Sagot said Parangal para Kay Domingo Soriano Subia, Nob. 9 2012

Maganding gabi po sa inyo. Ako po si Vkyh Subia Ungco, ang bunsong anak ni Daddy Domingo.

 Ako po, kasama ang aking buong pamilya, ay taus-pusong nagpapasalamat sa inyong pagparito at pakikiramay sa pagpanaw ng aking mahal na ama.

 Daddy Domeng was a very good family man. Good provider po ang daddy namin. Loyal, faithful and
loving husband to his first wife, my mother, the late Gloria Cruz Subia at sa aking stepmother na si Tita Amelia. Doting lolo and great grand lolo din po ang Daddy sa kanyang mga apo.

 He gave me and my older brother, Manny or Banunu, as my dad fondly called him, a good Catholic education.

 Malimit pong kasapi ng mga organisasyon ang aking ama sa simbahan at maging sa aming bayan. Sa kanya ko po marahil nakuha ang inspirasyong maging involved din sa aking mga advocacies sa simbahan at sa lungsod ng Taguig.

 Spoiler po ang Daddy namin. Very loving, even to a fault. He doted on us by giving us everything that we needed and wanted. Di pa man uso ang branded, meron na po kami noon dahil kay Daddy.

 May access naman siya sa mga ganoong bagay dahil empleyado siya ng isang multinational company, ang SC Johnson and Sons, Inc.

Nagsimula po siya dun bilang isang salesman and he rose up the ranks to become an International Consultant. He and Mommy Gloria were able to travel extensively and see the world.

 Pero ano man po ang naranasan naming kaginhawaan noon ay hindi dumating ng madali sa aking Daddy. Ito po ay kanyang pinagsikapan at pinagtrabahuhan.

 Dad was a smart, talented, hardworking man who came from a simple family with simple means. Pero nakita po niya ang kahalagahan ng edukasyon at pagsusumikap. Iniangat at pinagbuti po niya ang kanyang sarili at naitaguyod niya ang kanyang pamilya ng maayos.

 Si Daddy Domeng po ay anak ni Fidel Subia at Potenciana Soriano, parehong tubong Bataan – sa Balanga at Orion. Ang aking Lolo ay nagtrabaho bilang civilian employee sa Corregidor Island, isang US Military Base. Siya po ay kapatas sa Ammunition at Artillery Unit doon.

 Kaya po kung nakilala niyo po ang aking Daddy noong siya ay nabubuhay pa, malamang nabanggit niya sa inyo na siya ay “born and raised in Corregidor,” isang bagay na talagang ipinagmamalaki niya. 

Sa Corregidor, siya at ang mga kapatid niya ay nakatanggap ng magandang edukasyon at nagkaroon ng pagkakataong ma-enjoy ang maraming perks of American living. Doon, natuto silang mag-bike, mag-swim at mag-tennis.

 Siguro, doon nakuha ni Daddy ang kanyang pagka-articulate, pagka-matalino at pagkahilig sa sports at pagiging health and fitness buff.

 Pero noong Second World War, when the Japanese invaded the Philippines, napaalis ang lahat ng civilian employees at ang kanilang mga pamilya na naninirahan sa Corregidor.

 Si Daddy at ang kanyang mga magulang at mga kapatid ay umuwi ng Bataan at doon, siya ay sumapi sa Guerilla Movement. Pinalad naman siya na hindi mapasama sa Death March noong bumagsak ang Corregidor at Bataan.

 However, his older brother, Conrado, was not so fortunate. Isa siyang professor noon at UP ROTC commandant but he was not able to survive the concentration camp.

Wagas po ang pagmamahal ni Daddy sa Pilipinas at ipinagmamalaki rin po niya ang kanyang pagka-Pilipino, kahit na noong nasa Amerika na siya.

 Hindi po siya nawalan ng pag-asa na bubuti ang kondisyon ng ating bayan at madalas po niyang tinuturuan ang aking mga anak at pamangkin tungkol sa ating kasaysayan. Marahil, itong pag-ibig sa bayan rin ang nagtulak sa kanyang sumama sa resistance laban sa mga Hapon, bilang guerilla.

Nang mag-surrender ang Bataan at Corregidor, Dad, with the rest of his family, managed to escape Bataan and flee to Ususan, Taguig. Sumakay po sila ng bangka at binaybay ang Manila Bay patungong Pasig River hanggang mahantong nila ang bayan ng Taguig.

