Father (part 2)

(This column appears in today's edition of the Leyte-Samar Daily Express)

Hi there! It’s another week and Vagni is back in Italy (thanks God for that). And suddenly Amnesty for Abu members? Ok ka lang? C’mon guys, there are much better reasons to land your names on the headlines.

Along with the news on Vagni (and to include the suspicions cast on the Sulu Vice governor), the A(H1N1), the flashflood brought by Isang, the Pampanga recount and yes the endless survey results on poverty, PGMA and the Presidentiables, is the news on the scramble on who makes it to the entourage of PGMA when she gets to see Mr. Obama late this month. If I may take it from the editorial of a national daily, it’s not going to be a state visit, ergo Juan De La Cruz gets to foot the tab.

And the big event this week? It’s been forty years since man landed on the moon. One astronaut had it that the technology that brought them to the moon has been replaced by the newer ones it made the footages of the old rockets and the hazy images of the landing romantic. Yup, the world of science and technology had gone a long way. Sadly, there is one thing that has remained and will remain even if our leaders (if I may borrow Evita’s line) live for more than 100 years. Well, it’s none other than the poverty (or the images of it) that we get to see not only in the Philippines but practically in every corner of the world.

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Local news. The 2nd Barangay Summit for Education was held last Friday at the DepEd Calbayog Conference Hall. It was attended by a good number of Punong Barangay from all the districts of Calbayog.

The event which was organized by the LGU, DILG Calbayog and DILG Calbayog City Division was aimed at informing the barangay officials of the programs implemented and being made by the City Government with regards to education.

Mayor Mal Sarmiento delivered a keynote address on Education as a top priority in Cabayog. Also on hand were DepEd Calbayog SDS Edita Paculan, DepEd PESS ES-1 Ubaldo Diomangay, Budget Officer Geronides Mancol and DILG Calbayog Director Valente Bajet.

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More than a week ago, Mayor Mel Sarmiento was in Cebu upon the invitation of the Cokaliong Shipping Lines. He was on hand for the formal launching of M/V Filipinas Ozamis, the shipping company's eighth ship.

Among the VIPs present were Inquirer Publications President Sandy Prieto-Romualdez, Cokaliong Shipping CEO Chester Cokaliong, MARINA Administrator Ma. Elena Bautista, Mrs. Gregoria Cokaliong, Transportation Usec. Thompson Lantion, Cokaliong Shipping VP for Marketing Lynee Cokaliong and Shell Philippines country manager Edgar Chua.

It was learned from Cokaliong Shipping CEO Chester Cokaliong that the launching of the new vessel will allow his company to serve Calbayog City via the port of Manguino-o in Tinambacan District. They will utilize the M/V Filipinas Dinagat vessel which used to serve Iligan City. The ship will soon ply the Calbayog-Cebu route three times weekly.

The City Government of Calbayog has invited the Cokaliong group to serve the route way back in 2006.

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Let me give you the second part of the article which I featured in my column last Friday. Let me repeat the introduction I made for the article last week. A friend of mine who writes under the pen name Eunice Ji wrote an article about fathers, in time for the Fathers’ Day edition of the Samar Sunday Star, a local publication in Calbayog. I thought it was just another piece about fathers, you know tatay, papa, amay, daddy, until I realized that it had to do with fathers of a different kind, fathers who are supposed to care for our souls. Yes, fathers as in padre and / or padi. With the author’s permission I am featuring that piece in two parts in my column.

Here’s the second part of “FATHER” by Eunice Ji:

This nun-friend of mine, by the way, did not even finish college because when she was barely there, her heart was achingly longing to serve God through His people. So, off she went inside a nunnery despite objections from her father, since she is his only daughter.

What about you? What were your motives when you to entered priesthood? With all due respect, I need to ask you that because if I won’t, who will? Isn’t it about time you pay close and very serious attention to the thoughts of Carl Jung which said: “it is indeed high time for the clergy and the psychotherapists to join forces.”? Everybody needs to heal. No one is exempted. Nga sa akon personal la nga opinyon, ILABI NA GUD KAMO, ‘DRE!

The author of the book INTIMACY WITH GOD said, “we are culpable for every soul that we bring to hell.” At madaming-madami pong souls ‘yang nakaatang sa mga balikat ninyo. I’m sorry, I know I really don’t need to remind you that. Pero kasi, because “Wisdom comes only from God”, di natin namamalayan na iba na pala ang god na sinasamba natin kaya nawawala na tayo sa tamang landas. At pabobo na tayo nang pabobo, simply because we believed and were carried away by the lies and promises of the devil hidden in the materialism of this world. (see: Romans 1:21-25 and John 8:44)

I appeal to your heart and senses that if you must sell your soul, by all means, do that your self/selves. Kayo na lang po. Wag n’yo na pong dalhin at idamay pa ang ibang mga pobre at inosenteng kaluluwa. Excuse me for saying this, but I don’t believe na sa hell, the more the merrier pa rin. Lord, have mercy on Your people!

The very moment I realized that we are all brothers and sisters in one big family of God, I told my kids to call me the way they want to. In fact I had always laughed heartily every time my eldest son addressed me by my first name – because he knows I dreaded to be called so then (another reason perhaps I adopted a pen name? Maybe). It is my youngest son who’d gracefully call me by my nickname na pinapaganda pa n’ya lalo by pronouncing it sweetly in one syllable. (I especially came to like, and eventually loved, my nickname since my third child informed me what it stands for: consecrated to God, daw. Kaya I’m trying very hard to live up to it. And I always need God’s power to be able to.) Their calling me those did not last long though. They went back to calling me nanay. But I really believe in my heart it was not a case of “the tradition lived on” but a case of “respect begets respect”.

Again I say, people of God are people of courage. I wrote this not for the intention of hurting but for the purpose of awakening. True love must impose discipline through honesty. Jesus said, the Truth shall set you free. Catherine Booth’s words are inspiring to aspire: “if we are to better the future, we must disturb the present.” Here’s one more interesting quote I always read in a paper na matagal ko nang pinanggigigilang mag-react to: “evil triumphs because good men do nothing.” And I ask: “in that case, are they really good?” I really honestly think they are cowards yet. Sorry po…! To quote Leo J. Trese again: “It is easier to die for Christ than live for Him.”

As I say goodbye for now, may I leave you with what the Holy Bible said in Matthew 23:8-11 as follows: “but you, do not be called Rabbi; for one is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren. Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. And do not be called teacher; for One is your Teacher, the Christ. But he who is greatest among you shall be your SERVANT.”

My evolution tells me that “Love is beyond religion.” That our choice of religion is our personal decision based on whatever reasons we have for choosing it, and for which nobody has the right to question. My opposition to what is currently happening is not at all indicative of any intent to leave (I am a self-declared Franciscan forever). For how are we to help if we are not there anymore?

Kaakibat ng desisyon ko to tread the narrow path ay ang desisyong wag bumitaw, even when I am confronted by the harsh realities of life. Byron MacDonald said: “it is difficult to live in a culture and not be a part of the culture” (THE MORNING COMES, AND ALSO THE NIGHT). Kaya palaging the correct path is “the road less traveled” (M. Scott Peck). I must stay the course, no matter! Keep my Faith, and adopt the principle to “hate the sin, not the sinner/s.”

“Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” Ciao, dearest friends, ciao!

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Have a nice week everyone! Ciao!