Sana Bumalik Ka Rin
Simply looking back at the last 20 years or so since I first took my flight to another country, I realized how
unfortunate it was that just because I was too ambitious and have more needs that the
average Juan out there, I had to leave the
economic malaise of our country. I supposed this is the same reason why
some of us choose to do the same, live & work in a foreign land.
Considering the labor migration the Philippines have, it's sickening to think how many of
us professionals have chosen to leave and seek greener pastures somewhere else.
I always wonder! We don't really have a choice, or do we?But on the contrary, we are the same people who in more ways than one help keep the Philippines afloat with its billion-dollar remittance industry. Still, I am not proud to say our government rely so much on us to help them survive,
but it is what it is!What disgust me are the few
kababayans out here who does nothing but gripe about how incompetent and corrupt our government is. Though I can't blame them for saying that
(or maybe I should blame them for being such a harsh critic) still, I expected more from them.
I ask them what are they doing to help make the change, they are speechless. The least they can do is boost our tourism industry by inviting friends & relatives to spend their vacation in the Philippines...
instead of bad-mouthing our govt.oh well, some pinoys just simply don't care!Many have asked why I always go back to the island and spend my vacation there instead of places like Europe or somewhere else
but the island. I simply replied
"Philippines is where I would like to be!" Until I've stepped on every square inch of Phil soil possible, I will always spend my hard-earned money there. I could care less about Venice, Paris, and the likes. Maybe someday I'll get to visit them too but for now,
'pinas muna! I don't know about you pero ako,
babalik din ako sa 'pinas.
Sana
Sana, masaya tayong lahat.
Sana, matigil na ang kaguluhan sa mundo.
Sana, umunlad na ang Pilipinas at iba pang bansa na naghihirap.
Sana, manalo ako sa Lotto.
Sana, bukas na ang reunion.
Sagot ko lahat ang gastos. That is, kung nanalo ako sa lotto. ;-)
Sweet 18
The last time I saw Digna B
before this year's
mini reunion at my place. Picture was taken during her 18th bday,
10 years ago...hehehe.
I remember her being a shy, quiet girl...but not anymore! She is now a full-grown woman with a
good loving family.
As in any of us,
changes are inevitable, but growth is always an option!
Father, Forgive Me For I Have Sinned
None of us doubted that Cesar de L (now Fr. Ces) will become a priest. A very quiet, patient, & saintly-looking guy.
Expedito C (now Fr. Ex) is another of our classmates (elementary) who at a very early age already knew his calling, with his bright eyes and charismatic smile.
Still, back then they were both like any other regular kid in school...may kolokohan din but not as wild as some of us guys.
Anyway Father
(s), I'd like to make a confession...I once stole
a bottle of church wine. You know, the one you always serve during communion.
Yeah, that one! I was with two other guys. We poured our inner selves with that
"spirit" not because we thought it will cleanse our soul...
we were just fools!Sorry Father, I can not tell you the other two guys were.
I maybe a thief, but I'm not a rat! :-)
Bayanihan Spirit
Last Saturday I had the rare opportunity to
watch our very own world-renowned
"Bayanihan" dance group. The cultural show was hosted by the city where I work and helped
raise funds for a new medical clinic in
Sariaya, Quezon.
The event was a delightful one with extravagant performances, colorful customes, and of course, some
hunk guys &
beautiful pinays gracefully making their waves on the stage.
The show really brought back some good memories of our high school life as I remember being part of the "Junior Knights of Columbus" performing similar dance numbers like
"sayaw sa bangko" and many more during town fiestas.
I can't even believe I was once part of that performing arts. Actually, many of us were.
We were all together at one time! Simple lang ang needs natin nuon. Masaya, may layunin, may pagkaka-isa! But now that we've grown apart, of course,
na-iba na! We all have our own different needs...
emotionally, spiritually, physically, and financially. Some may have more needs than others and our missions in life maybe different, or
some share the same.
But I don't think we've lost all that
spirit even after many years apart. We can still bring back the good ol' times, if only we could try.
One batch, one vision!I know...it's easy for me to say! But the thing is, we all know we can do anything if we do it together...you and me!
However, as it stands right now, it will take a gargantuan effort just to bring everybody back to the same place where we once shared dreams.
The planning of this reunion is just a
simple test for each one of us. Some are
determined, some are
scared. Some are
well aware of it, some are just
plainly clueless. Some just
play it by ears, and some
just simply ignore it.oh well, different strokes for different folks!
I Say Tomayto, You Say Tomahto
A meeting was held yesterday and surprisingly, a question was asked
why we are combining PES '74 & SDA '78 in this reunion.
The main reason why we are doing it that way is because,
first, we never really had a elementary reunion,
as far as I know!Secondly, since most, if not all members of SDA alumni came from PES, we might as well have a reunion althogether,
hitting two birds with one stone so to speak.Ruffy L
raised an issue that since he and some other SDA alumni were NOT from PES, it might be
"awkward" for them to get into the
"mix" when the reunion comes because
they don't know some of the attendees from elementary group.
While I realized his concern,
let's look at the other side of the coin.
If I were to make an argument to that,
I would say,
what about those PES alumni who did NOT go to SDA? Should they be concerned too because they didn't come from the same high school like most of us?
I really don't understand what's the big deal about having a
"combined" reunion. After all, some of the attendees, even if they are from PES AND/OR SDA, there is a possibility that I don't know or recognize some of them even though
I am a product of both. I will be then in the same
"awkward" situation like Ruffy L
emphatically raised. And if that's the case, should I make that an issue, too?
I know! It would really be nice to have everybody on the same page, or in this case, in the same place, when the reunion comes...be it from another grade school or another high school.
But then again, where do we draw the line? No matter how we do it, we can't really please everybody.
I say
tomayto, and you say
tomahto! You say
potahto, I say
potayto.
Tomahto, tomayto...potayto, potahto~ ...aghhhhhh!
,