Daddy studied in Rizal High School and earned a degree in Accountancy at the Jose Rizal College.

Sa Taguig na rin po sila nagkakilala ng aking ina, si Mommy Gloria, na isa sa mga unang midwife o komadrona ng Taguig Rural Health Unit.

 Daddy considered Taguig his hometown, as much as he did Bataan. Dito po ay naging aktibo siya sa paglilingkod sa Sta. Ana Church bilang member ng church choir at Legion of Mary. Naging kasapi rin po siya ng Kiwanis International at naging Grand Knight ng Knights of Columbus. Isa rin po siya sa mga nagtatag ng Ususan Credit Union.

 Ganito pong uri ng civic, community and church involvement ang kinalakihan naming magkapatid. Dahil po sa ipinundar ng aming mga magulang, nagkaroon kami ng maraming kaibigan at kakilala sa Taguig, lalong lalo na sa barrio ng Ususan.

In 1984, my mother passed away. Iniwan po niyang nagdadalamhati ang aking ama at kaming mga anak at apo niya. But my father was a resilient man and if pain and obstacles were put before him, his only response was to pray, trudge slowly, move on and move forward. My father may have lost the love of his life but he did not lose his spirit.

 Naglakbay po siyang muli.

Nakatanggap siya ng magandang offer na magtrabaho sa isang multinational company sa Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Dito, namalagi ang aking ama at naging successful na Filipino expat. Nanatili din siyang committed sa kanyang pananampalataya bilang Katoliko at Kristiyano kahit na mahirap itong gawin noon sa bansang tulad ng Saudi.

Ncoong siya ay minsang bumisita sa Amerika, nakilala niya ang isang kababayan, si Tita Amelia, at sila ay nagpakasal noong 1988. Dahilan siguro sa aking attachment sa aking ina at agam-agam tungkol sa kanilang whirlwind relationship, tumutol ako sa kanilang relasyon noong una. But I was proven wrong.

In their life together, my dad embarked once more on a new journey, a new beginning. Again, he strived to become a good husband and a good family man.

 Nakita ko po na naging masaya ang aking Daddy kay Tita Amelia. Nakita ko ang pagmamahal nila sa isa’t isa. At nasaksihan ko rin ang pag-aaruga ni Tita kay Daddy hanggang sa kanyang mga huling araw dito.

Nang bumalik sila dito sa Pilipinas, matapos ang matagal na paninirahan sa Amerika, naging abala muli ang Daddy sa mga gawain ng Senior Citizens at ng Filipino-American Veterans Federation.

In his 88 years on earth, my Dad lived a full and happy life.

Nalulungkot man po kami ngayon at nami-miss namin siya, nakakahanap po kami ng konswelo kapag nakikita namin ang mga taong natulungan niya, kapag naalala namin ang mga magagandang alaalang iniwan niya.

If I were to describe my father, I would call him a traveler, an adventurer, a man constantly journeying. Manlalakbay po ang tatay ko.

Hindi po takot si Daddy na lundagin ang buhay. He was not afraid to take chances, to seek out his happiness, to look for a greater sense of fulfillment and lastly, to grasp a deeper opportunity to serve.

 Lahat po ng pinagdaanan ni Daddy sa kanyang paglalakbay sa buhay ay kinapulutan niya ng aral at hindi siya naging madamot sa pagbabahagi nito sa lahat ng kanyang nakasalamuha.

Sa kanya po namin natutunan ang pagmamahal sa pamilya, ang importansya ng pagpapabuti ng sarili at ang kahalagahan ng pagtulong sa kapwa.

 My father was not a perfect man, but he tried to be a good man, the best man he could be – always, a good example to his family and his community.

 Maraming salamat po sa inyong pagpaparangal sa aking ama. Batid ko po na nasaan man siya ngayon, he is looking down at us with a big smile and with great appreciation for this honor you have bestowed upon him.

Robert Fulghum once said,

 “Hope always triumphs over experience. Laughter is the cure for grief. Love is stronger than death.” Wherever you are Dad, keep smiling. We love you.

Sagot said Parangal Kay Domingo Soriano Subia, Nob. 3, 2012

Ka Luring's Anima

*written ten years ago by Mrs. Vkyh Subia–Ungco as written testimony for Ka Luring’s bid for the Mother Teresa Award

I have known Ms. Loreana Franco as “Ka Luring” since I was a grade school student. As a young girl, I’d be waiting idly in our sala when Ka Luring would arrive in a jeepney full of white clad women who went with her to have merienda in our house, served by my mother, the late Gloria Subia.

