The Anniversary Song
Love has its beauty and splendor
Delicately woven with joy.
Her absence no one can ignore
And even Time cannot destroy.
Yes, joy for all the luck of life
That she is with me forever
And no tears nor sorrow can wipe
Away from love's undying ember.
Joy deeply planted in my heart
Is nourished by the memories
That was built from the very start
And were beyond our reveries.
And the fires of faith keep on burning
That we will meet again someday
Because our love is always yearning
For a lovely anniversary.
(05/26/20) The vow was on the 29th of May. And the memory perenially blooms in the garden of life and love and the living goes on. Evangeline is gone but not forgotten, thus these inspiring words water the garden. (Greg In. Trabanca)
" The most difficult thing - but an essential one - is to love life, to love it even while one suffers, because life is all. Life is God, and to love life means to love God." (Leo Tolstoy - War and Peace)
Monday, March 30, 2020
Saturday, January 18, 2020
A Dedication To A Brother and a Friend
To a Brother and a Friend, a Dedication.
His day is done and there's darkness
Though the nurse's light is not out.
He is gone but not our fondness;
You dare ask what's this all about?
From the place of a tranquil town
Comes this lad with honest intention;
Admire the beauty and the sound
In his heart grows a pure ambition.
A feeling of joy and longing
Of the earth to the pouring rain;
On himself, he keeps on humming
The known ballad of his terrain.
The night shall be fraught with music
That dear life is sweet and sublime
And we comfort ourselves to seek
Through the nook and corner of Time.
And in the corridors of Life
We picture him with his gavel
As he listens to human strife;
His judgment for good from evil.
Such right gesture, a semblance of might;
The correct statement of the hour.
He ponders sans doubt what is right
Using his God-given power.
And through this vignette and story
The picture and great thoughts suggest
That oblivion cannot steal away
The sad day he was laid to rest.
(Note) This poem is a nostalgic reminiscence of a brother-in-law and a friend, a former municipal judge, Alejandro T. "Boy" Canda, who first saw the light of day in his hometown of Loay, Bohol but over three scores years later lost that glow along the way, from Dipolog City to Liloy, Zamboanga del Norte, the 17th day of January 2020. However, a glow glimmered when a smart and beautiful daughter hurdled the bar examination just recently presumably following the father's footsteps.
"Boy", Canda is a typical guy from the Visayan island, noted for graduates of men of the robe - Bohol. He studied to become a lawyer and along the way was captivated by the beauty and charm of a nurse, Lucila Rueles Caermare of Labason, Zamboanga del Norte that eventually became his wife. He is amiable, unassuming, down-to-earth, and dedicated. When he passed the bar, he worked for a while as a lawyer and later was promoted to municipal judge of Liloy, Zamboanga del Norte until his retirement.
There's a favorite hometown ballad that when a maiden seeks a marriage partner she should search no further but a Boholano. And that search undoubtedly should end with Brod "Boy", of the Baby Boomers generation, who is friendly, likes to play tennis, and loves his family.
A billionaire once said, "...so, I hope you understand that when you have friends or someone to talk to - this is happiness."
And somebody opined, " He is a brother who is always in our hearts."
But a learned Saint, St. Francis of Assisi prayed, "...O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved, as to love; for it is in giving that we received, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is only in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen."
Brod "Boy", we are sad that you've left us but we are consoled that you are in His eternal presence. May the perpetual light shine upon you. Rest in peace, Alejandro T. "Boy" Canda, a brother-in-law, and a friend!
By: Greg Intas Caponong Alcala Trabanca
His day is done and there's darkness
Though the nurse's light is not out.
He is gone but not our fondness;
You dare ask what's this all about?
From the place of a tranquil town
Comes this lad with honest intention;
Admire the beauty and the sound
In his heart grows a pure ambition.
A feeling of joy and longing
Of the earth to the pouring rain;
On himself, he keeps on humming
The known ballad of his terrain.
The night shall be fraught with music
That dear life is sweet and sublime
And we comfort ourselves to seek
Through the nook and corner of Time.
And in the corridors of Life
We picture him with his gavel
As he listens to human strife;
His judgment for good from evil.
Such right gesture, a semblance of might;
The correct statement of the hour.
He ponders sans doubt what is right
Using his God-given power.
And through this vignette and story
The picture and great thoughts suggest
That oblivion cannot steal away
The sad day he was laid to rest.
(Note) This poem is a nostalgic reminiscence of a brother-in-law and a friend, a former municipal judge, Alejandro T. "Boy" Canda, who first saw the light of day in his hometown of Loay, Bohol but over three scores years later lost that glow along the way, from Dipolog City to Liloy, Zamboanga del Norte, the 17th day of January 2020. However, a glow glimmered when a smart and beautiful daughter hurdled the bar examination just recently presumably following the father's footsteps.
"Boy", Canda is a typical guy from the Visayan island, noted for graduates of men of the robe - Bohol. He studied to become a lawyer and along the way was captivated by the beauty and charm of a nurse, Lucila Rueles Caermare of Labason, Zamboanga del Norte that eventually became his wife. He is amiable, unassuming, down-to-earth, and dedicated. When he passed the bar, he worked for a while as a lawyer and later was promoted to municipal judge of Liloy, Zamboanga del Norte until his retirement.
