Morsels & Tidbits

2008-11-17T17:32:00.001-08:00

MASONRY’S BASIC PHILOSOPHY

Readers of the article “A HANDY GUIDE ON THE QUEST FOR MASONIC LIGHT” learned that six topics are involved in the study of the Craft. The first, which is labeled as “Rituals” need no elaboration as it merely involves memory work and nothing else. The second of course is called “philosophy” and will therefore be the subject of this article.

I. Philosophy’s Simplest Definition

Freemasonry has a myriad of philosophies, and no wonder, it involves an entire system of morality. But its basic theme involves man, his soul and his longing to reunite with his Maker. Let this writer now elaborate.

In simplest terms,. philosophy is synonymous to belief, way of life, set of values, or thinking that governs mankind. But Masonry’s philosophy transcends all these because when viewed on the higher plane, it gets straight to the longing of the creature to return to his Creator when his time to “pass his papers” has finally arrived. The final equation therefore is that “man with an immortal soul will at one time finally return to his Maker.

Curiously, this philosophy is not original, meaning, it was already there long before Masonry was established as a brotherhood. It was adopted from the existing philosophies of all religions invented by man which in turn were thought of after Cain slew Abel in envy which resulted why the burnt offering of the latter that consist of animal carcass rose higher than the smoke that consisted of plant harvest that the former offered to the Lord. This event also spelled out for the first time the need for caring for one’s own sibling became pronounced when Cain evasively asked: “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

And if this writer may be allowed to digress for a moment, the reason atheists and agnostics are barred from admission into the Masonic Fraternity is because the said philosophy requires belief that man has an immortal soul who yearns to return to his Creator when time his has come. Which also explains why the petitioner must answer in the affirmative the query “Do you believe in God?” And there are no ifs nor buts here.

II. The Need for Alternative Examples

Oddly, man often fails to comprehend even the simplest of terms. Sages from the ancient times had to invent ways of getting their messages across to their intended listeners. Aesop had to use animals to teach a lesson and called his examples “fables”; “allegories” and “metaphors” were also used to tell stories and even the Greatest Teacher of all time had to use what is called “parables” in order that he may be understood. Masonry, in like manner, had to resort to the use of the builders’ tools as symbols to convey messages that involve separate but clear and understandable meanings which the use of words oftentimes mess up in confusing jargons.

The main reason why Freemasonry has a good number of philosophies to live by is because it is defined as a system of morality and when morality is concerned, there are innumerable ways of achieving them. It has adopted the four cardinal virtues as its own, always to be in the right, know the truth even if it hurts and so on and so forth. But nowhere did it say that all these will in fine take him back to the Lord.

III. How then is Basic Philosophy is Conveyed to its Disciples

The question that most likely will be posed by the reader is: “where in Masonry’s teachings are these words contained?”

Okay then, in the lambskin apron it says:

“and when your trembling soul shall stand naked and alone before the great white throne, there to receive judgment for the deeds while in the body, may it be your pleasure to hear from Him who sitteth as the Judge Supreme the welcome words, ‘well done, my good and faithful servant, enter now into the joys of the Lord.”

Conversely, in the ending paragraph of the third degree lecture it admonishes:

So how important it is to imitate the GMHA in his truly exemplified character and in his unfeigned piety to God that we may welcome death, not as a grim ripper but as a kind messenger sent to translate us from this imperfect world to that perfect world where the Supreme Architect of the Universe forever resides.

And the Last Rites further expound on this when on the elocution for a departing brother it emphatically says somewhere in the middle of the discourse it said::

“then shall the dust return to the earth as it was and the spirit shall return to God who gave it

And that is not all for somewhere in the Chaplain’s concluding prayer it said:

“and when our work on earth is done, and our bodies shall have mingled with their kindred dust, may our immortal soul, freed from their cumbrous clay, be received into thy keeping to rest forever into that spiritual house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.”

Amen!

A HANDY GUIDE ON THE QUEST FOR MASONIC LIGHT

2008-11-17T17:32:00.000-08:00

I. INTRODUCTION

A dilemma that undeniably confronts all newly-raised master masons is the admonition which is contained in the third degree “charge” that says:

“As a master mason, you are authorized to correct the irregularities of your less-informed brethren, to fortify their minds with resolution against the snares of the insidious, and to guard them against every allurement to vicious practices.”

Fine, a caution so eloquently phrased, but how is he expected to do it? More so if he became a master mason via the one-day conferral of the three degrees!!

And so, it may be necessary to briefly look back and assess the situation.

Still smarting from the bruises that he acquired while traveling the rough and rugged road (not on the one-day conferral though) but nonetheless feeling the euphoria of recently being elevated to the elite rank of master masons, and most probably also still tipsy at the recently-concluded fellowship that usually follow every raising ceremony, the newly-raised brother begins to wonder what the “charge” was all about. He has now attained the status of being called a peer to many celebrated and immortal men that have graced the rolls of the Craft, men who are listed as heroes, geniuses, statesmen and others in the many countries or nationalities where he may belong, men who have became presidents, kings, men of sciences and even of the cloth whose stature and fame reverberated within all corridors of fame and power, they who have answered to the call of being labeled as “Freemasons”, the newly-raised gentleman begin to wonder that after the completion of the three degrees, what so far, has he achieved?

More importantly, what is expected of him?

II. THE QUEST BEGINS

The question that consequently confronts the newly-raised brother therefore, is “how does one proceed to learn the ways of the Fraternity that he has recently joined?

Sadly, there is no ready answer but the very nature of the Craft’s basic philosophy in part provides a ready clue. Let now this writer mention one of the Fraternity’s simply worded definitions:

“Freemasonry is a system of morality illustrated in symbols.” Or, “it is a system of morality veiled in allegory.”

But how would a novice in the Craft ever understand that gobbledygook?” since the lodge that he has joined, and even the Grand Lodge that exercises supervision and control over its existence generally do not have guidelines that can help him understand the intricacies of this mystic brotherhood!! But learn he must if he aspires to earn the title of ever being called being called “a fellow of the Craft.”

III. A SUGGESTED GUIDE AS ENVISIONED BY BRO. ALLEN E. ROBERTS OF THE MASONIC BROTHERHOOD OF THE BLUE FORGET ME NOT

Scanning the inexhaustible source materials that the world of the Internet offers, this writer was fortunate enough to stumble upon an essay written about Bro. Allen E. Roberts, long time secretary of the Masonic Brotherhood of the Blue Forget me Not, who eloquently pictured the structure or body of Freemasonry in six broad categories as follows:

Ritual= Skeleton (or framework)
Philosophy= Bloodstream
Symbolism= Heart and brains
Benevolence+= Soul
Jurisprudence= Muscles
History= Flesh (or binder)

IV. HOW THE STRUCTURE IS DESIGNED TO WORK

Having thus enumerated the six categories of Freemasonry, a Freemason, whether newly-raised or an old timer who desires to study in earnest can thus proceed with the awesome goal of learning the tenets of the Craft by using the above-mentioned guide no different from a receptacles or storage area where he can periodically accumulate in the proper whatever knowledge he has learned which, understandably, should start with “RITUALS” as follows:

IV-A RITUALS

It is often said that “rituals” are what differentiates Masonry from all other fraternal organizations and that without it, Masonry will just be like any other . These rituals, the three most basic of which introduce the candidate to the ways of the Craft via its three degrees are understandably the best starting points. For the purpose of this article however, it will be necessary to include the other basic ritual instructions: These are:

1. The entered apprentice degree
2. The fellowcraft degree
3. The master mason’s degree
4. The installation ceremonies
5. The Last Rites and the Lodge of Remembrance

There are still other rituals but these will no longer be enumerated for the sake of brevity.

Suffice it to say that the newly-raised master mason must be patiently coached by an elder to commit to memory these rituals if he is to progressively advance his knowledge of the Craft, and here is how the time-tested “from mouth to ear method” of instruction is effectively put in play. He should start delivering the lambskin apron, the working tools, learn the role of the marshal, the stewards and the deacons, patiently and progressively committing to memory all the roles that he has performed. As he gains experience, he should also be ready to deliver the lecture of the three degrees until the time he is deemed ready by the lodge to handle more important roles and is therefore consequently chosen to perform the role of a “light” by being elected to any of the fixed stations of the lodge.

And these stored knowledge will come handy in scrutinizing and analyzing the myriad of data that he will later classify and sort in the five other categories mentioned earlier. For example, the novice will be able to clearly sort into their proper categories the following phrases as these are committed to his memory, thus:

*** in it you’ll find the important duties you owe to God, your neighbor or yourself, or
***by refusing to recommend anyone to the participation of our privileges unless you have strong reasons to believe that by similar fidelity he will ultimately reflect honor into our ancient institution, or
*** white balls elect and black cubes reject, or
*** justice is that standard or boundary of right that renders unto every man his just due without distinction,
and so on and so forth.