My mother would tell me that these women whom Ka Luring accompanied to our home were RWM Sisters who conduct apostolate work in our hometown, Taguig. They were only a few of Ka Luring’s countless friends, I would soon find out.

Some days, I’d come home to young seminarians that would stay at our house as they went on their immersion programs in our area. Ka Luring, the sisters and the seminaristas became regular guests in our house.

Being one of only two children born to my father, Domingo and my mother, Gloria, I found friendship and fellowship with our frequent visitors. Some of them would eventually become my mom’s inaanaks. One of the nuns is now a Mother Superior and one among the seminarians is now a Monsignor.

I grew up seeing Ka Luring in our house at least once a week. She would always be asking for something or a favor of some kind – pamasahe for strangers she met on the street, pambili ng gamot or pambayad sa ospital for the indigent and the poor, even pambili ng sabon or lumang damit for prisoners or victims of a flood.

She came so often that one day our puzzled maid asked my mother, “Bakit po ba siya palaging narito at nanghihingi? Wala po ba siyang trabaho?” My mother had to explain that Ka Luring is a catechist, going about her work as a volunteer. While it’s true that Ka Luring is constantly soliciting help, she is always asking for help for other people. Whatever she does, she does it for others, not herself. In fact, Ka Luring never sleeps with money in her pockets. At the end of each day, she literally empties herself for the benefit of others, for she believes that her God always will provide.

Ka Luring is the modern-day Apostle. She lives a very simple and austere life. She is always burdened by other people’s problems but it seems she would not want to live any other way.

It has been her custom to leave her house at four in the morning to attend mass then go about the barrio or the village to visit and bring communion to the sick.

My mother frequently allowed me to tag along with Ka Luring on some occasions and on one of her sick visits, she brought me to call on an old and pious priest in the Ateneo, possibly a Jesuit, whose name I cannot recall now.

She said that visiting the old and sick people like the priest inspires her and gives her strength. As she goes about her regular visits, she also goes about soliciting allowance for her fellow volunteer catechists, stipends for priests, allowances or tuition fees for seminarians.

Ka Luring’s service to community is great. When she is not busy scouting for sponsors for church workers’ retreats or donors for construction or renovation of a church, she is busy sourcing funds for someone’s transportation fare back to the province or leading a padasal for the Dead.

Sometimes, she also gets invited to give lectures before seminarians, fellow catechists, lay leaders, other religious organizations and many more. On top of all her speaking engagements, she also has regular work as a volunteer catechist in a public school. She is also the favorite utusan to get a priest to bless or say mass when there seems to be a lack of them because she knows most priests and priests know her and it’s not easy for them to say no to her requests.

Ka Luring is such a prayerful person. When I was still a student in high school, through college, I would always seek her when I have a difficult test coming. I would say that she was vital in ensuring that I finished my studies with relative ease. As an adult, I have made fair decisions and overcome life challenges because she, my prayer partner cum prayer warrior is an effective instrument – Malakas siya sa Itaas!

People from all walks of life would come to her asking for prayers. For God and her faith, Ka Luring never did anything halfheartedly. Whenever you ask her to pray for something, especially for something grave or serious, she would go to a convent in Tagaytay, pray for hours in front of the Blessed Sacrament and impose upon herself personal sacrifices like fasting to make her prayers more effective. Ka Luring never asked for anything in return for all of these.

I am proud to say that Ka Luring has influenced me in a lot of ways. The environment I grew up with with Ka Luring’s Anima ever present somehow contributed to who I am now. My involvement in the community, helping the poor and the marginalized, sprung from some summers of teaching catechism and visiting prisoners in Muntinlupa with Ka Luring.

In my high school and college years, she also inspired me to join organizations that provided visitations to the homeless, the sick, the mentally ill and the old. She opened my eyes to life’s realities and instilled in me a great conviction that I must allow God to use me as an instrument to do good.

Now that I am a mother of three – ages 24, 18 and 8 – my respect and regard for Ka Luring as a mentor has never waned but has been more enriched by her unceasing works of faith and charity and her genuine dedication to her chosen vocation all these years.

She is still the same Ka Luring I have known several years back and the one and the same Ka Luring to my family and to the throng of people whose lives she has touched and for whom she has prayed.

