A Traveller’s Journal

Malakas ang ulan ngayong gabing ito pag-uwi ko galing ng office. Sa terminal ng tricycle, habang naghihintay ako ng makakasabay, may nakita akong isang matandang lalaki na halos kaedad ng tatay ko. At ang una kong napansin sa kanya ay ang hawak nya sa kanyang kanang kamay. May dala syang pasalubong, chicken joy at cheeseburger from Jollibee. Bigla akong nangiti. Ang sweet naman ni tatay! Siguro bagong sweldo sya ngayon. Maya-maya, napansin ko na lamang na sakay na ako ng tricycle at katabi ko si tatay! Habang umaandar ang tricycle, naalala ko tuloy nung mga bata pa kami. Lagi ring may dalang pasalubong ang tatay namin nuon. Dalawa lang kaming magkapatid kaya naman madali lang magpasalubong kasi dalawa lang kaming mag-aagawan. Ang natatandaan ko nuon, lagi syang may uwing chocolate para sa amin. Yun bang ang tatak e "football". Tuwang tuwa kami pag iyon ang pasalubong ni tatay. At isa pa, yung "pretzels", grabe ang saya saya pag dumarating si tatay. Ngayon, pag nasa supermarket ako, lagi ko ring binibili ang pretzels bilang pasalubong sa anak ko. Yung football, dati may nakikita ako sa supermarket, ngayon, parang bihira na syang itinda. Mura lang pala ang pretzels at football nuon, kasi mura pa rin sya hanggang ngayon. 10 piso lang yata ang isa. Siguro nuon, 50 cents lang ang halaga nun.

Pero pansinin mo ang mga kabataan ngayon. Kung hindi Jollibee or McDo ang gusto, andyan ang KFC o kaya e Burger King. Ibang iba sa nakasanayan namin nuon. Simple lang pero masaya. Ngayon, ang bata, pasalubungan mo ng cheeseburger, mas gusto ang chicken joy. At minsan gusto yung may laruan pa. Ang panahon nga naman, hindi mo masabi no? Ilang taon na lang at magdadalaga na rin ang anak ko, ano naman kaya ang mauusong pasalubong pagdating ng panahon na yon? Abangan… 

Si Lorena Caday, ang aming CORP commander nung CAT days namin way back in high school sa Sisters of Mary. Maganda si Lorena, matangkad, maputi, balingkinitan ang katawan at grabe ang sense of humor. Naaalala ko nga na ang tawag namin sa kanya ay babaeng Dolphy kasi nga bukod sa hawig nya (hehehe), e gayang gaya nya ang kilos nito. Nung nagtapos kami ng high school, di ko na alam kung saan sya nagpunta. Ang nabalitaan ko na lang e, nasa UST sya taking up Conservatory of Music (sosyal diba?). Maganda ang boses ni Lorena at talaga namang hilig nya ang pagkanta kaya naman lagi syang nananalo sa mga singing contests namin nung high school.

Hindi pala sya nakapagtapos ng college dahil mas ninais nyang kumita na agad sa pamamagitan ng pagkanta kanta nya. Tutal ay naiimbitahan syang kumanta (for a fee, of course), minabuti nyang gawin na iyong career at ihinto na lamang ang pag-aaral nya. Hanggang sa nakakita sya ng opportunity na magtrabaho sa Dubai.

Thirteen years ng buhay nya ay nasa Dubai. Anim silang magkakapatid at sya ang panganay. Halos lahat ng kapatid nya ay napagtapos na nya ng pag-aaral sa kolehiyo. Nakakabilib diba? Kumustahin naman natin sya…Dalaga pa po sya hanggang ngayon. Naitanong nga namin sa kanya kung bakit wala pa rin syang asawa sa ngayon…Ewan nya daw, baka alien ang gusto nya, hahaha! 

Ganung ganun pa din sya kumilos at magpatawa, mapapahagalpak ka talaga ng tawa. Yan ang nami-miss ko kay Lorena. Sayang nga lamang at napakaunti ng panahon namin para magkasama-sama. Ilang araw na lamang at babalik na naman sya sa Dubai at matatagalan ulit bago kami magkita. Nakaka-miss talaga si Lorena.

