Crossbeak's Journal

The Process of Canonization

2009-11-25T15:10:00.008+08:00

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo attended the Opening of the Cause of Canonization of Mother Rosario Arroyo. The president's husband, First Gentleman Miguel Arroyo happens to be a direct descendant of the candidate's parents and the couple's attendance was primarily as part of the family. Unfortunately, many critics have used this solemn occassion as an opportunity to let loose cannon fodder against the First Couple.

While this blog is not sympathetic at all to Mrs. Arroyo's falling out of grace from public opinion, it was very poor taste indeed, that a few people used the Cause of Canonization as another platform to launch their political assault. To give the benefit of the doubt, it might just be the result of ignorance regarding certain procedures and even teachings of the Catholic Church. Let this post be a little catechesis.

The process of declaring a deceased Christian to be saint was originally quite informal, but became increasingly regulated over the centuries and is now defined by canon law. The steps for becoming a saint are as follows:

1. Usually between 5 and 50 years after a would-be saint's death, a formal request made to consider person as saint. The group making the request, called the Actor Causae, consists of people from the candidate's church and community, and the request is directed to the bishop of the diocese where the person died. The request includes testimony of the person's exceptional virtue and dedication to God.

2. The bishop decides whether the evidence is compelling enough to take it to Rome. If so, he asks the Congregation for the Causes of Saints for permission to open the cause.

3. If permission is granted, the bishop opens a tribunal and calls witnesses to attest to the quality of the person's public life. The person must be shown to have been virtuous, devout, religious, and characterized by love, kindness, prudence and other virtues (concrete examples are required). Miracles are not necessary at this point, but they are recorded if mentioned. If the person passes this step, he or she is called a Servant of God.

4. The bishop sends a report to Rome, where it is translated into Italian. This step is called the Apostolic Process.

5. A summary called the Positio is presented to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.

6. Nine theologians scrutinize the evidence and documentation. If majority pass it, goes to Congregation.

7. If they approve, the Prefect of the Congregation authorizes the person to be called Venerable.

8. If any miracles are reported (which qualify the person for beatification or canonization), the Prefect presents the cause to the pope to decide. Canonization is considered a function of papal infallibility, as it is important that believers venerate and pray to only those who are actually in heaven.

9. The pope declares beatification or canonization at a special Mass in the saint's honor.

Click the prayer card for a legible view.

Mother Rosario Arroyo de la Visitacion

2009-11-24T21:06:00.005+08:00

The Cause Of Canonization of Mother Rosario Arroyo de la Visitacion was opened by the Most Rev. Angel Lagdameo, Archbishop of Jaro on October 7, 2009 at the church of St. Anne in Molo, Iloilo City.

Mother Rosario, was born on February 17, 1884 in Molo, Iloilo City, Philippines and died on June 14, 1957. She was baptized Maria Beatriz del Rosario Arroyo on February 20, 1884 by Fr. Agapito Buenaflor. She was the only daughter of Don Ignacio Arroyo and Doña Maria Pidal.

She made her profession to the religious life in the Beaterio de Sta. Catalina in Manila and on January 3, 1914 after which she taught at the Beaterio in Manila and in Lingayen, Pangasinan. Later on, Mother Rosario, with two other sisters from Sta. Catalina, founded a new foundation in Molo, Iloilo City the "Beaterio del Sto. Rosario".

She distinguished herself by a solid piety, love of prayer, life of poverty and strict religious observance.

Photo:My dear friend Jose Ma. Porta, poses beside Mother Rosario's portrait. (Pete is the grandson of Mother Rosario's brother; she had four, two of which died at infancy.) He proudly refers to her as his Nanay Sayong.

That September Rain

2009-10-02T17:07:00.004+08:00

It was a Friday and my garage has just been transformed into a carpentry shop. My daughters were doing an exhibit for Instituto Cervantes at the Cultural Center of the Philippines on a very tight deadline. We had to parke my cars at the street to accomodate the materials and so many carpenters in the garage. At first, I was worried that the neighbors may complain as the work went through the night...

Tropical Storm Ondoy (international name Ketsana) hit land early next morning. It was September 27, 2009, a Saturday when Ondoy packed winds of 85 kilometers per hour as it moved across Northern Luzon towards China Sea. It brought so much rain that by late in the afternoon, the water started to flood the garage where the men were working. The hardware delivered some materials but failed to make a second trip. We managed to raise the lumber and plywood and keep it dry. Soon, water entered my house we had to raise the piano and other furniture. Towards midnight, it was knee deep in the house.