IV-B. PHILOSOPHY

A philosophy is usually a simple sentence or a “one liner” that best explains a basic belief. Thus, an oft-repeated philosophy of Freemasonry states that:

“it is a brotherhood of men under the fatherhood of God.”

From the above-mentioned phrase, note that three basic ingredients must always be present as follows”, men is in the plural form and that God must be present, the absence of one of which will render the tenet useless. Citing simple examples, hermits believe in God but do not subscribe to the brotherhood of men and therefore do not qualify; atheists, on the other hand may believe in brotherhood of men but do not think that God exists!

Of course, these philosophies can be rephrased differently but in effect, will produce the same result. Like,

“Freemasonry subscribes to the belief in God and in the immortality of the soul”.
In this instance, however, the tenet on brotherhood is implied as it lay hidden in the maxim “love thy neighbor as thyself”, a tenet expounded not only by the Greatest Teacher of all time, but by all known sages of the world. Note also that immortality pertains to the afterlife.

Other tenets, like “brotherly love, relief and truth, make the sentence more thought-provoking and are therefore appealing but in essence the phrase still convey the same message.

Curiously also, both the exoteric and esoteric applications of these philosophies are revealed to the discerning adept as follows:

The obvious meaning of “brotherhood of men under the fatherhood of God” pertains to our relationship with our neighbors in this world that is best measured by the square while the phrase “the immortality of the soul” pertains to a deeper meaning that relates more to the world where the compasses are effectively put in use.

IV-C. SYMBOLISM

Freemasonry, having borrowed its mode of communication from Operative Masonry, uses symbols as its most effective tools of relaying the messages that it seeks to convey. There is no need to itemize these in detail as members are understandably familiar with these already but for the sake of brevity, the reader is nonetheless advised to refresh himself on the symbolisms of the various tools that were used and were explained in the ritual of the Installation Ceremony. In addition, he is also advised to take interest of the various symbolisms that lay hidden but were nonetheless were impliedly explained in the floor works of the three degrees.

In hindsight however, symbols may, to the uninitiated, be tricky. Ever wonder why “hele” means “to conceal” or that a “black ball” actually meant a “black cube?” And has the reader also wondered why the square is the tool used to measure the surface of the earth whereas the compasses are used measure the heavens and those above it?

IV-D. BENEVOLENCE

Charity, the synonym of benevolence is first explained in the lecture of the first degree as the covering of a lodge in the following manner:

“the three principal rounds of which are denominated in faith, hope and charity, which admonishes us to have faith in God, hope for immortality, and charity for all mankind. The greatest of these is charity, for our faith may be lost in sight, hope ends in fruition but charity extends beyond the grave through the boundless realms of eternity.”
and was further amplified the second degree perambulation.
although quite frankly, it is doubtful whether many of the brethren understood it at all. Charity, after all, is not merely taking a paper bill from one’s own pocket when the Almoner pass around with the Almoner’s bag, nor rummaging the attic for used clothes when calamity occurs, bur it means much more than these. Imagine the ineffectiveness of Freemasonry if charity is deleted from its vocabulary!

And how does the reader puts the message of charity to practice??

IV-E. JURISPRUDENCE

Jurisprudence appears to be the most complicated topic of the six categories and indeed this may be so. The reader should however take consolation to the fact that like any citizen of whatever nationality who ideally should know all the rules and regulations of the country where he pays allegiance to, the same situation applies to Freemasonry. Ideally therefore, it is preferable that he is knowledgeable of all the rules and regulations of the Grand Lodge where his own lodge pays allegiance to although how it can be achieved is like looking for a needle in a haystack. It is still desirable however for the member to familiarize himself with the following:

1. The Constitution and by laws of Grand Lodge where he belongs,
2. The ancient charges of Masonry
3. The obligation of the three degrees (he has already committed these to memory, anyway),
4. The periodic edicts that govern the Grand Lodge
and so on and so forth.

IV-F HISTORY

All Grand Lodges that exist have their own unique history that deserves to be learned, and it is important to understand these to appreciate his membership better. Most masons are aware how the United Grand Lodge of England was created in the British Isles and therefore no longer needs further elaboration.

Masonry in the Philippines, on the other hand, was introduced by Jose Malcampo y Monje, a Spaniard who later became Governor General of Spain, when he organized the Primera Luz Filipina in 1856 under the banner of Gran Oriente Luisitano of Portugal to escape the clutches of the marauding Hongkong Masons that were established under the aegis of the British Masons. But let’s not talk about it any further as this paper may turn out to be a boring article.

Suffice it to add however that in addition to what may be called “local Masonic history”, it is also preferable that he should also have a general idea of the Masonic history of the mother grand lodge from where his own Grand Lodge came from. The Grand Lodge of the Philippines for example was a creation of the Grand Lodge of California which explains why the rituals and basic rules that govern both jurisdictions are in many respects, similar. How the Filipino Masons became Americanized despite its roots coming from Gran Oriente Luisitano of Portugal and later nurtured by Gran Oriente Espanol is a topic that deserves more than a page in order to be appreciated and therefore will no longer be touched in this paper.

But one may well wonder; did the masons of Cavite that were organized by Malcampo fraternized with the Masons of Manila where Jocobo Zobel, a Filipino fo a German father who joined in Manila and in like manner, did they fraternize with the Masons that were organized under the aegis of the Gran Oriente Espanol? The most likely answer of course is “probably not” because they were organized under different grand jurisdictions that coexisted during that time..

V. A SHORT TREATISE ON THE “MYSTIC TIE”.

Non masons are naturally baffled whenever they see Masons who are total strangers to each other conversing or helping each other whom they have met for the first time and probably will never meet again. This happens when, accompanied by a friend who is a Mason, would chance upon a total stranger in a foreign land, especially at airports who, upon recognizing each other as fraternal brothers would offer a helping hand in exchange of a mere “handshake”. The non mason will naturally suspect there is something mysterious but will never be able to know what the mystery is all about. Short anecdotes like these are common and none but the initiates can explain how it can ever come about.

VI. SUMMARY

Readers who have reached this page may complain that many topics still deserve mention; for example, why there are clandestine masons, how the relationship of the individual member to his lodge and to the grand lodge interplay with the Grand Lodges of other grand jurisdiction, or why there is a gap between the Prince Hall Masons and mainstream Freemasonry. In like manner, he may also wonder why Grand Orient of France was declared irregular by the others.

But these and many other topics were omitted on purpose. It is now for the reader to take interest, do some researches and consequently prepare a study guide of his own.

Teka, teka, but how shall we classify the fellowship that goes after every stated meeting, especially those that occur after the third-degree conferral of degrees?
Ah, but the answer cannot be divulged in this article and thus readers who may want it must send in their queries direct to the writer by email at jungalarosa@yahoo.com. The same procedure goes to readers who may want to submit their reactions or rejoinders on this article and thus expect a healthy exchange of ideas that will definitely redound to the benefit of the Fraternity that they both love!

So you have reached this line. Congratulations!!

ONE LAST TIME FOR THE ROAD

2008-11-12T00:26:00.001-08:00

It was a role the aging lion earlier thought he would no longer perform. His two cubs were already members of the Craft fondly calling them Bro1 and Bro2 respectively such that he thought the need to do conferral roles again should now be left to the younger generation, whether as Solomon, a deacon or even a fellowcraft who man the gates which the Craft usually calls a ruffian..

But Bro2’s request sounded more than Webster’s definition of the word, it seemed more of an appeal that his patriarch gets down to the floor once more if only to recite the “charge” to Ferdie Garcia and Denver Lamangan, another fellowcraft soon to be raised in their mother lodge whose entry to the Fraternity were derailed, one by a dreaded black cube and the other by a compulsory schooling at a police academy. Will the aging cat do it one last time to these candidates who have literally traveled the rough and rugged roads far longer than what were ordinarily required?

Lamely, the limping cat nodded (and you also would if you have but one leg to stand on), not only because of Ferdie whom the aging cat also liked but more so because it would also give the aging puma the chance to exhibit to his youngest cub how to portray roles during conferrals, that whatever part is assigned it should be performed as seriously as one would do, be it the role of Solomon, a ruffian or even menial tasks usually assigned elders like the proverbial “charge” (but not of the Light Brigade, dumdum).

The aging lion, who was as usual accompanied by the lion tamer arrived at the Temple at four in the afternoon at the precise time the lodge was in recess and after the usual pleasantries with the brethren at the Temple’s yard, promptly climbed the stairs and entered the lodge room. There he saw Bro2 examining the two candidates on their proficiency and noted that the trio are doing exactly what were expected of them. “Proficient”, the master and the lodge later chorused in unison!

