Inay

Who would believe that this woman will be 86 this May 19?  NOt if you see her going around the house, cleaning and ordering her apos -- Lonlon and George --- to do some errands for her.  She even washes the clothes of those around,  as she is left alone in the house during the day when all are out working.  She cooks and for her entertainment,  watches her favorite TV shows.  At six in the evening,  she hollers to call all those present to pray the Angelus plus the other prayers she inherited from her own mother. 

     She is happy just to see Fr. Lou come (usually on a Tuesday) and bring his regular pasalubong -- his dirty clothes which she personally washes or if she can't because of sudden rise of blood pressure she supervises very closely the lavandera -- and feed him with her menu for lunch or supper.  "Ay luto ko yan!"  she would brag to Fr. Lou,  who'd give her whatever he has in his pocket for her allowance.  The smile on her face!  

     If Fr. Lou won't come during the whole week,  she would wonder, "Bakit kaya?  Paano ang mga damit noon?"  But actually,  it is Fr. Lou she misses not the laundry!  She'd get upset and really burst out in anger and frustration over Danny's coming home late or not coming home at all.  She'd lecture at him the next morning because Danny kept her awake the whole night,  or that she was awakened by his coming in the wee hours of the morning and she could not go back to sleep.  And yet,  she still washes Danny's clothes and even secretly setting some portion of the viand during supper -- knowing that Danny is fond of eating whatever time he comes in during the day!  She would rue over El's fate, "kawawa naman si El!"  And she shows her concern as she showers her grandmaternal affections to Camille and Cj when they come home to visit their lola.

     That's Inay to us -- to Ate Coring and her family, to Ermie and her kids (the first grandchild, Erick, Inay publicly professes to be her favorite!), to Danny, to Fr. Lou, and to our intimate friends who also call her Inay!  Incidentally,  she's an avid Vilmanian!  And that is why Ate Vi fondly calls her "Nanay"!  

Wait,  I forget to tell you,  she is MY mother also!  

The De La Salle Bros of the Phils. at Retreat 2008

I have been chaplain to this band of religious brothers,  whose main charism is the Christian education of the young, for since the summer of 1997.  I was assigned chaplain to their school community and the Brothers at the Lipa Community in the summer of 1966.  In a sense,  since I have been accompanying them during their annual retreat as a district,  I have become the District's unofficial chaplain.  I preside over the liturgy, as this Institute has no priest-member.  

It is not only during their annual retreat that I get to be invited.  I presided over countless district rites, e.g., acceptance to postulancy or to the novitiate,  most of the time in Greenhills  and Lipa, where the Novitiate is located;  jubilees of brothers in their silver or golden as religious brothers,  beginning or ending of important occasions like assemblies, chapters, etc.; the annual memorial of the dead.  

      I have always described my 11 year stay at the Lipa community as my utopian stage.  I have found much spiritual solace as I have a community to pray with,  work with and grow with.  I have been blessed even with material amenities that helped me grow as a person and a professional.  For instance,  this technology -- I never had so much access to it than when I was with the Brothers.  The Lipa community gave me my first ever laptop!  

      As long as I can and it is officially permissible (e.g. not assigned to take care of a parish),  I will continue to be at their service (for spiritual exercises).  Of course,  it will depend also -- and that is the deciding factor -- if the Brothers still appreciate my being with them during those moments!

  

My Holy Week

I spent the Holy Week with the La Salle Brothers of the Philippines.  I was their Chaplain in their annual retreat, held at PHINMA Training Center,  which was given by the Del Rosarios to La Salle Philippines.  I went there Tuesday afternoon (that morning I joined the Lipa Clergy, led by Archbishop Ramon C. Arguelless in renewing our priestly vows.  I was annotator for Spirit-FM during the Mass -- what else is new?).  

     The retreat was facilitated by an American La Salle Brother, Br. James Zullo, FSC, a noted speaker and practitioner of counseling in the UNited States.  The theme for this year's retreat was "The Paschal Mystery:  An Invitation to Explore our Life Transitions".  Gosh,  this spoke to me a lot since I have experienced a radical transition since I left La Salle Lipa to live on my own at the Pater Putativus Publishing House at Marawoy, Lipa City.   Definitely,  Br. Jim's lectures and sharing spoke loud and clear to me.  they helped me a lot in understanding and finding more meaning to my present ministry.

     The stay at PHINMA also provided me some relief from the tensions and pressures of work at PPPH and even from the Ranch Property.  (I talked to the couple,  who are supposed to be the "tenants" in the ranch property of the ARchdiocese.  They claimed innocence why there are a lot of dwellers there.  I also was bombarded by requests related to rentals from the Villa San Jose dwellers.)  The accommodations are excellent (this is my second time there).  the Brothers are as usual very jolly and because of their present involvement in the current issues in the country,  are every open to share the latest.

     In fact,  we had the Lozada family as guests during the Easter Vigil rites.  I had the chance to talk to Jun and his wife.  After the program that evening,  I went home to Pater.  I had a Mass on Easter Sunday at Villa San Jose. 

More pictures: 

 

More pics at BCAP Seminar

Coaches Alfrancis Chua, now a very active in BCAP,  and Alaska's Tim Cone pose with members of BCAP-Batangas Chapter.  At right,  Coach Ryan Gregorio lectures on defense.  Note the players of Lyceum of the Philippines in the background. They served as "demo players".  

Coaches Seminar-Training

As Basketball Coaches Association of the Philippines (BCAP) - Batangas Chapter coordinator,  I led several member-coaches from Batangas (and Laguna) to the recently concluded Coaches Seminar-Training held at the historic Rizal Memorial Coliseum last February 28 - March 1.  Shown in the picture at right are the BCAP-Batangas Chapter coaches with legendary Korean shooting star, Shin Dong Pa, now in his early 60s  He came with his coach Yoo Hee Hyung, in his late 60s, yet still able to demonstrate for filipino coaches the Korean-style of basketball.

 Other prominent resource persons,  who shared their God-given talents in coaching big-time basketball included Purefoods' head coach Ryan Gregorio (who lost the following Sunday to Sta. Lucia's Boyet Fernandez), Alaska's Tim Cone,  my good friend Bingky Favis of Coca Cola, and the fiery (on court) but very gentle (off-court) Red Bull Coach Yeng Guiao.  Mr. Lazaro, therapist of TNT lectured on sports medicine.

It was a time for fellowship with coaches coming from all over the Philippines -- Cebu, Davao, Zamboanga, Bicol, and even Kalinga-Apayao,  and of course, Metro Manila.  Among old friends I met were ex-Blades Ralph Rivera and Dennis Madrid,  Coaches Eric Gonzales and Nash Racela.  Of course,  Coach Chito Narvasa (BCAP President) and his able assistants Coaches Tanny Gonzales (Sec-Gen) and Alfrancis Chua were there to facilitate the whole procedure.  I was asked to deliver the invocation at the first day.  I also helped in moderating the Q & A with Coach Tim Cone, and read the citation for him.