It was high tide and the water from the Pasig River started to come in. The cars were submerged up to the headlights. Part of the street suffered a power failure and we were lucky to have had electricity except for a few hours. Elsewhere, people were undergoing an ordeal, going to higher ground. In many cases, higher ground was the roof of their house. I heard Lito Atienza comment on the radio that the effects of global warming is starting to tell. The equivalent of one month worth of rain fell in less than one day, according to government weathermen. They also released water from Angat Dam as it reached critical levels.

The workers were not able to report for work that day. Public transport was in jeopardy and some of the streets were still flooded. We were worried about the deadline.

Benigno Aquino III

2009-09-12T00:52:00.005+08:00

The election fever has turned to a new high as Senator Noynoy Aquino declares his running for the presidency. The underlying assumption for a Noynoy for President campaign is integrity and honesty in public office. Tita Cory has left such an impression on the public andwhile it does not follow that her son would exhibit the same virtues, it is only fair to presume that Noynoy would be forced to keep up with his mother's legacy.

What remains to be seen is whether or not the young Aquino will be able to steer away from the influence of those who help in the campaign period. People in high places are always hounded by Rasputins whose intentions are not always pure. The kind of PR programs that works for show business personality and younger sister Kris Aquino may not be desirable for an astute politician. In the final analysis, it is in Noynoy's choice of friends that will later on spell the success or failure in leading the nation.

Photo: Senator Aquino with Public Relations Practitioner Malou Caluma

Sr. Gervasia Cabel

2009-09-06T11:12:00.005+08:00

Professor of Theology and Spanish Mauri Cabrido and I visited Sr. Gervasia Cabel at La Verna 16th Street in New Manila. She belonged to the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception of the Holy Mother of God. I had the acquaintance of Sister when she was still the Vice President at Adamson University. Fr. Rolando Dela Goza was president at that time.

It wasn’t a planned visit. We both went to Ortigas Center that Saturday morning: me to see Dr. Victor Caparas at Medical City and Mauri to get his Life Member's identification card at Philhealth. Since it was the feast of the Assumption, we thought we could pay sister a visit. We found her at this Franciscan house at the back of St. Joseph’s College.

We talked about the students and faculty at Adamson University. Lino Estadilla who has entered the priesthood after his stint at the US Navy, Cory who was her faithful secretary, Alfred Paterno who is an administrator for the Diocese of Quezon City, Venus Quevedo who is now Adamson's Director for Research, Evaluation, and Continuing Education, and Dr. Rosario Alberto who was then Dean of Graduate School.

An American Buddhist in Korea

2009-09-01T08:34:00.006+08:00

I met Mike last Sunday evening before his flight back to Korea. Mike grew up a Catholic in Detroit but later on turned to Buddhism and made his sojourn to Asia eventually settling in Korea. He takes pleasure in saying "I am a better Buddhist than I was as a Catholic" and I cannot recall what he says he does in Korea but it is Buddhism related.

It can be intellectual arrogance that some people dwell in discussing religions but my wife who suffered a stroke has received several suggestions on how the brain works, including Jill Bolte Taylor's talk on TED which I beiieve has some Buddhism if not Hinduism content. And so I allowed myself to get some education from Mike. He said the Buddha (I am not sure if the word "the" should be capitalized) lived at about 500 BC and insinuated and that Jesus Christ may have used some Buddhist techniques.

We started talking about meditation. I mentioned that some Catholic saints were said to levitate in prayer but Mike was talking about a different kind of meditation. To the Chritian, meditation is focused on a person which is God; Buddhist meditation is focused more on one's interaction with the environment. Of course, my impressions are just that: impressions.

When Mike started talking about the gospels, I thought he was quoting Matthew, Mark, Luke or John. It turns out that he was quoting the Vedas. I also learned that there are three practices of Buddhism but I was not paying attention to recall what they were.

In any case, my impression is that many of the Buddhist practices tend to creat a laid back attitude. Mike is an interesting fellow and he would have made a good Catholic if he kept the faith. Who knows.