` Soon the conferral started and the aging cat noticed Bro2 performing the role of the senior deacon. So, the lion silently mused, these two roles were the underlying reasons why the young cub who is but five months a master mason wanted his lifetime mentor to be around. Invariably, the small pieces of advise the old cat has been feeding his two cubs ever since both donned their white lapel apron are now being put to the test and what better evaluation test is available other than to have the old lion to witness how he will do it?! Both have decided to be active during conferrals, the eldest at his mother lodge in 181 while the youngest where the old cat was raised a master mason at 122.

The roles of examiner and SD were performed by the young cub satisfactorily, and it turned out he still has another part to perform, that of guarding the third gate where the impostors of Hiram Abif are to pass. And he did it with aplomb, although for the purpose of this article, it could not be narrated as the experiences are only worth retelling during the hours of fellowship that usually last later than midnight and with the recipients enjoying the tales more than the kibitzers and even those of the ruffians. Also, the pivotal roles of the three lights during the first section were satisfactory performed by the lodge’ three lights namely WM Omar Equiza and Bros. Alden Bait and Godo Velarde, while the role of Solomon were alternated by VW Louie Reyes and Rogelio “Junjun“ Gevero and in addition the ageless VW Louie completing the task by giving the 3rd degree lecture to complete the task. VW Alan Bontuyan, an honorary member of the lodge was also there tending to the sounds and acting the cameo role of conferral secretary during the Craft’s roll call.

And what the heck happened to the old cat who delivered the “charge?”

Ay sus! But this article is not about the aging lion but about the road wherewith beers are made the scapegoats why the brethren usually get home drunk!

BATTLING THE DREADED DISEASE

2008-04-14T17:30:00.000-07:00

The art of copying, that unwholesome technique used by students who don’t study their lessons but at given times would utilize it to pass their test questions, is actually boon to diabetic sufferers. Well, at least indirectly, for comparing notes are actually done by worried wives when they discuss the ailments of their patient-hubbies.

Take the case of the lion tamer for instance.

Out here in sleepy Guindulman town are three such patients. Oh, well!! This statement does not mean that there are only three diabetic victims in the locality; it is only that comparing notes could only be done to the three. So let us compare!

In addition to the three patients being of almost the same ages and having the same ailments, their physical conditions are not alike. Rar is a big hulk of a man that could easily remind you of either Arnold Schwarzeneger or that guy who portrayed the role of the “Incredible Hulk” in the movies. Nandy, on the other hand, is a five foot two, midget sized gentleman who could remind you of Napoleon Bonaparte, while the third is the aging cat that no longer needed additional description else he might growl at you for being so ignorant at how the now limping cat looks like.

In addition, both Rar and Nandy had already undergone heart bypass and whose professional lives were spent mostly in the land of the brave and the home of the free. In short, meaning the US of A, where else?!; both are retirees now living comfortably in their hometown enjoying, or rather spending their hard-earned pensions accompanied by their respective spouses who looked at their respective husbands no different from caregivers although this time, doing the chores for free, while their children, by now all adults and having their own families are now snugly rooted in the States no longer having plans of ever going back home to the land of birth of their ancestors partly because they cannot pronounce nor understand the dialects of their parents.

In contrast, the aging cat, as readers may have noted, has not migrated although he briefly sojourned in a neighboring Asian country sometime back, has retired on a meager SSS pension that is not even enough to buy him all his medicines, and that none of his three children have migrated for abroad. In addition, instead of a heart bypass, he lost his right leg instead.

But all three now walk with difficulty. Nandy and the aging cat both use a walker to enable them to walk while Rar can still do so without the help of this contraption but runs the risk of stumbling down that can get you nervous if you watch him move around.

All three take insulin injection daily although of different doses. All three also gulps different types of oral medicines for their respective heart ailments and in addition, Nandy and the aging cat also absorb injection of Epocain to add red corposules so that the war between the reds and the whites may balance meanwhile their respective bodies are still battling their respective skirmishes alive.

All three face their daily wars in much the same way although in points of fact are really different. When Baby, the wife of Rar went to the States last month to visit her two sons, Rar opted to stay behind saying he no longer saw the thrill of going back to the States. Nandy earlier decided to return to the States for check-up and also see his own adult children but at the last hour, decided to cancel the trip mumbling it is no longer worth it, while the aging cat, is still determined to board the Philippine Airlines on April 16 no matter what.

How will the three face their respective battles and who will jump first to the Great Beyond??

Oh, well. The aging cat philosophizes. He who blinks first, the Grim Ripper bags his prize.

Note (Chances are, this will be the last email of the aging puma before he takes the plane ride and therefore, there will be no need for rejoinders. To those who may feel the itch may well expect that it may be read only when he the cat is able to open the mails when he is already in the big city.)

BACK TO THE AGING LION’S FAVORITE HUNTIING GROUND

2008-04-11T17:07:00.000-07:00

Brethren:

On Wednesday April 16, the lion tamer holding the end of a leash on her right hand that at the other end is attached to the neck of her aging pet, will board the Philippine Airlines officially to take him to two medical experts for his scheduled check-up.

The first is an endocrinologist-niece who will diagnose if his vital organs can still stand the rigors of father time with his heart not yet sputtering, while the second is his kidney specialist-niece who will endeavor to find out if his kidneys can still avoid dialysis treatment and thus postpone his trip to kingdom come.

More importantly, they will also visit their three full-grown cubs who now have two offspring each for their own, especially the youngest grandkid whose features is the spitting image of his playful granddad!

As his youngest cub will be initiated later today (April 12), to the mysteries of the Craft, the aging lion daydreams of seeing him raised to the sublime degree and hopefully expects it to materialize on June 14, a Saturday, which is also the birthday of his only sister.

That therefore means he daydreams to be around at least a day after that date to savor its significance, to see him on the checkered floor being manhandled (?! this term should appropriately be animal-handled) by the three ruffians and when the ceremony is completed, be able to execute the strong grip of the lion’s paw, thus formally welcoming his youngest cub as a full grown member of the Craft. (He is a Senior DeMolay, remember?)

Too bad that at his present condition, his Dad could not even pinch him on his behind while the ceremony is going on, nor even trip him with his left foot; for how can he possibly do that with only one serviceable leg on hand? (Ay mali, dapat sa phrase na ito, “on foot!” hindi “on hand!!”)

But when that happens, a slight adjustment at name calling is needed. Since his elder brother is now called “Brod” by the aging cat, that endearing word, by necessity will be renamed “Bro1” and the soon-to-be-raised brod be called “Bro2”.

Much like Bro1, Bro2, Brohaha!!

Expect a lull in transmission of emails from hereon, for at the metropolis the aging cat can hardly manage to get himself in front of a monitor. Which means that the latest he can resume tinkering with the computer keys will be upon his return to his den sometime after June 14. And if his passion for sending emails is finally disrupted, it can only signify that the Grim Ripper has finally succeeded in pushing him to the Great Beyond!

And why has his writing style turned satirical? Well, he realized it enables him to ignore the pain, whether deadening, searing, prickling, tingling or stabbing, that he often have to bear at times making him during the night wonder whether the morrow is still worth craving for, because of neuropathy and the other ailments caused by this dreaded disease these medical experts call diabetes.

Definitely more potent than Ponstan Dolfenol, and Alaxan, the medicine that is advertised by the pambansang kamao that we all call Manny Pacquiao.

It also enables him to stubbornly fight the odds day to day, hoping like a losing chess player that he can still manage to duck the slings and arrows that the Grim Ripper hurls at him, although fully aware that sooner than later, he will be caught off guard, and allow the GAOTU’s dreaded messenger to finally say “Check mate!”

As a parting shot, if it cannot be your pleasure to wish the aging cat “Good luck”, you can, by reverse logic, just mumble the colloquial phrase

“Buti nga, GAGO KA NAMAN TALAGA’!”

Leon

MALIGAYANG MULING PAGKABUHAY

2008-03-23T15:26:00.001-07:00

Nasasaad sa banal na Aklat na “hanggga’t hindi ka muling nabuhay ay hindi ka makakapasok sa pinto ng kalangitan.”

Ibaling natin kay Ka Pule2 ang kadahilanan kung bakit sa wikang pambansa isinulat ang akdang ito, pero natanto ba naman natin kung ano ang kahalagahan at kung paano nagsimula ang kapistahan ng muling pagkabuhay na idinadaos natin ngayon? At alam ba naman natin na bagama’t ito ay kaugaliang iniuukol natin pangkalahatan sa Kristiyanismo ang talagng panimula nito ay galing sa relihiyon ng mga pagano?