There's a favorite hometown ballad that when a maiden seeks a marriage partner she should search no further but a Boholano. And that search undoubtedly should end with Brod "Boy", of the Baby Boomers generation, who is friendly, likes to play tennis, and loves his family.
A billionaire once said, "...so, I hope you understand that when you have friends or someone to talk to - this is happiness."
And somebody opined, " He is a brother who is always in our hearts."
But a learned Saint, St. Francis of Assisi prayed, "...O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved, as to love; for it is in giving that we received, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is only in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen."
Brod "Boy", we are sad that you've left us but we are consoled that you are in His eternal presence. May the perpetual light shine upon you. Rest in peace, Alejandro T. "Boy" Canda, a brother-in-law, and a friend!
By: Greg Intas Caponong Alcala Trabanca
Saturday, December 28, 2019
A Tribute To Benjamin Santos,Sr. , A Friend and A Godfather
A Tribute to Benjamin Santos, Sr., A Friend, and a Godfather.
Dear friends on our stay as members
Our journey is only a dream
For we are dead in our slumbers
But we are alive as a team.
At North Francisco, we all met
Nurses, dentists, lawyers, priest
The North, West, South without retreat
And we are one. That we insist.
We work in joy and in sorrow
To fulfill each one's destiny
And to write our own tomorrow
Whatever will be, it will be.
Time is fleeting not our yearning
We are in the land of the brave
And alive our hearts are beating
We pray for a friend on his grave.
Lives of those who left remind us
That Life is precious and sublime
That we must depart not to rush
Leave footmarks on the road of Time.
Let us, then, be firm in praying
In our hearts with love not hate
Still hoping and still believing
That this is our cherished Fate.
(N.B.) This poem is a glimpse of our mid-seventies arrival as immigrants in the United States for a greener pasture and a breath of fresh air from the ashes of Martial Law. We landed on North Francisco Avenue near the Norwegian-American Hospital and the Humboldt Park area which is between North Avenue to the North and Chicago Street to the South. This was memorable and remarkable as nurses, dentists, doctors, accountants, teachers, lawyers, and engineers huddled together in the coldness of the Windy City to form a bond of friendship and a compact of professionalism sans hubris in a newfound frontier. These immigrants were the true daring Filipinos of The Silent Generation and the Baby Boomers coming from the North of the largest island of Luzon, the West of the Visayan islands, and the South of the second largest island called Mindanao. These professionals were from a sovereign country of more than 7,000 islands, the Pearl of the Orient Sea better known as the Philippines named after King Philipp of Spain. Spain colonized the Philippines for more than 300 years, brought the Catholic religion, built churches, cathedrals, and parochial religious schools; while America stayed for over 50 years with its Torch of Education, the Protestant religion, and the glitz and glamour of Hollywood.
Our beloved friend Benjamin Santos, Sr. who is a godfather to my eldest son. is a lawyer and a Fiscal of Cotabato. However, he is from Zamboanga City, a Zamboanga A.E. College law graduate but practiced his law profession in Cotabato where his brother, a Zamboanga Normal College graduate occupied a prominent position in the public schools. In the twist of circumstance, he found a Florence Nightingale, a practicing nurse, and a graduate of the Philippine General Hospital School of Nursing in Manila, who eventually became his best half. Pare' Ben is a man with a good heart and helping hands. He had helped us several times when my car broke down and when somebody attempted to rob me as I approached to park in my garage, he sent his guys to my succor.
And his family is a lighthouse in times of distress.
Pare' Ben, rest in peace, and may perpetual light shine upon you!
( By: Greg Intas Caponong Alcala Trabanca)
Dear friends on our stay as members
Our journey is only a dream
For we are dead in our slumbers
But we are alive as a team.
At North Francisco, we all met
Nurses, dentists, lawyers, priest
The North, West, South without retreat
And we are one. That we insist.
We work in joy and in sorrow
To fulfill each one's destiny
And to write our own tomorrow
Whatever will be, it will be.
Time is fleeting not our yearning
We are in the land of the brave
And alive our hearts are beating
We pray for a friend on his grave.
Lives of those who left remind us
That Life is precious and sublime
That we must depart not to rush
Leave footmarks on the road of Time.
Let us, then, be firm in praying
In our hearts with love not hate
Still hoping and still believing
That this is our cherished Fate.
(N.B.) This poem is a glimpse of our mid-seventies arrival as immigrants in the United States for a greener pasture and a breath of fresh air from the ashes of Martial Law. We landed on North Francisco Avenue near the Norwegian-American Hospital and the Humboldt Park area which is between North Avenue to the North and Chicago Street to the South. This was memorable and remarkable as nurses, dentists, doctors, accountants, teachers, lawyers, and engineers huddled together in the coldness of the Windy City to form a bond of friendship and a compact of professionalism sans hubris in a newfound frontier. These immigrants were the true daring Filipinos of The Silent Generation and the Baby Boomers coming from the North of the largest island of Luzon, the West of the Visayan islands, and the South of the second largest island called Mindanao. These professionals were from a sovereign country of more than 7,000 islands, the Pearl of the Orient Sea better known as the Philippines named after King Philipp of Spain. Spain colonized the Philippines for more than 300 years, brought the Catholic religion, built churches, cathedrals, and parochial religious schools; while America stayed for over 50 years with its Torch of Education, the Protestant religion, and the glitz and glamour of Hollywood.
