Support the Sumilao March

When I read about the story of the Sumilao farmers for the first time a few months ago, I took interest right away and thought of a way to help them out in their cause and struggle. Maybe because Bukidnon has a special place in my heart. I was a Jesuit Volunteer in Bukidnon 15 years ago. The memories of the warmth, sincerity and simplicity of the people of Bukidnon are still fresh. My sweet Bukidnon home...

Who are the Sumilao farmers? October 9, 2007 marked the 10th anniversary of their hunger strike. These farmers renewed their struggle in reclaiming the land (144 hectares in all) that was taken from them ten years ago. Fifty five of them started walking on October 10, 2007 from Bukidnon and hoping to reach Manila on December 10, International Human Rights Day. And they did. After braving 1,700kms, crossing, not only towns, but provinces and islands and not to forget the alternating rains, sunshine and storms, they reached their target destination where they are hoping against hope to receive justice.


This march is their non-violent way to voice out and demand their rights over their lands which belong to them and their ancestors. Their act should awaken the whole nation and make us understand the importance of the agrarian reform. They represent not only the struggle of the farmers of Sumilao but the thousands of farmers all over the country.

Yesterday I went to their camp site in front of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) together with some 25 parishioners. We were invited by San Jose Seminary to help feed the farmers since they are running out of budget and the decision of the DAR secretary seems to be taking longer than needed. As early as 5:30 in the morning our volunteers were already preparing the food that we were supposed to bring to the farmers. It seemed like another one of those out-of-town activities where everyone was excited to join. But when we reached the site in front of the DAR building and the farmers started arriving after another march, our parishioners knew they were face to face with some serious business. The first thing we noticed was the parol hanging outside their camp made up of all the slippers they used during their 2-month walk. The gloomy and tired faces of the farmers moved us. They held on to the gates of the DAR begging and crying for justice. Some women were already suffering from fever and colds and even succumbed to fainting. Their feet aching with sores and bruises. And yet their determination was unfaltering, unwavering. "Ihatag ang yuta sa Sumilao." (Give the land to Sumilao.)



I know deep in their hearts my parishioners realized they received more than they gave. They gave food and water, and in return they were given some lessons about life. I was really determined to bring along parishioners to join the Sumilao farmers for them to realize that sometimes we become too parochial in our concerns. We fight about petty things, we quarrel about irrelevant matters, and we give up when faced with problems. These farmers are not just fighting for a piece of land. They are fighting for their ancestors, for their rights, for their dignity as human beings. They were fighting for what remains of the things they can really call their own.

When we joined them for lunch, I felt I was transported back to Bukidnon. I felt once again their sincerity and admired once again their simplicity. Yet more than that, their determination and hope inspired me. The first lines of their anthem started to ring back ...

"Wherever I may roam,
the distant land to see
I long to be with you
My sweet Bukidnon home..."

Bataan Pilgrimage 2007

Youth Pilgrimage 2007

The Archdiocesan Parish Youth Ministry (APYM) of Makati District (Makati, Mandaluyong, Pasay, San Juan) is organizing a Youth Pilgrimage to Bataan. It will be on November 30, 2007. Bishop Soc Villegas earlier promised to be the pilgrimage guide himself if his schedule would allow him to do so. It is just sad that only two participants per parish ( a total of 110 participants to load the two buses) can join the said pilgrimage as our budget would allow. Bishop Soc already told me that we shall visit the Churches in Balanga, Pilar, Orion, Limay, Abucay, and Orani.

Why do Christians go on pilgrimage? Allow me to quote some excerpts from the book "The Way of the Lord" by Tom Wright:

"First, pilgrimage to holy places has a valuable role within the Church's teaching ministry... You might, in principle, have learnt such things [i.e. about the pilgrimage sites] from books, lectures and television; but there is something about simply being there which, for most people, goes to the heart of things.

"Second, pilgrimage to holy places is a stimulus and an invitation to prayer. Those who, like me, share the privilege of worshiping and praying regularly in an ancient holy place know well how those who come are regularly moved to pray by such a building... I cannot describe the sense of intimacy this evoked.

"Third, pilgrimage to holy places, though neither necessary nor sufficient for Christian living, can be for many a time for real growth and depth in discipleship. This may have something to do with the sheer fact of traveling away from home, looking for something we don't yet know about.