Pit Stop

2009-08-31T15:02:00.006+08:00

First published at SCENE CITY on February 1, 2008

This side of Paco Park opposite the Swiss Inn and Garden Plaza Hotel is a favorite pit stop of taxi drivers. I cannot recall if the stall was there during the time Doroy Valencia, vice chairman of National Park’s Development Committee. During his watch, Paco Park was very well maintained, and so was the Rizal Park. “Concert at the Park” and “Paco Park Presents” are some of the cultural events the Marcos regime has initiated that are worth keeping.

Today, the other side of this circular cemetery is often used as a parking lot by container vans and busses while vagrants sleep on the sidewalk outside the wall. Not to mention the deteriorating condition of the wall and the neglect of the greenery.

Heart of the Holy Child

2009-08-21T17:11:00.004+08:00

I learned this hymn in grade school. Joanne promised to cut this in a CD but I am not so sure as to the melody. If anyone has a copy of the musical score, I would appreciate getting a copy.

Heart of the Holy Child, Hide me in Thee;

Purest and undefiled, Purify me;

Joy of my infant life, Far from evil passions rife,

Troubling this world of strife, Keep me with Thee!

Sweet Child of Bethlehem, Open Thine heart;

Lessons from Nazareth Deign to impart.

Mary and Joseph dear, Let us be to Jesus near,

With you, we shall not fear, From Him to part.

Swine Queue

2009-07-01T09:24:00.009+08:00

It was a letdown for my grand daughter to see the long queue when her school reopened today. She had to fall in line from one end of the block to the gate as the school was screening students who may have caught the much dreaded virus.

A few days after this school year started, classes were suspended as the World Health Organization declared the swine flu virus as pandemic. Some students were tested positive for the the H1N1 virus in Metro Manila while the Manila Archdiocese, earlier on, released the oratio imperata. To furhter control the virus, it has been advised that communion be received only by the hand and to refrain from the informal practice of holding hands while reciting the Lord's Prayer.

Last night, her yaya was not feeling well and my wife worried all night that the virus may have crept into our home. Thank goodness, the yaya was up and about this morning. Ahh, reminds me of, in spite of all the advances in technology, how vulnerable we humans can be to the forces of nature.

Photo: from, DAYLIFE, A school nurse takes the body temperature of a student at St. Scholastica's College in Manila, Philippines, at the opening of classes Monday, June 15, 2009.

School Opening 2009

2009-06-16T05:43:00.003+08:00

She was still in grade 2 then, school was about to close; she had an allowance of twenty pesos a day. One year has gone as she went to grade 3 St. Withburga and got an allowance of thirty pesos. Today, school opens and her daily has gone up to forty a day, just to keep with inflation. A new set of uniforms and a much heavier bag as she has more books to bring. Ah, the travails of growing up.

Mardi Gras

First published at SCENE CITY on 5 February 2008

This young lady’s dad was bringing her to the school’s centennial year celebration when this photo was taken. The costume reminds us of Ati-Atihan festivities which has been described as the Philippine version of Mardi Gras.

While the Ati-Atihan honors the Santo Niño whose feast is held on January, Mardi Gras is celebrated during the last day of that ordinary-time interlude known in many Catholic cultures as Carnival (from the Latin words carne vale, meaning farewell to the flesh.)If Lent is a time of self-deprivation, Carnival is self-indulgence and “Mardi Gras" which means "Fat Tuesday" is misread as the last day for Catholics to indulge or worse, overindulge before Ash Wednesday starts the sober weeks of fasting and abstinence that comes with Lent. Mardi Gras is also called “Shrove Tuesday” or “Pancake Day”

Rehabilitation Medicine

2009-05-20T08:47:00.005+08:00

The University of the Philippines was severely damaged by World War II and continued to operate in makeshift rooms. After the war, the university transferred to Diliman in 1948. The Manila campus was continued to operate and eventually recognized as an autonomous campus of the UP System.

The Damian Hall at UP Manila was named after Dr. Guillermo R. Damian, the first Filipino doctor who specialized in physical medicine and rehabilitation. Dr. Damian trained at the Bellevue Medical Center, New York Universtiy where the chairman was Dr. Howard Rusk, known as the Father of Rehabilitation Medicine.

Dr. Rusk left his private practice to join the Army after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. He designed simple activities for hospitalized military personnel who were not physically fit to rejoin their units. His efforts caught the attention of top brass and was was summoned to set up similar programs for the Army. His Convalescent Training program gave countless disabled veterans hope and a sense of purpose after the war.