Our beloved friend Benjamin Santos, Sr. who is a godfather to my eldest son. is a lawyer and a Fiscal of Cotabato. However, he is from Zamboanga City, a Zamboanga A.E. College law graduate but practiced his law profession in Cotabato where his brother, a Zamboanga Normal College graduate occupied a prominent position in the public schools. In the twist of circumstance, he found a Florence Nightingale, a practicing nurse, and a graduate of the Philippine General Hospital School of Nursing in Manila, who eventually became his best half. Pare' Ben is a man with a good heart and helping hands. He had helped us several times when my car broke down and when somebody attempted to rob me as I approached to park in my garage, he sent his guys to my succor.
And his family is a lighthouse in times of distress.
Pare' Ben, rest in peace, and may perpetual light shine upon you!
( By: Greg Intas Caponong Alcala Trabanca)
Friday, December 27, 2019
The Time of Our Life
Nostalgic Past
Of rural lovely memories
Didn't bother me to drop some tears
Or dare to think of more worries,
Twenty nineteen is now ending;
This creeps into my little mind,
Boyhood memories come rushing
The plan must now be realigned.
Those were the times when days were long
When the brooks sang and the flowers smiled
Joyfully we hummed and jogged along
On this journey of a glorious ride.
They were all friends the people we met
Exchanging stories and glad we did
We plowed the field and watched the sunset
We worked, we played and we studied.
Tuesday, December 24, 2019
Simbang Gabi Note 1
2019
'Twas a good year, the best of years
'Twas the month of the Simbang Gabi
A nine-day novena that gears
To the birth of the Most Holy.
For a delightful mortal life
The fulfillment of the nine-day
Prayer for peace and out of strife
For this is what Christmas can say.
For me, it was this: I was able to finish the 9-day attendance of the 5:30 A.M. Simbang Gabi/Misa de Gallo and also celebrated my birthday on two venues without really trying. Picture 2 B-Day celebrations in one day! Luck of your life! One at 5:30 am at Transfiguration Church 'til 7:30 am. The other at 7:00 pm at St. Henry Church with Fr Jose' Baptista, the celebrant of the Holy Eucharist.
Monday, December 23, 2019
Memorable Birthday Sans Really Trying (12/19/19)
December 19, a Wonderful Day
Four score years in the annals of the history of a man's life is a feat or a faux pas (foh pah).
Four score years in the annals of the history of a man's life is a feat or a faux pas (foh pah).
This is the story of a man who celebrated a natal day party without trying.
He has never held a birthday anniversary party in his life but just like the shadow it just follows wherever and whenever his day of birth arrives. It sounds unusual and it is true because of the strategic date in the calendar in the zodiac sign of Saggitarius which falls in December when many occasions are observed. Is it then his fault when the circumstance is favorable to his court?
It is especially on this month that the mystery of "the Bread of Life and the Chalice of Salvation" comes into full credence of its very essence and veracity in the tapestry of his spiritual life.
Such is the fate of this man, a treasure of dirt, so to speak.
Such is the fate of this man, a treasure of dirt, so to speak.
He was born barely after the Great Depression. He witnessed his native land under the era of colonialism struggling to be free. No appropriate word can fully describe the journey of this son of the Creator who nourished and shielded him from an onslaught of the vicissitude of time.
Simbang Gabi Note 2
12/16/2020. This year's Simbang Gabi, a Filipino Catholic Christian tradition was memorable in the annals of Simbang Gabi history as it was streamed globally with modern technology. It was observed at the Vatican with Pope Francis.
Simbang Gabi, is a nine-day novena to the Blessed Mother that culminates in Christmas eve . This tradition was observed after Spain's conquest of the Philippines who brought with them missionaries whose primary objective was to catechize and evangelize the population.
Simbang Gabi evolves from "Misa de Gallo" pre-dawn mass to accommodate the native Filipinos who were mostly farmers and fishermen. And also, "Misa de Aguinaldo", Mass of the Gift (gift of incarnation).
In Illinois, particularly in Chicago, the Transfiguration Church observed a nine-day pre-dawn (5:30 AM) Simbang Gabi mass and St. Henry, a nine-night ( 7:00 PM) Simbang Gabi.
The theme of this year's Simbang Gabi is- Jesus: still, the Word that we proclaim.
On the homily of Bishop Blase at St. Robert Bellarmine Church, I was reminded of the book written by an Australian-born catholic author and speaker, Matthew Kelley whom I met and witnessed physically in one of his lectures. His book entitled, The Shepherd is a story about a man who has found the happiness that our hungry hearts desire. His simple and peaceful spirit provides a vision of happiness that is deeply rooted in ancient wisdom but may just be that can rescue us all.
It is a modern parable about our search for happiness, that the human heart is on a quest for happiness. As individuals, we are all so unique and different, but we are bound together by our common yearning for happiness.
Simbang Gabi, is a nine-day novena to the Blessed Mother that culminates in Christmas eve . This tradition was observed after Spain's conquest of the Philippines who brought with them missionaries whose primary objective was to catechize and evangelize the population.
