Seeing Him

In the throng of life's complexities, do you see Christ?

They Ask. I Answer (Part 2)

 They Ask. I Answer

You can punch a hole in an apple using a straw. How do you think that makes your milkshake feel?

No hurt felt. The straw isn't too tight to make the shredded ice flow.

Never mind the turtle. Don't you think you're sure to win?

Don't even mind the snail at all. I'm just fast paced and that's some thing I cannot just change overnight.

You have a red jar of cedar chips. Why do moths miss the forest?

That's because they find better sex in there.

You've rented a sky-writer to propose to your significant other, but it's completely overcast. What will you do?

I'll propose manually, anyway. But that moment-breaker skywriter will surely get a dreary future with his career!

They ask: Do you believe that forks are evolved from spoons?

I believe the other way around.

This is a colon : and this is a semi-colon ; - what's a semi-truck?

It's a big truck with a broken right head-light!

When your science teacher smashed a frozen rose with a hammer, did you warm the petals to bring them back to life?

Ooops, sorry. I threw them in the bin!

You get to ride the big roller coaster three times in a row. What will keep your dad from taking a bite out of your candy apple?

I'll let him hold a bottle of beer on the other hand.  

Beats and Faces: Sugat-Kabanhawan Festival

After that sumptuous lunch hosted by my ever gracious friend Richy Fortich Amatong, I scorched myself under the heat of the summer sun taking pictures while the street dancing of the Sugat-Kabanhawan Festival brought the jovial mood in the vibrant Cebu town of Minglanilla as part of its Easter Sunday celebration.

 

 

Enraged and a Lesson Learned

I want to hurl fire balls. I want to wreak havoc. I want to surge waves. I want raise war against the world. I am enraged.

At the start of the day, all I had in mind was to say beautiful about the things that will happen today. At 4:00 AM I had to get myself ready for the trip to South of Cebu that has been a few days overdue. It is the supposed Visita Iglesia that I had been planning since the start of March as part of my personal retreat for the Semana Santa.

Everything turned out well and good. Beautiful and happy while enjoying the scorching heat of the sun – from Oslob to Boljoon, then Dalaguete and Argao, then Sibonga and finally, Carcar where I had to make my final stop when my battery had to surrender from the day’s picture taking activities. I brought neither a spare battery nor a battery charger.

I have taken approximately 460 pictures. And 98% of these were deleted when the SD card suddenly crashed in the middle of the file transfer. It auto-formatted all by itself, and when I tried to recover the data, all were gone. Nothing was left except the picture of Oslob Church. 

That’s all. I could not help myself but cry at the loss of the files. No auto-back-ups. No nothing!

Despite being enraged of what happened, there is still no reason for me to curse a day that made me experienced the solitude of being alone and in commune with God and nature. The beautiful things I have seen could have been shared through the pictures I have taken. Yet, I learned that there are things that are best immortalized not through what the camera has captured, but what the mind has engraved in the heart.

At the end of the day, my heart still sobs for the loss of those pictures but is still grateful of the more blessings that came about this day – valued more than the pictures that were deleted.

The Truth about LARGETS

    Synonymously, Larget is a Maasinhon slang term for Ready Go! As opposed to a contrary term Wap-it meaning wait up.

   A group of Master in Public Administration (MPA) masterands from Southwestern University Graduate School visited in Maasin City in September 2011 as part of the batch’s academic requirement to immerse in Local Government Unit. I happened to be one of the masterands, and being connected with the LGU, it was a privilege for me to bring my classmates to Maasin, a fourth class component capital city of the Province of Southern Leyte. This 11 year old ciudad has been recognized by the Bloomberg Foundation, World Health Organization and the Department of Health as a two-time Red Orchid Awardee for its significant implementation of the No Smoking Program.

    While in this tour, the word larget became a batch-hold term every time picture taking would take place or when the bus would be ready to depart.

    O, Larget, larget…. One, two, three… Click!

