biased mainstream media - the radio, television, and newspapers.                                                                 

Last, but not least, the Philippines need a president who is not in love with money but with justice; not in love with publicity but with humanity. A president with a genuine love of the people through the complete support of the guardian of freedom - the Armed Forces: the Army, the Police, the Navy, and the Air Force. The president has the passion to serve, to perform, and is an authentic and not a plastic human being. However, the president must have the full backing of the vice president of the party together with the senatorial slate so the legislative body can muster enough votes to pass the measures and not spend time on non-constructive criticism only to gain visibility.                                                                                                            

Now the choice! Please vote wisely as your vote determines the next six years' scenario for the Philippines.

(Greg In Trabanca)

The Holy Cross

 The Time to Ponder

"We can think of Lent as a time to eradicate evil or cultivate virtue, a time to pull up weeds or to plant good seeds. . What is better is clear, for the Christian ideal is always positive rather than negative."   ( Fulton Sheen.) 

     I now clearly see the truth behind the Holy Cross which to me is the essence of Christianity and the enemy of the Devil. It is this Holy Cross that opens the mindset of Christianity and becomes the shield against temptation. It is by this Holy Cross that Jesus, the Christ redeemed the world.

    

 I always make the sign of the cross as a  constant reminder of that Golgotha scenario when Jesus is between two sinners. Remember also that Jesus is human so he can die, but as a Divine, He cannot sin but lives forever. Now, this is beyond the realm of human comprehension. We have to fortify and increase our Faith. The Bible says "...For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that who so ever believeth in Him should not die but have everlasting life.

In the Apostles' Creed - I believe in God,  

  So why did Jesus die on the cross? Because of love and obedience. To prove to the world that all who are born in this valley of tears are the inheritors of sin through that unforgettable scenario in the beautiful garden of Eden when immortality became into mortality as the law was broken  - not to eat the fruit of the tree of good and evil. ( For sin is the transgression of the law... and the wages of sin is death.)

     But God loves His creation and the Word made flesh to dwell among us. Then follows the Birth of Jesus, the Passion, the Death, and the Resurrection.

      That is why I always make the sign of the Cross- In the name of the Father,  and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. When I retire to dreamland; when I wake up from a beautiful sleep to greet a thanksgiving to the Almighty Father for the grace and blessing of being alive. When I eat, when I leave the house, when I  get in my vehicle, when I pass by a church or a cemetery. I make the sign of the cross. 

 

     These my friends are the ritual of my humble, mortal existence. By the way, don't leave home without a Rosary in your pocket or as a necklace. 

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

(Greg In Trabanca)

ZAMNAI HISTORY

HISTORY OF THE ZAMBOANGA DEL NORTE ASSOCIATION OF ILLINOIS
 
CIRCA  1989.  Aware of the growing population of Filipinos in Illinois, a group from the province of Zamboanga del Norte which lies at the foot of forested mountains on the northwestern tip of Mindanao Island, mulled out a plan to form an organization to unite all Zamboanga del Norteans in Illinois as nobody has the time to relate to them as individuals in the hurry and flurry of this newfound land. 

In a family get-together and summer picnic at Schiller Park, Illinois in August of 1989 with Bishop Felix Zafra, Fr. King Fuerzas, and Fr. TQ Solis concelebrating the outdoor mass, the Association was created, And given the go signal to chairman and fill up the remaining slates was Beressimo "Ber/Nonoy" Refugio.

The first meeting was held at Ramie Calimotan's place. The following were chosen: Chairman/President Berisimo "Nonoy" Refugio,  1st vice-chairman, Greg Trabanca, 2nd vice-chairman, Lydia Filipinas Rusiana, Secretary, Soling Kwan Anderson, Asst. Secretary, Belinda Lunjas, Treasurer, Girlie Arrieta, Asst. Treasurer, Esper Patangan, Auditor, Ruding Bonjoc, PRO, Gilfred Cruz, Business Manager, Eddie Artajo, Asst. Business Manager, Ramie Calimotan, Social Manager, Nonoy Bajamunde, Asst. Social Manager, Fil Fertig, Marshals, Art Fertig and Vincent Frias, Muse Jiji Ames, Entertainer, Evelyn Bonjoc.  The Board of Advisers were: Pastor Bajamunde, Dr.Juan Lasa, Dr. Leo Pepa, and Fr. Eutiquio Solis, Jr.

On December 6, 1989, all roads lead to Dr. Jose Rizal Center, 1332 W. Irving Park Rd., Chicago, Illinois 60613.  The elected officers were inducted into office by Atty. Alfonso Bascos (Former FACC President).

The other venues for the meeting were - Esper Patangan's place and Dr. Jose Rizal Center, The usual agenda was the annual summer picnic and Christmas party.  Also, the perennial problem, the membership dues, and how to collect them.  However, everything was in its proper course and route.