Simbang Gabi evolves from "Misa de Gallo" pre-dawn mass to accommodate the native Filipinos who were mostly farmers and fishermen. And also, "Misa de Aguinaldo", Mass of the Gift (gift of incarnation).
In Illinois, particularly in Chicago, the Transfiguration Church observed a nine-day pre-dawn (5:30 AM) Simbang Gabi mass and St. Henry, a nine-night ( 7:00 PM) Simbang Gabi.
The theme of this year's Simbang Gabi is- Jesus: still, the Word that we proclaim.
On the homily of Bishop Blase at St. Robert Bellarmine Church, I was reminded of the book written by an Australian-born catholic author and speaker, Matthew Kelley whom I met and witnessed physically in one of his lectures. His book entitled, The Shepherd is a story about a man who has found the happiness that our hungry hearts desire. His simple and peaceful spirit provides a vision of happiness that is deeply rooted in ancient wisdom but may just be that can rescue us all.
It is a modern parable about our search for happiness, that the human heart is on a quest for happiness. As individuals, we are all so unique and different, but we are bound together by our common yearning for happiness.
Monday, November 18, 2019
The Adventure of a Kid
The Charm of a Town Kid
You were young, restless, courageous, fearless, and rebellious. You have no plans but you only relied on His guidance from what you've picked up along the barely trodden path from Mother nature, home, and the solid-rock Catholic education of the sectarian and religious clergies. Your feet itched for adventure, for exploration as you were borne from a town but found a rural village pregnant with fascinations, bucolic beauty, and mystery; with its tailor birds, orioles, hawks, and wild pigeons. On its ricefield were a swarm of happy mayas (ricebirds), busy herons/egrets, and the slow-moving carabaos (water buffalos) wallowing in the mud devoid of chemicals. On its mountain and forest, deers gleefully played, wild pigs tirelessly roamed for food, the woodpeckers/ hornbills undisturbed on their lairs, and the wild pigeons fluttered in wild abandon while the snakes slithered unmolested.
Your junior year in high school ended at the town as your life seemed bleak and weary but your horizon was colorful when you feasted your eyes from Labason beach to the not-so-far-away Bayangan/Murcielagos island. You boarded a slow boat with your mother to the Ciudad Hermosa (Zamboanga City) where the dialect was broken Spanish called Chavacano. There you met a doctor at Zamboanga General Hospital, who offered you a place to stay and to continue your senior year as ambition was always dogging you. Sure enough, you matriculated in the last night high school at a renowned and all-boys Jesuit school, the Ateneo de Zamboanga. You were the youngest as your classmates were already family men and employed but cannot be given promotions on their jobs as they lack a high school diploma. You were the small kid but a big man when you graduated yet you only garnered the silver, not the gold award because of your lack of academic residency as a transferee.
By the way, the city added a fascinating feature in the chapter of your book and a treasure to reckon with that will pave the way to more exciting sequels. These episodes would eventually be notched in Greg's Notes and Footprints.
Saturday, August 03, 2019
Of Love, Light and Life
Life is a Poem
Cell phones, e-mails, YouTube, Facebook,
Twitter, texting, and messaging
The world is sporting a new look
Driving is fun with GPS.
It's modern times and living past
It's fast food and takes out the stress
We just hope it will never last
However, let's not put aside
The wisdom that we have received
From the chapter on the great ride
Of that Presence that we believed.
We were fondly borne out of Love.
It's the greatest word of all time.
A message carried by a dove
From the top that is hard to climb.
Friday, July 26, 2019
The Blessed Mother
The Lady of All Time
There are questions about the Blessed Virgin Mary. Why she does have many faces and names? There is Our Lady of Lourdes, Our Lady of Fatima, Our Lady of Piat, Our Lady of the Pillar, Our Mother of Perpetual Help, etc... Good question! By the way how many people are you if you are a wife, a mother, a provider, an adviser? As a wife, you are a mother to your children. As a mother, you are a protector against harm's ways as you refuged them for nine months. As a provider to your children, you are Mama. As the provider, you are a pillar of strength because you nourish them for their growth and development. As an adviser, you direct them to the path of righteousness as you sheltered them in the womb for 9 months. To your friends, you are whatever you are known to them, To your company you are, mom, madam. You are the same here but different people, addressing different needs.
The same thing applies to Our Lady, The Blessed Virgin Mary. She has many titles, and many faces but the same sweet, beautiful Lady who caters to our special needs. As a mother, she is a perpetual help, as a friend, she is understanding and ever ready for our succor. an intercessor, a trusting confidante. And she is always available. She is the best friend of Jesus who at the wedding feast at Cana, motherly told the wine servers to do as "He tells you."
Do you love Mama Mary? If so, say the Hail Mary!
Friday, July 05, 2019
"Be still and see that I am God" Ps 46:10
Pray, Love, And Live
In the stillness of your moment.
It is in silence that we laid
The fullness of life's great event.
Through the scintilla of our score
We fathom the trickle of truth
Penetrating our inner core
As clear as the days of our youth.
Let us live to understand life
And that we have all the options
To ask even as sharp as a knife
To ask even as sharp as a knife
That sears our inner emotions.
Pray, love, and live the experience
The beauty of simplicity
The greatness of the Omnipotence
The source of spiritual energy.
Sunday, May 12, 2019
The Living Past
The Independence of the Philippines
"All that is necessary for evil to prosper is that good people do nothing."