"My hope and prayer, then, for all who go on pilgrimage, is that thay may make right use of their time of journeying: to learn new things, yes; to pray new prayers, yes; but most of all to take fresh steps along the road of discipleship that leads from the earthly city to the city that is to come, whose builder and maker is God." (pp. 9-11)

I hope the youth pilgrimage to Bataan become a fruitful journey for the youth.

Barangay Elections 2007

"IT IS TREASON FOR A LEADER TO LEAD WITHOUT A VISION." Sa mga taong-simbahan sa Archdiocese of Manila, tiyak na alam agad ninyo kung sino ang madalas magsabi ng mga pananalitang iyan. Umpisa pa lamang ng kanyang panunungkulan bilang Arsobispo ng Maynila, parang iyan na ang constant refrain ni Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales o ni Lolo Dency. Sabi niya, pagtataksil o pagkakanulo ang mamuno na walang pananaw. Kung walang pananaw o pangarap ang isang pinuno, saan niya dadalahin o aakayan ang kanyang mga pinamumunuan?

Kagabi ay dinaos sa ating parokya ang Candidates' Forum na inihanda at inihandog sa atin ng PPCRV (maraming salamat sa napakasipag na si Sis. Chat at mga kasama). Halos lahat naman ng kumakandidato bilang kagawad at kapitan ay nagsidalo at napakinggan. Katulad ng obserbasyon ng nakararami, maayos naman daw ang daloy ng forum -- walang bastusan, walang bangayan, walang babuyan (maliban sa ilang patutsada noong huling limang minuto ng forum).

Maganda ang mga pananalita. Malinaw na malinaw na pinaghandaan ng nakararaming kandidato ang kanilang mga sasabihin. Napakagandang pakinggan ng mga salita. Subalit iyon siguro ang kagandahan ng barangay elections. Kakilala natin ang mga nagsasalita, alam natin kung sino sila, kung anong uri ng tao, kilala ang pamilyang pinanggalingan, at kahit pag-ikut-ikutin tayo ng mabulaklak na pananalumpati, tayo ang nakakaalam kung may katotohanan ba o kung magagawa ba nila ang pinapangako (biruin ninyo, may isang 17 yr old candidate na ang mga pinangako ay katumbas na ng buong programa ng Caritas Manila at SSDM? Pabahay na lang ang kulang). Kung mas naging bukas at mapanuri ang mga nakinig kagabi, madaling malalaman kung sino ang mapagkakatiwalaan at kung sino ang hindi.

At iyon ang nakakatakot. Ilan sa mga nakinig kagabi ang dumalo dahil nais makilala ang mga kandidato at makaboto nang maayos sa Lunes? Ilan sa mga nakinig ang sarado na ang isip?

Isang tanong ang hinintay ko kagabi na sagutin ng mga kandidato bilang SK Chairman at Barangay Chairman: Ano sa palagay ninyo ang kahalagahan ng malalim na pananampalataya at takot sa Diyos para sa isang nagnanais maglingkod sa bayan? Simple ang tanong kung tutuusin. Kung nag-iisip ang mga kandidato dapat nahulaan nila na lalabas ang tanong na iyon. Pero wala akong nakuhang lalim sa mga sagot. May mga tahasang lumihis sa tanong. "Magsisimba ako." "Pupunta ako sa simbahan araw-araw." (oopps! parang di ko pa sila nakita sa simbahan? hmmm baka naman sa Pateros o sa Mater o sa Greenbelt nagsisimba. Sige na nga, benefit of the doubt.) May nagsabi din na wala sa dalas ng pagsisimba ang sukatan ng pananampalataya. Maaari nga na wala sa pagsisimba, pero nasaan? Malinaw naman ang tinutumbok ng tanong. Kung walang moralidad sa personal na buhay na nagmumula sa pananampalataya at takot sa Diyos, wala ring maaasahang moralidad sa pamumuno. Lahat ay sakop ng batas ng Diyos. At lahat ng kapangyarihan sa lupa ay nagmumula sa Diyos. Paano ka makapamumuno na isinasangtabi ang Diyos? Kung ang namumuno ay hindi nangingimi at natatakot sa Diyos, sino o ano pa ang katatakutan niya?