Ka Luring is one of the few completely selfless people I have known or heard about,

who have given most of their lives to serving the Lord and His people. Winning the Mother Teresa Award will be a modest but fitting reward to the magnitude of service she has done for her community.

Thousands of untold stories surround the life of Ka Luring. If all her deeds and ways could be written into a story, it would be a powerful, impressive testament to the goodness and faithfulness of our Lord.

Remembering Ninong Rafael "Boy" J. Dizon, Jr.

(Eulogy delivered during the wake of Mr. Rafael J. Dizon, Jr. last July 31, 2009 at the Shrine of St. Therese, Pasay City)

Ninong Boy received but he gave more. He was selfless. He lived with humility, with hands always open to everyone who needed him.

There are so many stories to tell about how Ninong Boy touched so many lives including all of us here, that to tell all of them would be enough to fill a book. Yet some deserve to be told again so that all of us here who were not fortunate enough to know him that well, could somehow bear witness to the kind of life he lead.

To me, Ninong Boy was a boss, confidant, friend, benefactor, kumpare, ninong at higit sa lahat pangalawang ama sa amin ni Monching, my husband, at sa aming tatlong anak: Rj, Ginger and Monique. Magaling siyang makisama. Palagay ang loob at mapag-tiwala. Ang tiwala na ipinadama nya sa aming mag-asawa ay di matatawaran. Ito’y aming pinagkakaingatan at binibigyan ng lubos na pagpapahalaga hanggang ngayon.

Kami ni Monching ang unang inaanak sa kasal nina Boy at Shalene. Ginampanan nila ng husto ang pagiging pangalawang magulang sa amin.

Then, Monching was with Soriamont Trading Corp. and I was with Tierra Factors Corporation. We both had very good and promising careers ahead of us. But when Boy invited us to join him in his business ventures, we did not hesitate. Malakas ang tiwala namin na di nya kami papabayaan.

First, they ventured into harvesting sea cucumber, abalone sharks fin and other seafood products in Tonga and Samoa. But when that venture ended, the working partnership and friendship did not end with it.

Ninong Boy had a brilliant mind in business. He was very good in spotting business potential and opportunities. Thus came into existence Allied Port Services, Inc. (APSI), 7-R Port Services, DASSAD Dangerous Cargo and Warehousing Corp., 7-R Trading, 7-R Disc Lock, 7-R International, 7-R Realty, ATI, Victoria Wave, Panel System, Hyjet Philippines, Victoria Woodworks, Magnificat Ventures to name a few.

But his was not a one-track mind. He had room for experimental endeavors. He valued innovation and ingenuity too. He was the first to fund Mr. Dingle in his attempt to discover water to run car engines. He thought of producing alternative fuel through the use of water lily. He designed lightweight PVC boats, and panel systems. He had brilliant ideas and propositions for waste and garbage disposal, reforestation programs, water transport systems in Pasig River and Laguna Bay, homecare systems for the elderly, retirement homes for priests and many, many more. He would talk to me lengthily about these especially during those times when he was sick and on “house arrest.”

Boy was not a difficult boss. But he could be very demanding. When he assigns something to you, you must prepare and do your homework before facing him. You should never wait for him to follow-up or wait for the deadline. But with demands, came his generous rewards.

I never had difficulty in proposing benefits for the employees for he liked to give the best to his employees. Even with my already “handsome” recommendations, his would be more generous because he believed that a happy and satisfied employee would be the best of employees.

Our company’s compensation and benefit package was one of the best in the industry. But he believed in accountability too. If you had been remiss of your duties or had fallen below what is right and honorable, you could wake up to find your resignation accepted.

He also believed that running a business is like running a family with him being the head. He taught, guided, provided, admonished, and reprimanded but always, with compassion and love.

He was not a staunch advocate of family planning. He loved children. That was why he had so many extended families. To him, all people under his employ were his family. He even prodded us to have a bigger family. And had we not heeded his advice, wala sana kaming Monique ngayon, our youngest.

As an incentive he sponsored our honeymoons to Hongkong and in Singapore. He would check on me monthly kung buntis na ako. He would even ask kung ano pa kailangan para mag-anak pa ulit ako! He even suggested for me to seek the advice of a specialist. And when I finally got pregnant, aside from Monching and I, he was the happiest. Maybe, he was more happy than us!