We have seen and experienced the political maneuverings of the 2-party systems (Liberal and Nacionalista) in the democracy of the Philippines that saw its independence with the guidance of the United States on July 4,1946. And fittingly, every 4th of July, Independence Day is pompously observed at the plaza Luneta in Manila, where the seat of the government is and where the president lives - the Malacanang Palace. On May 12, 1962, President Diosdado Macapagal of the Liberal Party moved the commemoration of Independence Day from July 4 to June 12. Despite the accusation of politicizing the holiday by many people, which is normal in a democracy, Macapagal stood his ground on the recognition of June 12 as the true Independence Day because it was "the birthday of the independent Filipino nation. This has unprecedented support, unity, and resolve of various leaders from local government nationwide. Macapagal argued that when America declared its independence from England on July 4, 1776, it was only after 7 years on Sept. 3, 1783, when the former Mother Country formally recognized the United States' independence. " Nevertheless, the American people have regarded July 4 as their day of freedom. In the same way, June 12, 1898 is the true birthday of an independent Filipino nation, for it was on this day that they called the whole world to witness their powerful resolve to consider themselves absolved of allegiance to the Spanish crown, said Diosdado Macapagal."
We have seen and experienced the political maneuverings of the 2-party systems (Liberal and Nacionalista) in the democracy of the Philippines that saw its independence with the guidance of the United States on July 4,1946. And fittingly, every 4th of July, Independence Day is pompously observed at the plaza Luneta in Manila, where the seat of the government is and where the president lives - the Malacanang Palace. On May 12, 1962, President Diosdado Macapagal of the Liberal Party moved the commemoration of Independence Day from July 4 to June 12. Despite the accusation of politicizing the holiday by many people, which is normal in a democracy, Macapagal stood his ground on the recognition of June 12 as the true Independence Day because it was "the birthday of the independent Filipino nation. This has unprecedented support, unity, and resolve of various leaders from local government nationwide. Macapagal argued that when America declared its independence from England on July 4, 1776, it was only after 7 years on Sept. 3, 1783, when the former Mother Country formally recognized the United States' independence. " Nevertheless, the American people have regarded July 4 as their day of freedom. In the same way, June 12, 1898 is the true birthday of an independent Filipino nation, for it was on this day that they called the whole world to witness their powerful resolve to consider themselves absolved of allegiance to the Spanish crown, said Diosdado Macapagal."
"The Philippine Declaration of Independence was proclaimed on June 12, 1898, in Cavite 11 el Viejo ( present-day Kawit, Cavite) with the public reading of the Act of the Proclamation of Independence of the Filipino people." (www. history.com/) Independence was declared by Emilio Aguinaldo at Kawit, Cavite.
And when a new administration enters the door of the Malacanang Palace, new programs are installed in the name of the incumbent, forgetting those programs that were started. especially so that new cabinet members would be chosen by the coming president. Four years are not sufficient for projects or programs to be fully implemented.
This vicious cycle in Congress, plus the bickerings, shades of vengeance, tends to slow down the smooth flow of the legislative process. Thus, the first term of the president is a preparatory period for the re-election campaign, and of course, the programs that were undertaken were not fully implemented. All along the rough road of Democracy, problems sprouted; the people of the Palace have their picnic time of abundance, catering to the halves, befriending the mighty and moneyed echelons of society.
The political arena was greatly monopolized by the two parties - the Nationalista and the Liberal. And names like Quezon, Roxas, Osmena, Quirino, Macapagal, Garcia, Magsaysay, Aquino, Marcos, etc., occupy the spaces. And Benigno Aquino has the ambition to occupy the Palace, only to be overshadowed by the popularity of the promising UP law grad Ferdinand Marcos, whom the old Laurel found a presidential future that led to his non-conviction on the Nalundasan case. Marcus of the Liberal Party was courted by the Nacionalista stalwart to go against Macapagal. Meanwhile, Benigno Aquino, the young journalist was with the Liberal Party who has the secret plan to topple Marcus by creating a unique plan to destabilize the government with a man called Jose' Maria Sison to plant the seed of rebellion by fertilizing that seed with chaos painting the Palace as adamant to the demands of the poor, of the marginalized while the rich are getting richer, those with power became powerful.
We have democracy on July 4, 1946. And I was 6 years old from the municipality of Labason, which had one private Protestant high school and college, and two years later, a private Catholic high school was founded. There was no radio at that time in a farmer's hut. Neither was there adequate plumbing. The meadows, the bushes, the forest, the swamps, the streams, and the rivers were our friendly neighbors who catered to our wants and needs. Reading materials were the vernacular media, Bisaya, Liwayway, Song Hits, and the Philippines Free Press.
The airwaves floated with the vernacular's tunes of " Birds they voted in Lanao at pati aswang pa raw ang eleksiyon lutong Macao 'til Magsaysay see them how? Mambo-mambo Magsaysay, mambo-mambo mabuhay ang eleksiyon lutong Macao 'til Magsaysay see them how". And Ramon Magsaysay, who was the Secretary of National Defense, became known through his great job of letting the members of the Hukbalahap movement surrender and capture them, led by the supremo Luis Taruc, and later emerged the Communist Party, whose armed force is the New People's Army (NPA). The main concern of their rebellion was about land reform. So Magsaysay opened the homestead to the vast virgin lands of Mindanao, particularly Lanao, Bukidnon, Cotabato, and Davao.