Sana sa Lunes pagboto natin, boboto tayo nang may pananaw. Pananaw para sa ating komunidad dito sa ating barangay. Anong barangay ang ninanais natin? Anong klase ng mga pinununo ang gusto mong pagkatiwalaan ng iyong napaka-sagradong boto? Hahayaan lamang ba nating masayang ang lahat? Another exercise in futility...??!!??

Team Building Seminar

Kadarating lang namin from Tagaytay. Katatapos lang ng one-day team-building seminar ng PPC. Kung tatanungin nyo ko, gusto ko na lang mahiga at matulog. Subalit hindi ko mapigilan ang sarili ko na magsulat at maglagay ng mga litrato kuha sa seminar. Siguro dahil naging mabiyaya ang araw. Hindi ako masyadong magbibigay ng detalye (para ma-intriga ang iba). Kami na lamang ng mga participants ang nakakaalam ng mga tunay na nangyari at kung gaano kami kasaya (muwahahahaha! inggit kayo? oops! parang pangit yata pagkakatawa ko, parang si satanas. again again ... hehehehehe!). Hayaan nyo na lang mangusap ang mga larawan. Pero may ilang insights din ako ibabahagi, bagay na hindi namin maaaring sarilihin dahil para saan ang pagninilay kung hindi naman ipangangalat at ipahahayag ang mensahe ni Lord, di ba?


KASALI LAHAT, LAHAT KASALI: Ito ang unang battle cry na itinuro sa amin. Walang magpapasaway, walang mag-iinarte sa mga activities sa seminar. Ganon din sa parokya, di ba? Paano tayo uusad kung may ayaw "sumali"? Paano magkakaroon ng pagkakaisa at mabubuo ang "sambayanan ng mga tao" kung palaging may nagpapa-importante?




WHERE REASON ENDS, FAITH BEGINS: Lahat tayo tinawag lang na maglingkod. Hindi si Fr. Eric (ako yon) ang tumawag, hindi ang kapitbahay lang o kung sino mang tao. Ang Diyos ang tumatawag. At bakit tayo ang tinatawag? Marami namang iba na mas karapat-dapat, bakit ako? Mahirap ipaliwanag sapagkat misteryoso ang pagtawag ng Diyos. Gusto mong malaman kung bakit ikaw? Tanungin mo si Lord. Pero tumugon ka muna bago ka magtanong, sapagkat baka hindi maabot ng pag-iisip natin kung bakit. Kailangan lang magtiwala, kailangan manampalataya.





AT YOUR SERVICE LORD! Sa pagtatapos ng seminar, magsisimula ang pagbubuo ng komunidad. Ang "team" ay hindi na-"build" ng seminar. Ang team ay patuloy sa proseso ng building. At susi dito ang kahandaan natin na akayin ang isa't isa patungo sa KAGANAPAN NG BUHAY! Salamat Kuya Noel at Ate Gaines. Sa loob ng isang araw muling nasariwa sa amin ang kahulugan ng paglilingkod bilang pagtugon sa tawag ng Panginoon. Salamat at hinayaan nyo kaming harapin ang bahagi ng sarili namin na mahirap tanggapin subalit hinahangad na baguhin. Mangyari nawa lahat alang-alang kay Lord.

September 12: Blessed are those who mourn...

My father passed away when I was 15 yrs old. I will never forget that day, September 12, 1986. I was already on my way to our study hall in our minor seminary in Bulacan when the rector called me. He told me I had to go to the hospital because my father was brought there that afternoon. I was half running when I left the seminary. But before I went out of the gate, I stopped and looked back at the Blessed Mother's image in the middle of the seminary grounds. The sun was setting and almost gone, but I could still see Mama Mary's image. I uttered a short prayer asking her to take care of my father no matter what. I knew it was already too late to ask for a miracle to take away his cancer. Somehow that whole year we have been preparing ourselves for the inevitable. But can we ever be really prepared for the experience of death?

