Simbang-Gabi Singapore 2009: Wardens Needed

What are you doing after office hours on the 17th of December 2009? Do you live in the Jurong area? Please lend your presence to the observance of Simbang Gabi Singapore 2009 as a church warden at the Church of St. Francis of Assisi in Boon Lay.

As a volunteer church warden, you will help manage human traffic before, during, and after the Simbang Gabi Mass on December 17.

Please get in touch with Mr. Manny Resmeros through mobile phone +65-9277 2863. He's the conductor of the San Lorenzo Ruiz Choir and he will brief the volunteer wardens on December 13. Thirty (30) wardens are needed.

This is the eleventh (11th) year that Rev. Father Angel Luciano, CICM, a Filipino priest based at the Church of St. Michael, has tirelessly spearheaded the observance of Simbang Gabi in Singapore since 1999.

Maligayang Pasko po sa ating lahat!

MONEY Management Seminar at Insular Life, Makati

by Jaime G. Seculles, Jr.

Magandang araw po!

Once again, Insular Life would like to invite OFWs and their family members to a Forum/Orientation session entitled, "Money Management", in our Makati Office at 6781 Makati Avenue, Makati City on Friday, Sept. 18, 2009 at 2:00 p.m.

"Money Management" is designed for OFWs and their families to make them aware of the opportunities Insular Life is offering, and maybe help them in financial management.

There is no cost or obligation. Spouses and grown-up children of OFWs are encouraged to attend. Slots are limited, so please reserve a seat by calling Cell No. +63-917-5028310 or dropping an e-mail at juneseculles@yahoo.com

Mabuhay!

Tita Cory's Funeral

by Ma. Lourdes S. Bautista

A friend of mine in the Philippines sent me this e-mail about Tita Cory’s funeral. It describes how Filipinos from all walks of life took part in Tita Cory's historic funeral spontaneously. The writer has given Barangay OFW permission to publish her e-mail.

Dear all,

Last Wednesday, August 5, 2009, the Filipino people laid Tita Cory to rest. Ton, Nina, Yumi, Ma and I accepted Gigi's invitation to join her and her family in their place which was near the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX). It offered a good vantage point of Tita Cory's funeral.

Ma and I arrived at Gigi’s place before 9:00 a.m. and so there was no traffic at all. Ton, Nina, and Yumi arrived after a few minutes. We were able to watch the funeral Mass on TV and it was a great experience being able to see it with family.

Iyakin ako, as you know, so there were several times umiyak ako. All of us found Fr. Arevalo's homily beautiful and we were not turned off (as some were, according to the Inquirer) by the celebrities singing songs -- they were all good (especially Dulce and Lea Salonga) and the songs chosen had great meaning in Cory's life.

At 2:30 p.m., when we thought the cortege was approaching Gigi’s place, we went to SLEX. Ay naku, the wait lasted two hours. It was a very mixed group -- peninsulares who lived in posh villages and ordinary Filipinos. There were the usual vendors of bottled water and peanuts and fish crackers.

When the advance party of the cortege came in view, we flashed the L sign and shouted, “Cory, Cory!” several times. We saw Gina Lopez and then Judy and Mar Roxas drive by. We saw Butch Abad, Aurora Pijuan, and Jun Lozada walk by.

Finally! The flatbed truck with Cory's flag-draped coffin surrounded by flowers and the four honor guards standing tall!

Shouting, “Cory, Cory,” we were again teary-eyed. It was an emotional moment. Nina was shocked that Ma, who’s in her 80s, clambered on top of a monobloc chair to get a better view.

The vans and buses carrying the Aquino family followed. But because of the tinted windows, we only glimpsed Jiggy Aquino-Cruz holding a placard with the pentel-pen inked message: "WE LOVE U. SALAMAT."

Then the rain poured and the wind blew -- and even though we were protected by the Skyway overhang -- we got really wet. The rain came in horizontal torrents.

Ma and I took EDSA back to the house and there was no traffic. We passed by Tita Cory's house on Times Street and we saw the orchids that we had left the day before. At home, we caught the tail-end of the funeral on TV.

A memorable day indeed -- thanks to Gigi and family for the idea and for the great hospitality.

Tish

Images of Tita Cory's Funeral Cortege

I chanced upon this blog which features pictures and video clips of Tita Cory's funeral cortege from La Salle Green Hills to Manila Cathedral on 3 August 2009.

Do check it out.
http://aboutmyrecovery.com/2009/08/03/cory-aquino-memorial-services/

Tita Cory's Wake... Incandescent Smile

by Felix Bautista

A friend of mine in the Philippines forwarded to me another e-mail about Tita Cory’s wake at the La Salle Green Hills Gymnasium. The original writer of the email has given Barangay OFW his permission to publish his email.


From: Felix Bautista ______________________
Date: Wed, Aug 5, 2009 at 6:56 AM
Subject: Tita Cory's Wake
To: tish bautista ___________________________


Folks,


Tato, Joville, Nina and I went to the wake Sunday night. It was raining while we were in the car, but mercifully, the rains stopped when we left Robinson's Galleria parking. We stopped over at the EDSA Shrine and took the elevated walkway to Ortigas.

