kabal

!The Senate Health Committee probe is another shocker: PHILHEALTH is on the brink of bancruptcy! Malacanang incurred a very handsome debt of php19B and was not able to pay its dues since 2001. 19 BILLION! tsk.tsk.tsk. Daw indi ko matulon ang ginasawsaw ko nga uga sa sinamak pagpanihapon namon bag-o lang ni Flor. 19 BILLION! Pila ayhan ka barko nga uga ang mabakal sina agud makakaon ang minilyon nga pigado sa Pilipinas man? Pila ayhan ka trak sang bulong ang mabakal sina agud masalbar ang kabuhi sang makaloluoy nga mga masakiton nga nagalaminga sa mabaho kag understaffed nga mga ospital? Pila ayhan ka eskuelahan kag mga studyante nga pigado ang mabuligan sina? Galingin ulo ko magpamensar. Gen, siling sang upod mo sadto nag judge sa search sa Pontevedra ngaa kuno pakalainon gid ang balor milyon nga dinner ni GMA didto sa U.S. of A.? In a gist he said nga natural lang kuno ina kay presidente ang gapanihapon so indi bala kuno dapat hatagan ta sia dignidad? Indirectly daw ato balang dapat ka gid maggasto milyon to maintain your dignity! Galing ti..nanay ya si GMA eh :( He then proceeded to say nga ti kon ikumpara kuno sng kadako sang resulta sa trip ni GMA gamay lang na ang 1 milyon..arrrgh! Such banality! Ti, ining utang ya nga 19 BILYON??? Siling sang isa ya gina ka tsutsuwa, "We still have a lot of reserves..(oh, really?)...DON'T WORRY!" Grabe na gid ni ya nga KABAL..

Viral Shock

Two weeks ago my son Jong-jong called from Cavite and agonizingly informed us that Neneng, her wife, and all their seven children (ages 1 to 10) was hospitalized on suspected A(H1N1) viral flu. It was one of the most horrible and terrifying days our son ever experienced in his young life. We prayed like we never prayed before. By God's mercy, after a little more than a week the crisis abated and they all went home safe and free from the dreaded virus. The following Sunday they all trooped down to church for a thanksgiving mass. As they were walking down the isle, they passed by a huge lifesize crucified icon of the dying Christ. Ap-ap, the fifth child, aged five, was aghast. He stoped and looked intently at the miserable figure and asked, "D-did he d-die?," Jong-jong answered sadly, "Yes," At that, the lad panicked and blurted out," S-so..w-when he d-died..did they took him to the h-hospital, too..??,"

MORAL of the Story: Don't rely too much on hospitals or modern medical so-so; they weren't even there when Christ needed them most :D

genevieve

FLASHBACK: 35 years past...It was a quite and peaceful night. I think we've just had finished our supper. I can't remember it very clearly now since maybe what was ingrained in my mind was that feeling of nameless excitement and panic coupled with anxiety and fear for Flor and the baby she was about to give birth to: our firstborn. We were renting an upper portion of Lola Luming's house along the "riles" in La Paz District in Iloilo, and the old lady has a rather sizable number of son, daughter and grandchildren who all wanted to accompany us in bringing Flor to the maternity clinic. My brother, sister, cousin, and sister-in-law went along too. What a sight we must have been as we trodded on that cold and inert railway which leads all the way to the clinic fronting the La Paz public plaza. Everybody was excitedly betting for a boy except Hilda, my sister-in-law, who will not budge on her bet for a girl. I betted against her too..At the clinic we composed ourselves and behaved as civily as we could..but we did not wait long for the much awaited announcement. In just a matter of a few minutes the doctor came out of the room and brought to me my little girl. A feeling of awe and amazement filled my being like some all-encompassing force that made me numb and speechless. To be a father to this little one who is so frail and helpless made me shudder with reverential fear..and uncertainty. I felt humbled. I felt so inadequate. How could I raise this princess with my pauper's pay? How could I clothe this angelic beauty with my sinful soul? How could I even begin to call her my own? I didn't know my answers then. Now, I realize, I needn't have to answer it at all...