I arrived in the hospital a little before 6pm. My mother, Ate Cristy and Sheila were there together with our aunts and uncles. It was quiet, it was eerie. I was brought to my father and held his hand for a while. He looked very tired. He was in terrible pain. But he recognized me. We prayed the rosary and I knew he was taking every effort to join us. I knew the struggle was nearing its end. We were able to finish praying the rosary -- his last breath, almost simultaneous with our Amen.

It was very painful for all of us especially for Ate Jane and Ruth who were not there when he passed away. They were both in school then, Ate Jane in Ateneo and Ruth in UP Baguio. They both thought it was unfair that daddy only waited for me before he left and did not wait for them as well. I'm sure later they realized that daddy needed to rest already.

Fast forward to September 12, 1998. The whole family was gathered together with our relatives and friends, not to commemorate a death anniversary, but to witness my ordination to the diaconate. Yes, on the same date when my father died, I was ordained as deacon. It was a day of blessing. It was a day of thanksgiving. Yes there were tears, but this time tears of joy. My youngest sister Sheila wrote me a letter a few years later. She told me that since our father died, she used to spend September 12 crying and remembering him and that the last time she did that was during my ordination. She knew daddy was already happy and at peace. It was a day of healing for all of us.

Another fast forward. September 12, 2000. Ate Jane gave birth to her second child Iggy. This time there were no more tears. It was a day of rejoicing as we welcomed the latest addition to our family. It was a day of thanksgiving for the gift of life.

Yesterday, September 12, I celebrated mass for three important intentions: daddy's 21st death anniversary, my 9th anniversary as a deacon and Iggy's 7th birthday. It was at first unbelievable that three memorable events happened on the same day for our family. The Gospel yesterday was the Beatitudes from St. Luke. "Blessed are you who mourn now, for you will rejoice." We mourned on September 12, 1986, but God found a way of transforming that sorrow into joy through the gift of the ordained life for me and the gift of Iggy's life. Two lives to replace that one he took back. Indeed our God is a God of surprises. He can turn things around for us, if we will only believe ... and wait...

Parishioner of the Month: Ate Noemi

May nagmungkahi sa akin na magkaroon tayo ng special feature dito sa blogspot natin, "Parishioner of the Month." Hindi ko maisip kung paano gagawin ang pagpili o pagboto. Kasi kung online voting, baka naman iboto lang ni Almond ang sarili niya ng hundred million times. Pero naisip ko na para sa buwan na ito ng Agosto, ako na ang pipili ng parishioner of the month. At ang napili ko ay walang iba kundi si Ate Noemi Hubilla.

Isa si Ate Noemi sa pinaka-unang mga naging Lector and Commentator ng ating parokya. Isang mahusay at iginagalang na guro, nakita rin ang husay niya at sipag sa pagpapahayag ng Salita ng Diyos. Hindi kalaunan ay napili siya na maging coordinator ng nasabing ministry at halos ayaw na siyang papalitan ng mga kasapi nito dahil sa kanyang mga nagawa para sa samahan lalo na sa kanilang masasayang monthly meetings. Small but terrible, wika nga.

Hindi daw niya makakalimutang karanasan nung ipinatawag ko siya noong kasalukuyang ginagawa ang altar ng ating simbahan. Sa kanya ko ipinasukat ang ginagawang lectern. Sabi ko sa engineer, hindi pwedeng sobrang taas, hindi rin pwedeng sobrang baba. Yung tamang-tama lang na maaabot ng pinaka magaling kong lector, si Ate Noemi (O, huwag na magselos ang iba. :)). Hindi daw niya yon makakalimutan kasi pinahalagahan siya. Pero may isang karanasan naman ako na di malilimutan. Minsan, pagkatapos ng misa, lumapit si Ate Noemi sa akin sa sacristy. May akay-akay na isang matandang babae. "Father, kapitbahay ko po siya. First time po niyang makasimba dito sa ating parokya. Wala daw po kasing nagsasama sa kanya at wala rin siyang mga kakilala dito sa atin kaya di siya nakakasimba. Nangako po ako na isasama ko siya dito." Hindi ko rin malaman ang sasabihin ko noong sandaling iyon sa sobrang saya. Akala ko walang nakikinig sa akin kapag nagsesermon ako. Kapag sinasabi ko na sana makapag-akay tayo ng ibang tao na makalapit sa Diyos at lalo na sa Banal na Misa. Si Ate Noemi, hindi lang sa lectern nagpahayag ng Salita ng Diyos. Maging sa tunay na buhay, nagawa niya at nagagawa niya.