We got to the line at around 7:30 PM, near the tire shop on Ortigas and the line was just two deep. We settled in for a long wait, observing people, listening to hawkers plying their trade, and hearing Nina talk about her experiences as a high school teacher at La Salle Green Hills in 1986.

It took us several hours to get inside the gym, but we were offered Nestea juice and iced tea, Hersheys kisses, San Mig coffee. The only thing missing were the biscuits, a constant in Philippine wakes.

On the long ramp up to the gym, we saw two of Tita Cory's grandsons, as they worked the line apologizing to the people for the long wait.

Finally, we got inside the gym, and my first impression was that it looked like a giant TV studio, with all the lights and equipment. What struck me next was that even with all the people, the gym was almost quiet.

Soon, we were facing the coffin, and we only had enough time to make the sign of the cross. I only saw the heavily made-up face, not the brown hands and the rosary.

I also saw Ninoy during his wake at the Sto. Domingo Church -- Ninoy in his bloodied clothes. The two images from the two wakes were like night and day.

And then I remembered what Kris said during the Boy Abunda interview earlier. Kris said that she promised Tita Cory that she will make sure that Tita Cory will look good in her wake, so she was present the whole time, during the transfer of the remains from Makati Medical Center to the Heritage Mortuary, the embalming and preparation. And then in typical showbiz fashion, she thanked people who did Tita Cory's hair, makeup and clothes...

It was Kris's showbiz tribute to her mom.

I prefer to retain an image of Cory when she lit up in her incandescent smile, which I am now indelibly reminded watching all of the tributes to her on television. I will remember her for her transparency, her sincerity, her lack of pretence.

We stayed a while, sitting on the bleachers. Joville and Nina signed our names in the visitor's book. We received yellow pins; I will keep mine as a memento. For some minutes, we watched as people viewed Cory, trying to recognize Important People, drinking in the atmosphere.

Nearing 11 pm, we left the wake. On the way out, we caught a glimpse of Dolphy and Zsa Zsa. Dolphy looked stooped and was heavily made- up. So was Zsa Zsa.

As we walked back to Robinson’s Galleria, the line had grown four- tiers thick. The visit to the wake was, for me, a perfect ending to a truly happy day when I celebrated my birthday.

Ton

OFWs and Tita Cory

by Noslen Sonnel

August 5, 2009 12:45 a.m.

Far from the land of our birth

We thrive on this one land called earth

To be back home our constant dearth

Our fatherland, our countrymen, our mirth.

Adopted, yet unwanted.

Paid yet unneeded.

Seen yet unseen.

Here yet keen.

Keen to see the day of our return.

Hoping and weeping, graceful and silent

Struggling, striving and always benevolent.

Sending our dollars like we've tons to burn.

Keen to see our nation's rebirth.

See Happy Pinoys with none so poor.

Humble leaders with diminished girth.

'Tis what we'd like to see at the end of our tour.

The death of Cory increased our sorrow.

Yet we struggle on ‘cuz there’s still tomorrow.

She was the mother who wouldn’t let us leave
A fellow Pinoy who wanted us not to cleave.

She believed what many of us abandoned
The road she travelled, we scorned and disowned.

Yet in the depths of our hearts we are brown.

We knew then and we know now that we can.

That we Pinoys can never be let down.

And we may yet prove that we are her avid fan!

The death of Cory increased our sorrow.

Yet we struggle on ‘cuz there’s still tomorrow.

Tita Cory's Wake

by Ms. Juliet Guanlao

A friend of mine in the Philippines forwarded to me an e-mail about Tita Cory’s wake at the La Salle Greenhills. The original writer of the email has given Barangay OFW her permission to publish her email.

From: Juliet Guanlao _________________

To: usths80@_______________________

Sent: Sunday, August 2, 2009 10:35:31 PM

Subject: [usths80] Tita Cory's Wake

I was there last night. It took me, a friend, and three nieces more than three hours to get to Tita Cory's coffin, where we were able to spend a few seconds to say thank you.

I could not pass up on this chance to feel "People Power" all over again. I went there with the hope of witnessing and feeling the same fever that gripped all of us 23 years ago. I was at EDSA (it happened three months after I came home from an 8-year stay in NY). I was squeezed at the gates of Malacañang with the passionate mob who rushed there after hearing the news that the Marcoses had fled. I was in Luneta during the rally after the dictator was ousted.

I just felt that this is the last chance to feel Tita Cory's fervent hope to unite us, even up to her death.

I was not disappointed. The unity of our people and the desire to be with Tita Cory for the last time are very much alive. The line started from Gate 5 and extended all the way to the corner of EDSA and Ortigas, and snaked 4 times. Four layers of people peacefully and orderly lined up along Ortigas, in the midst of traffic and the smoke-belching vehicles. But there were no complaints, no rowdiness among the crowd, just the usual noise of people chatting, waiting patiently in line.

There were a lot of smiles, nods and short comments exchanged among strangers, as we passed by or faced each other in our respective spots. As expected, there were a lot of entrepreneurs who were able to produce yellow shirts and yellow ribbons in such a short time.

We arrived at around 8:30 pm and were able to join the 2nd layer of the line. Those who were in the first line had been there since 4 o'clock. There was a mass at 8pm and they stopped letting people in at 7.