Food Stalls at the CAMP

From SCENE CITY, 4 February 2008

One of several food stalls at the University of the Philippines Padre Faura that cater to students of the College of Allied Medical Professions (CAMP). CAMP offers degree programs in the professions of Occupational Therapy (OT), Physical Therapy (PT), and Speech Pathology (SP).

Lovelier

2009-05-08T08:40:00.004+08:00

This angel was taken at the Ermita Church. It's a bass relief holding a holy water font.

My interest in photography was influenced by many people. First and foremost was the late Rolando Ferrer Managing Editor of the Adamson Chronicle who was using a Nikon F which made me realize that my Canon rangefinder was not all that good for serious photography. I was amazed by how much Lando knew about the Nikon system so much so that I promised to get myself a Nikon. I have a high regard for this guy and I was influenced pretty much by the things he liked: writing, shooting photos and drinking beer. He rides a motorcycle but that was one item I stayed away from.

I did get a Nikon F photomic and one of those flash bulbs with the rechargeable battery that looks like a lady’s bag. I guess it really does not matter how dumb you are. As long as you have a good camera, you catch the attention if not the respect of others with less impressive equipment. Bert Santos, a commercial photographer using the Roleiflex twin lens became my friend and did the coverage for my wedding.

I stocked up on Nikor lenses, a 35 wide angle and a 135 telephoto. Had I known better, I would have gotten a 28 and a 105. I also got an enlarger and converted my bathroom into a dark room. I met more photographers, the ones who took up fine arts like Cesar Queaño, Nelson Rivera and Manny Santos when I worked with Freddy Ong doing advertising and promotion for Caterpillar Diesel Engines. It was then that I realized that I will stay in the little league when it comes to photography. I used to be Mr. Shoot during family affairs but that dwindled. Somehow, my wife got the hang of it as she became adviser of the school’s photography club.

One day, I decided I will shoot again. I realize that I will have to update myself with present day technology. And so here I am, fumbling around with this Casio (camera? I always thought they were calculators). Never mind if the photos are blurred, if the composition is bad and whatever… my eye sight is bad anyway… but that song is correct! Love is lovelier the second time around.

First published on SCENE CITY 31 January 2008.

Lotto

2009-05-06T17:36:00.003+08:00

Somebody asked “How much winnings will I bet on System 9 in Superlotto getting 5,4,3 winning numbers?” I thought I would pass on this query to Teresa but she snubbed my request saying she hates gambling. So, I had to do my own computations.... she could have done this in a few minutes.

Here are my answers:

258,000 pesos for 5 numbers,
14,000 for 4 numbers and
2,000 pesos for 3 numbers.

It would have cost him 1,680 pesos equivalent to 84 bets.

In System 9, If you get five numbers, you have

4 five number winners
30 four number winners
40 three number winners

If you get four numbers you have

10 four number winners
40 three number winners
34 losers

If you get three numbers you have

20 three number winners
64 losers

If you hit the jackpot, aside from the jackpot prize, you have

18 five number winners.
45 four number winners
20 three number winners

The above totals 1,055,000 pesos on top of the jackpot prize.

Incidentally, there are 13,983,816 possible combinations in the Super lotto. If you were to play all the possible combinations, it will cost you PhP 279,676,320. So far the jackpot has not yet reached that much.

Note: My computations are based on the payout table given at the PLW website

It ain't over 'til the fat lady sings

2009-04-25T09:13:00.005+08:00

“It ain’t over ‘till the fat lady sings” is a low brow's rule of thumb for second guessing an opera’s culmination. Some attribute this to Richard Wagner's 15 hour opera (Der Ring des Nibelungen) where an aria is sung by a fat woman in the finale.

This cliché is also alluded to Kate Smith, an American singer well known for singing Irving Berlin’s "God Bless America” in 1938. Her weight of 235 pounds was not obvious to her radio listeners until television came to the scene.

Whatever its origins, it has been used to mean that one shouldn’t assume the outcome until it has come about. This may as well refer to Susan Boyle who was an overnight celebrity when she sang “I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Misérables at Britain’s Got Talent. The judges (Simon Cowell, Piers Morgan and Ananda Holden) and the audience were skeptical, even sarcastic during the interview but Susan took the banter with a great sense of humor. When she sang, everyone was awed and gave her a standing ovation.