Alam nyo bang muntik na syang maiwanan ng bus nung pauwi na kami? Nag-aabang kami ng masasakyan. Papunta sila ng Mommy nya sa SM fairview at ako naman ay sa Tandang Sora. Sa tagal kasi ng hindi nya pag-uwi sa Pinas e nalimutan na nya ang pasikot sikot dito sa atin kaya kailangan naya lagi si Inay para samahan sya…So, ganito ang nangyari…nag-aabang nga kami ng sasakyan…Nakakita si Nanay ng bus, SM fairview karatula, takbo si Nanay, takbo din si Lorena. Nung nasa kalagitnaan na ng kalsada, biglang bumalik si Lorena sa kinatatayuan ko, at niyakap ako sabay halik, hahahaha! Si Nanay nakasakay na ng bus, si Lorena ayun, nakikipagbeso-beso pa sa akin hahahaha…Muntik na talagang maiwan ng bus si Lorena hahahaha…

Minsan talaga pag babagal-bagal tayo, mapag-iiwanan tayo no? Minsan pag may mga bagay o tao tayong hinihintay o hinahanap na hindi naman natin mahanap-hanap, mapag-iiwanan talaga tayo no? Sabi nga namin kay Lorena, hindi pa naman huling huli ang byahe para sa kanya… Pwede pang humabol…sa palagay nyo?

Birthday ngayon ni Fr. Al at taon-taon, lagi kong minamarkahang espesyal ang araw na ito. Marami na ang birthdays ang lumipas para kay Fr. Al pero sa tuwing naaalala ko ang birthday nya, ganun pa din ang pakiramdam ko. Mixed feelings, ‘ika nga. Masaya ako kasi ito yung araw na ibinigay sa amin ng Panginoon si Fr. Al upang alagaan kami. Malungkot kasi hindi na namin sya kapiling. March 16, 1992 nung sya’y namatay sa sakit na ALS. Yan ang huling taon ko nuon sa SOM. Feb. 1, 1992 kasi kami grumadweyt ng high school. Pag pinagmamasdan ko ang year book namin at nakikita ko ang pictures ni Fr. Al, hindi mo makikita sa kanya na mahigit isang buwan na lang pala ang ilalagi nya sa mundo. Larawan kasi sya ng isang masayang nilalang. Laging nakangiti kahit na nahihirapan. Hindi alintana ang lahat dahil ino-offer nya sa Panginoon ang lahat ng kanyang paghihirap. At laking gulat ko nung mabalitaan ko na namatay na si Fr. Al. Yan ang isa sa pinakamalungkot na bahagi ng buhay ko. 16 years old lang ako nung mamatay sya. Bata pa at walang muwang. Hindi ko pa alam kung ano ang naghihintay sa aking kapalaran.

At dahil sa edukasyong kanyang pinamana sa akin, naging handa akong makipagsabayan sa mundo. Physically, spiritually at emotionally. Kung hindi ako inihanda ni Fr. Al sa mga aspetong nabanggit, hindi ko alam kung saan na ako ngayon. Malaki ang naging impact ng buhay ni Fr. Al sa sarili kong buhay at ngayon na nagbabalik tanaw ako sa aking nakaraan, masasabi ko na si Fr. Al ay isa sa mga pinakamagandang nangyari sa aking buhay.  Ngayon na may sarili na rin akong pamilya, lagi kong ipinagmamalaki sa aking asawa at anak ang aking pinanggalingan, ang Sisters of Mary at si Fr. Al.

At ngayon na in progress ang kanyang canonization at beatification, labis labis ang dalangin ko na sana ay matupad na ang inaasam asam namin na maging isang ganap na santo si Fr. Al. Akalain nyo yun, ginugol ko ang aking apat na taon sa high school na kasama ko ang isang Santo. What a privilege! At dahil dyan, tago tago ko pa rin hanggang ngayon ang picture ko na kasama sya. Someday, I will show the world that once in my life, nakasama ko ang isang dakilang tao, ang isang Santo.

This is the day the Lord has made for Fr. Al. We know, Daddy,  that you are watching us always and guiding us from up above. Fr. Al, your memories will forever stay in my heart for as long as I am living. I love you, Fr. Al.  

I was surprised to hear from GMA news that Lehman Brothers, one of America’s largest or the fourth largest investment house has declared bankcruptcy! Yes, bankcruptcy. Who could have imagined that? Lehman Brothers? America? It was hard to believe. I was preparing our dinner when that news came about. I found myself sitting in front of the TV listening attentively to this news. Economists, experts as they are, believe that global recession, global crisis will follow. What will happen to our local economy? If  recession continues, investments will be at its low, thereby, unemployment rate will go up. Businesses will go for downsizing. No business means lesser consumption of oil. As there will be lesser demand for oil, the price will go down also. And this will bring about the decrease in the prices of the basic commodities.  Shall we make it a reasong to be glad or not?