We were feeling impatient at around 10:30 pm when, to our surprise, there was activity behind us. Tita Cory's grandsons, Jiggy (the one who looks like Ninoy) and the other one (we didn't get his name but I think he was the other one who was frequently seen with Jiggy, but this time without his Ninoy glasses), were walking through the lines, shaking people's hands, profusely thanking and apologizing to everyone about the long wait.

Of course there were a lot of posing and picture-taking, and these two young lads were game! It was probably a nightmare for the two security personnel who tailed Tita Cory’s grandsons. Their presence gave everyone the much-needed boost, and we were able to keep our spirits up for the next 2 hours. There was even one lady behind us who shouted, "Iho, ano nga bang pangalan mo? Iboboto kita!" It was indeed an unexpected but heartwarming gesture from those two young men.

When we had gone through the gates, we saw young people handing out Kopiko candies and Hershey's Kisses chocolates. Feeling nasa wake talaga! Kulang na lang Boy Bawang, Happy peanuts, butong pakwan and Zest-o. But there were water dispensers and cups in different spots inside the campus.

Flowers lined up the corridors, and Tita Cory's enlarged portraits were placed along the hallway leading to the coffin. Inside the gym, celebrities were everywhere. But despite the fact that there were showbiz stars and politicos everywhere, I didn't think it replaced the feelings of the people that they were there to pay their respects to Tita Cory. The mood was calm and solemn.

In two's, we were allowed only a few seconds in front of the coffin. Not enough to digest and take in the minute details of this once-in-a-lifetime experience. I was there with a friend and my three nieces, and when we were back in the car, we pieced together all that we were able to store in our memories.

Tita Cory was wearing a simple bright yellow dress with sparkling stones. Brownish hands folded clutching a rosary. Jet black hair combed back, bright red lips, heavily-foundationed face. She looked very different... she looked like a Chinese mestiza but decades younger... The face was different from the Tita Cory we are all familiar with. But her expression was very serene... very peaceful...

The way she looked in the coffin got us distracted. We were hoping to see the sweet, motherly face of Tita Cory. We walked back to the car pensive, and disturbed. We did not want this to be the last memory we will have of her.

My initial feeling was, I wish I did not go.... But now, the morning after, things are clearer in my mind. She must have suffered so much in her ordeal that they had to hide the pain.. The face may have masked the sufferings but the color of her hands exposed them anyway... Now I feel that even up to her death, she wanted us to see her strength, not her sufferings. And for that, I admire her more...

Tita Cory suffered so much in her life....as a wife, as a mother, as a person...We are the ones who benefited from those sufferings. As a nation, we are free. But, as a people, we have a lot more to do. My fervent prayer is for all of us to show the same unity that we showed Tita Cory and do our share in addressing the ills of our country.

Twenty-six years ago, I was marching in the streets of New York City, together with the members of the anti-Marcos movement, because Ninoy had been assassinated. I live now in Manila, but for the 26 years that I have lived here, my sense of obligation has centered around myself and my loved ones. Other than doing my best to be a law-abiding citizen, the occasional bouts of nationalism demonstrated during the People Power and now for Tita Cory, I have not really done much. I hope now, I can start...

I have been a silent reader in our e-group for the past 8 years.. Now I cannot resist na magparamdam because I want to share this experience with all of you.

To those who are overseas and cannot make it to the wake, I hope this gives you a glimpse of what it was like to be there, from my perspective. To those who can make it to the Manila Cathedral, you still have a chance.

Let's pay our respects to Tita Cory. It's the least we can do. And let's hope that the spark that this visit rekindles will stay and ignite us to move.

Yeng

Thank you, Tita Cory!

Tribute to Tita Cory

25 January 1933 - 1 August 2009

Maria Corazon C. Aquino
11th President of the Philippines

Thank you, with all our hearts, for your:

C- ourage and dedication

O-verwhelming simplicity and sincerity

R- esolute commitment to democracy

A-mazing and audacious faith

Z-ealous love of country

O-verflowing kindness and love

N-ever-ending legacy of freedom!

MONEY Management Seminar at Insular Life, Imus, Cavite

by Jaime G. Seculles, Jr.

Insular Life would like to invite OFWs and their family members to a Forum/Orientation session entitled, "Money Management", in our Imus District Office in Cavite on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 at 2:00 p.m.

"Money Management" is designed for OFWs and their families to make them aware of the opportunities Insular Life is offering, and maybe help them in financial management.

The Insular Life's Imus District Office is located on the 2nd Floor of Sayoc-Abella Building (atop Allied Bank), Aguinaldo Highway corner Tamsui Avenue, Imus, Cavite.

There is no cost or obligation. Spouses and grown-up children of OFWs are encouraged to attend. Slots are limited, so please reserve a seat by calling Cell No. +63-917-5028310 or

Tel. No. 63-46-5020151.

Deserving Grace

by Sonny Coloma

This article was originally published in Mr. Sonny Coloma's column, VECTOR, in the Business World Online on May 22, 2009 (Manila time). He has given Barangay OFW his kind permission to re-publish this article. You may reach him at sonny_coloma@yahoo.com

newshopper.sulekha.com

"The people deserve the kind of government they want" is a timeless maxim on democracy. If we choose wisely and well, we may yet deserve to have a national leader like Isabela Gov. Ma. Grace Cielo Magno Padaca who was honored by the Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Foundation as its 2008 awardee for outstanding public service.

