The
JARMGC (Jocelyn, Annie, Angge, Racelle, Marifel, Mary Jean, Grace, Carmen,
Celinda). We were
together for the four years of High School (UST Batch 1986 – no divide then
between Junior High and Senior High; K-12 was unheard of yet.) We were
seatmates (our surnames start with P,Q, R and S), so we easily became a group.
We were quite the dorks. We worried
about Geometry and Physics, pimples, crushes, needle projects, grades below 87
(or 86? Can’t remember now) and tons of assignments. We would talk endlessly
about books (we Loved our library!), Remington Steele, Miami Vice, McGyver,
Mission Impossible (the TV series, not the cinema flicks), Tootsie, Back to the
Future, Spandau Ballet, and the Purefoods basketball team.
After High School (or college, in the
case of Racelle and myself), we sort of drifted away as we began building our
lives but we did not really lost each other. Somehow, during big occasions, we
would manage to bolt in. So we were there for each other’s debut, and then
wedding, and then children’s baptism. In fact, we are each other children’s
Ninangs.
We had an impromptu meet-up last week.
Mary Jean, now based in the US, is in town and we, who are in Manila, just had
to see her. Mary Jean has been widowed (not recently) and is left to take care
of her three kids now.
After all those years, it is (arguably)
good that there is not much change in us. Mary Jean as the youngest one acts
like it (she blabbers and giggles charmingly with her head even thrown back in
glee); Racelle is practical and caring; Afel still talks rapidly and carries a
mountain of concerns; Bodeck is cool and has a solution to the world’s problems;
Carmen is sensible and keeps us grounded; I’m still the listener; and Annie,
who joined us via Messenger all the way from another continent, still keeps us
confounded with her odd predilections.
Close to our golden years, our topics of
conversation now revolve around our families, our occupation and/or activities,
retirement plans (or lack of it), diet (or lack of it), fitness activities (or
lack of it), church and community service (or lack of it), and of course,
gossip about people and events from the past (guess who? Hahaha). We had at
least six hours together, laughed so much our tummies ached (or it could have
been indigestion, too), jabbed at each other, jabbed some more about those who
were not around --- and it felt so much like our high school days were just
yesterday, not 32 years ago.
Although we each have challenges of our own (raising teeners, need for maintenance medicines, budgeting woes, scheduling our next meet-up), we all seem to be doing fine - living happily and contentedly in the simple, unaffected way that we've always been used to. Ahh, I am very grateful that God gave me these ladies to accompany me through my teen years - we're dorks, but our bonds are tight and durable.
A
community, roughly defined, is a bunch of people who are somehow connected, sharing
among each other the same joys and achievements, sadness and struggles, and
many things-in-between.
The
Technical Services Group of the Insurance Commission is one such community.
Last July 4 to 6, we conducted our annual Strategic Planning where we squeezed
our brains dry trying to come up with strategies on how to cope with the new
national directives to streamline and shorten the turn-around time for our
systems’ processes. Sounds difficult and boring?
But
I’m not going into the details of the planning. I’m panning out to the
culmination of the activity – a simple tribute given to our retiring comrade,
Tita Ofel Castillo, Division Manager of the Statistics Division, who is
retiring at 65 years old, after serving for more than three decades at the
Insurance Commission.
Tita
Ofel is a very endearing personality – she has an easy, open smile for
everyone. Loaded with tasks related to foreign and inter-agency commitments,
one never finds her rattled, but is always calm and confident. And though
slowed down by a bothersome knee, she remains a trouper, never backing down
from action, be it another responsibility to tackle, or a pleasure trip to
enjoy
The
tribute was filled with mixed sadness and joy. Tita Ofel will surely be missed.
Her retirement means that some things will no longer be, that some things will
have to change, that new things will take the place of the old.
Indeed,
this recent Planning of the TSG is bittersweet as it might be the last not only
of Tita Ofel…for if their plans do not change….it will also be the last for Ate
Annie Lantican, Kuya Levy Baqui, and Vice Edel Bernales who all seem bent on
retiring within the coming months.
As
a community that has worked and laughed and shared our lives for years (spanning
decades for most of us), and having experienced personal and professional
hardships, prosperity, loving, fighting and sometimes bickering, together, the
line that divides sadness and happiness, hope and hollowness suddenly blurs.