Naalala tuloy ng manunulat na ito ang paksa ng dalawang batang paslit ukol sa makaraang mahal na linggo nitong nakaraang araw.

Tanong ng una, “paano kaya nalalaman kung semana santa na? Sagot naman nung tinanong: “Ay tange! Di tignan mo sa kalendaryo! Pag ang petsa ay may nakasulat na Holy Thursday at Holy Friday, ibig sabihin nun ay Hwebes at Biyernes Santo na, at bagama’t di na nailista, ang dalawang susunod na araw ay Sabado de Gloria at Domingo de Ramos na. Kailangan pa bang imemorize yan?!”

Napangiti tuloy na umiiling ang matandang leon. Pero oo nga naman, bakit pa nga ba pag-uukulan ng panahon ang problema ng mga gumagawa ng kalendaryo? Sila ang dapat manaliksik kung saang Hwebes at Bieyrnes ang araw ng mga Santo at saan namang Sabado dapat ilatag si Gloria at saang Linggo dapat itakda si Ramos na kagat ang kanyang di pa nasisindihang tabako!

Pero balik tayo sa paksang muling pagkabuhay bago tayo naligaw sa pulitika. Baka magreklamo si Erap bakit wala siya sa talaan ng banal na kalendaryo.

Nabanggit ko kangina na ang kaugaliang ito ay hango sa kaugalian ng mga pagano.

Ayon sa mga lumang kasulatan, ito ay nagsimula sa paganong diyos na si Attis, na diyos na Halamanan o sa salitang ingles ay “God of Vegetation” na ang kaarawan ay ang “vernal equinox” na nangyayari kapistahan at sa kapanhunan ay sa ikalawang araw matapos ang pagkahulog ng mga dahon. (Yong mga romantikong nagbabasa nito ay pinapayuhang ilagay sa alaala ang awiting “Autum Leaves” ni Nat King Cole.) na ayon sa kwentada ng mga pantas ay nangyayari ika 23 ng Marso bawat taon.

Dahil ang muling pagkabuhay ay dapat magsimula sa kamatayan (oo nga naman, kailangan mamatay ka muna bago ka mabuhay na muli!) noong angkinin ng mga Kristiyano ang kapistahang ito ay itinakda nila ang pagbilang ng araw sa Marso 21 para iakma ito sa pag-aalam ng kalendaryo ng mga Hudyo na ang batayan ay ang panahon ng linggo ng Palaspas o “Passover” na nangyari sa panahon ni Moises na ang batayan ay ang buwan (lunar) at hindi ang araw (solar) na gamit sa kalendaryo ng mga Romano. Ang nangyari tuloy ay parang kalendaryong pinaghalo, dahil ang Marso 21 ay hango sa kalendaryong “solar” sanantalang ang kwaresma naman o araw ng mga palaspas ay hango sa kalendaryong “lunar.”

Sa paraang ito, ang pag-alam ng Semana santa na idinadaos natin ngayon ay nagsisimula sa Marso 21 at dito inaalam kung kailan sisikat ang kabilugan ng buwan at ang susunod na linggo ay doon itatakda ang Domingo de Ramos.

At para madaling maintindihan, gamitin natin ang taong 2008 na halimbawa.

Sa taong ito, ang kabilugan ng buwan na sumunod sa Marso 21 ay natapat sa Marso 22, at dahil ang susunod na araw ng linggo ay sa Marso 23, ang takdang araw ng muling pagkabuhay ni Hesukristo. Sa taong 2007 naman, ang kabilugan ng buwan ay
nakatala sa April 3 at ang sumunod na linggo ay Abril 8. Sa pamamaraang unang naqbanggit, ang itinakdang Hwebes at Biyernes Santo ay Abril 6 at 7 sa taong iyon.

At pwede ba, hindi rin alam ng matandang leon kung bakit hindi na binago ang dalawang araw na itinakdang kamatayan at pagkabuhay ng paganong diyos na si Attis noong kopyahin ng mga Kristiyanong dekano ang kaugaliang ito para umayon sa tatlong araw ng pagkamatay at muling pagkabuhay ni Hesukristo (natatandaan niyo pa ba ang sabi sa banal na kasulatang “on the third day he rose again?!) maliban lang kung sasabihin natin na ang paatras na pabilang ng kamatayan ay nagsimula sa Linggo na ibig sabihin ay uno, at ang araw ng Sabado ay dos at ang Biyernes ay ang araw na ikatlo!

Anong sey niyo?!

(Note to Bro. Earl: You will need the help of Sis. Estelle to understand this gobbledygook.)

(At huwag niyo nang pansinin kung nahirapan kayong umintindi sa akdang ito, buti nga hindi sa katagang Bisaya isinulat ito!! At pwede kayong magpadala ng inyong reaction)

BROADBAND TAILINGS

2008-02-20T09:22:00.000-08:00

Are you attuned to the Broadband caper? Then you may be amused to read the following new words and phrases on the subject::

Moderate grid: an acceptable percentage range to be added on a government expenditure as bribe money for its approval. Honor among thieves.
Patriotic fund: money offered to a government functionary to make him change his mind. Definitely not a Mafia-inspired reward money.
Communal action: CBCP’s way of admitting it erred in praying that Erap be booted out in 2001. Too late did it realize that it was like “jumping out of the frying fan but ending up directly into the flaming fire.”
Let Us Hold on Together: song popularized by Sec. Dinky Soliman in 2006 who turned out to be the weakest link in the President’s cabinet.
Let Us Hold on Together (2) song now being sung by a choir led by no less the President. Will Sec. Gary Teves now be the weakest link or will it be another, like Neri, for example? And will the Supreme Court ultimately allow Neri to do it?
Brazo de Mercedez Inhibits herself: The only and most logical alternative at ducking the slings and arrows of the opposition that were at aimed at her being the “Ombudsgirl.” It probably is the same as saying, “Look here, classmate, there’s no way I can possibly open my big mouth and not incriminate myself.”
Apostolic wit: “Dapat ideport yang probinsiyanong intsik!” which, when loosely translated means, “better that that provincial Chinaman be deported” totally overlooking the fact that he looks more Chinese and chinky-eyed on the mirror than the instant celebrity that he was referring to.
A guy named Noli: The VP with a wide grin registering on his face, as if saying: “sigi lang kayo, ito ang tawag na coasting along the homestretch.!”
Sen. Ate/Kuya: Deo Macalma’s description of Sen. Jamby Madrigal, thus totally relegating the monicker “Tito Sen” that described Tito Sotto at the halls of the previous Senate.
“Jello”: nickname of the instant celebrity, and rhymes with “yelo” the local word for “ice”. Ever heard of ice, putting the president on the hot seat??
STOLOPRO: acronym for “stolen loan proceeds” the loan obligation that undoubtedly was over-inflated and ultimately will be the burden of the future generations who had nothing to do with it.

This pun was not written by a political maverick but was concocted only to amuse and attune readers to the current atmosphere. If the reader is somehow offended by these diatribes, then the writer can only offer his apologies.

And readers should not worry, this definitely is not yet the end of the world, for planet earth will still rotate upon its own axis twenty four hours each day and 365 days a year except during leap years another day is added.

But to the skeptics who may feel that it can lead into miserable deaths, they should still be consoled that if they belong to the religions founded by the Semites (Jewish, Christian or Muslims) then they can still die and hope for resurrection after death, or if founded by the Indians of the Near East (Hindus, Buddhists or Jains) then they can reincarnate hopefully outside the Philippines and live a peaceful life in that secluded place.

And by the way, those who don’t want to make it their and their descendants’ burden at paying these atrocious loans mentioned in Item 10, the only logical option is for them to just MIGRATE!!

You may also want to pass this on!

Leon

A YOUNG LAD NAMED GREG

2007-11-06T09:31:00.000-08:00

Greg, aka Gorio is fifteen years of age. If he were a rich man’s son, he will most likely be called a special child. Because he came from a poor family however, he can only be labeled as retarded.

The first time the aging lion took notice of Greg was a week ago when the former saw him weeding out the grass together with Dante, their neighbor who, the lion tamer hired to trim the lawn and make their backyard a little more presentable to see. Worried that Gorio’s presence will entail additional cost, he called Dante whereby the latter assured the aging lion that Gorio was there helping him weed the grass gratis et amore as there was nothing else Gorio is presently doing .