"When I was elected governor in 2004," she told members of the Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines (FINEX) the other day, "I thanked God, saying, ‘Lord I was only joking. I did not expect you to take me seriously!’ "

But after 40 years of the Dy family’s hegemony, voters in Isabela chose wisely and well. Against the three Gs — guns, goons, and gold — they elected a polio-stricken broadcaster as their new leader.

Thus did Ms. Grace complete the transition from 1) CPA -- Certified Public Accountant (she graduated magna cum laude in BS Accountancy from Lyceum University) to 2) CPA -- Courageous Public Announcer (14 years as a broadcaster with Radio Bombo), and finally, to 3) CPA -- Competent Public Administrator (second-term governor of Isabela and Magsaysay laureate).

She was reelected in 2007, with a slimmer winning margin, but she felt vindicated. "This was sweeter than when I first won," she said, "because the people reelected me on the basis of my performance, and not anymore on my promises."

With prudent fiscal management, Isabela was able to pay off more than 80% of its more than half-billion-peso debts to the Land Bank, Philippine National Bank, and DBP.

She increased farm productivity by providing subsidies to rice and corn farmers. Isabela is the largest corn-producing province and the second largest rice producer. Her administration was also able to enroll more than 100,000 Isabelinos in PhilHealth so that they now enjoy medical insurance benefits.

She has introduced transparency and accountability. Awards of contracts and release of checks to contractors are publicized in the provincial capitol. Businesspersons and investors have found it profitable to do business and invest in the province because they need not pay bribes or incur unnecessary costs due to corrupt practices of government officials. She urged people to report to her directly any anomalies in government transactions.

But the road to the governorship was rough, bumpy, and fraught with danger. She was immobilized by polio at the age of three.

Her parents, both educators, gave her many books to read. She recalls reading stories about honesty, industry, truth, and fairness — and these filled her mind with positive thoughts and inspired her to dream of an auspicious future.

One of her dreams was to be a radio announcer, a job where she could be heard even if not seen. She went on to join Bombo Radyo where she had a daily three-hour program from Monday to Saturday. Her focus was "the abusive way by which resources of government were being squandered" by political "gremlins" that "seemed to forget that power is not theirs as a birthright."

Instead of being frustrated about not being able to do anything about irregularities that were being committed openly, she decided to seek public office.

"At least," she mused, "even if I lose, I will have peace of mind." She lost in 2001 and ran again in 2004, aware that she could lose then and probably lose two or three more elections before making significant headway in her crusade for good government.

She had an epiphany: "If fear is contagious, courage is also contagious." She urged her province mates to overcome their fear:

"Huwag kayong maawa sa akin dahil ako’y isang pilay at mahina. Maawa kayo sa inyong mga sarili at sa inyong mga anak kung wala kayong magawa kahit mas malakas at masigla ang inyong katawan kaysa sa akin."

("Don’t pity me because I am paralyzed and weak. Have mercy on yourselves and on your children if you can’t do anything despite the fact that you are healthier than I am.")

"What they saw in me was not my weakness, but my strength," she recalls.

Another important realization on her part is that, "People in government wield tremendous power. With just one signature, I could mobilize millions in pesos in resources. If used judiciously, political power may be harnessed to empower people and lift them from poverty."

Thus, she urged the executives in the audience to go into public service themselves, or encourage those who they know can become competent public servants.

Her speech followed a pitch for voter education especially among the youth. "But if the educated voters do not have credible choices among the candidates, even your best efforts may come to naught," she said.

"Those who think themselves to be too smart to run for public office are doomed to be governed by those who are too dumb. Elect the right people," was her spirited pitch. "Look at me," she said, "I am the embodiment of the power of the people expressed through the ballot."

When asked about her biggest asset and her worst liability, her replies elicited warm applause. She said that her staffers call her "Excel Governor" because she always required spreadsheets depicting relevant information and figures, especially when she deals with requests for assistance from barangay officials. Her attention to details (a discipline she acquired as an accountant) enables her to allocate scarce resources judiciously according to the real needs of her constituents.

But she longs for the gentler and kinder days when, as a private citizen, she received abundant care and attention from friends.

She plods on with great courage and determination. When she first won, only three out of 36 mayors supported her; now, the ratio is reversed. Only three have not reached out to her and two of these are members of the political dynasty that she ousted from power.

She is mindful of the need to build common ground even among erstwhile adversaries. "Maybe my being a dispassionate accountant is also one of my strengths; I never take differences personally against anyone." Instead of wooing political rivals, she said she would rather focus on serving the needs of her province mates.

When will we ever deserve the grace of having a national leader (president, vice president or senator) in the mold of Governor Grace Padaca?

Only when we have the courage to elect competent and dedicated public servants like her — and reject the empty enticements of well-entrenched politicians who have all brought our country and us on the road to perdition.

Comments may be sent to sonny_coloma@yahoo.com

If you would like to send a message to Gov. Grace Padaca you can text her at +63-919-3533-222 or send an email to kayanatin@yahoo.com

Efren Peñaflorida: Kariton Klasrum (onli in da Pilipins)

"I always tell my volunteers that you are the change that you dream and I am the change that I dream. And collectively we are the change that this world needs to be."