In his utmost joy, and much to our disapproval, he helped shoulder my delivery expenses. He even asked if I would like to give birth in the States. But I told him I have the best OBGyne in the country, Dr. Greg Pastorfide. Not satisfied, he and Shalene even offered to stand as principal sponsors to Monique’s christening.

Husband and wife were my shoulders to cry on, my confidants my advisors. We laughed and cried together. They let us in their lives without reservations. I could talk to Ninong Boy like a little child to her father. I could make lambing to him. I could always talk to him and even pacify him at times or make him laugh when he is in a bad mood.

We were fortunate to have been invited to almost all their family gatherings that we felt we were already part of his immediate family. It also included even their trips, here and abroad.He also loved food. That is why his sickness was more difficult for him. His love for food was the reason why my son, RJ, whenever we go out, would rather go with him than anyone else including us, his own parents.

RJ believed that with his Tito Boy, food abounded and there was no chance at all that he would go hungry. Ninong Boy never frustrated RJ’s hunger. RJ was encouraged by Ninong Boy to eat as much as he can. Kahit nung araw pa man, uso na sa kanila yung “eat all you can”. Just to ensure that they are on the same page, they even developed a finger sign each for “busog na” and “pwede pa”.

Such was Ninong Boy’s character. He was a very accommodating person. He had a very big heart.

Before, Ninong Boy seldom got sick but when he did it was always diffifcult. In the late 1970’s he had acromegali or gigantism. A decade after that he had encephalitis. A shunt had to be placed in his head to drain the fluid. This was his first initiation to a series of illnesses that would come later.

It was after this near-death experience that he had an epiphany of sorts. He realized that God had allowed him to live because he had a special mission to accomplish.

This was when he became more involved in building and renovating churches, sponsoring livelihood programs, supporting micro-lending facilities, giving educational grants, adopting poor communities, and other philanthropic missions.

He never asked proof of payment, receipts or an accounting of the generous donations he gave. And when asked why, his answer was always “Sa itaas na ang accounting nyan,” as he pointed to the heavens and made a big smile.

The number of people who benefited from his generosity grew in leaps and bounds. These are the same people who became our prayer partners or prayer warriors in his critical moments. They were the ones who bombarded the high heavens with prayers for God to heal him and help him recover from his very serious illnesses.

Throughout these difficult times, his love for Shalene and her love for him also shone through. In Shalene’s tireless care for her husband and his devotion to her, God was able to remind them and even those of us who bore witness, to the reality of unconditional and boundless love. Bagay na bagay sila kasi kung ano ang nilaki ng puso ni Boy, siya namang lawak ng pag-aaruga at pang-unawa ni Shalene. I think Boy also found the strength to go on despite his condition because he felt the unwavering love and faith of his wife and family in him.

The twenty or so years (from 1988 to 2009) that God had given as an extension to Boy’s life was more than one could ever ask for. Ninong Boy was able to fully prepare himself for his date with the Lord for he had accomplished the mission given him and more.

Thank you Ninong Boy for letting us be part of your rich and noble life. Your memory will live on. Thank you to Shalene and to his children for sharing him with us and supporting him in his vision. Thank you for the generosity and for allowing us all to be part and beneficiaries of it.

Good bye Ninong Boy, we will miss you. We love you.

Disregard of rules and policy a sin of omission?

There are some people branded for being a stickler to policy. I will not deny that I am a stickler especially when I have a clear conscience abiding by it (meaning not using it as a means of escape).

I wouldn't mind being branded as such when I know that it will be for the benefit of many. I would not mind it if it is the way that we could set direction and account for our actions. I would not mind it if it will be the way of setting control and discipline to some misguided heads. I would not mind it if it would set straight and drive home points especially to the young on how to behave, how to respect themselves and others, how to have the right attitude, how to be just and fair. I would not mind it if it is the way that I can show my respect to life and God's creatures.

So too is: Policy is respect for superiors. Policy is obedience. The boss has the "last say", the boss is always right, the boss must be followed. Following that thought would it then be a sin of omission to disregard the implementation of a policy when asked for the sake of convenience, accommodation, saving face or avoidance of conflict?

Is it bad then to be a stickler of rules? When is it right to say to better ignore or disobey it than create trouble?

I believe that when a policy is deemed obsolete then all efforts should be done to review, amend or scrap it all together to avoid commotion, misunderstanding, and chaos. But when the implementation is selective, it just can't be... it is unfair!