But
life will go on and the community will go on, and the rest of us will carry on
what we are supposed to do until it becomes our time to hand over our responsibilities
to the younger ones. Here’s hoping that the TSG will always have that spirit
that has allowed us to work, and play, and love at the same time – the spirit
of being a family.
To Tita Ofel, congratulations on your retirement! Bring our prayers and best wishes as you begin a new chapter in your life!
Our Office held a Diet and Nutrition seminar last
June 20. Conducted by Dr. Kiel Martin,
it should have only been an hour-long, but due to so many queries, the session
stretched to more than two hours. A part 2 is hopefully in order.
Our thanks to the Management for holding this
informative seminar. I’d like to share some of the lessons we learned as they
are very practical and useful. Hope this helps a lot of people, especially
moms, with their diet and nutrition dilemmas.
Here goes:
Try
to keep daily food consumption at 1,200 calories.
If fast food cannot be
avoided, a relatively good order would be Chicken Nuggets which has only 250
calories per serving.
Maximum
salt intake should be 6 grams/day.
Catsup
is high in sodium.
Consume
at least 2 fruits and 3 servings of vegetables daily.
Avocado
is a high-fibre fruit.
“Splenda” is ok for people with high sugar but it may cause diarrhea.
Yoghurt
is a very healthy snack because of its probiotics (good bacteria). It is rich
in calcium and protein and can regulate blood pressure.
Evening
snack should be taken 3-4 hours before sleeping. Beyond that, just have Green
Tea, Black Coffee or Water.
“Good food” include:
chicken breast, eggs (maximum of 2 pcs a day) and nuts (3/4 cups).
The
best oil is Olive Oil. It may be used for frying, but do not overfry. However,
since Olive Oil is pricey, a good alternative is vegetable oil.
Vegetables which are
good sources of protein include Spinach (49% of daily needs) and cauliflower
(40% of daily needs).
Sugar
on milk can cause stomach bloating.
One piece of Knorr
cubes should be diluted in 1 liter of water.
Vitamins
A, D, E and K are not water soluble.
The best (only?)
natural source of Vitamin B12 is salmon fish.
Vitamin
C is an antioxidant, and good for the heart and the immune system. There is no
overdosage of Vitamin C. Best to get your dose of Vitamin C from natural sources
such as fruits.
Lemon-infused water
makes the water healthier but it also makes it acidic.
Ketogenic
diet, if sustained, reduces the possibility of cancer and diabetes. But
starters usually suffer “Keto flu” which is characterized by symptoms such as
headaches, nausea, fatigue, irritability, etc.
Intermittent fasting,
another form of diet, proposes that a person eat only within 12 noon to 8:00PM.
However this is not advisable for highly-acidic individuals.
To manage hypertension, and for overall good
health, exercise at least 90 minutes/week.
For the last month or so, it had been
difficult for me to write. My heart and brains were muddled, and at the bottom
of it was the sudden illness and eventual death of someone close to our family.
It was hard for me to understand what
happened. Ninang Nessy was sick, but quite strong, the last time we saw her,
which was in early February, after a Sunday Mass. She was one of the
cathechists who gave lectures and seminars to the parents and godparents whose
children would be baptized. But that morning, she could not conduct the lecture
because she has not been feeling well. Still, she stopped for a brief chat with
me, and gave her blessings to me, Nald and Sonata, as she usually would every time
we met. I consider those blessings, blessed.
I admire the small, faithful Ibita family
– Ninong Ching, Ninang Nessy, and their only child, King. However, King came into
the picture a bit later. Before he came along, the bond between our families
have begun.
Back in the early 1990s, when our church
was a simple four-post chapel topped with plain roofing sheets, our family
(Daddy, Mommy, my grandmother, my cousin Janet, and I) would be there on the
following evenings for novenas and Mass:
Tuesday – Holy Face of Jesus
Wednesday
– Mother of perpetual Help and Bible Service
Friday
– Bible Service and Holy Hour
Saturday
– Anticipated Mass
Sunday
– Sunday Mass
The regular attendees were the Ibita
couple, Bro. Bert and Sis. Ched, and Sis. Angie. Sometimes we would be joined
by Bro. Joe and Sis. Melyn, Sis. Connie, Sis. Buena, Sis. Zeny, and others.