This is quoted from the CNN Story entitled, "Pushcart classes help break gang chain."

Efren Peñaflorida,27,founded Dynamic Teen Company in Cavite City in 1997. The teen volunteers take the Kariton Klasrum to unwashed, unshod, and unschooled kids in the least likely learning environments such as public markets, cemeteries, slums, and prison.

Many overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) take the plunge and brave separation from their families because they feel that there is no hope in the Philippines.

After working abroad for many years, many OFWs would like to go home for good. But the bleak socioeconomic situation and unstable political conditions stop them. It's a hopeless situation, they say.

Has Kuya Ef , as the kids call him, ever thought of becoming an OFW? Would he apply as an office clerk in a Saudi company? or a bellboy in a Dubai hotel? or a teacher in Singapore?

Probably not. Kuya Ef has found his 'acres of diamonds' right there in the midst of misery where he lives. As a teacher myself, I am humbled by Efren's selfless example.

Fellow OFWs, let's take heart. We have many more skills and many more resources than Efren and his teen volunteers.

We need not be afraid of going home sooner or later. Let's remember Efren's words, "You are the change that you dream, and I am the change that I dream..."

An OFW as a Philippine Tourist

by Carmelita C. Ballesteros

I worked in Singapore in 2008 without going home for a whole year. I’d feel homesick every now and then, but there was plenty of work to occupy myself… To make up for lost time, I splurged my annual leave and spent most of December 2008 with my extended family members as well as friends. One of the things we did together was tour Luzon from south to north.

It was wonderful getting re-acquainted with my grandkids as well as exploring my own country and heritage. No small thanks to my Malaysian friends Soo Fun and Michael who came to visit for a week.

Are you a stranger in the country of your birth? Are you a stranger in your parents’ or grandparents’ hometown? Do find time to tour around the Philippines. It isn’t as awful as the newspapers paint it.

True, traffic jams are everywhere in Manila and other big cities. But the strawberry jam and the ube jam of the Good Shepherd Sisters in Baguio City and Tagaytay City are enticing, tempting, and mouth-watering rewards, enough to make you exclaim, “It’s a glimpse of heaven!”

Heaven isn’t the traffic jam. It isn’t the rusty roofs of houses. Neither is it the pollution in cities. Heaven is the kindness, simplicity, and sweetness of rural folk in the countryside. Heaven is friendship and family togetherness that you can experience only in the Philippines.

Last December, my friends Soo Fun and Michael visited the Philippines. Michael actually comes and goes to Manila for business trips, but has never gone around as a tourist. His wife Soo Fun was visiting the Philippines for the first time.

Soo Fun and Michael are Malaysians who live and work in Singapore as permanent residents. I am an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) teaching in a Singaporean university.

I’m a homebody and I travel around the Philippines only when it’s an official trip. So when my friend Soo Fun came to visit as a tourist, I was a tourist myself.

My son, daughter-in-law, and sister took turns driving for us. We drove around Metro Manila, Cavite, then on to Vigan, Ilocos Sur. On the way back to Manila, we drove up to Baguio City from Vigan.

Then we did some shopping and eating in Metro Manila, drove around Tagaytay City, and finally, we went on an arts excursion to Angono, Rizal and Paete, Laguna.

Day 1, Manila. We posed in front of Jose Rizal’s monument at the Luneta Park. As Soo Fun and Michael asked questions about Jose Rizal, I began to realize my being a Filipino in a deeper sense.

Carol, Soo Fun, and Carmel in front of Rizal's monument in Luneta.

Trying to explain to foreigners who Rizal was, what he did and didn’t do, and why he chose to live and die the way he had was mutually enlightening.

Our next stop was the Manila Cathedral. While a wedding ceremony was going on, the next wedding party was already waiting at the back. The Manila Cathedral is probably the most-booked church for weddings in the Philippines.

Michael, who loves doors, windows, and benches/chairs, couldn’t resist having his picture taken beside one of the wooden doors at the Manila Cathedral.

From the Manila Cathedral, we walked to Fort Santiago where Jose Rizal was incarcerated by the Spaniards. While entering the premises, we noticed security guards or patrol officers dressed as ‘guardias civiles.’ A ‘guardia civil’ was a police officer during the Spanish colonization of the Philippines.

I was most impressed with the footpath which Rizal had taken on his way to his execution from Fort Santiago to Luneta. The path had Rizal’s footsteps etched on it.

Michael observed, “Rizal wasn’t a tall man, was he? And he must have been walking slowly.”

“I guess you wouldn’t run as you head towards your execution,” I replied. Quietly, I asked myself what Rizal was thinking of as he walked towards Luneta, certain that death was waiting. Did he recite his “Mi Ultimo Adios” as he walked meditatively to Luneta?

Driving from Makati to Manila and back to Makati took the whole day. (Soo Fun and Michael stayed in a hotel in Makati.) There was a humongous traffic jam caused by the anti-Chacha rally mounted by a multi-sectoral group.

It was during this rally that Senator Mar Roxas declaimed using expletives against the Arroyo administration. He was criticized by some, but he didn’t apologize. Actually, the ordinary Filipino loved him for doing so.

Speaking of political unrest, Michael and Soo Fun narrated that Malaysia and Singapore had had its share of uncertain times, too.