Dante and Gorio are new-found friends. Both are trying their level best to eke out a living on their own. The former is a carpenter’s son from the neighboring town of Candijay who reached no further than second year in high school and was compelled to quit studying to venture as a fisherman and survive Gorio on the other hand, is a farmer’s son who was forced to leave home because his father often maltreated him apparently because he is slow understand even the simplest of instructions, that naturally often cause the misgivings of his mother. Both Dante and Gorio sought refuge at the family of Andoy, the aging lion’s neighbor and on the simplest arrangement that they will contribute their share of the rice being cooked. Their benefactor, also with the barest of means, accepted the two as hired fishermen and thus also entitled them to free shelter during the night in the benefactor’s place of abode.

The gist of this story is worth narrating because the other day Gorio approached the lion tamer asking for help. He said he has a wound at his back and would she be kind enough to treat it?, adding that he earlier asked help from Dante but because the latter was also penniless, suggested that he approach the lion tamer instead. This is how Gorio narrated his story.

Last November 1 being All Saints Day, he decided to go home to visit his mother. He arrived home however seeing his father already drunk and since there already exist animosity between the two, expletives were hurled by the father whereby the son was compelled to reply in his usual stuttering voice. The father got hold of a blunt instrument and hacked his son’s back and instinctively, he fled and returned to his adopted home.

The next day, he went to the local police station and reported the incident but beyond recording it in the police blotter and advising the boy to get to the ”Center” to have his wound treated, nothing was done. He was also told that the local police will later take action against the father should the incident be repeated. Like having a kitchen knife at the poor boy’s back?

The lion tamer was naturally infuriated upon hearing the boy’s story and her pet could only as usual shake his silvery head not certain if he is to be amused or whether he should consider the incident pathetic.

Scourging her drawer for medicines, she found a left-over from the aging lion’s “Operation Tule” project and a gauze medical material that satisfied her needs, and after applying distilled water proceeded to treat the young boy’s wounds which she fortunately found out was only superficial and therefore is expected to heal in but a few days.

But the boy’s narration on the attitude of the local police was something that worried her more! Is this the kind of police assistance that the poor folks deserve in similar cases? The aging lion could only reply: “Then call them by phone and say your piece.”

The phone call was made and the boy’s report, despite his stuttering manner of saying it was found to be accurate. Whereupon she asked for her policeman nephew who has the rank of a sergeant or something and who the aging lion addresses as “Sarge” and loudly complained about the incident. “Sarge”, upon hearing her expletive, naturally went scurrying to the lion’s den and personally attended to the matter, assuring her he will call the father to iron out things and have the complaint formally attended to.

That same afternoon “Sarge” personally took the boy to the police station on board his motorcycle but other than this fact, the aging lion no longer knew what happened next. Whether the father was finally booked on a crime that is called “slight physical injuries”, “maltreatment to minors”, or at the very least “cruelty to a retardate”, the aging lion no longer care.

But really, the aging puma considers the incident pathetic because having a son for a retardate can only mean that it must have come from his father’s genes.

And the aging lion snores!

Postscript:

As this short article was being written, a young lady entered the gate of their front yard holding in her arms a two year-old boy and a bag of bananas. After a short introduction she explained that her boy is one of the harelips whom we have helped some two years before. The lion tamer was of course glad to see the boy and her pet could only silently mutter in a whispering tone “mahimo na mangulitaw” meaning he can now chase girls!

And the bananas sure taste delicious!!!

HELPLESSNESS

2007-10-16T01:40:00.000-07:00

It was a Monday morning when our tenant knocked at the door of our front gate motioning to the aging lion that the latter approach him at the roadside. The cat could only display his amputated leg and in the vernacular shout that it should be the former who should enter the premises as he still had to undergo the ceremony of either getting his crutches at the backdoor or install the prosthesis to his right leg if only to enable him to do what the farmer wanted.

Getting in with his wife, he asked for the “cartilla” and said they are delivering six sacks of palay as our share in the harvest, and when asked, replied that it was already dried and therefore can already be milled..

Soon the lion tamer arrived from church as was her habit and after reimbursing them the cost of freight and also giving the man a polo shirt, the two excused themselves and left

The lion tamer and her pet then discussed what should be done. There’s no more rice in the container and since rice had to be cooked for lunch, they decided to hire the two maids of the neighbor to dry the 8 sacks of palay that was delivered three days before and are still in the bodega, have one of the dried palay milled, and later in the afternoon, sell the remaining 13 sacks which the aging puma estimates is valued somewhere in the range of P5,000. Not a bad share as it will tide them over for the rest of the month as it can surely add to the meager pension that the limping lion monthly receives.

Soon the lion tamer hailed a pedicab and with the driver’s help went to the rice mill that the palay may be milled. The two maids of the neighbor on the other hand, went their way to dry the palay on plastic canvass that these may be dried under the heat of the sun, and after a lapse of about an hour, the lion tamer returned and the pedicab driver unloaded the rice inside the rice container. The aging cat could only watch in silence. The tasks that he previously do, like drying the palay and having it milled are now being done by another. What an irony!!.

By eleven o’clock however, clouds suddenly hovered on the horizon. The aging lion suddenly realized that at this particular season, rains come without the shortest notice. The night before, for example, rains poured worse than cats and dogs, it seemed even the carabaos came rampaging at the rooftops and so instinctively, he thought will the situation this time be different? And he shouted at the two maids to do something drastic immediately.

Hastily, the three girls (and that includes the lion tamer) gathered the grains still in the canvasses and hauled them inside the bodega, a place that formerly served as a garage and now converted as warehouse of sorts.

But the job was done by the three ladies and with them drenched in purified water courtesy of the Almighty, and with the three smiling when the task was finally over.

That night, the lion tamer broached upon the idea that instead of selling the produce as palay, she intends to convert it into rice and asked how much will she gain from it. Her pet, still endowed with mathematical skills estimated that she stands to earn P300 more than the P2,700 that she expects to receive from the 5 sacks of rice that were already dried. Smilingly, she said she will do it the next day and thereafter hit the sack and went to sleep.

The aging puma can only shake his head in silence but confident that he may still wake up the next morning still with reserve energy on his breast. The fight for survival for the limping lion is indeed tough and had to be done daily and he sure is glad the lion tamer had him for her pet!

QO VADIS DOMINI??

2007-09-20T22:28:00.000-07:00

One good thing about using a Latin title is that it lures readers to open their emails expecting they will read something exciting or at the least sensible. But what does the phrase “Quo Vadis Domini” really means except the translation of the local quizzical greeting that says: “Asa ka man do?!”. And if that phrase still is Greek to you, then how about the English words “Just where the heck are you going?!”

Readers must have read by now the three articles that the aging lion transmitted through the Internet in wild succession and must have also digested the succeeding events that caused the loss of his right foot, lower limb and all. But he is not one who would worry over spilt milk. Well, if it is brandy or cognac, he might have, but milk? Never!!.

Kidding aside, two major dilemmas plague an amputee- the physical and the mental concerns that otherwise are called the brains and the brawns that he must face. So let him tackle the easier one first.

1.THE PHYSICAL ASPECT

How to grapple with the loss of one leg is the first worry that an amputee must hurdle. He is no different from a one-year-old boy who is barely struggling how to walk. To visualize the problem, watch a year-old toddler on a crib grasping the bars and observe him slowly and painstakingly rising, and then slowly moving his legs with the aide of his two arms. Soon you’ll see him standing on his own two feet balancing his whole body, and after some painstaking efforts boldly releasing his hold.. Until he finally learns to stand on his own and then walk!

The amputee works pretty much the same way. He’ll slowly get up carefully balancing his movements and with determined efforts learn to move around but since he could no longer perform the same procedures the way a young toddler would, must substitute inborn talents with man-made tools. In moving around the house these tools are desirable:

1. A wheelchair equipped with four (4) six-inch wheels. With the aid of this gadget, he can freely move around wheezing his way for as long as nothing stands his way on the floor. He is no different from a young boy riding the bump car at any SM Mall.
2. A computer chair with a five-wheeler blade. This is most useful inside the bathroom to enable the amputee to transfer from the wheelchair to the computer chair and then to the toilet bowl. To take a bath, he will need a 6-inch-height wooden stool wherewith to sit and wet himself with the use of a “tabo” or water dispenser with a handle. Taking a bath using the sprinkler is taboo as he’ll wet all things within sprinkling distance.
3. In the meantime the amputee has not yet accustomed himself to the use of the prosthesis, the use of crutches is mandatory to move outside the house. The major problem here, however, is the difficulty of carrying the things he buy, like fish or what-nots. The lion tamer therefore had to tag around each time.

Another peculiar thing that the amputee must learn is that he should plan out well on what he must do before executing his movements. Imagine to one’s chagrin if wanting to take a bath, he founds out that he brought along sando, briefs, short pants and all but forgot to bring the towel when he is already inside the bathroom!! Oh, well.