    By the time that tour was over, our MPA adviser, Dr. Esmael C. Codilla, asked how we should call the batch, other than being Batch 6. Yet, with no exact term to use, the batch finally decided to adopt the name LARGET, as an abridgement of Leadership Aimed at Resilient Governance, Empowerment and Transparency. The members of the batch shall be called Largets!

   Membership. Francis Escalante of the DENR, who is better known to be the seat-in classmate(although he really isn’t), used to ask about who are the real members of the Largets. But, yeah, who really are the members of the Largets. 

   Other than myself, there’s Senen Catingub, Jr., our class president who works as Division Chief in HDMF Pag-ibig, Cris Teovisio, our Vice President who graduated Meritisimus is the Security Manager of JP Morgan Chase. Maria Carla de Pio, the class secretary and Maria Antonietta Taboada, the class treasurer, both work at HDMF Pag-ibig. Then, there’s Marilou Degula (Social Security System) our class auditor, Joel Datanagan (Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority), our class press relations officer, Rose Canillo (General Manager of Matluster Corp), Hartzel Peter Billedo (Deputy Operations Officer of Negros Oriental Provincial Police) and Glen Facturan (Action PNCO of the PNP Firearms and Explosives Division) are our Peace Officers while Joan Guia Arnoco, the lady chief of WCPD/CCPO of the PNP is the class muse.

   The biggest group in the class comes from the National Statistics Office that includes some of the big wigs in the agency. Edwina Carriaga, the regional statistician, Hera Juarez, statistical coordination officer II, Isabel Hinampas, the NSO Accountant. Then there’s Myrna Trinidad Cataluna, Leslie Marie Zuasula, Irish Bontilao and Margie Elic of the NSO Regional Office while Richy Fortich Amatong, April Aglan Mifil Gocela, Lyndon Gerardo Suico and Roland Largado all come from the NSO Cebu Provincial Office.

    Then there’s Maristel Ortiza (now Mrs. Acusar), Desiree Lagdamen, Audy Almine, Alona Japos of the Home Mutual Development Fund – Pag-IBIG Cebu South Branch.  Sherlyn Royeras of the Government Service Insurance System, Vic Jay Gonzal, Chapter Administrator of the Philippine Red Cross Lapu-lapu Cordova Chapter, Francis Philip Escalante of the DENR, Michelle Canete of Diaz Medical Clinic, the two lady teachers from Sangat San Fernando National High School, Marichu Genargue and Rosemariwen Renes.

Then we have our classmates in the “uniformed agencies”, Raymundo B. Enriquez, Jr., the Station Chief of Pinamungajan Cebu PNP, Eric Ortega, the Camp-de-Aide at Camp Crame, Ariel Arellano, the Company Ex-O of the 2^nd Regional Pulbic Safety Maneuver Company, Julito Tarona, Jr. (a.k.a. Brownie), the Chief Warden at Guihulngan District Jail, Rhoen Mingueto, the Firefighting Crew of Dumanjug BFP and Constancia June Codilla (a.k.a. Puti / JS) of the BFP Regional Office.

   Then there’s our Graduate School Dean, Albim Y. Cabatingan, Prof. Esmael Codilla, and Prof. Marlon Astillero.

   These people are the ones who primarily organized and composed the Largets. There are others still who have been considered members of the family because they have expressed their commitment to make themselves part of it. Such for instance, Dr. Ruby Correa Facturan, the better half of Sir Glen, SPO4 Renes (the hubby of Ma'am Mariwen who only finished two semesters of the course), some officemates of our classmates from Pag-IBIG and NSO and other classmates who did not finish the course, who have been all-supportive with the charitable causes and other activities of the group.

   In a year that LARGET has been together, the batch has shown the best of everything and shared this with everyone else. Contrary to the previous batches’ come-and-go scenarios, the Largets have stuck with each other through thick and thin, filling the shortcomings of others, enhancing the talent of the co-members, and enjoying together the fruits of solidary efforts. Even in the most difficult moment, there is at least a Larget or two who would come to rescue a member in distress. Such that in the end, only those that are beyond the control of the batch’s power can be considered valid reasons to set things aside.