Day 2, Cavite and Ilocos Sur. It was a looong 13-hour drive from Cavite in Southern Luzon to Vigan in Northern Luzon. We made several stops along the way, though.

I particularly wanted to go to Vigan so I could visit with a long-time friend, Sister Fidelisa Portillo, SPC, of the Paulinian Congregation in the Philippines. She had been inviting me and my family to visit with her in Vigan since the turn of the 21st century!

We arrived at the gate of the school where Sister Fidelisa is posted, St. Paul College of Ilocos Sur, at 12 midnight. The alert security guards immediately opened the gates and guided us to our sleeping quarters.

They were simple rooms with the basic necessities, including biscuits, mineral water, towels, soap, and shampoo. They were simple, cozy rooms with welcoming and warm curtains which were probably sewn by the nuns themselves.

Day 3, Vigan and Baguio City. Breakfast the morning after was a riotous affair with Sister Celine Santos, the president of the school, entertaining us with humorous anecdotes.

Carmel, Sr. Celine, Michael, Soo Fun, and Sr. Fidelisa.

Can you imagine a breakfast of fried rice fragrant with garlic, steaming coffee, and Vigan longanisa (pork sausage) with vinegar dip in the happy company of family and friends?

It’s enough to make you feel as if you’ve had a glimpse of heaven! It sure was a happy Sunday, our reward after a long day’s drive.

What makes Vigan longanisa extraordinary? What makes the vinegar dip that goes with it a must?

Vigan longanisa is extraordinary because it’s made of lean pork, garlic, onions, black pepper, vinegar, and other ingredients. It hardly has any fat because it’s hung to dry under the sun for at least four hours.

Cooking Vigan longanisa is done by simmering it in water over low fire until the water evaporates. The casing is pricked all the while so that the remaining fat is released in which it is fried until it’s golden brown.

The vinegar dip consists of sugar cane vinegar with crushed garlic, chopped onions, ground black pepper, chili pepper, and salt. You could use tomato catsup or fresh tomatoes, but it is the vinegar dip that makes eating Vigan longanisa a supreme experience.

We said grace, then started eating and chatting. It was mostly Sister Celine Santos, SPC, talking but we didn’t mind. Her hilarious anecdotes and vivacious personality were amazing. And she’s past 70! I guess it’s the reason she looks as if she’s only 50.

Sister Celine is the president of St. Paul College of Ilocos Sur. SPCIS, for short, celebrated its 100th year in December 2005. It has had a long and illustrious presence in Ilocos Sur, molding the Ilocano youth around its charism, “The love of Christ urges us.”

(If you are interested in youth exchange or immersion programs, please email Sister Fidelisa at fidelisaportillo@yahoo.com)

After breakfast, we headed toward Bantay and Vigan, had a calesa ride, bought some souvenirs and goodies, and took pictures, of course. We went back to the school, heard Sunday mass together with the faculty and staff, and had a sumptuous lunch at the Sisters’ convent.

At 1:00 p.m., we were on our way back to Manila. My son decided to take a side trip to Baguio City by taking the Naguillian Road in Bauang, La Union. It was a smooth ride up although there were zigzag stretches of road to negotiate. The mountains, the clouds, the fog, and the setting sun were spectacular views to behold.

Baguio City was cold and windy! It was also unbelievably crowded. There were people everywhere – shopping, walking, eating, taking pictures, driving – all enjoying the 15 degree Celsius temperature of Baguio City.

After a quick supper, we headed down to Manila and arrived a little after midnight. It was Monday morning already. We dropped off Michael and Soo Fun at their hotel in Makati, agreeing to meet later in the afternoon to go shopping for pearl jewelry in Metro Manila.

Day 4, Manila. Pearl jewelry? I couldn’t believe the range of fabulous designs, colors, and affordability of pearl jewelry in the Philippines. For example, a really elegant necklace can be yours at the price of USD20!

Soo Fun loved pearl jewelry and had a grand time shopping for pearl presents as well as pearl keepsakes for herself. She and my daughter-in-law shopped till the shops closed!

(With her husband in tow, Soo Fun had another pearl shopping spree! No, she didn’t re-sell them. She gave most of them to family and friends in Singapore and Malaysia as Christmas presents.)

Day 5, Tagaytay City. Since Tagaytay is only an hour and a half away from Manila, we spent the next day exploring the hills and valleys and nooks of Tagaytay. My sister picked up Soo Fun from the hotel, then met up with my daughter-in-law and me. Driving up to Tagaytay, we were excited that we were having a girls’ outing.

Tagaytay was cool and windy although less cold than Baguio. Because it was a little cloudy, our view of Taal Volcano was not as sharp as on a clear day. It was also too windy to stay outdoors and contemplate the volcano in the middle of the lake.

The pictures we snapped showed us clutching our shawls and sweaters with our hair being blown by the wind in every direction. Funny pictures they were and I’d rather you didn’t see them.

Day 6, Angono, Rizal and Paete, Laguna. We planned to go to Villa Escudero in San Pablo City, but we gave it up after learning that there was no cultural show on a weekday. Instead, we decided to have an art excursion to Angono, Rizal and Paete, Laguna.

My son insisted that we go to Angono, Rizal. He fondly remembers his art excursion to Angono when he was a college student at San Beda College in Mendiola, Manila.