On December 23, 1990, Hon. Dr. Jaime S. Bautista, Philippine Consul General of Chicago gave an inspirational talk at the Second Christmas Party at the Rizal Center.  Dr. Leonardo Malalis introduced Consul General Bautista while Fr. Manuel Recera offered the invocation.  The theme - Progress Through
Unity was effectively emphasized in the state of the association address of Nonoy Refugio.  Alfonso Culanculan made the closing remarks this time, but on the first Christmas Party and induction of officers, Dipolog City's former-Mayor Pastor Bajamunde dished out a memorable closing remark that epitomized his outstand-ing political days.  Greg Trabanca emceed these two memorable occasions.

In the second year of the Association's existence, a newsletter was born.  It was printed through the energetic and enthusiastic Secretary turn editor Soling Kwan Anderson with the guidance and advice of Greg Trabanca.  The newsletter was christened ZEPHYR which means any soft, gentle wind or mild breeze.  It was a name taken from Zamboanga's azure sky and Illinois's soft gentle snow flurries.  This is to be the vehicle of expression and conveyor of information for the Zamboanga del Norte Filipino Americans.

Our second annual Family summer picnic was celebrated on Schiller Park with Lechon and homemade cooked menus.  The outdoor mass was officiated by Fr. Leoncio Santiago in the morning and by Fr. TQ Solis in the afternoon. The third summer picnic was held in the same place was, by Fr. Manuel Recera and Fr. Ricardo Recera. There were two succulent lechon and lots of restaurants and homemade foods.

On June 28, 1992, the Zamboanga del Norte Association of Illinois held its first election of officers at Schiller Forrest Preserve Park, Schiller Park, Illinois.  Elected and subsequently proclaimed by Philippine Consul Diosdado Orocio, Jr. were: Greg Trabanca, president:  Eddie Artajo, 1st vice-president:  Lydia
Rusiana, 2nd vice-president; Soling Kwan Anderson, Secretary; Girlie Arrieta, treasurer; Esper Patangan, Asst. treasurer; Rolliette Equia Aves, auditor; Ruding Bonjoc, asst. auditor; Evelyn Reyes, PRO; Angie Baytion, Asst. PRO; Gilfred Cruz; Suerte Sienes, social manager; Ramie Calimotan, Asst. Business Manager and Remchile Sienes, Vincent Frias, Marshals.  These officers will serve for two years after their induction.

The induction of the newly elected officers and Christmas-Family dinner was held at the Regency Inn, 5319 W. Diversey, on December 19, 1992. The affairs also coincide with the launching of the association's first fundraising venture dubbed Project, TABANG, or HELP to benefit the Zamboanga del Norte Emergency Hospital, Dipolog City, Philippines. Worthy of mention was the $170.00 donation to the tornado victims of Upper Disakan, Manukan, Zamboanga del Norte, and Siparok, Jose Dalman, Zamboanga del Norte.

The Association is now on its fifth term. The horizon is rosy. The officers are fraught with enthusiasm, new ideas, and noble projects. And the members are ever willing to help, to cooperate, to work.

Fisherman

 The Fisherman

"Enlighten the people generally, and tyranny and oppressions of body, and mind will vanish like evil at the dawn of the day." - (Thomas Jefferson)

The power and wiliness of evil that tend to darken the world, particularly the Philippines need a talisman. And, by the grace, mercy, and blessing of God, the country found one, a fisherman. He is an inspiration to the Filipinos who are in a country of 7,100 islands, 80.58 % Catholics, 10.8 % Protestant, and 5.57% Muslim according to the 2010 Census. This fisherman has a talisman and is leading his people to the placid waters of peace, and prosperity

However, the kingdom of darkness of Satan with his multitude of followers ceaselessly lays siege to the devoted fishers, industrious farmers, and humble folks in the corner and crevice of the rich, fertile, resource-fraught islands. 

This fisherman, talisman, and leader plied across the straits to the islands, observed the waters, and found the fountain of hope, a panacea to the ills that beset his peoples' livelihood. It dawned on his perception of the empirical and ontological reality that the people own the primeval water, the ancestral land, and the spacious sky.

"Vox populi, vox Dei", the voice of the people is the voice of God. The Malacanan Palace at San Miguel, Manila, the official residence of the president of the Philippines could only be occupied by an official duly elected by the people. That freedom is "the government of the people, by the people, and for the people." What is happening after the granting of Independence- the government became " off" the people, "bought" by the people, "fought" by the people.) 

Education opens the door to knowledge. The genesis of governance appears clean and promising but later on, power and greed wriggled their ugly tentacles. Corruption entered the backdoor, while honesty dwindled, and the strong arms of the moneyed and the mighty flexed their muscles to grab a bag of power. and influence. And in these serious instances, a burst of anger is the only resource left.