TRUTH

What is TRUTH? Evidently Pilate did not quite get the meaning of the word, so he freed Barrabas and sent Jesus to be crucified. Anybody in his "right mind" could have done the same. Barrabas stood for man's inherent longing for justice and freedom. Jesus..well, He just preaches "love"..?!! And can you love your enemy? You must be nuts to fall for this one. So, go ahead crucify this Jesus who calls himself the TRUTH..and history recorded the best thing that ever happened to man: Somebody died for him..saved him..gave him the best deal there is for his incorrigible, miserable soul..gave him the chance to live the life that is truly meant for him to enjoy..to be content..to be happy..to live forever not as a drifting, fake, and trying hard nameless individual in this awfully wicked and treacherous world, but to live the life of honest, pure existence..free from all needless worries and sinful living..breathing in the fresh air of guiltless freedom, and using to full potential his unquestioned power as a true SON and/or DAUGHTER OF TRUTH...

The Job

This morning I went to Burgos market to buy stuff for my special Sunday menu: Ginat-an nga tambo :)) On the ride back home I happened to sit beside two mothers chatting, and the one sitting next to me was telling her friend that her son is presently doing active combat duty in Mindanao. Because of the noise some of her words got lost in my hearing,so I asked her to verify if truly her son is a graduate of the Phil. Military Academy. She beamed and answered, Yes, her son is a PMAyer. I politely nodded and smiled back at her, but a slight pang in my being kept me from striking up a conversation with her. What could I say? At that instant memoriesof my own combat stint in Mindanao and Jolo came flooding back at me, and I can't just avoid feeling pity towards the mother who, although proud, displayed a desperate helplessness and resignation to whatever fate might befall her only son. Would I tell her to persuade the young lieutenant to quit his "job" because he's just getting himself killed for a "cause"that serves well NOT the welfare of the people but the arrogant, ambitious and irresponsible whims of GMA? I have served the army of Marcos. I was once an insider. I know the dirty games of government military operations. I lived the evil that lurks inside the barrels of military might..believe you me guys, it's nothing but simple arrogance and ABUSE OF POWER.

the beltless fool

Preparing for the Eucharist is no joke. The task of cleaning the hall and putting on the eucharistic table complete with all the flowers, candles, etc..these assignments were always given to Flor and me every 2nd Saturday of the month. Our preparation would take us almost the whole day to be able to do all that needs to be done in this special day. Aside from the actual physical works which, mind you, could burn a lot of calories, we have other personal things to do, too, like preparing in advance our formal clothes, selecting the songs, seeing to it that our other personal belongings like mops, scissors, metal polisher, and all the other little things that we bring with us will not get lost or left behind in a moment of haste. I thought this Saturday would go without any hassles for us. We prepared early, and we were sure we could perfect the task with flying colors. We have learnt a lot of lessons in the past, and we are determined to do it smooth and easy this time. So we did our work. The brothers were all praises for the fanciful touch of class in the flowers which were layed out most artistically by flor on the table. The songs were good, and the Eucharist as always, went gloriously well. So..anybody would think WE DID IT!!! Perfect!!! Well..er..uhmm..okay..ehrmm..ahh..know what guys? I feel like a silly bastard here..umm..m-my pants are loose and I..umm..FORGOT MY BELT!!! :((( Here's a message here, folks: GOD DOESN'T NEED YOU TO BE PERFECT...JUST DO WHAT HE WANTS YOU TO DO AND BE HAPPY--HE LOVES YOU FOR ALL YOUR FAULTS AND IMPERFECTIONS. AMEN.

nostaglia

Mawi was my classmate in the elementary. He just arrived from Canada, and it was a very happy and nostalgic moment for both of us. It's more than forty long years since we met, so golly! I invited him home for lunch and we had a big bangus grilled with some honest-to-goodness fillings. Flor and I also cooked some prawns and prepared our favorite: "laswa". After lunch, we drank coffe under the shady mango tree outside the house. We compared notes, talked of so many things, got deliriously happy with some jokes and silly little things that happened in our lives, and bewailed at how sad the Philippines has now become with a lot of corruption from everywhere in the Macapagal-Arroyo Government...but at least we have one positive thought: It's really great to have friends and caring people around especially in times like these. We can always help each other, develop mutual strenght, and keep doing what needs to be done to make our beloved country what it should rightfully become: The most progressive, prosperous, and happiest country in Southeast Asia...