Susan took care of her ageing mother until her death in 2007 at the age of 91. Her devotion to caring for her mother was such that she did not have any time for herself. She was unemployed but an active volunteer at the Catholic Church of Our Lady of Lourdes in Blackburn.

It's not over for this lady. No sir, it ain't over.

Caravaggio

2009-04-19T08:24:00.006+08:00

In the Eastern Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox and certain Eastern Catholic churches, the first Sunday after Easter) is known as Thomas Sunday, after the Gospel passage read that day (John 20:19-31) which recounts the story of Christ appearing to the Apostle Thomas in order to dispel his doubt about the Resurrection. It should be noted that among Eastern Christians the Apostle Thomas is not so much remembered as "doubting Thomas," but is rather remembered for his confession of faith: "My Lord and my God," thus being the first to publicly proclaim the two natures of Christ: human and divine.

This is also known as Divine Mercy Sunday, the culmination of the novena to the Divine Mercy of Jesus, a devotion given to St. Faustina (Mary Faustina Kowalska) and is based upon an entry in her diary stating that anyone who participates in the Mass and receives the sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist on this day is assured by Jesus of full remission of their sins. The devotion was actively promoted by Pope John Paul II, who officially set its commemoration on this Sunday in 2000.

I learned about "The Doubting of St. Thomas" by Michelangelo Merisi, aka Caravaggio, from my daughter. Since then, I have grown fond and sentimental of the portrayal of the artist; it well depicts how curious and childish men respond to extraordinary occurrences.

Caravaggio used models from the lower classes of society in his early secular works and later religious compositions which appealed to the Counter Reformation taste for realism, simplicity, and piety in art. Many thanks to Karsten Thygesen who hosts CGFA-A Virtual art Museum for the image.

Painting: The Doubting of St. Thomas by Caravaggio (Michelangelo Merisi); Neues Palais, Potsdam

San Mig Light

2009-04-05T10:52:00.006+08:00

My beer is San Miguel Pale Pilsen which has been the mainstay as far as the Philippine market for beer is concerned. Aside from Heineken which costs much more, I have been a loyal customer of the beer which is now referred to as "pilsen", that is to differentiate it from the other beer lines that the marketing people of San Miguel have been experimenting with. Of all these "Johnny come latelys," I still have to figure out what marketing strategy lies behind the success of the "San Mig Light" line. I have asked many people drinking San Mig Light why they prefer that from pilsen and I have not gotten an acceptable answer. That was until I met this elderly Australian who gave me a very good reason for driniking San Mig Light.

Eugene Harm is a Draglline Operator in one of the coal mines in Australia. Married to a Filipina from the Mountain Province with whom she has three daughters, Eugene visits the Philippines regularly and everytime, we get to meet each other and we enjoy the chat. Having worked with heavy equipment myself, tractors and mining is a likely topic. He loves to talk about his family and proud of his marriage to a Filipina which he says is his first and only marriage. He is a Catholic and brags that he was an altar boy. The last time I saw him, we discussed age and health (I am older by a few months) as most people my age do.

Every time we meet Eugene takes San Mig Light while I stick to myPale Pilsen in the familiar amber bottle. No matter what we talk about, there is always one dialogue we love to do and it goes this way:

"Eugene, why do you drink San Mig Lights instead of Pale Pilsen?"

"Because of the clear bottle. I can see what I am drinking."

Lerma's Rainbow

2009-01-28T17:01:00.005+08:00

When the price of gasoline was less than a peso, it was very reasonable to drive around the country side just for the sheer pleasure of driving. I love to stop by San Pablo just to admire the peace and quiet that Sampaloc Lake instills. I didn’t know that there were actually seven lakes until many decades later from Pomping Saulo, owner of a local Mister Donut store.

Recently, Lerma Prudente took some photographs of Sampaloc Lake. Was it the lake or the rainbow that was the subject of the photo? With the innocence of a girl scout, Lerma bridged the quiet lake with color. Never mind if fish pens now desecrate the stillness of the lake. Never mind if today there are more structures at the perimeter of Sampaloc. It was a good shoot and it made me feel good.

Rainbow photography can be a difficult task. First, you have to have a rainbow. Experience tells us it’s not easy to hunt for one. I was once a shutter bug but whenever a rainbow appears, I would not have the old Nikon with me.