And the efficient use of crutches?? But my boy, in about three weeks’ time the limping lion enjoyed moving around imagining himself using stilts (you know, the two pieces of bamboos with a bar to stand on at the middle) while still a young boy balancing himself as he moves around.

But it is not all fun, he still distinctly recalls the time MW Rody Herrera and Sis. Ching invited them to a dinner at a plush restaurant at the second floor of the SM Mall of Asia last July. Imagine the dogged efforts he made to climb the stairs as his youngest son Ivan worryingly stood behind his back lest he might miss hopping up the stairs and tumble down!

II THE MENTAL PART

But if the readers believe the physical dilemma is already Herculean, then better listen to the mental tests that must be hurdled. Remember that an amputee whose lose of the leg was caused by diabetes is as sick as a vomiting cat. He has a weak heart, weak kidney, weak lungs and his blood sugar is wildly fluctuating so that if it is not effectively monitored can lure the ants to hound you wherever you may be because of the sweet taste of the urine the you periodically discharge. And should you have a wound somewhere, then the more you’ll see the ants by your side enjoying the sweet smell of the wound’s excretions. .

To top it all, the price of medicines to ward off the ailments from getting worse do cost a lot.

But solving these problems are not insurmountable. Here are a few tips.

1. You must have a strong will to live; that it is not yet the end of the world.
2. You must accept realities; there are simply some things that you could no longer do, like replacing a busted light bulb, for how can you stand on a chair with only one leg to stand on?!
3. Learn to accept that the radius of your physical influence has become limited to where your crutches or prosthesis can carry you; The aging lion recalls the time his daughter brought him and the lion tamer to Trinoma for dinner. He did enjoy the food but watching the lights and the modern mall no longer excited him.
4. Console yourself with the thought that you are not alone in this ailment and that even during the time of Julius Caesar this malady already existed. Find out some of the diabetics in your circle of friends and talk about your experiences. It helps in getting that consoling feeling that all is not lost except perhaps that virility that robs you of your macho feeling. Ha’ay naku!
5. Scrimp on your financial resources. What you want and what you need are two entirely different things.
6. Learn to live and be thankful for your daily bread and also the daily breadth of your life. Each time before bedtime, give thanks to the Lord, your God, that should you no longer wake up to enable you to tinker with the computer keys when the morrow comes and instead your soul is gathered to commune with your ancestors, then say Amen, and hope that you and those you love may one eon meet again sometime.

And the aging lion snores.

Note: Comments by readers, wise or otherwise, are welcome.

MAGDALEN

2007-02-02T10:56:00.000-08:00

Joyce, not her real name, is 21. She is winsome, of light complexion, does not apply mascara on her face, and whose vital statistics place the numbers in their proper places. In a sleepy town where dusters are the daily wear of women, she often is dressed in a blouse with plunging neckline that visibly reveals the baseline of her breast as if declaring that what is in front is not a padded bra but the real thing. The shirt is often paired with shorts or miniskirt that accentuates her shapely and well-proportioned legs. Had she been in the cosmopolitan district and coated by feminine accessories, it is a cinch that the still-virile males, and on this many of the brethren are included, will blew a whistle to make a pass at her. And young as she is, she has already indulged in the ancient female spiteful vice the whole of mankind generally calls the flesh trade.

How she came to our neighborhood is a story in itself.

About a year ago while the aging lion was reading a book at the porch of their den, he saw three young girls alighting from a car in front of their house., and unaccustomed to new faces, asked the lion tamer who they are and received an obviously irritated reply that says in the local dialect: :”mga buring!”.

Not understanding what the words meant, he was astonished to hear the following amplification. The word “buring” meant prostitute and the reason the lady with the whip is mad was because the three girls are renting a space at the house of one of her male cousins barely a hundred meters away. That cousin, already separated from his wife, is alone ii his house and thought a supplementary income and a chance to cavort with the females may prove a wholesome pastime Predictably however, the lion tamer foresaw it will affect the morality of the neighborhood because of the very nature of their profession hence her revolting attitude towards the three girls.

The modus operandi of the three is hi-tech. Using the awesome powers of modern technology, transactions no longer pass through pimps but are consummated through text messages. They don’t accomplish the transactions at the rented house because it would be too vulgar even if the neighbors don’t see the actual event. A car would casually pass by the place in the morning, pick them up and bring them somewhere (most probably in cottages of beach houses since motels do not yet exist in this far off place) and in the afternoon drop them back at the same place where the driver picked them up. The slaughterhouse, I mean the actual insertion of the cylindrically-shaped blades inside the crater-shaped (no, not like Mayon that protrudes majestically but more like Pinatubo) chalice could be anywhere except near the place where the aging lion lives. And so the unwholesome connotation of prostitution being actually done in the neighborhood does not seem to exist at all.

But problems occurred later. During idle days these sex workers would while their time away in the shack at the backyard and naturally would be approached by the fishermen who are also generally idle during daytime. Consequently, amorous advances by the fishermen would result, pinching here and there, especially on the sensitive places and would be countered by pinches from the girls that would only arouse male animalistic instincts even more. And boisterous laughter would ensue to the consternation of the wives and the female residents of the neighborhood.

Naturally, the conservative members of the community considered these repulsive. One day, one of the “burings” enticed a handsome thirteen-year-old lad and lured the latter to have sex with her gratis et amore. The next day, the other young boys his age and even those older, were cajoling the newly “baptized” boy to narrate the euphoria that he enjoyed that night at the seawall and naturally also caused envy even of the adult fishermen that heard of the tale. And the lion tamer obviously was peeved!

So she made her move. She called her police officer nephew and berated him, she presented the problem to the baranggay captain and also called the town mayor to registered her complaint. The idyllic baranggay does not deserve the ignominy once suffered by places like Bocaue, Dapdap and Culi-culi of the olden days and therefore these professional sex peddlers should be shooed away from the environs and she does not give a damn where the three would ply their trade next.

But backlash ensued. The house of the lion tamer suddenly was subjected to stones being thrown at the rooftops that would rumble down the galvanized iron sheets before these fist-sized gravel would finally register its emphatic thud on the ground. Undaunted, she reported the incident again to her nephew, the baranggay captain and the town mayor and verbally hinted that the malefactor, if identified, might be picked up by a select force of the army’s battalion contingent based at the neighboring town without the need for an arrest warrant being issued. And that did it, the stone throwing ceased. All because the residents of the community still remember a previous visit by two military officers to the aging lion who were accompanied by two dozens security escorts in full battle gear as if they are bound to a whole platoon of NPA rebels!

Her effort to drive away the sex workers was successful but only partially. Two of the girls immediately disappeared but the third remained. Casual inquiry showed that the third girl hooked a live-in-partner and so decided to turn inactive in her profession. And there was no need to move away, her consort was a handsome neighbor who is a bachelor just about her age.

Initially, she is nowhere around during daytime but would return when dusk fell and leave again early the next morning. Until one day, the two decided to rent a room just beside the place where the young man resided and stayed there to the consternation of the boy’s mother. With the implied acquiescence of the boy’s grandfather who would periodically give the budding Romeo pocket money however, the two would survive daily since the boy is also jobless. On the whole, however, the life of the two may be considered similar to the pariah or outcasts who have not gained acceptance like normal couples in the conservative Catholic community. But they don’t care. Active sex in the rented room already provided some sort of psychological ecstasy that they enjoyed almost daily.

Then an unusual event happened. One early morning when dawn has not yet been broken, while the girl was sleeping alone since her live-in partner was out at sea, she was awakened by a male figure kissing her and immediately realized it was not her live-in partner. She struggled and recognized the intruder and in the morning narrated the incident to another neighbor who advised that a confrontation with the intruder’s wife would be in order. The would-be assailant however, instead of admitting his guilt berated her even more telling her to the face that she is lying all because she is a whore! Which infuriated her even more and at the suggestion of the neighbor who earlier recommended the confrontation, advised that the better recourse would be to consult the lion tamer.

So the lion tamer referred the matter to the town’s police office and a confrontation took place. After due investigation, it was found out that the incident indeed took place. Not only that! Investigation showed that he was a Peeping Tom and that has even unsuccessfully molested a neighbor’s daughter, fact that surfaced only because the would-be victim volunteered to also complain..

The girl was vindicated and a stern written reprimand was issued against the erring malefactor that should the incident happen again, the findings on the incident can be used against him to put him right into the calaboose. In addition, the girl has gained a measure of respectability from the parents of her live-in partner who also later turned kindly on her.

And so one day, the lion tamer asked her pet if it would be alright that she takes the girl to the “ukay-ukay tienda” (a place where used clothes are sold during Wednesdays and Sundays) so that superficially she can buy for the latter a piece or two but inwardly for the public to see them and thus create the impression that the young girl now has returned to normal life. The aging lion nodded and pretty soon the lady with the whip returned narrating that even the town’s first lady who was initially quizzical at her effort to help the girl to return to normal life admitted that it was indeed a good move.