With this move, I surmised, the tentacles of corruption wriggled. The vast virgin lands of Mindanao were open for grabs. But you have to know somebody, a surveyor, a forest ranger, a politician local and national as the homestead land title is only processed in Manila. People from Luzon, the Visayas flocked to the Land of Promise- Mindanao.
Some enterprising minds looked at the centuries-old trees in the tropical forest of Mindanao and the rivers. ( Remember the Nile River of Egypt.) A certain unschooled man became rich because of the forest and the river. And some have the capital that used dummies to operate the logging business. Here again was the temptation of those who were elected by the people to ameliorate them, only to impoverish them instead. Years later, as the loggers basked in the glory of the good life, the poor farmers suffered the wrath of the bald forest, the rivers, and the streams.
By the way, Mindanao is really the land of its natives and those who later embraced the Islamic religion. And there were three groups of Muslims: from the coastal- the Tausogs, (people of the current Muslims of the Sulu peninsula. The second to accept Islam were the Maguindanao of Cotabato (people of the flooded plains), and the third group was the Maranaos of the province of Lanao. (people of the Lake).
This vicious cycle in Congress, plus the bickerings, shades of vengeance, tends to slow down the smooth flow of the legislative process. Thus, the first term of the president is a preparatory period for the re-election campaign, and of course, the programs that were undertaken were not fully implemented. All along the rough road of Democracy, problems sprouted; the people of the Palace have their picnic time of abundance, catering to the halves, befriending the mighty and moneyed echelons of society.
The political arena was greatly monopolized by the two parties - the Nationalista and the Liberal. And names like Quezon, Roxas, Osmena, Quirino, Macapagal, Garcia, Magsaysay, Aquino, Marcos, etc., occupy the spaces. And Benigno Aquino has the ambition to occupy the Palace, only to be overshadowed by the popularity of the promising UP law grad Ferdinand Marcos, whom the old Laurel found a presidential future that led to his non-conviction on the Nalundasan case. Marcus of the Liberal Party was courted by the Nacionalista stalwart to go against Macapagal. Meanwhile, Benigno Aquino, the young journalist was with the Liberal Party who has the secret plan to topple Marcus by creating a unique plan to destabilize the government with a man called Jose' Maria Sison to plant the seed of rebellion by fertilizing that seed with chaos painting the Palace as adamant to the demands of the poor, of the marginalized while the rich are getting richer, those with power became powerful.
We have democracy on July 4, 1946. And I was 6 years old from the municipality of Labason, which had one private Protestant high school and college, and two years later, a private Catholic high school was founded. There was no radio at that time in a farmer's hut. Neither was there adequate plumbing. The meadows, the bushes, the forest, the swamps, the streams, and the rivers were our friendly neighbors who catered to our wants and needs. Reading materials were the vernacular media, Bisaya, Liwayway, Song Hits, and the Philippines Free Press.
The airwaves floated with the vernacular's tunes of " Birds they voted in Lanao at pati aswang pa raw ang eleksiyon lutong Macao 'til Magsaysay see them how? Mambo-mambo Magsaysay, mambo-mambo mabuhay ang eleksiyon lutong Macao 'til Magsaysay see them how". And Ramon Magsaysay, who was the Secretary of National Defense, became known through his great job of letting the members of the Hukbalahap movement surrender and capture them, led by the supremo Luis Taruc, and later emerged the Communist Party, whose armed force is the New People's Army (NPA). The main concern of their rebellion was about land reform. So Magsaysay opened the homestead to the vast virgin lands of Mindanao, particularly Lanao, Bukidnon, Cotabato, and Davao.
With this move, I surmised, the tentacles of corruption wriggled. The vast virgin lands of Mindanao were open for grabs. But you have to know somebody, a surveyor, a forest ranger, a politician local and national as the homestead land title is only processed in Manila. People from Luzon, the Visayas flocked to the Land of Promise- Mindanao.
Some enterprising minds looked at the centuries-old trees in the tropical forest of Mindanao and the rivers. ( Remember the Nile River of Egypt.) A certain unschooled man became rich because of the forest and the river. And some have the capital that used dummies to operate the logging business. Here again was the temptation of those who were elected by the people to ameliorate them, only to impoverish them instead. Years later, as the loggers basked in the glory of the good life, the poor farmers suffered the wrath of the bald forest, the rivers, and the streams.
By the way, Mindanao is really the land of its natives and those who later embraced the Islamic religion. And there were three groups of Muslims: from the coastal- the Tausogs, (people of the current Muslims of the Sulu peninsula. The second to accept Islam were the Maguindanao of Cotabato (people of the flooded plains), and the third group was the Maranaos of the province of Lanao. (people of the Lake).
And life, especially in an independent country, is precious; let's enjoy it.
Thursday, May 02, 2019
Thursday, December 27, 2018
IF YOU CARE TO LIVE LONGER READ THIS!
Living in the "if you care", the world will pave the way to happiness and longevity which are obtainable through the tablet of good health.