Lerma’s rainbow hits a mountain at the horizon but where the other leg is keeps you in suspense. Truths is it’s not easy to cover the whole arc even with a 28 mm lens on a 35 mm camera. A 19 mm wide angle lens or less should be able to capture the 84° angle of view which Lerma did not have. Actually, she had four shoots, two showing the left foot and two showing the right foot. I chose this one because of the mountain. The leaves on the foreground was just right and in keeping with the technique of creating depth.

Over The Rainbow

2009-01-25T11:08:00.004+08:00

A local theater displayed posters of what was showing at my father’s barber shop. In turn, they got free tickets. One of the movies that became a hit was “The Wizard of Oz” directed by Victor Fleming and based on the 1900 children’s novel by L. Frank Baum I learned of this little detail when my mother mentioned Arlen and Harburg’s “Over the Rainbow” sung by Judy Garland.

She and my father saw the movie which earned Judy a special Oscar in 1940. “Over the Rainbow” turned into Judy’s signature and topped the “Songs of the Century” list, a project of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), the National Endowment for the Arts, and Scholastic Inc. ”White Christmas” sung by Bing Crosby was second in the list, followed by: Woody Guthrie’s “This Land is Your Land” (3rd), Aretha Franklin’s “Respect” (4th) and Don McLean’s “American Pie” (5th).

The music that Harold Arlen composed for “The Wizard of Oz” with lyrics written by E.Y. Harburg, became a classic ballad, and even more popular than the movie itself. It has been interpreted in many ways by several artists.

Somewhere over the rainbow Way up high,
There's a land that I heard of Once in a lullaby.

Somewhere over the rainbow Skies are blue,
And the dreams that you dare to dream Really do come true.

Someday I'll wish upon a star And wake up where the clouds are far

Behind me.
Where troubles melt like lemon drops Away above the chimney tops
That's where you'll find me.

Somewhere over the rainbow Bluebirds fly.
Birds fly over the rainbow. Why then, oh why can't I?

If happy little bluebirds fly Beyond the rainbow Why, oh why can't I?

A Woman of Balance

2009-01-06T21:37:00.007+08:00

Purging your files is not an easy task. Some people reason out that if you haven’t had a need for something for so many years, chances are you won’t need it ever. I agree, but whoever said that we should only keep what we need? Do we keep only those friends we need?

Well, the fact is I have to get rid of a lot of stuff in the house and I started at the end of last year. And so I took the pain of sifting through. Among the bits and pieces of paper and books in one of those corrugated boxes, I chanced on a little publication called “PORTRAITS IN PROSE AND POETRY, International School Manila, High School Faculty Profiles 1991-92.” I take exception to one written by Carl Hendrickson and a video done by Regina de Luna (Editor) and the Kawayan 2008 editorial staff.

A Woman of Balance
By Carl Hendrickson

Each year on March 19 the citizens of Valencia, Spain burn ninots. After working on these effigies, which are often huge and may take a whole year to created, they burn them in order to ridicule something that has earned their scorn. Says our Ninot, with an expression somewhere between bemusement and disdain, “It’s a waste!” It would be difficult to imagine burning an effigy of Maria Antonia, an uncle’s corruption of the letters resulted in the nickname “Ninot”, simply because she gives one nothing to ridicule. This warm and cheerful Filipina radiates a soundness, a serenity and a sense of balance that defies criticism.

“Everything has a place and a time for it to be done,” says Ninot. This sense of balance, of sound priorities, appears over and over as one talks with her. She asserts that “I pace a lot. I know when to do things.” She is not easily flustered. Her sense of order, of priorities keeps her focused.
Ninot’s interest are many and varied. While her career gives her satisfaction, she also said without hesitation that she would not object to shtopping work. Indeed, she did just that when her first three children, now 21, 20 and 18 were born. Then, when she decided to start a “second group,” she was prepared to leave work. The group however, turned out to number only one, her youngest child, now 9. As it happened, it was not necessary for her to stop working for the older ones took care of the youngest. Still one senses that it was her sense of order, of calm that makes it all sound so simple.

Ninot, who is one of four daughters in a musical family, plays the piano and the guitar. At one point, she, her sisters and their husbands wanted to form a band. Why didn’t they? They “didn’t have the time,” reports Ninot matter-of-factly, once more reflecting her clear snes of proportion. Wen asked whether she preferred the piano or the guitar, she responded, “I like tennis better.” Balance! With an air of amusement, she added, “I thought I was going to be a high diver…….and a singer.”