Discreet inquiries on the life of Joyce revealed that she is a daughter born out of wedlock by her mother and who later delivered another baby girl eleven years later but not from the same father. The mother later married an American citizen who was already in his December years and who invested in four transportation buses that plied the island and thus the family enjoyed a life of abundance enabling her to pursue high school studies. But her stepfather contracted illness and thereafter died dwindling their resources that also resulted in the sale of the passenger buses. At this juncture the daughter-mother relationship also tumbled that ultimately led to her rebellion against what she conceived was an overly strict parental control that ultimately pushed her to prostitution.

Which just about turns into full cycle the narration of her life.

So, the question now at hand is :”will she be able to lead a normal life from hereon in the company of her live-in partner and later raise their own family?” Or will she tire of her life with her live-in partner and later seek another exciting interlude where the mystic powers of her genitalia she’ll be compelled to sink again in the quagmire where the not-so-daring daughters of Eve have ever tried before.

Ah, but only time can tell!

Note to the readers: This writer will appreciate your reactions on the substance and relevance of the foregoing article.

2007-01-22T14:32:00.000-08:00

LIGHT AND DARKNESS, THE WORLD’S
ETERNAL WAYS

As was the habit of the aging lion since the adjacent sitio of Punta was filled to the shore by shacks of squid gatherers from Surigao, he diligently locks the gate of their backyard whenever darkness sets in the horizon. The last time however, he noticed that three of the five huts (one was added to the original four) that the lion tamer help lighted with electric current since two years back were without lights and so he reported what he noticed to her upon entering the house. No sooner and the lady with the whip went out and some thirty minutes later returned and furiously remarked that the electric company cut off the current because they have not paid the loan on the materials that were used to connect the wire from the electric posts to lighten their respective houses. Only one of the original four was able to pay half the amount and therefore was spared from having his connections cut on the promise that he will make good paying the balance no more than a week later.

The aging lion could only shake his head. There was the golden opportunity dangled to these poor folks to take advantage of electric lighting, a commodity that in the past they did not have and they blew it. The lion tamer remarked it is possible they ignored the notices of their delinquency and the attendant warning that connections will be cut because their fairy godmother has strong connections with the electric company’s resident manager and that any threat of disconnection can be dismissed because all that is needed will be a call the latter that disconnection be waived or at least deferred.

But it was now water under the bridge; the aging lion was indifferent at bailing them out of their predicament, saying it was made clear to them that their respective loans that averaged a thousand pesos each must be paid in twelve monthly installments and that except for one who managed to pay about six hundred, the three never bothered paying. And as it would look very awkward for the aging cat to request the electric cooperative’s resident manager that an extension be arranged as no payment was ever made for two years, he concluded that the disconnection was well deserved, and there’s no ifs nor buts about it. And who was that balladeer who playfully sang a revised rendition of an old love song that echoed “financial obligations are not really difficult to remember, it is only that we simply chose to forget!”

On the part of the three families that were affected, it appeared they have no remorse at all that the electric connection was cut. The more vocal of the three remarked she was not able to pay the installments because her husband is always sick, a comment that only infuriated the lion tamer because while her husband has indeed been sickly the past months, he has not been sick all through the two years that their huts were lighted and therefore it is a wonder why not a single installment was ever paid. Another wryly said to another neighbor that they had been accustomed to living without lights in the past anyway and therefore getting back to the use of kerosene lamp will not be the end of their world, a comment that only irked the lion tamer even more. What was apparent however, was that paying the loan (they somehow managed to pay their monthly electric bills) was never in the order of priorities of paying their bills probably thinking that the lion tamer can come to their succor should the electric cooperative badger to cut their connections off..

The pink panther however has a slightly different theory and it has something to do with the stark reality caused by vices, laziness, the corollary effect of effectively addressing their needs, and setting up of priorities especially in the settling obligations. (This writer is currently writing another article on this hypothesis but his miniature storehouse of the English vocabulary has been all but drained already).

Take this classic need (but pardon the unhealthy connotation) for a toilet, for example.

Of the four shacks, two have toilets while the two others don’t. The obvious result then is for those who don’t have it to use the facilities of the two who have. And since the number of residents of those who don’t have are almost equal in number than the users of those who have, it is normal then that when the need arise, especially in the morning before going to school, all the children do of those who don’t have toilets will look for the facility that is vacant and do their thing there. The irony is that the children of the owners must not only wait but at times even have to bear the irksome and unhealthy prospect cleaning the mess of the child who was ahead.! And it is not rare that the remark that the owner gets is “Pasagdi” or let it be! Children will be children, and no word of apology will be offered. And why don’t those who don’t have toilets build their own? Well, because why should they spend if they can use one (or better still two) for free?!

Or take the case of their water connection. Of the four, only one has his shack connected with potable water and consequently, the other three requested that they be allowed to fetch their water needs on a sharing arrangement. Fine! The only trouble is, when payment is due, one or two would renege on the deadline, thus compelling the registered user to either pay his share or else it will be subjected to penalty if it is not paid on time, but this time, the penalty will have to be burdened by the concessionaire! Alack and alas, he did not only spend more than P3,000 to have the pipeline installed, he also has to bear the share of an irresponsible neighbor who would not plan ahead and pay his share so that the penalty may be avoided!!

The subject of the lion tamer’s plan of celebrating Valentine’s Day on February 14 thus came to the fore when their connections were cut and so the lion tamer ordered her pet to arrange with the electric company’s Resident Manager that the two backyard lights that presently light the shoreline at their backyard be converted into “street lighting”. This mode of lighting will transfer the obligation of paying the cost of electric current from private account to the baranggay and thus will pave the way for lighting the area all through the night or until the time the baranggay also renege in its obligation. This the aging lion did and so she attended to the baranggay resolution that was needed finalize the arrangement because it was needed by the electric cooperative and was also successful in convincing the baranggay council..

With the approval of the “street lighting” resolution the aging lion could only half remark “if it is no longer possible to give ‘symbolic lighting’ to the adults, then perhaps providing light to children via the lighted mini-park that the lion tamer installed at their backyard can still bring cheers and enjoyment to their lives.

And the aging lion yawns!

THE CHRISTMAS THAT BREEZED THROUGH THE LION’S DEN UNNOTICED

2007-01-10T16:18:00.000-08:00

Bro. Earl Hart is an American brother who has since retired and has established residence in Spain with his Filipina wife named Estelle. Not a frequent email correspondent, the aging lion’s first impulse was to read his email first upon opening his computer on the wee hours of December 30. the contents of his email is herein copied below verbatim.
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My dear Brother,
It would not be Christmas if I did not take a moment to wish you and your family the very best in the true sense of Christmas, and a prosperous and happy year to come.
All is reasonable well with us, although the high cost-of-living and exchange rate have caused us to modify our life style. My wife did not go to Cebu this year - the cost - but it is still my hope to go there with her some day and to come over and sit in Lodge with you.
Please let us know about your Christmas there. I miss your Christmas narratives, as well as other messages. Take care, Brother.

Earl & Estelle
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And below is the aging cat’s reply.
Hi Bro Earl and Sis Estelle:
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Hello to both of you out there!

I and the lion tamer just arrived from a two-week stay at the metropolis to visit our children and grandchildren. On our way there, we took an exciting plane ride that was spiced by a typhoon that ravaged the Leyte and Samar islands while the plane was on flight, and took the land trip from Manila to our place here in Guindulman that took forty eight hours to finally reach our destination. My behind still aches from the rigors of the trip but the experience was well worth it. I’ll keep you posted through a narrative that I am presently composing to amuse the readers.

The first thing the lion tamer did upon our arrival yesterday afternoon was to call up the parish secretary to arrange for a New Year’s mass at our backyard by the beach to commemorate the advent of the New Year. She was told , however, that rain has not abated since the day we left two weeks ago and so I wonder if a mass can be arranged at this present condition. Even now as I tinker with the computer keys, rain waters are rudely pounding the galvanized roof of our house and is becoming a nuisance to my literary thoughts as I write this mail. I therefore entertain doubts if the planned mass can really be arranged at all during the New Year.

Well!!

Your mail is the first that I opened today upon our arrival and consequently my reply had to be short. More than thirty (mostly Christmas greetings) still await to be read,

Here’s my best wishes to you and Estelle this coming year.

Jun
------

And so early in the morning of December 30, the lady with the whip personally went to the parish rectory to arrange for the traditional mass any day it would be feasible. December 31, being a Sunday was, however, ruled out as the priests already have their specific assignments; the next day was also declared by the church as not possible, although the secretariat did not explain why (could it be because January 1 is a pagan festivity?) and so at the suggestion of the pink panther, the date was moved to January 6, supposedly the feast of the Three Kings.