If you care for your lungs avoid smoking,
If you care for your heart avoid excess salt,
If you care for your liver avoid excessively fatty foods,
If you care for your stomach avoid cold foods,
If you care for your intestines replace junk foods with vegetables,
If you care for your pancreas avoid overfeeding,
If you care for your kidney drink a lot of water during the day; less water at night. Empty your bladder before going to sleep,
If you care for your brain sleep for 8 hours between every 16 hours.
And if you care for others, tell them about living in the "if you care' world.
*Your heart is the greatest ever of energy in your body. Though weighing only 11 ounces on average, a healthy heart pumps 2,000 gallons of blood through 60,000 miles of blood vessels each day. If this energy supply declines, serious problems occur. It's the number one cause of death.
*Your brain is 3 % of your body weight yet it uses 20 % of your energy.
* Your liver has an astounding 2,000 mitochondria in every single cell. Your liver acts like a fine screen that filters out health-wrecking toxins, bacteria, and viruses. It also processes anything you eat or drink and either reformulate it for your body to use or eliminates it.
* Your kidney process 200 quarts of blood to separate out 2 quarts of waste products. The waste and extra water, become urine, flowing to your bladder. this is an energy-intensive job. The Journal of the American Society of Nephrology says, "reduced mitochondrial function is a dominant feature of diabetic kidney illness."
Combat the Effects of Aging You Hate- By Jennifer Peterson, Editor, Anti-Aging News
A leading scientist just discovered a miraculous new coenzyme that counters cell age by up to 40 years. It's a key compound that supports creating new mitochondria - a key to vibrant health. Many health experts call this the greatest anti-aging discovery ever. It's about this anti-aging pill called MitoBoost with Niagen. TIME reports NIAGEN "extends your healthspan." ABC NEWS says NAD+ (Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide), is "the secret to immortality." This has been found by a Harvard geneticist, Dr. David Sinclair. This extraordinary new compound that literally de-ages your cells, keeping you vibrantly healthy as you age is NAD+ and it's inside every single cell in your body. It "switches on" the long -life genes that give you boundless energy and vitality. Studies reveal that NAD+ levels decline 78% as you age.
Age reversal is real. You can now live a healthy and vigorous life into your 80s, 90s, or 100.
When we exercise or diet, NAD+ levels go up and we become healthier. The problem is that as we age, our body makes less and less NAD+. MitoBoost with Niagen is the greatest anti-aging pill.
Scientist predicts the end of aging starts in 2019
Niagen is the next generation of anti-aging science. It took the Harvard Medical School and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology 18 years to reach this historic conclusion. By increasing your NAD+ level, you can actually reverse the aging process in your cells and recharge them with youthful energy. These doctors say with full confidence that NIAGEN is the most powerful, cutting-edge formula they've ever seen. In human studies, NIAGEN, raised NAD+ levels as much as 270%. In clinical studies, a single dose alone caused an immediate 33% increase, a significant rise.
Nothing else raises NAD+ levels. NIAGEN is the first and only commercially available formof nicotinamide riboside (NR), available in the country. After all this research, it is now clinically shown to raise your NAD+ levels which support the health of your mitochondria. Boosting your NAD+ level is essential for staying active and energetic through your 70s, 80s, 90s. Niagen's remarkable proprietary formula is protected by five patents because it works.
If you care for your lungs avoid smoking,
If you care for your heart avoid excess salt,
If you care for your liver avoid excessively fatty foods,
If you care for your stomach avoid cold foods,
If you care for your intestines replace junk foods with vegetables,
If you care for your pancreas avoid overfeeding,
If you care for your kidney drink a lot of water during the day; less water at night. Empty your bladder before going to sleep,
If you care for your brain sleep for 8 hours between every 16 hours.
And if you care for others, tell them about living in the "if you care' world.
*Your heart is the greatest ever of energy in your body. Though weighing only 11 ounces on average, a healthy heart pumps 2,000 gallons of blood through 60,000 miles of blood vessels each day. If this energy supply declines, serious problems occur. It's the number one cause of death.
*Your brain is 3 % of your body weight yet it uses 20 % of your energy.
* Your liver has an astounding 2,000 mitochondria in every single cell. Your liver acts like a fine screen that filters out health-wrecking toxins, bacteria, and viruses. It also processes anything you eat or drink and either reformulate it for your body to use or eliminates it.
* Your kidney process 200 quarts of blood to separate out 2 quarts of waste products. The waste and extra water, become urine, flowing to your bladder. this is an energy-intensive job. The Journal of the American Society of Nephrology says, "reduced mitochondrial function is a dominant feature of diabetic kidney illness."
Combat the Effects of Aging You Hate- By Jennifer Peterson, Editor, Anti-Aging News
A leading scientist just discovered a miraculous new coenzyme that counters cell age by up to 40 years. It's a key compound that supports creating new mitochondria - a key to vibrant health. Many health experts call this the greatest anti-aging discovery ever. It's about this anti-aging pill called MitoBoost with Niagen. TIME reports NIAGEN "extends your healthspan." ABC NEWS says NAD+ (Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide), is "the secret to immortality." This has been found by a Harvard geneticist, Dr. David Sinclair. This extraordinary new compound that literally de-ages your cells, keeping you vibrantly healthy as you age is NAD+ and it's inside every single cell in your body. It "switches on" the long -life genes that give you boundless energy and vitality. Studies reveal that NAD+ levels decline 78% as you age.