Umalis si Ate Noemi kahapon kasama si Nonoy papuntang Amerika. Si Nelson, ang asawa niya ay nauna na sa kanila doon. Nakakalungkot na nabawasan tayo ng isang tunay na lingkod. Pero harinawa, magkitakita muli tayo at mag-krus ang ating mga landas. Ate Noemi gives proof to the old adage, "The best gifts come in small packages."

May Mapag-usapan lang...

Wala na mapag-usapan. Ganito na lang, sa chatterbox, sagutin lang ang tanong na "Ano ang limang paborito kong pelikula of all time?" Pwede local film pwede foreign film. Pwede mo rin ipaliwanag pero baka naman masyado humaba. Umpisahan ko na:

1. Anak - Starring Vilma Santos, Claudine Barretto: medyo tumama lang ang iba't ibang aspeto ng pelikulang ito. Magaling din ang pagkakaganap. At least 5 times ko na napanuod at may sarili akong CD nito na gasgas na.

2. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon - Dito ko unang hinangaan ang mga Chinese films. Hindi lang ito tungkol sa martial arts nila o sa bakbakan sa ibabaw ng kawayan. Malalim. Nanalo ng Oscar Awards for Best Foreign Film.

3. The Passion of the Christ - Di na siguro kailangan ipaliwanag.

4. Mar Adentro - Spanish film. Isa sa pinaka mabigat na pelikulang napanuod ko. May kinalaman sa isang paraplegic na gusto na lamang wakasan ang buhay nya. Sumulat sa kanilang pamahalaan upang payagan ang euthanasia sa kaso niya. Di ko alam kung mayroong mabibili na CD o DVD nito. Napanuod ko lang sa Spanish Film Festival 2 years ago.

5. A Walk in the Clouds - Nakakakilig. hahaha.

Iyan ang una kong mga naisip. Pero baka magbago pa yang listahan ko pag naalala ko na yung iba ko pang mga napanuod.

For Booklovers

My sister called me up the other day to remind me about my two boxes of personal things I deposited in her place for safekeeping. That was 7 years ago when I brought those boxes to her because I had no place in the parish to store them. But now that I have my own book shelf built in my room, I had those boxes picked up yesterday. One of the boxes is full of some of my favorite books I collected as a seminarian. Although I have already read them some 8-15 years ago I decided to start re-reading them. As one of my philo professors kept on telling us, "sa bawat pag-uulit, palaging may bago." I read them as a seminarian before, now I am re-reading them as a priest. Maybe I will see details from a different perspective which I did not take notice of before. Here are the first five of them. Those who are interested may borrow them but with a promise to take care of them like it has some Harry Potter-like prophecy:



Mr. and Mrs. Bo Jo Jones by Ann Head - I grabbed the photo above from Amazon Books website. My copy is the 1972 edition which Fr. Albert and I found in a Book Sale store in SM way back in 1989. My copy is now dilapidated because almost every seminarian in our college seminary borrowed it. It is about teenage marriage and how the families of Bo Jo and Julie coped with it ( why were seminarians so engrossed with that plot? just asking...). Bo Jo was the high school football star while Julie was a carefree, popular 16-year old. But this one's for all ages.

The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder - Why do good things happen to bad people and bad things to good people? Or is it really as simple and as predictable as that? Five different people fell from a footbridge over a deep gorge somewhere in Lima, Peru. A monk begins a "scientific investigation" (complete with a table on their usefulness, goodness and piety when they were still alive) into the lives of those five to find out if it was divine intervention which ended their lives or capricious fate.


A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth - One of the first novels I have read written by an Indian that made me interested in Indian/Hindu culture. The book is the longest I have read with 1,474 pages. Perhaps longer than any Harry Potter book because the font size is small. It is basically a love story. The tale of Lata and her mother's attempts in finding a suitable boy for her. In the process we are given a course on Indian Culture 101. The thickness of the book is intimidating yet challenging (You won't bring it to school nor to the office with you unless you enjoy being branded a nerd, besides it is quite bulky and heavy). Anyone up to the challenge?