   While words are important to make things understandable, Largets manage to use words to make things controversial (but confined only to Largets, and for Largets use only.) Yet, to decipher these words is another challenging story that will leave someone spellbound while the author of the word and those who already understood it are more likely laughing their fat a**es out loud. The meanings of phrases and words like “eating pasayan (shrimp), bubbles-bubbles, jump-ship and bag-id could surely get you crazy. I'll be posed for censorship if I'll be posting their meanings here.

   There are things in Larget that can’t be found in the non-Larget batches. Yet, I would just like to keep it as how Prof. Astillero put it when he said “Natingala ko ngano ing-ani nalang akong commitment ninyo. Been able to handle 5 Cebu-based batches pero karon ra ko nipangga ug maayo ug group. Ngano kaha?” - FB: March 4, 2012 19:30 (“I was wondering why I am as committed as this with your batch. I have been able to handle 5 Cebu-based batches, but it’s only this time that I have been so concerned with a group”) Thus, whatever is it in LARGET that makes each member valuable is simply capsulized in Ma’am Carla’s statement, “Walang Iwanan. One for All. All for One”.

   Quo Vadis, Largets? The long and winding road after graduation is a more challenging highway for the Largets to traverse. Yet, who’s afraid to cross it when you're not alone? Largets will be there for each other and for those who need the Largets. Largets have committed to live-up by what the batch stands for – Leadership Aimed  for Resilient Governance, Empowerment and Transparency. Largets shall continue to pursue the batch’s commitment of performing excellence in their respective agencies, rendering genuine services to their customers and persevering in its social responsibilities.

They Ask, I Answer

They Ask, I Answer

If you could peer far enough into the night sky, you’d see a star in any direction you looked. When would you sleep?

I wouldn’t. I would enjoy chasing gazes one star after another. I would not want to slumber while I am in this awesome “starry-starry” night experience.

The squish of mud between your toes, how will you live as a frog?

Forget about the squish of mud, just enjoy being dirty sometime and leap-frog from one lily after another.

The hair from your last haircut, what would it say about your new style?

Ahg, same boring hair style. You’ll never get the style you wanted all your life. How can you get those dread locks if you keep going to the barber every other week?

What reason do you have to believe the earth is flat?

That piece of paper containing the map of the world. See, isn’t it flat?

If you were a wrestler, what would be your finishing move?

Is the Wuxi Finger Hold allowed in wrestling? If it is, then my opponent will end up like Tai Lung.

You've been invited to a fancy ball but the only thing you have to wear is an orange wooly jumper. What shoes do you wear?

Neon green sneakers with magenta socks.

 

What's the earliest you've gotten up to watch cartoons and what did you see? 

3 am and I got the rainbow screen on my favorite cartoon channel. I asked, isn’t this channel supposed to be 24/7. I realized we lost our cable TV connection.

Finally, Con-GRAD-ulations*!

    I remember how my Statistics professor in my graduate studies used to ask the class which was the better way of statistically presenting one’s depression – is it quantitatively, like scaling one’s depression from 1 -10, 1 being least depressed and 10 being very depressed or qualitatively by expressing deeply through words how one feels. He further stressed about how absurd it seems when saying at the start of the day that one’s depression is 1, then at midday – 9 and before he goes to bed – 4. The class was silent for a while as he continued with the explanation while some of my female classmates were swoon by his charms. One student at the back, wearing a yellow tee, who just attended the first day of class after thinking over and over about enrolling in this course despite having finished it in his previous university, politely replied, “It depends , sir!”. 

   All of my classmates’ eyes were on me as I made that flagrant comment. Seemed confused, the professor, smiled and asked to deepen my answer. Yet, without hesitation, I said, “It depends kung asa i-post sir! (It depends where it will be posted, sir!) If one’s depression will be posted as a status in Facebook, then one has to express it qualitatively.” I flashed a sheepish grin while the rest of the class and the professor laughed out loud. That was my first encounter of a group who would later become a new family whom I will impart my life with.