Age reversal is real. You can now live a healthy and vigorous life into your 80s, 90s, or 100.
When we exercise or diet, NAD+ levels go up and we become healthier. The problem is that as we age, our body makes less and less NAD+. MitoBoost with Niagen is the greatest anti-aging pill.
Scientist predicts the end of aging starts in 2019
Niagen is the next generation of anti-aging science. It took the Harvard Medical School and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology 18 years to reach this historic conclusion. By increasing your NAD+ level, you can actually reverse the aging process in your cells and recharge them with youthful energy. These doctors say with full confidence that NIAGEN is the most powerful, cutting-edge formula they've ever seen. In human studies, NIAGEN, raised NAD+ levels as much as 270%. In clinical studies, a single dose alone caused an immediate 33% increase, a significant rise.
Nothing else raises NAD+ levels. NIAGEN is the first and only commercially available formof nicotinamide riboside (NR), available in the country. After all this research, it is now clinically shown to raise your NAD+ levels which support the health of your mitochondria. Boosting your NAD+ level is essential for staying active and energetic through your 70s, 80s, 90s. Niagen's remarkable proprietary formula is protected by five patents because it works.
Thursday, December 06, 2018
Sunday, October 21, 2018
Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte of the Philippines
The Third Top Leader of the World and the Most Powerful President.
A prestigious Time Magazine published him as the number 3 among the 10 top leaders of t
he world. And to my understanding, in today's world, he is the most powerful president. Reason being that he has taken cared of the guardians of peace and order of his country- the police (PNP), the Army (AFP), the Navy (PN), the Coast Guard, and the Air Force (AF). This means that the powerful forces that guard the country have full loyalty and confidence in him as the Chief Executive and Commander-in-Chief. And he has completely renewed the scenario of the press without curtailing the freedom of expression. Besides, he has 80% that voted for him. A thunderous voice of 80% that voted for him. Vox populi, vox Dei - the voice of the people is the voice of God.
He said he was elected to serve his people and to protect the country. He is an employee, a worker. He is paid by the people and thus offer them the country that they so deserved, dreamed, and hoped for. And he has taken care of them, catering to their demands, to ameliorate them from the dregs of penury, from the dread of illegal drugs. In fact, he promised the National Peoples Army (NPA), the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) to come out of hiding and be a part, an asset and work with the government instead of fighting against it as they were out from their families for almost 50 years. Now on his administration, Malacanang Palace is open to their demands, to their clamors. As Filipinos, he wants them to enjoy their freedom, their aspirations, and be with their loved ones.
His only simple promise is to stop the flow of illegal drugs, minimize corruption, and criminality. He is performing and delivering his promises with less politicking as he is only good for a 6-year term plus he is already over 70 years old. He is almost done with the laurels but is much excited about the projects of build, build, build to change the picture of the country that has been devastated by the tsunami of corruption, the rising of criminality, and dysfunctional families wrecked by the havoc of illegal drug called shabu.
He is an elected president of a sovereign country who has a viable 3 branches of government- the Executive, the Legislative, and the Judiciary. He doesn't want to kowtow to any foreign leader. His campaign on the illegal shabu drug that consequently resulted in murder is only poised to the criminals. But why in the village, on the young, on the poor people because shabu is not expensive when compared to the other drugs that are for the rich and the moneyed. The other thing is, the less expensive shabu drug does more harm and even makes the family dysfunctional according to him.
This is the reason why he repeatedly said that if you'll destroy the young, I'll kill you!
The Third Top Leader of the World and the Most Powerful President.
A prestigious Time Magazine published him as the number 3 among the 10 top leaders of t
He said he was elected to serve his people and to protect the country. He is an employee, a worker. He is paid by the people and thus offer them the country that they so deserved, dreamed, and hoped for. And he has taken care of them, catering to their demands, to ameliorate them from the dregs of penury, from the dread of illegal drugs. In fact, he promised the National Peoples Army (NPA), the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) to come out of hiding and be a part, an asset and work with the government instead of fighting against it as they were out from their families for almost 50 years. Now on his administration, Malacanang Palace is open to their demands, to their clamors. As Filipinos, he wants them to enjoy their freedom, their aspirations, and be with their loved ones.
His only simple promise is to stop the flow of illegal drugs, minimize corruption, and criminality. He is performing and delivering his promises with less politicking as he is only good for a 6-year term plus he is already over 70 years old. He is almost done with the laurels but is much excited about the projects of build, build, build to change the picture of the country that has been devastated by the tsunami of corruption, the rising of criminality, and dysfunctional families wrecked by the havoc of illegal drug called shabu.
He is an elected president of a sovereign country who has a viable 3 branches of government- the Executive, the Legislative, and the Judiciary. He doesn't want to kowtow to any foreign leader. His campaign on the illegal shabu drug that consequently resulted in murder is only poised to the criminals. But why in the village, on the young, on the poor people because shabu is not expensive when compared to the other drugs that are for the rich and the moneyed. The other thing is, the less expensive shabu drug does more harm and even makes the family dysfunctional according to him.
This is the reason why he repeatedly said that if you'll destroy the young, I'll kill you!
Saturday, August 25, 2018
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!
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!
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
Santo Ninio de Agosto
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.
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