The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy - Another winner from another Indian writer. This was Roy's first novel and it was very well written it bagged the 1997 Booker Prize. " A gripping tale of love and loss ... with compelling wit, and consummate tenderness." "...to discuss the plot would be to violate it."

The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis - This is more for spiritual reading. Screwtape is an elderly devil who was exchanging letters with his nephew Wormwood, an apprentice devil, advising him on how to tempt and corrupt human beings. In the end, it is not about the dynamics of the devil but ours.

Tell me if you want more. Most of these books are still in print and maybe you can find them in leading bookstores. The Amazon website says Mr. and Mrs. Bo Jo Jones has been re-printed with that cover above. By the way I only grabbed the photos above from Amazon. All of them are different from my copies except for the The God of Small Things.

Do I love reading books? Obviously I do. It brings me to different worlds and cultures and opens up different horizons. People say that with the advent of the computer age, the cellphone age, the playstation age and the internet age, young people have lost interest in sitting down to read a good book (with the exception perhaps of the Harry Potter mania). I hope by posting this, we can prove that reading good books is not a lost cause.

SUPER

I have been the Youth Director of the Parish Youth Ministry for Makati District for almost five years now. It was Bp. Soc Villegas who first appointed me to this position. Somehow I am happy to be ministering to the youth. It keeps me updated. I know that there are not many priests who

are still "in touch" with the youth when it comes to their

gimmicks, their lifestyle, their concerns and most specially their vocabulary. You can only imagine how my head throbbed and ached five years ago when I first attended a youth meeting: "Father lagyan natin ng mga chuva chuva yung program para maraming eclavu." "Ang chenes naman nyan, nakakangarag." And so on and so forth. It took me a while to get used to it.

I am writing this blog after watching an ad/MTV which left me numb in disbelief. A young star was singing her heart out advertising a local product. I was amazed at the title of the song which flashed at the bottom of the screen, "Kering-keri." A part of me wanted to laugh (it sounded like beri-beri) while another part of me wanted to turn off the tv (because of the equally irritating dance moves). I don't know if that word will ever enter my vocabulary. It is super kakaiba.

Speaking of "super", I am currently reading one of the books given to me by my inaanak, Queenie (who has given me more than I have given her). It is a book by Bob Ong, author of the now bestseller "ABNKKBSNPLAKo". Some people dismiss Bob's writings as nonsense but I think he deserves some credit. His sarcastic humor conceals well the depth of his commentaries and opinions. I can relate to his take on the word "super." Let me quote a part of it:

"Super thank you. Ano ba ang pinagkaiba pag sinabihan ka ng 'thank you' at 'super thank you?' Natutuwa ako pag nakakarinig ng mga dalagitang nagsasabi ng super thank you. Kasi nai-imagine ko na may kapa at special powers ang thank you nila. Pag nag-thank you sa 'yo ang ibang tao, thank you lang talaga. Pero pag mga dalagita, it's Soooooper Teeeengkyooo!!!! <*TANA-NANAN-TANAN*> Di lang yan. Tulad ng Superdog ni Superman, may sidekick ding Super Sorry ang Super Thank You. Tipong pag sinabihan ka ng sorry, pwedeng sumama pa rin loob mo. Pero pag sinabihan ka ng SUPER SORRY, naku - bawal na magtampo! Kasi SUPER na yan. Kasing lakas na yan ng mga paputok na Super Lolo. At kung 'super' pa lang e ganyan na kalakas, hindi mo na gugustuhing malaman pa ang resulta pag dinagdagan pa yan ng 'duper.'!" (Bob Ong, "Stainless Longganisa")

Wala lang. Super natawa lang ako habang binabasa ko yan. I hear that a lot from young people (and a few adults who were young once and still cannot get over their adolescence.) Yun lang. (super walang kwenta yata itong sinulat ko. kung nainis kayo, e di, supeeeer sooooorrry!)

Encounter

Ate Noemi and I met last July 1, 2007 in Sorsogon! Of all places, we met at the beach. She was with her husband and I was with my batchmates. I was underwater, when one of her companions asked my classmates: "di ba si fr. egay 'yan?". My classmates confirmed my identity and she told me that she is from Comembo and she was with ate Noemi.