Traumatic Dream

I had a quantum biofeedback scanning done on me for better health management in early part of April this year. The machine has an uncanny ability to scan for imbalances in the various levels of the biofields of the body. It was in this session that I was told that the amalgam fillings in my teeth should be removed because they are poison and causing much of the ailments in my body. The readings were all unclear to me, I was given numbers and symbols which I just could not at all understand. However, what amazed me was the part when the machine gave some numbers (representing my age) supposedly the times in my life I went through some traumatic experience. The numbers given were four, six, ten, twenty-four (4,6,10,24,etc.). And like a movie flashback, I found myself reminiscing what had happened to me at age ten.

As a backgrounder, my dad was a salesman with a big tobacco company in the early '60s and his work would require him on the road and out of town most of the time. But as a dutiful husband and father, he made sure that he would be home during weekends or during special occasions.

In summer of 1963, I was requested to be the Reyna Elena in the May festival celebration in our barrio, Ususan, Taguig. It was a big event in my life. Not all girls were given the privilege of being one. I woke up excited for the event and for my dad's homecoming. I knew this was one occasion he would not miss and he gave me that promise. I fervently hoped that he would arrive early so I can show off to him my beautiful gown and so that he could accompany me to the parlor to have my long hair done. I spent the whole day on the stairway waiting for him. Afternoon came and there was no sign of him not even a call from him. My mom assured me that he would come. Nightfall came and still dad had not arrived. My mom said that I better get prepared because the "musico" or the marching band would come anytime soon to fetch me for the procession. I remembered wearing a bad face all throughout the procession because I did not have my dad with me. The procession ended without him. My mom could not assuage my feelings. I was feeling something more. I was so afraid and I thought I knew why. I can't tell anyone what I felt because they would not believe me. Besides, I was not that sure. My mom could not make me stop crying. Then an emissary came and told us a bad news; my dad had an accident. The vehicle he was riding turn-turtled and fell into a ravine somewhere in Baguio while he as on his way home. We came to know later that he was brought to the orthopedic hospital because he sustained some broken bones in the rib cage area.

When dad came out of the hospital, he recounted to us how the accident happened. He said that the road was slippery and his driver made a poor calculation of the road curves. The last thing he knew was the vehicle slid on the side of the cliff and plunge into the ravine. He managed to open the door and jumped out of the car and luckily hit soft soil. However, a few seconds later, he felt a heavy thud on his chest. The vehicle landed on top of him! His driver was able to get out of the car and asked for help. They were rescued in no time. As he was reminiscing, he said that he was saved by Mama Mary. He had the rosary in his hand when the incident happened.

I now have this confession to make I have kept this a secret since I was a child of 10. I knew the reason why I was so afraid because I knew that something bad was going to happen. I saw it in my dream the night before. I saw my dad inside a coffin, wearing a muddied undershirt, no trace of blood or bruise, holding his rosary. But when I looked at him closely, he smiled at me. He is alive!

The doctor herself was so amazed of my revelation. I never realized too that that childhood incident would haunt me 'til now and deeply embedded still in my subconscious. Who would know that one traumatic experience could start from one bad dream?

Post script

Had the incident happened today I think I could have averted the mishap because I would do everything within my powers to warn him and hopefully he would heed my request.

Dad is now eighty-five (85) years old, healthy and strong, and enjoying his retirement with my stepmom, Amelia (mom died in 1984) here in the Philippines with my family. I am happy because Mama Mary and her Son Jesus have given him a good lease on life.

Love the Priests, Love the Church (In memory of mommy Glo)

I grew up, as I've said in my testimonial to Ka  Loring Franco, a Mother Theresa Awardee in 2002, surrounded with men and women in cloak. My mom Gloria Cruz Subia and Ate Luming, mom's eldest sister were supporters and benefactors of persons with vocation entering the seminary or the convent to serve the Lord.  A good number of them have successfully finished their studies, ordained or have professed their vows and now occupy coveted positions in the church hierarchy.

My mom was not only a benefactor to them but a surrogate mother too.  She was there anytime these seminarians and postulants need help, personal or otherwise. They were my big brothers or big sisters.  As a young girl, sometimes they will tag me along while going around the barrio conducting part of their immersion requirement   as catechist, community workers, pre-school teachers, parish helpers, etc. I was a silent listener when they talked about their hardships, the struggles they had with their studies, superiors, peers or even their families (I was at times privy to their personal crises, too). I have witnessed attending several priestly ordinations or profession of vows, and installation of assignments.  We were there too visiting them in hospitals when the toil of hard work catches up or  in the seminaries where they were sent back to be taken cared of  because they were not fit anymore to do parochial or missionary duties.