Angono, Rizal is a small town by a river. Its narrow streets and slow-moving traffic are not exactly encouraging. However, it’s also the home of many artists such as Nemesio Miranda and Jose Blanco.

My daughter-in-law had attended art lessons by Nemesio Miranda, popularly known as Nemiranda. So our first stop was his home cum gallery or the Nemiranda Arthouse. The entrance fee was less than one US dollar. It was worth every centavo we paid.

Nemiranda’s art house is like a typical Filipino house made of wood, bamboo, and concrete. But it’s atypical because it’s a house where an artist lives with his wife and children. At the end of the gallery, some pieces were for sale. Soo Fun fell in love with a simple painting of a small house in a farm. It exuded innocence, purity, tranquility, and joy.

We negotiated for a good price and left with the painting bubble-wrapped, ready to travel by air.

Our next stop was Jose Blanco’s Family Museum. My son said the Blanco house he had visited during his college days was a sprawling bahay-kubo which looked like an informal art school where everybody was painting in every corner.

Today, the sprawling bahay-kubo has been replaced by a concrete building which serves as the museum as well as home of the Blancos.

Jose Blanco, a fine arts graduate of the University of Santo Tomas in 1955, was a fisherman’s son. Jose himself fished to raise his tuition money. He devoted his art to the depiction of rural life in Angono and around the Philippines. An art critic, Alice Guillermo, has labeled Blanco’s murals of rural scenes as ‘folk realism.’

His murals are like blown-up photo snapshots as regards faithfulness to details. In a mural depicting a town fiesta, each face was unique and individual. A mural showing a garbage dump made you cringe at the sight of flies and worms.

The most amazing thing about Jose Blanco and his family is that his seven children as well as his wife all paint! None of them had formal painting lessons. They didn’t need to. They have had the best teacher – Jose Blanco himself.

The time we spent together as family and friends inside the museum was priceless. The entrance fee, a little over one US dollar, was embarrassingly cheap! Our guide, a cousin of the Blanco children, had asked us not to take pictures because the flash of the camera could damage the paintings. We complied willingly.

Hungry after two art stops, we hurried to the nearby Balao-Balao Restaurant. It turned out to be another art house. While waiting for our order, we toured the gallery on the ground and second floors.

I was so taken by a wooden sculpture which looked like a blanket cradle from afar. Upon inspection, it was a mother rocking her child to sleep and it was aptly titled, “Sa Ugoy ng Duyan.”

Soon enough, our table was laden with food. Starving, we had ordered food fit to feed a battalion: chicken sour stew, frog legs, deer meat, and the restaurant’s specialty. We were both amazed and delighted when a huge wok (talyasi, in Tagalog) was wheeled in by two waiters. The freshly-cooked rice was topped with chicken and pork adobo, shrimps, mussels, salted red egg, and vegetables.

We ate till we were stuffed. In addition to the main courses, we had soda drinks, bottled water, ice cream, and halu-halo, a concoction of sweets with milk and shaved ice. We couldn’t believe that the banquet which fed six adults and two kids, plus the gallery tour, cost us as little as USD36.00!

2008 Simbang Gabi Singapore

by Carmelita C. Ballesteros

Singapore

Simbang Gabi is one of the unique characteristics of a Philippine Christmas. Simbang Gabi means evening mass or night worship. When I was a girl back in the 20th century, my folks called it misa de gallo. It’s a Spanish term which literally means dawn mass – a mass that is celebrated at four in the morning as the roosters crow at dawn.

In preparation for Christmas, the nine-day Simbang Gabi is held in Catholic churches, cathedrals, and chapels all over the country. It begins on the 16th and culminates on the 24th of December.

In the Philippines, many churches in the provinces celebrate the Holy Mass as early as five in the morning on a daily basis. So a misa de gallo at 4:00 a.m. isn’t extraordinary. It is neither inconvenient for rural folk who go to bed early and get up early.

But for me, it’s always been a huge effort. As a girl, I was always teased as a sleepyhead. I loved to sleep, and it was a chore waking me up.

Sleep would be heavy on my eyelids. The chilly breeze of dawn would keep me curled up under my thin cotton blanket. But my mother’s insistent invitation to rise and shine would become my father’s intimidating threat of a day deprived of puto-bumbong and bibingka! So I’d perk up and jump up and say, “Wait! I’m coming!”

As children, my siblings and I went to the Simbang Gabi not in anticipation of Jesus Christ’s birthday, but in anticipation of breakfast after the Holy Mass. Around the church would be food stalls selling puto-bumbong and bibingka which came with steaming cups of bottomless tea.

It was an annual tradition I grew up with. It is a Christmas tradition most Filipinos grow up and grow old with. It is a special season for family togetherness – going to church, hearing mass, and sharing a simple breakfast of native delicacies.

Living abroad as an overseas Filipino worker (OFW), I’ve experienced many Christmases without Simbang Gabi. In Taiwan where I taught in a university, there were Christmases when I found myself teaching on Christmas. It was an ordinary working day for the Taiwanese.

Last year, I celebrated my first Christmas in Singapore. To my delight, there is Simbang Gabi in Singapore! It’s a multicultural city state which celebrates Chinese, Malay, Muslim, and Christian holidays.