Here are the proofs of our chance encounter:

These pictures were taken at the Paguriran Island, Sawanga, Bacon District, Sorsogon City... If you happen to have a 2007 PNOC calendar, this was featured on the month of May. You are all welcome to visit the land of Kasanggayahan!

Despedida for Kayabe

When this parish was established 7 yrs ago, I brought along with me a group of young seminarians from San Jose Seminary. They had to say goodbye to their apostolate area that year, St. Anthony de Padua Parish in Singalong, Manila. Msgr. Clem Ignacio was good enough to let go of the seminarians and said that I needed more assistance from them since we were just starting the parish. The original group of Kayabe's (the BEC name of the seminarians, to which I also belong when I was still in the seminary -- and I still do -- once a Kayabe, Kayabe forever!) were Bro. Egay Cleofe (Sorsogon), Bro. Merwin Kangleon (Leyte), Bro. Jun Limbaga (Dumaguete), Bro. Adrian San Juan (Manila), Bro. Charlie Celeste (Cotabato) and Bro. Junjun Gonzaga (Samar). They taught catechism to little children on Saturday afternoons, joined the BEC prayer meetings in the evenings, served in the masses on Sunday mornings, gave formation talks to BEC coordinators and youth leaders, taught the choirs, etc. They also played a major role in the first ever parish pastoral planning and the formation of our vision-mission statement which were held in San Jose Seminary. Five out of those six seminarians are now priests in their respective dioceses. Fr. Egay is now the rector of Our Lady of Penafrancia Seminary in Sorsogon, Fr. Merwin is the School Director of St. Thomas Aquinas School in Leyte, Fr. Jun is the Chaplain at St. Paul's University in Dumaguete, Fr. Aids is Assistant Parish Priest in Immaculate Conception Parish in Tondo, Fr. Cha is assistant Parish Priest in Cotabato. While Junjun is now a padre de familia working in STI Calbayog City.

Every year some of them will leave but new seminarians will arrive to replace them. Among those who became part of our apostolate program were Bro. Arnold Fernandez, Bro. Dong Yadao (Cubao), Bro. Lao Bringino (Daet), Bro. Donghur Estolloso, Bro. Sheng Lapaan (Bontoc), Bro. Kevin Crisostomo (Paranaque), Bro. Red Golez (Tagum) and Bro. Mel Felizardo (Antipolo).

This year we realized it's time to move on. The Kayabe's have become part of this parish's history. But like the disciples they have to move on and help out other communities the way they helped us. We have been graced by their love and presence, I am sure the other communities they will visit for their apostolate will be twice as blessed.

Last Sunday a despedida was held in the parish Multi Purpose Hall. The BEC Coordinators were emotional during the short program. Sis. Agnes, Sis. Ghie, Sis. Mia, Sis. Baby, Sis. Medy, Sis. Precy, Sis. Estela, Sis. Fely (who is in Australia right now), and Sis. Edna have become second mothers to the seminarians.

For now our BEC coordinators will try to stand on their own. Like the early Christians, they will learn to be independent from the apostles in performing their mission. But who knows? A sequel to their part in our parish history may be in the offing.

God bless our Kayabe's.

Queenie's debut

Just got back from Fernwoods Garden. My inaanak, Queenie, celebrated her debut just fit for her name, she was the "Queenie" of the Night in her blue gown. I was lucky to be seated near her parents, Gil and Chat, and her lola, Nanay Nida. I saw them shed tears of joy as the screen displayed her growing up pictures. Gil and Chat are lucky to have a beautiful and charming daughter in Queenie. But I must say Queenie is blessed with such loving parents who would do anything for their one and only. Nanay Nida was thanking me for the opportunity the parish gave Queenie which made her active and be involved in the church. I should be thanking the family for sharing with the parish the precious gift they have. And thank you for choosing me as his godfather.

I was happy to see our parishioners in the party -- the lectors, the legionaries, the youth ministry, etc -- who were there to share in the joys of the Anca's and the Cance's. Some of them shared their talents like Leonard, Alquin, and the ever reliable "resident entertainers" Millette and Jerdi.

Occasions like this remind me of the gift of life (and of course my age). It reminds me of how much or how little the time we have in this world and why we should make the most out of it.