Rebellion is a welcome tool. It has acquired the ability to take what it can get not by friendly persuasion but by a drastic measure. It has a tenacious grip on the accumulation of wealth and the increase of power. It has focused the blame on the government by creating trouble and leaving a trail of destruction in its wake alleging that the Palace is remiss on its demands like land reform, a deaf ear to the indigenous' cry for their social and economic status, and the unequal distribution of government projects. 

Enter a rebel with a cause. In the 1930s there was agrarian unrest, a political figure, Luis M. Taruc  (1942- 1950) emerged who led a communist-inspired guerilla movement together with the Central Luzon farmers called Hukbong Bayan Laban sa Hapon (Hukbalahap)  acronym, The Huks. The spark of the movement ignited the Filipino mind at the rice granary of the country - Central Luzon but later the ember faded. The Huk rebellion ended during the  Ramon Magsaysay administration after 4 months of negotiations represented by Manuel Manahan and Benigno Aquino, Jr.  

Mindanao became an island of opportunity. It was now: go South as a battle cry.  (Remember the Pilgrim Fathers in World History.) The adventurers, the ambitious, the dreamers embarked on a ship, others on big sailboats carrying with them luggage of dream and hope for a better sunrise: Destination - Mindanao.

Sure enough, the timing was precisely right. They were overwhelmed with expectations.  On a bright sunny day, they saw the untouched sea of limitless grasses and bushes dancing with the wind, the kilometers of the primeval forest darkened with lumber slumbered with the lullaby of birds and the bees. The scenario was of abundance but behind it loomed hard work, perseverance, and the conundrum of the odds of circumstances.

And the pioneering spirit in Mindanao holds on to the Pilgrim Fathers' progress until the onslaught on the citadel of their living occurred inspired by the acquired idea of a UP vintage of Jose Ma Sison aka Joma. who founded the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), then the National Peoples Army ( NPA) under the aegis of the reestablished CPP with a significant base of young urban youth and in the small area of the countryside that spread even as Martial Law was declared by Marcos in 1972. Nonetheless, by the capture of Sison in 1977, the seed of the revolutionary movement and armed struggle had been sown in every major region from North to South. Despite the heyday day of the Marcos regime Martial Law, the Philippine revolutionary movement burgeoned greatly in the late 1970s. Sison's writings and books served to awaken and arm a whole generation of radical activists and revolutionary cadres. CPP, NPA, NDF aim the overthrow the government through armed struggle. Peace talk is only a propaganda machine, an alliance of building operations and maneuvering against the government. But the ultimate aim is death, and destruction by way of radical terrorism which is their main form of advocacy for change. However, President Duterte is serious to find peace.

 And lately, Sison has lost his grip. Bad news for these radical activists and revolutionary cadres like waves are rushing to the shore of the Palace, so to speak, for a change.

Now this fisherman, talisman, and leader continue on scouring the deep waters of the archipelago and sees the reflection that there's a gold mine in the sky. Then twilight approaches as he watches the world roll by still thinking of that long-lost gold mine in the sky. And there is a whisper with a tinge of ontology, not far away, not far away and it will be soon some sweet day.

This leader has not only love but loyalty to his Creator, country, and people. God bless the Philippines!

 

The Dream (1/12/22)

Where goest thou? 

Vividly portrayed on this dream

That I was poised to go somewhere

To a river or to a stream

Absolutely it's the river

Where the water flows merrily

Zigzagging to the lovely sea 

Where  the sun smile, the birds are happy 

Life is what it could really be.

How will we survive this New Year?

With all the problems; have you a plan

A new one to make things better?

It's now for action, no magic wand.

Stretch your arms the left and the right

It is the shadow of a cross

Telling us that the future is bright

To our hope and dream, we are the boss.

It's the right time for awakening

It's the ideal time to break through

The negative to that of doing

A different one and thorough.

Then unleash the complete potential

Veering towards the path of progress

With the blessings of the celestial

Opening the world of success.

Holy or Perfect!

Love and Loyalty

"Not all of us can do great things, 

but we can do small things with great love".

"Do something beautiful for God"

(Mother Teresa)

In times like this, I may not despair 

But hold on to the submission

Of His holy will and tender care.

Love and loyalty: our life's mission.

Please Lord your servant is asking

Of love and loyalty to take.

Does faith need to be in the mapping:

And forgiveness for Jesus Christ's sake?

I don't design a master plan

But leave to my Divine Architect

All things in life are in His hand

We are holy but He is perfect.

Lawyers are our great defender

And soldiers protect us from strife

To the doctors. we surrender

But God has everlasting life.

(N.B.) This poem is for all lovers of life especially so on this day of Heart. With grateful appreciation to the Sunday Zoom Bible Study guru, Rev. Leoncio Santiago. And to the Group. And to all and sundry- Happy Valentine's Day!

(Leviticus 19:2) (1 Peter 15-16) (Leviticus 19:18) (1 Peter  1:13) (1 Peter 1:17)

(1 Peter 1: 22) (2 Timothy 4:5 ) Seniors' Devotional Bible, NIV.