Clearly, her children came first, for she says that in her free time, she takes them “where they have to go.” Yet, once a year, she takes time away from her family dn travels to Vancouver or to Spain, where she twice studied for a year and earned a Master’s degree from the Instituto de Cooperacion Ibero-Americana.

Although Madrid remains her personal favorite among European cities, she is quick to acknowledge that it “looks provincial compared to Paris.” She admires and respects the unique combination of culture and progress that makes Paris special. Yet, she loves the ambience of Madrid for “ when something is more familiar to me, it has more meaning.” Respect and admiration, in contrast to familiarity and love, she never moves from one sense of balance, of ordered priorities.

One concern Ninot expressed is that people “think I am not serious.” It is not difficult to understand how a superficial assessment could lead one to such a conclusion. Nonetheless, it is incorrect. Ninot is serious; she is not however, solemn or grim. Probably Ninot’s philosophy, her code of living, indeed the very foundation of her balance is best described in her own words: “A loss of something is a gain of something else.”

Photo: Crested Myna - Grasslands at old International School, Manila, Luzon - 25 Dec 05

Class of '92

2009-01-01T08:39:00.003+08:00

The Industrial Engineering Class of 1992 had a reunion on December27, 2008. Zsa Zsa Panganiban, a former IE beauty queen (she’s still single and still beautiful) chartered a suite at the Linden Suites at Ortigas where the class held the reunion.

I attended the reunion with the present IE Chair, Mrs. Maida Aguinaldo-dela Cueva. It was a great event with some twenty members of the class attending, some coming from their posts overseas. As soon as I get a copy of the attendance, I will post the names of those who attended and possibly their whereabouts. Check it out at my IE dedicated blog Oldie but Goodie.

The photo here is from Edna Soriano’s website EC Soriano Images + Design . She is based in Vancouver and was visiting Manila. She belongs to the class and attended the event before going back to Canada. She tells me that she does photography during weekends and this is one of her shoots.

Be careful when buying a Christmas gift for your boy friend.

2008-12-21T08:39:00.003+08:00

Buying the wrong Christmas gift for a man could put your relationship with him in jeopardy, whereas buying a bad gift for a woman is far less dangerous, according to a recent research by Elizabeth Dunn.

Past research show that “we like to think our partners are similar to ourselves.” Dunn and associates say that both men and women perceive giver of “bad gifts” as less similar to themselves but when “bad gifts” are received from a romantic partner, the reaction between men and women differ.

Males rated their romantic partner who gave them a “bad gift” as less similar to them, and rated the future of their relationship more negatively, such as they would be likely to get married.On the other hand, female recipients of a bad gift rated their romantic partner as more similar to them and their relationship as more rosy.

Dunn and associates think “their findings are consistent with the tendency for women to act as guardians of relationships, and that their positive reaction to the receipt of a bad gift was a form of psychologicaldefence against the disappointment of receiving a dud present.”

So girls, be careful when you buy a gift this Christmas. Guys, looks like we don’t have as much to worry. But whatever, make sure the price tag has been removed.

Elizabeth W. Dunn is Assistant Professor at the University of British Columbia, Department of Psychology.

Speak Softly and Carry a Big Stick

2008-09-07T07:47:00.010+08:00

“Speak softly and carry a big stick, and you will go far,” says Theodore Roosevelt quoting from what he claims to be a West African proverb. The big stick policy has become a mark of American foreign policy. It must have been this policy that prompted the Americans to launch the Manhattan Project fifty years later.

The secret project led to the Atomic bomb attacks on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 and Nagasaki three days after, leaving the Japanese with no choice but to surrender. The word “atomic” became a word we children used naively unaware of the terror it created on the Japanese. Perchance the first atomic bombs could have been appropriately named “Speak Softly” instead of “Little Boy” and “Big Stick” rather than “Fat Man”.

Japanese envoys boarded the the battleship USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay in the morning of September 2, 1945 to sign the surrender document. Within half-an-hour of the signing ceremonies, 42 US ships entered Tokyo Bay and landed 13,000 American troops. General Douglas MacArthur said that the occupying force will be rapidly increased to about 500,000. That was the same fashion the United States colonized the Philipines half a century earlier with General Wesley Meritt landing in Manila with a contingent of 12,000 officers and men.