It was also shocking to know that 2 of our local banks, the RCBC and the Security Banks have declared loss in investments due to their exposure to ailing US financial institutions.  While Metrobank and BDO have already made provisions for possible writeoffs owing to their investments in Lehman Brothers, Security Bank did the same thing also, this time with Merril Lynch which will be acquired by the Bank of America.

If these US financial giants declared bankcruptcy, who will be the next? and who would be spared from it? If if happens to America, will it never happen to us?

While BSP is trying to assure the public that this loss in investments by leading local lenders is not a cause for panic, consumers are not likely to believe it. As for the government, Arroyo is boasting about the efficiency of our VAT collections which, she promised, will help us through this global crisis. For whose pockets do this collections go? For whose investments that this collections sustain?

Let us all pray for our country and the whole world as a whole. We don’t know what awaits for us tomorrow. We are also unsure what future this will give to our children. We are crossing our fingers, we’ll emerge thru this victorious in the end….So help us God!

We were invited to attend a house warming of one of our batchmates in the Sisters of Mary School. Maraming magandang nangyari sa okasyon na ito. Pero bago yan, kwento ko muna sa inyo kung pano nangyari ang invitation….

Matagal na kaming walang communication ni Anabel. The last time I was with her was when we went to SOM, Silang Cavite 4 or 5 years back. That was the last time. So, I never had the chance to to communicate with her due to reasons na hindi ko din alam kung bakit. Siguro, naging busy? Siguro…

Last July, I was scrolling my numbers in my Phone when I came across the name of my co-family, Beth Silva. I tried to text her but no reply. Then, I tried to call her in the office, wala naman sya dun. But still, there is hope kasi yun pa din yung number nya. Finally, she called me in the office and there we again get in touch with each other.

Then, one day, she told me that Anabelle is having a house warming this September 13. How excited am I..kasi I learned that some SOM 3rd batch will also attend the affair. Eto na ang magandang nangyari:

1. Mam Judith Roa was with us. (There is a separate blog for her…)

2. Maricel Corduwa, Marga Dogillo, Beth Silva, Rowena Austero were some of the attendees.

3. Masayang kwentuhan ang nangyari at nag-reminisce kami ng sobra-sobra. Hagalpakan sa tawa kasi nga naman grabe ang mga nangyari nuong high school days namin…

4. We had a tour of Anabelle’s new house. Grabe, state of the art! Ano ang panama ng mga bahay ng mga artista? At galit si Anabelle sa TV ha, Sony Bravia lang naman all over…at may mini-theater room pa…Ang mga rooms ng mga kids, para kang nasa hotel. From the bed linens to the curtains to the CR to the cabinets…grabe, ganda! kelan kaya ako magkakaroon ng ganung bahay.  At ang kanyang master’s bedroom…whewww! ganda…ang sarap gumising sa umaga na andun ka sa kwartong yun. Yun bang tipong paggising mo, coffee muna then overlooking sa veranda then take a bath sa napakagandang CR, pwede kang matulog pa! At ang kanyang bar room, with superb music player na imported pa daw from England. (take note, mas mahal pa daw yun kesa sa mini-theater)….At sa rooftop, may TV ulit at Sony din ang tatak. Overlooking the entire Manila kasi super taas na! Ang lamig sa gabi, pwedeng mag-party! Di ko na nga mabilang kung ilang floors yun e. 

Hay, ang ganda talaga ng bahay nya! Pero isang bagay ang nagpa-isip sa akin kung gusto ko ring magkaroon ng ganung bahay. Napansin ko na sa master’s bedroom, may isang Sony TV 29" inches na andun katabi ng kanyang Bravia…Sabi ko sa kanya: "Galit ka talaga sa TV ha?" Natawa sya, sabi nya: "Hindi monitor yan."  Ah, monitor nga naman kasi all over the place, at the four corners of the house, may mga cameras na naka-install. As of our visit, 11 lahat ang cameras. So, from that monitor, nakikita nila ang lahat ng sulok ng bahay pati mga rooms ng mga kids. Magdadagdag pa daw sila! Ha??? Makakatulog pa kaya ako nuon kung ganun kalaki ang bahay ko? Feeling ko, laging may manloloob sayo? God forbids, wag naman sana…

Sa bawat floor, ang magkabilang parte ay may veranda. Sliding door lang ang pagitan, veranda na! Kaso parang daming entry points ng magnanakaw…Pero, ang ganda ng veranda! nakaka-relax talaga pag andun ka…coffee by my table , reading a good book…having the best time of my life! Sarap no? May ganung kalaking bahay!

By the way, Anabelle has 6 kids kaya ok lang na ganun kalaking bahay. At lahat ng kids may sariling rooms. Whewww!!!! Kailan kaya yung dream house ko?  Soon…. 