After the prayers, we do not stay long, but those prayer meets, lasting for
more than a year, forged a kinship among us.
Back then, Bro. Ching and Sis. Nessy
were childless. Then, years after, and following a miscarriage, the community
celebrated when Dominic Emmanuel – King – was conceived and born, That time, Sis.
Nessy was already in her late 30’s or early 40’s.
King grew up “in the church”, witnessing
his parents serve the Lord faithfully. It is no wonder that he followed in
their footsteps. For years, he was the leader of the acolytes, and also served
as keyboardist for the Youth Choir. He went on to study Conservatory of Music
in UST, culminating in his graduation recital held last December. His formal
graduation will be in May.
Notwithstanding that she will not physically
see her only son march on stage to receive his diploma, or that she will not
witness anymore the future successes of his son – I do not think that Sister
Nessy carried any bitterness in her heart. In her humility, simplicity,
obedience, and forbearance, she has surrendered everything to the Lord. During
her final days, perceiving that her health was continuing to fail, she accepted
whatever was to come with grace and calm. In the second dawn after Easter, she quietly
surrendered her spirit.
I cannot detail all that their family
has contributed for the growth of our parish, or of the Sacraments that they
have helped administer to countless souls. I also do not wish to talk in detail
about the simplicity of their lives, but suffice it to say that at her death, despite
holding on to nothing but faith in our God, all her final wishes were not only
granted, but exceeded by far.
Her send-off ceremonies were simple, but
beautiful. The Mass was officiated by a priest from UST who was fatherly to
King, and who volunteered to give his blessings up to Tita Nessy’s final
resting place.
Under the soft rays of the sun, with the
scent of incense heavy in the air, we bade her goodbye….for the meantime. Our
hearts were sad, but we knew she is in the best of hands. Yes, she has passed
on, and too quickly at that, but God never left her, or her family. That they
went through the ordeal of her sudden sickness and death with such ferocious
faith and composure – only God’s grace
could have sustained them like that.
I believe that Sister Nessy, flanked by
Jesus and Mama Mary, witnessed the entire ceremony with her usual childlike
delight. Tita Nessy was a diligent but silent worker. She was never celebrated
for all her years of dedicated service….but just this once, just this once, she
was. And our hearts are warmed because of it.
"To Ninang/Tita/Sister
Nessy, thank you for your sweet smiles, for your love for our family, for taking the time to sit with us and share
little stories every now and then. Your life and death may have been swift, but
it is enough to inspire hope and faith in us. Please pray for us and continue
to love us from up there. We will always remember you, and someday we will see
you again."
About
a year ago, in celebration of Women’s Month 2017, the Gender and Development Focal
Point System (GADFPS) of the Insurance Commission sponsored an On-the-spot
Essay Writing Contest. Here is what I came up with.
WE MAKE CHANGE WORK FOR WOMEN
First, let me talk about Dra.
Tanada.
Dra. Tanada is a petite woman –
all of 5ft. and about 50kilos. But she’s considered a “heavyweight” in our
community.
Why? Because she has a lying-in
clinic right in our subdivision and everyone there who has had a family member
suffer from minor ailments or injuries – has gone to seek medical help from her
at one point or another. And a happy woman that she is, she attends to them
with the care and compassion that only a simple, contented woman can.
Asked why she opted to put up
her own small clinic in a little subdivision instead of affiliating with big
hospitals in the area, Dra. Tanada answered without batting an eyelash,
“Because much as I love my profession, I had small children when I was starting
out, and I didn’t want leaving them behind.”
So, kill two birds with one
stone she did – does. She puts her education to very good use, and at the same
time, she is able to take care of her family. Now her children are all grown up
and practicing professionals as well.
And because she does what she
does, many in our community feel blessed having her.
Then there’s Tita Mitzi.
When Tita Mitzi was about 10
years old, she and her siblings were forced by circumstances to live by
themselves in their little hut in the province. They learned to fend for
themselves – using calamansi instead of shampoo to clean their hair and scalp;
using charcoal to clean up their dishes; and eating whatever edible leaves and
fruits could be found in the vicinity.