Rev. Father Angel Luciano, CICM, a Filipino priest based at the Church of St. Michael, has made it his mission to spearhead the observance of Simbang Gabi since 1999. This is the 10th year that Father Angel is leading the Filipino flock in Singapore in remembering Simbang Gabi in the Philippines.

Ten churches are taking part in this year’s 10th anniversary of Simbang Gabi Singapore. All Christmas novena masses will be held at 8:00 p.m. starting at the Church of St. Anthony of Padua on December 15. Then the Simbang Gabi will move to the Church of Our Lady Star of the Sea on December 16.

Each night, the Simbang Gabi will be celebrated in a different church with an active Filipino community. (See schedule below.)

Fortunately, there are many Filipinos in the church I go to, the Church of St. Francis of Assisi on Boon Lay Avenue in the west side of Singapore. The Legion of Mary, headed by Yolanda Ligon of San Miguel Bulacan, is taking charge of the preparations for the Simbang Gabi which it will host on December 20.

A sister organization of the Legion of Mary is the San Lorenzo Ruiz Choir which sings regularly during the 7:30 a.m. mass every week.

Thus, the San Lorenzo Ruiz Choir has been tasked to prepare a very special repertoire for the Simbang Gabi.

Led by Manny Rosmeros, and accompanied on the organ by Marissa Esguerra, the choir has been rehearsing since September Christmas carols to be sung before the mass. It includes old-time favorites: Hark, the Herald Angels Sing; Joy to the World; Ang Pasko ay Sumapit; Noche Buena; Pasko na Naman; Himig Pasko; Silent Night; etc.

The choir’s main repertoire for the Simbang Gabi promises to be a marvelous treat of original Filipino Christmas compositions by Jesuit priests Manoling Francisco and Rene Oliveros as well as Rene Gozum. The arrangement is by Norman Agatep.

For the entrance hymn, the choir will sing Gumising. Then they will sing Unang Alay and The Seed during the offertory. As the congregation receives communion, the choir will sing Emanuel, Paglamig ng Hangin, and Di Ba’t Pasko’y Pag-ibig.

The recessional hymn will be Pasko Na, a happy song which rejoices in the birth of the Infant Jesus.

To cap the jubilation, everyone will be treated to arroz caldo (chicken porridge) and pansit bihon (sautéed rice noodles) after the mass. Food is absolutely free for everyone courtesy of Father Angel, the Legion of Mary, and their generous donors and sponsors.

On regular Sundays, about 500 to 600 parishioners attend each of the three scheduled masses at the Church of St. Francis of Assisi. On the evening of the Simbang Gabi, more than 2,000 people squeeze themselves into the church and the small parking lot in the churchyard.

People usually come one hour early in order to find a seat inside the church. Those who come late stand outside the church and listen to the mass through loud speakers.

Don’t they complain? No; they’re first in the queue to the arroz caldo!

Simbang Gabi Schedule (8:00 p.m. nightly)

1. Dec. 15, Monday. Church of St. Anthony of Padua, 25 Woodlands Avenue 1. Bus No.
912 or 912E (Berth 12). Contact Francis/Tony at tel. no. 97461255/91052930.

2. Dec. 16, Tuesday. Church of Our Lady Star of the Sea, 10 Yishun Street 22. Bus No. 804, alight at 2nd bus stop. Contact Lorena/Vivian at tel. no. 97414646/93226438.

3. Dec. 17, Wednesday. Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, 24 Highland Road. Bus No. 24, 60, 70, 76, 103, 136, 147, 156, and 317.

4. Dec. 18, Thursday. Church of Christ the King, 2221 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 8. Bus No. 22, 24, 135, 159, 162, and 853. Contact Ving/Allan/Robert at tel. no. 92278043, 96548467, and 93853396.

5. Dec. 19, Friday. Novena Church, 300 Thomson Road. Bus No. 54, 143, 162, 167, and 851. Contact Rey/Sarah at tel. no. 90863457/90762186.

6. Dec. 20, Saturday. Church of St. Francis of Assisi, 200 Boon Lay Avenue. Bus No. 502, 174. Contact Yolly/Alda at tel. no. 94876534/81893796.

7. Dec. 21, Sunday. Church of St. Michael, 17 St. Michael’s Road. Bus No. 13, 23, 26, 31, 61, 64, 65, 66, 107, 125, 133, 147, 853, 857, and 985. Contact Father Angel at tel. no. 63920592.

8. Dec. 22, Monday. Church of the Holy Trinity, 20 Tampines Street 11. Bus No. 8, 17, 18, 28, 34, 39, 59, 292, and 518. From Tampines MRT, walk towards Simei (2nd crossing). Contact Zap/Marie at tel. no. 82881025/94783985.

9. Dec. 23, Tuesday. Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour, 31 Siglap Hill. Bus No. 2, 7, 24, 25, 26, 28, 30, 32, 33, and 854. Contact Lyn at tel. no. 96569968.

10. Dec. 24, Wednesday. Church of Saints Peter and Paul, 225A Queen Street. Bus No. 7, 14, 16, 36, 106, 111, 131, 162, 167, 171, 401, 502, 518, 700, 700A, and 857. Contact Jenny at tel. no. 62563163.

Father Angel Luciano, CICM and images of Simbang Gabi.

Father Manoling Francisco, SJ and one of his compositions.