Far from mere rhetoric, Teddy Roosevelt’s “Speak softly and carry a big stick, and you will go far,” has been a guiding principle in American diplomatic relations. It seems that the big stick policy antedates Roosevelt’s presidency. The American president that annexed the Philippines, Guam and Puerto Rico was William McKinley who made sure that the Spaniards surrendered Manila to the Americans instead of to the Katipuneros who had encircled the city. Theodore Roosevelt succeeded McKinley after the latter was assassinated in 1901. There were attempts to trace Roosevelt’s claim that the adage “Speak softly…” is of South African origin. The results were negative. Can it be that the American president merely coined it to justify America’s pragmatic diplomacy?

The Second Philippine Republic

2008-09-04T02:40:00.004+08:00

On November 1943, a strong typhoon hit the Philippines which caused massive flooding in the streets. They rushed my mother to the hospital on a kariton. I was born at the Sacred Heart Hospital at Calle Looban, Paco during the Second Philippine Republic. The Japanese-sponsored Republic was inaugurated three weeks earlier. Jose P. Laurel was sworn in as president on October 14, 1943. By December, the Bureau of Communications would issue a set of semi-postal stamps to raise funds for the typhoon victims. The stamps featured a moro vinta, a nipa hut, Mt. Mayon and Mt. Fuji.

While the United States and the Quezon government in-exile ignored it, the Second Philippine Republic was immediately recognized by Japan, and in the succeeding days by Germany, Thailand, Manchukuo, Burma, Croatia and Italy while neutral Spain sent its "greetings." Laurel and many others would later be accused of collaborating with the Japanese in spite of the fact that President Quezon left orders to some officials to stay behind and take care of things while he joins MacArthur to move the seat of government to the island of Corregidor.

Executive Secretary Jorge Vargas was given the responsibility of administering the "open city" upon the arrival of occupational Japanese imperial forces as Mayor of Greater Manila. To Laurel who expressed his desire to go with the president, Quezon said "You and the members of the cabinet should stay behind. You must remain at your posts to carry on the work and to protect the people. But do not take the oath of allegiance. You may cooperate, short of taking the oath of allegiance to Japan."

Those instructions must have been easier said than done. Running a government with a foreign power breathing behind your shoulder is not a simple job. The motivation of those who served as officials of the Second Republic may have been love of country. Perhaps some of them did so for their self preservation. The rash conditions affecting the population under the Japanese may have been somehow alleviated by these personalities. On the other extreme, there may have been those who took advantage of the situation just to satisfy their selfish interests.

Aking Malinis na Kapaligiran

2008-08-26T23:20:00.004+08:00

My grand daughter Elaine Gabrielle asked my help to do a poem about the environment for her homework. Three stanzas of four lines each, ten syllables to a line, rhyming last words and in Tagalog. Here's what she came up with:

Ang kapaligiran na malinis

Tulad ng ilog at mga batis,

At masarap ang simoy ng hangin;

Malinis na dagat at buhangin.

Ikaw at ako ay magtulungan

Kaibigan ang kapaligiran.

Mga ibon na nagsisilipad,

Sa umaga ay gumising agad.

Sa bukid ang mga kalabaw

Nasa lubluban buong tag-araw.

Tinulungan pa ako ni Lolo

Kaya natapos din ang tula ko.

Allied Medical Profession

2008-08-08T00:03:00.010+08:00

My daughter is super patient with her son. She tries to talk values to him even when he was barely five years old. One day she asks "What would you want to be son?"

"A race car driver, Mom," says he, much to my daughter's disappointment. If I were there, I would have gone along with that early choice of a career; I wouldn't mind a Michael Schumacher Besides, what do kids know about careers at such an early age?

But there's no way my daughter who has the patience of Job and the persistence of Abraham negotiating for Sodom and Gomorrah would abandon the cause. "Wouldn't you rather be a doctor?"

"No Mom. I don't want to be a doctor; I want to be a race car driver," he maintains with resoluteness and the battle lines are drawn between mother and son.

"You know son," his mother says, still with her very persuasive ways, "you can help people if you become a doctor. You can cure the sick of their illness, help old people."

"Okay Mom. I'll drive an ambulance."

Photo: NEED A RIDE by Olivier Agustin