Naaalala ko talaga si Ma’am Judith. My english teacher when I was in 2nd year high school. Adviser namin sya nuon. Nakasalamin at matangos ang ilong. Maganda si Ma’am at dalaga pa sya nuong nagtuturo sya sa amin.

That was 1989. After almost 10 years, nalaman ko from a friend yung number nya. Tinext ko sya. Walang reply, sabi ko baka wrong number. After few hours, I got a message from her. Sya nga, sya nga yung teacher ko way back in high school. She told me, she remembers my name. We had exchanges of some basic facts. Teacher pa rin sya hanggang ngayon, sa Commonwealth Elementary School, Grade 6- Science and subject nya. At, dalaga pa rin si Ma’am hanggang ngayon! She texted me the reason: " Good teachers do not marry, and a single teacher has many children"…Words of wisdom, hmmmm…

One of my batchmates in high school had her new house blessed last Saturday, September 13. We invited Ma’am Judith and she gladly accepted our invitations. Panay nga ang text ko sa kanya to make a follow-up. Finally, we met. Wow, I was so excited to see her. When I finally set my eyes on her, I can’t believe it. She hasn’t changed. Those eyes with glasses on, the nose, the smile. She was surprised to see us all changed. Yung mga dating nene, malalaki na at may mga sarili na ring pamilya. Alam mo, she didn’t tire of taking pictures of us. Hanggang sa ma-low bat na ang celphone nya kakakuha nya ng pictures namin.

Ang dami naming napagkwentuhan, like, buhay namin nung high school, her experience with Fr. Al, nung pumunta sya ng Mexico at nung na-assign sya sa Cebu. Si Ma’am Judith, ang aking teacher. Hindi man lang tumanda. Marahil siguro, masaya sya sa buhay nya ngayon kahit na single sya. "Alone but not lonely", ‘ika nga nila.

We will always remember Ma’am Judith Roa. We always wish her all the best.! 

We officially joined the CFC community in Feb 2005. Since then, our lives were never the same again. The community taught us new things that we never thought of doing before.  At first, we were only members of the community, then, later on, we were assigned to handle a group of new couple-members as Household leaders.  The responsibility given to us was overwhelming at first, since we were just starting out during that time.  With our new group, we started to hold prayer meetings every week. Prayer meetings are always memorable for all of us. We always look forward to every Saturday night. It is in prayer meetings that we unload ourselves of all our worries and anxieties, and further, giving hope to everyone, assuring each and everyone that everything will be alright. A sigh of relief!, and it gives us more strength to face another week.

Aside from the weekly prayer meeting with our group, we also attend the general assembly which is being held every first friday of the Month. We gather to worship and give thanks to the Lord for all the blessings He has given us and for all the trials that we were able to surpass.  

How do we perform all these? We do it with all our heart, mind and soul. All with gladness and happines and not just a mere performance of a duty or responsibility. We serve the Lord with Joy. And by doing this, we give glory to Him. And that is the reason why we are doing all these, all for the glory of Him. He who made us, He who gave eveything that is in us, He who gave us Life. 

And I want to glorify Him and give Him thanks thru this blog. What am I without Him? Where would I be now without Him? . "All glory unto You, My Lord and my All". 

I’ve always considered myself very domesticated and very old-fashioned. I don’t feel like trying out new things simply because I am afraid of changes, of adjustments.

I’ve been working with my present employer for almost 10 years now. Well, climbing my way up to the  top is tiresome. First and foremost, we have a very conservative management. Rule of seniority always applies. Promotion is scarce and compensation is not so attractive…However, despite all these, I still hold on…Why? Because I am afraid to try my luck in other endeavors. I am afraid of change. And I have become so comfortable….

With the rising prices of fuel and  basic goods, higher rate of unemployment, and no increase in household income, a lot of Filipinos have decided to leave the country and seek for greener pastures abroad. I really admire our OFWs who have welcomed such changes in their lives, these people who have become accustomed to their way of life abroad: away from home, family and friends. I always say to my friends that I will never ever get used to it. Given the chance and opportunity to work abroad, I think I won’t grab that. Simply because I don’t want to spend my life away from my family….my husband and my daughter…

Will my principle still be the same few months from now? Will I ever try to welcome this thought of working abroad so I can earn double or triple of what I am earning now? I don’t know.. I always ask God to give me signs. Will I be better if I am away from home? Will my life improve if I work abroad?

Is working abroad the final solution? Is there any other way by which we can improve the status of our life? I know one thing is for sure: God will never forsake us, nor abandon us…Amen!