This experience I had with these men and women in my young age had greatly affected me with my dealings with priests and nuns.  I think i had imbibed the role of my mom and my aunt in my little way the support I give to would-be priests and would-be nuns and to my priest and nun friends.  I am proud that my whole family, my husband Monching and children Rj, Ginger and Monique has fully supported me in this endeavor.

My involvement in the church is all the more deepened by my two closest friends and brothers in Christ, Rev. Frs. Anton Pascual and Benny Tuazon. They had exposed me not only with regards to the faith but in community service as well. They are both infectious!!! Their dedication, commitment, selflessness, humility and awareness to the needs of the poor is beyond reproves. 

In early 1998 Fr. Anton approached me to temporarily relieve him as Exec. Director of Simbayanan ni Maria Foundation, Inc. He promised me that it will just be a short stint. He said he would like to have some learning space while embarking on the new job assigned to him as Executive Director of Caritas Manila and he will claim back the position once done.  Since I was a neophyte in community service, he instructed our community organizer to orient me and give me a first hand experience in the community. 

 And baptism of fire it was!! One early morning Russell, our community organizer cum project coordinator, asked me to accompany him survey a community where we will conduct our medical/dental mission. As eager as I was, I gamely accepted. I liked to look  good and make an impression, I put on sandals, jeans and branded shirt we went. I brought a car and parked it in a nearby store and walked a few hundred meters to the meeting area.  Russell was known to the community. People (mothers and kids), upon seeing us followed us happily at the same time calling out to their neighbors announcing that we have arrived. Before we reached the meeting area, we passed by narrow interiors and even within the perimeter walls of some houses. From dry land, the street became wet, then muddy and muddier. I thought maybe we were just taking an easy way to the site. As we reach the end of the pasillo, I saw group of women seated on rickety benches on the muddied pool of water.  We were warmly greeted and given a seat. By this time my sandals and the helms of my jeans were already soaking wet with dirty water with obnoxious stench. I tried to put up a strong front while we were conducting "need analysis", but the foul smell and mud now caked in my feet was just too much to bear. Towards the end of the session, when we were discussing our plans and programs for the community, I felt nauseous and my stomach churning.  I was turning pale. The community noticed it happening and I was on the verge of passing out.  Strong hands literally lifted me up and brought me out of the area.  They profusely apologized but I can't say enough. Once I have breathed fresh air, drank cold water  and regained my consciousness I asked Russell for us to leave.  I felt ashamed. They did not condemn me or made fun of me for my weakness, rather, what I saw in them was genuine concern for me. They comforted me. That's when I realized what Fr. Anton was saying all the time that "there is no poor man however poor who could not give and there is no rich man however rich who would not need".  That experience gave me the strength to take up the challenge of working in the community and it has been my resolve since then.

Working in a Parish Office was farthest to my mind. Fr. Anton when he was our parish priest, never invited me to work in the parish. He knew then perhaps that I am not cut for such kind of work. I was a corporate person. But Fr. Benny when he became the parish priest of St. Alphonsus Mary de Liguori in Magallanes, thought otherwise.  He knew what to do.. "niligawan nya ang asawa ko, si Monching" before he talked to me and convinced me to work with him in the parish as a volunteer. I never knew that parish work could be very fulfilling and rewarding and at times challenging . Working in the parish with the team of volunteers and church workers make us an alter ego of the priest. We help the parish priest run the parish office, coordinate with the lay leaders with regards to the programs and activities of the church, process documents for sacramental requirements, assist in the day to day operation of the parish, help take care in the preservation of records and assets of the church, answers questions that pertains to the policies and procedures, etc. One important message that Fr. Benny has time and again hammering into our heads is that we as workers in the church must always be a messenger of truth. Our very presence should help deepen the faith of the church goers and project an image of compassion, tranquility and humility. Fr. Benny said we are the frontliners we should serve with charity in order to bring people closer to God. Now I fully understand what he meant when he said "our work is our ministry".

I owe my mom a lot for making me of who i am now. The legacy she left  imprinted in me the love and respect for the servants of the Lord.  And I wish I could also be like my mom who is worthy of emulation by my children and grandchildren.