Their hardship didn’t deter
Tita Mitzi. Rather, they spurred her to dream big and act big for her family.
She struggled to get education even if it meant walking kilometers to get to
and from school in her elementary and secondary years; even if it meant being
away from her family and supporting herself through college.
But they all paid off. Tita
Mitzi became an accountant and landed a job at a prestigious government office.
Last year, she retired from her work after more than 30 years in service, and
moreover, after having sent her younger siblings, cousins, nephews and nieces,
to school and university. As a reward for herself? She toured Europe and other
Western countries, and stayed a month in an Asian country where her niece – one
of the recipients of her kindness and generosity – lives.
There’s also my Mom and her
senior friends in our community. Their ages range from 60 – 90, but still, they
are considered the backbones of our parish. They are the ones who prepare the
altar for Holy Mass, they assist in the giving of Sacraments, they catechize
the children, attend to the poor, organize processions and other events, and do
other stuff that keep the people’s faith in their toes.
They get tired, yes. They get
sick, yes. But they are happy as they do these things.
Dra. Tanada. Tita Mitzi. My mom
and her senior friends. What is it about these women that make them “happy” and
“successful” in what they do?
It’s probably because these
women discovered that to be happy meant
embracing their changing situation in life—and just keeping on giving it
their best as one goes. Moreover, it
also means finding their self-worth, being capable of being contributing
members of society, while all the time not forgetting where their hearts are
anchored.
In recent history, women are
exposed to unprecedented opportunities in terms of career, travel, lifestyle,
and other life choices. Globalization, digital evolution and the insurgence of
social media are tools women have at their fingertips, enabling them to seem
bigger than they are.
It is up to them to make their
choices – to use all, some, or none of those tools – as they embark on their
journey of finding their self-worth.
At
the end of the day, what is significant is to remember that, like Dra. Tanada
who killed two birds with one stone, like Tita Mitzi who shared her success
with her family and relatives, like my Mom and her senior friends who continue
to contribute despite aging limbs and body pains—the strength of a woman is in her heart. A heart that loves no matter
what changes—call it challenges, call it opportunities or what-not—the fates may bring.
Note:
The names of the women mentioned herein were changed to protect their privacy. #askjake2018
Some seniors
don’t know what to do when they retire from work and suddenly find themselves
with much time in their hands. Well, this is not the case with a number of the
seniors in our community who discover pleasantly that they can still do so much
by doing chores at home, undertaking “apostolate” activities (read: taking care
of their grandchildren), and most of all, spending time and resources with the
communities’ kids.
Every other
Sunday, these Seniors hold a gathering of 10 to 40 children who are in their early
teens and below, and together they pray, hold catechism lessons, sing songs,
tell stories, and towards the end of the sessions, share simple snacks. This
way, they get to know the children, learn about their families, discover their joys
and struggles, and teach them a thing or two about becoming better people as
they grow.
These senior
citizens are no different from most other people their age. They face typical
senior challenges such as health issues, financial difficulties, and the
occasional emotional problems. In short they are also burdened in their own
ways, but as much as possible, they do not allow these challenges to get in the
way of the “service” that they do.
As for the
kids, one can see that they relish the experience too. They come on time for
the meetings, carrying with them their prayer leaflets and rosaries, looking pretty
and handsome in their neat but simple clothes. They seem to appreciate the
knowledge and wisdom imparted by their mentors, the bonds forged, and the
little things that they are able to share together. Praying has become second
nature to them, and discipline and courtesy can be gleaned in their conduct.
The other Christmas
they had a mini-party and I witnessed the kids’ (as well as the seniors’) excitement
with the prepared games, prizes, and the Jollibee meal. It was touching how
most of the kids intentionally left some of their food so they can bring portions
of them home and share with their families. As simple a gesture as that, one
would know that the kids are learning some really good values.
Indeed,
retirement shouldn’t mean total stoppage from contributing to the community.
Retirement means acknowledging changes in one’s body, so, slowing down may be
necessary, but at the same time still finding ways to help others in any
capacity.