    Fast forward, after a year of hurdles in the graduate studies, I finally received the degree that was supposed to be realized earlier than it should have been. (I had to stop when I was supposed to leave for Germany for a course in Regional Economic Development but didn’t pursue it when my mom was diagnosed and died of carcinoma late of2010). But there was no regret of enrolling all the subjects again (including those that I have already taken up in the previous university). It was a fresh start, in a new university, with new people to meet and new challenges to tackle. The year was never easy, not to mention the almost-weekly travel to Cebu, the expenses, the pressure of scholastic responsibilities and my work in the office combined. Yet, the whole process fleeted fast – one tri-sem after another and voila, graduation here I come.

    After being assured of graduating, the question of Prof. Graeme flashed back but this time asking for the better way of presenting how happy I was. To be honest, no word could match how elated and happy I was, yet no number could also equate this feeling. After encountering so many problems with clearances and validation with the school registrar (and had to be facilitated by my ever supportive Largets family), all came out fine. I wasn’t expecting to receive any medal of recognition since the day I found out my grade in Methods of Research at 1.3 during the first semester. Yet, I am grateful to the school for seeing the efforts I had made. We all deserved the awards that day. God is really best at working in mysterious ways. I could not thank God enough for all the amazing graces! God, ikaw na jud!

    My Tatay Tani who had to get to Cebu in the nick of time for the Graduation, told me, “Ingon ug di ka maka-medal” (Thought you won’t get a medal). Then I jokingly told him, Tay, medals ni, kay duha man kabuok (I was stressing out the plurality of the two medals I received). 

With Tatay, moments before the hooding ceremony

    I could not hold back the tears realizing this achievement. I thought of my mom who would have been there to witness this moment. She was my greatest fan and supporter, yet the silent and unassuming cheerleader. This was her moment, too. Despite her absence, I knew she was there – seeing her pinaka-gwapo son received the accolades that day. I knew Tatay was equally proud. He had to back up some of the finances for this coveted education. My brother and his family, as well as my aunt didn’t attend the ceremonies due to some financial constraints. But I know they could never be prouder. 

   My brother Toto’s words reverberated in my mind, “Congrats ter, pero igo na usa nang masteral ha. Kay murag dako na ug gasto ug mag-doctorate pa ka”. He was pressing me not to enroll in doctorate degree considering the expenses it will entail. I could not disagree. He had been shouldering major household expenses while I was in this MPA endeavor.

    My cousin Belsam, who was an awardee herself during her MPA graduation last year was also excited to see me graduate. She was the one who influenced me to enroll in SWU Graduate School and leave my previous university. There was no regret in heeding her advice. She was all the more supportive in this undertaking which made the journey less difficult. Thanks te!

Doing the traditional medal-biting with classmates Joel, Vic Jay and Sheq to test the authenticity of the gold medals

    For the year that passed, another family stood by my side while I reached for my Star. Batch LARGET epitomized the true essence of friendship and family. I was joined by a bunch of brilliant, multi-talented, and good natured people whose selflessness was manifested in an unwavering support for each other during the worst times and in an astounding spirit of togetherness at our best moments. Larget stood the test of time and the adversities that brought each member closer and more supportive with each other. Kudos to Largets!

With Richy Fortich of the NSO

Making faces during the graduation song, with CJ of BFP and Ichu of DepEd

   The question of proceeding for a post-graduate degree has yet to be finally decided. But who’s hurrying who? It can wait for some time but a professorial job in SWU can be a stepping stone. Who knows (in the aparador)?

Post script:

* The title Con-GRAD-ulations is a word borrowed from the message of our brilliant and highly respected Dean Albim Y. Cabatingan, DBA of the Southwestern University Graduate School and at the same time the Vice President for Finance and Administration.