Ours is such
a big world, there’s always someone needing someone out there, even if just to
listen to, share biscuits, or sit beside with.
NOTE: One of the Seniors above, someone very faithful and hardworking,
a recognized pillar in our parish is currently sick and needs to be operated on. Your prayers, and any material support, shall
be deeply appreciated. Please send me a private message. Thank you.
If I may say it myself, the culminating activity of ICEWA’s 25th
founding anniversary was seriously hot.
But that’s getting ahead of the story.
The story began when our set of Officers and Board of Directors were
inducted into office in the first week of March. On our first official meeting,
we found out we were to hold the association’s 25th founding
anniversary in April, with a grand ICEWA Day celebration.
Now that was a challenge. In the two years that the association
celebrated ICEWA Day, both were held successfully. The first one was in
Enchanted Kingdom, Sta. Rosa, Laguna and the 2nd one at the Ocean
Park in Luneta, Manila. In both occasions, we had fun, we were well-fed, went
home with some goods, and had a really good day.
Now the challenge was upon us. And we took on the challenge not really
knowing what we were getting into. To stage a major event involving roughly 200
people within a month and a half’s time? How difficult was that?
At first we were excited. There were so many ideas, so many things we
wanted to do and provide to the members. But as the days and weeks went by, reality
started to sink in. Too many ideas meant too many things to do. And too many
things to do meant too many considerations which we didn’t know had to be considered. Suddenly,
we were talking about terms we never
heard of before – RFQ, NOA, Philgeps, canvass, ABC, and other related foreign
terms. Worse, we found out that all these foreign terms could lead us to so
many mistakes.
How bad was our situation? Name any part of the celebration, it had its
own problem(sssss): the Thanksgiving Mass, the programs, the shirts, the cap,
the venue for the culminating activity, the livelihood seminar, the food for
the various activities, the transportation to the venue of the culminating
activity, the prizes for the games, and so on and so forth.
It was like the anniversary celebration was cursed.
But really, God works in mysterious ways. As a deadline would approach,
a solution would surface. Each time we thought a plan was lost, the tangle
would get untangled. And the program would go as planned. Or as close as
possible to the original plan.
As it turned out, it looks as though God was just
making a way for us to build bridges.
It was a time to learn humility, to acknowledge
that we needed the help of a lot of people, for problems to clear out.
And bayanihan, once again, came to life. We sought
the help of so many people – and help came, in all shape and sizes, from the
young and the old.
In the end, almost everything turned out all right.
The Thanksgiving Mass, officiated by Fr. Dave Concepcion, was solemn and
beautiful.
The Bowling Tournament provided fun and healthy competition.
The shirts and cap looked good as they were handed out.
The foods were always enough, and the choices were almost often met with
approval.
And the culminating activity? Let the photos speak for it.
The culminating event was held somehow differently from the ones that
came before. The venue was provincial with modest facilities, and the program,
food and games were simple.
But there was something in the air that made the
event pleasurable, momentous and festive despite the unpleasant circumstances.
And I believe it’s this – the people chose to be happy, to make a go of the
event, to darn the pesky nuances and just live it up.
Taking that choice made all the difference. It made them enjoy the simple mushroom congee, and
all those mushroom-laden lunch menu, the difficult but doable games, the kiddie
pool, the “buwis-buhay” river trek and ATV TRaxx activities, the race for the
now-you-see-them-now-you-don’t “pasalubong” items, the highly appreciated
take-home mushroom, and, the queen of all the surprises, the to-die-for
halo-halo topped with ice cream!
But let it be said, through all that we’ve been
through for the sake of this 25th anniversary of ICEWA, three things
were steadfast – the solid support from our Commissioner Dennis B. Funa and his
management team, the determination of the ICEWA Officers and Board of Directors
(led by Ms. Bebot Bernales) to make the event memorable, and the steady supply
of friends who helped us get through the dire situations we found ourselves in,
many, many times.
To have that kind of results, we couldn’t have been just lucky. We were
truly, seriously, and undeniably blessed!
Happy 25th Anniversary, ICEWA! To God be
the glory!!!!
...
Note: ICEWA stands for Insurance Commission
Employees’ Welfare Association, the union group of the Insurance Commission.
Its current officers are Bebot G. Bernales (President), Bobot Labrador (Vice
President), Maria Angelita Q. Rufin (Secretary), Divine Pamute (Treasurer), and
Luigi Dato (Auditor) and the Board of Directors are Atty. John Apatan, Leila
Espineli, Ariel Sim, Chona Cortez, Grace Christy Domingo, Badong Lastimosa,
Carlo Conde, Timmy Santiago, and Leony Lansangan.
On the eve of the Ms. Universe pageant, I
found myself drawn to the whole spectacle. The reason: Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach.
‘Till late in the evening, I watched interviews with and about her, and I
discovered a real person – sweet, hardworking and friendly – behind a face and
figure hailed as the most beautiful in the universe.
Everybody knows her basic story, that she
competed in the Bb. Pilipinas tilt
twice before finally getting the crown in the third try. But it was only that
night that I fully understood and appreciated what that really meant – the
determination, hard work, discipline, sacrifices and even embarrassment that
she endured through the process. And to think that, while at it, there was not
any assurance that she would eventually bag the title. It really must have
taken such faith and steadfast focus on her dream.
And in fact, it all started with a childhood
dream. Watching the pageant with her mom when she was young, emulating how the
contestants sashayed, dress up and make their faces, and imagining that she
would one day walk their walk, bred her dream to be Ms. Universe someday.
But it wasn’t going to be that easy. I
learned that for a time, she was the family’s breadwinner. And because of this,
her dream of being a beauty queen had to be set aside because she couldn’t stop
working. And then she finally found the opportunity to give her dream a try,
but sadly, failed. So she tried again. And again. This time she made it and
then she made history by becoming, in her own words, the most popular Ms.
Universe.
In the end, it wasn’t just Ms. Steve
Harley’s gaffe that would make her famous. It was because she took her title as
Ms. Universe seriously, and made sure her reign would make a difference not
just for herself, but for the people whose lives she touched, the organization
behind her success whom she inspired, and a country that she brought to the
world’s notice. It was during this stage, when she showed her love and care for
them all, that she proved herself a real queen, a confidently beautiful queen,
with a heart.
Queen
Pia’s success story taught me many lessons, especially that of holding on to
your dream. One has to keep working, trying, striving, because dreams have a
way of coming true. And when they do, then it becomes time to show worthiness
by giving meaning to the dream.
If the
Insurance Commission (IC) has a Walk of Fame, this person’s star would surely
be firmly and reverently planted among the brightest ones.
Boss
Rey, as we fondly call him, has been in IC for 36 years, 33 of it with the
Actuarial Division, and the last three years with the Statistics and Research
Division.
This
January 2017, he will no longer be officially part of the Commission as he will
be retiring – a decision he painstakingly made, torn as he was between love for
family and profession, and in the end, becoming convinced that he has already
given a better part of his life to the latter and it is time to give more of
himself to his family.
A
reliable “soldier” to all the Insurance Commissioners he served (from the late
Commissioner Gregoria Cruz-Arnaldo to former Commissioner Emmanuel F. Dooc),
one can hardly name an important project of IC that he was not involved with –
Increase in capitalization, PERA, Bancassurance, Pre-Need IRR, Insurance Code
Amendment, and many others. But among all these, he will probably be best
identified with Microinsurance.
He was
there, a source of expertise, from the very start. And his name will always
shine, along with the other pioneering microinsurance champions (think of the
late Commissioner Evangeline Crisostomo-Escobillo, the late Sir Itoy Almario,
and other who’s who in
Microinsurance) who laid the groundwork for this program.
Boss Rey, for sharing your expertise in
insurance regulations, for sharing the best part of your life with us, for
making IC a better office because you became a part of it, we salute you. You
are a soldier worthy of your stars. We will miss your presence, especially your
pranks that lighten up our sometimes weary spirits, we will miss our go-to guy,
Attorney-out-law cum Consultant Vergara, but we celebrate the beginning of a
new chapter in your life. May you find the coming years – decades and decades
of them – to be as rewarding, fulfilling and satisfying as your previous 36
years, if not more.
Here’s
to extended sleep, more opportunities for apostolate
activities, and closer relations with PAL!