But it turned out the neighbors were lukewarm to the date. Jimbo and Liza had already finalized their plans to have their youngest son baptized on December 31 and the three other neighbors had already contributed their fair share of food on that day and therefore were no longer interested in having another gathering that will somehow add to the expenses. The other neighbors up front were also as disinterested in the planning stage of the mass gathering probably because of any additional cost that it may entail. They of course hinted that they will attend the mass if ever it will be held leaving the burden of planning and execution to the lion tamer which is not what was intended.

Faced with the obvious dilemma, the aging cat stated that under the circumstances, the traditional mass should pass unnoticed; the candies and chocolates worth more than a thousand bucks that should have been tossed on the air after the mass is held either should be given to the kids on selective basis, to her lady friends and to the employees at the Center who are her regular partners that help her in her charitable projects. The other goodies, groceries and bric-a-bracs that she usually gives as Christmas presents will have to be given to whomsoever she may desire on selective basis.

Ruefully also she returned to the parish rectory and had the planned mass on January 6 cancelled. The inclement weather, after all, has not the least abated , word has it that out there in northern Samar, more than 10 persons have died due to flooding and many more were unaccounted for.

But all was not lost. Three days after the cancellation, Gudy and Mike, two elders to the community suggested whether the mass can be reset on February 14 to coincide with Valentine’s Day. Both opined that since the funds for the purpose was not yet spent, then it may be possible to just channel it to another festive date but this time combining a mass with the festival of the hearts! This the lion tamer reported to her pet and from him came his reply that it may be possible the church did not accede to the mass being held on January 1, a Monday, because it is a pagan holiday. Combining a mass in the morning with a merrymaking in the evening celebrating Valentine may meet another stiff opposition from the conservative church although they may not explain the reason. The aging cat therefore , suggested that the better option to pursue would be to celebrate the Festival of the Hearts on February 14 and hold the mass on June 24 to coincide with St. John the Baptist Day and there the planned blessing of the pump boats that have now overwhelmed the beaches may be done with utmost solemnity. What is left of the chocolates, the goodies and the other groceries and also the still unspent fund will be put to good use on Valentine’s Day, definitely a pagan holiday.

Well, all’s well that ends well. The pink panther did not mention that Saint John the Baptist is the patron saint of the august Fraternity.

TREKKING TO THE METROPOLIS AND BACK

2007-01-08T14:48:00.000-08:00

To the lion tamer and her aging pet, visiting their pride composed of three children and six grandchildren at the metropolis were previously done two ways; the first is via the ocean liner Sharon Cuneta advertised in TV and in the airwaves, while the second is via air travel that since two years ago has considerably increased in volume because of the phenomenal growth of tourists that were attracted by the scenic island of Bohol and its peaceful inhabitants; a business opportunity that goaded Philippine Airlines to increase its daily flights to two while Cebu Pacific used the Airbus to equal its competitor’s increased passenger capacity. On the first, the aging cat enjoyed the thirty six hour cruising time on state room accommodation sipping the dozen cans of beer he brought along watching the islands and the dolphins merrily jumping one the high seas on a binocular, while on the second instance he would boringly let pass the one hour plane ride that is spiced only by the two hour plane’s departure check-in time before he reached their destination at Tagbilaran City and eventually to the lion’s den at Guindulman town.

There is yet another mode of travel that was established lately to transport the riding public, a type of transportation that can easily discourage the faint hearted and those with discriminating traveling tastes but can excite those whose love for adventure and rugged thrills still reside in their veins. This actually is a combination of an arduous long bus ride that spans 1,100 kilometers that can easily cause blisters on your behinds and also make you wish you deserve a good sauna bath with sexy girls (remember Maalikaya?) massaging your entire body after the unforgettable trip. Added to this are two ferry rides, one at Matnog in Sorsogon that transports the bus to Allen in Samar and another in Bato, Leyte that takes the bus to Ubay town in Bohol to complete the exciting ride from and to its final destination.

Let us now relate those three modes of transportation to the most recent experiences of the lion tamer and her aging pet.

All through the year 2006, the lady with the whip traveled to the metropolis and back five times, two of which she brought along with her the equivalent of the pink panther that David Niven popularly portrayed on one of those humorous movies. And so let this writer now summarize these trips in chronological order.

I. First Trip- March 31 to May 11

She first traveled solo in March to portray the role of amah (yaya to those who cannot understand Chinese) to her two grandchildren at Valencia Hills as her only daughter had to be away from home for five weeks to attend to her one month study grant in Japan and a speaking engagement at Massachusetts in the United States. On this trip to the metropolis, she rode the plane both ways leaving alone her aging cat yawning feebly at his den.

II. Second Trip- June 7 to July 1

She next returned to the big city in June taking along with her a maid as her daughter-in-law by her youngest son was a about to deliver the cat’s sixth grandchild. Again, he opted not to join her as they already knew that the baby to be delivered is a boy; thanks, but no thanks to the scientific gadget called “ultrasound” that rob grandparents of figuring out the sex before a child is born. Staying in the big city for three weeks, she personally saw the boy and so returned home to their done again on board the airplane both ways.

III. Third Trip- September 11 to September 24

But it turned out the maid that she brought along with her also had a delivery schedule of her own. She (no, not the lion tamer, but the maid) had a tryst with her boyfriend before riding the plane accompanied by the fairy grandmother and so after three months time, was already loudly complaining of her household duties as her tummy was already showing signs of pre-natal activity. She was therefore advised to go home as it was apparent she could no longer assume her household duties and consequently a replacement had to be secured.

Having found a substitute, the lion tamer again returned to the metropolis in early September, but this time with her aging pet in tow. The latter wanted to see for himself if the boy looks like him or at least a semblance of how handsome he was during his early years. Ah, but what a wishful thinking! The young lad is a miniature replica of the father and none of the features of the aging cat appeared. After the usual amenities the lion tamer and her pet returned home after two weeks’ stay riding on the Philippine Airlines air facility.

But narration of the trip does not end with seeing and coddling the little boy. Seeing the opportunity at maximizing expenses and calculating that the cost of plane fare for two will equal the cost of three if land transportation is availed of, boarded the bus right at their hometown and experienced the thirty six hour ride for the first time in their lives. There they cruised not only several towns in Bohol, places they have never seen before, enjoyed the four your ferry ride from Ubay to Bato in Leyte, saw for themselves the well paved road of Leyte island and was mesmerized by the famed San Juanico bridge that the aging cat estimates spanned no less than a kilometer long. In addition, they also weathered the bumpy ride of the whole Samar stretch because it has been kept un-repaired probably since the road was installed, saw the majestic Mayon Volcano gently spewing out ashes when they passed Albay province and in fine enjoyed the entire trip like high school students witnessing for the first time an educational tour that life’s teachers have planned for them. In this trip, it also gave him the opportunity to see the still pristine and rural scenery that has managed to elude the raging and abusive debris that modern civilization usually expose to rural environment in the guise of economic growth..

IV. Fourth Trip October 26 to November 11

Her next trip occurred during the last week of October by again land as the young boy, it turned out had a congenital defect. Although definitely robust in physical appearance, he was suffering from intermittent fever every now and then and so was periodically being brought to the hospital where the attending physician diagnosed a kidney defect and advised that he be subjected to the knife. The problem was being relayed to the lion tamer almost on a daily basis and faced with the dilemma, prompted the lion tamer to return so that she may be of help. After several other tests and a trip to another doctor for a second opinion, the medical experts advised for a continued dosage of antibiotics to last for about a year and thereafter a decision whether to undergo the knife will have to be resolved. The cost of the planned operation, by the way, is expected to be no less than 200 Grand. Whew, from where shall his parents and grandparents get the amount?!

The lion tamer returned November 11 and for the first time in 36 years celebrated her birthday on November 6 without her aging pet at her side. But he was not missed at all; her three children saw to it that she celebrated her birthday better and more memorable than all her other birthday celebrations combined all together.

On this trip she rode the bus going to the metropolis and although the trip took a full 44 hours travel, she did not mind it at all and even have quite a number of interesting anecdotes to tell.. Going back, she again rode the plane.

V. The Fifth Trip- December 10- December 29.

The trip to the metropolis during the advent of the Christmas season became mandatory for a number of reasons. First was the desire to see their youngest cub and see for themselves how he had progressed on his medical treatment. Second was the traditional gathering of the entire brood at the ancestral house during this special event and the side trips to the lodge to fraternize with the brethren. But what made the decision final was the offer of our daughter that she will foot the airplane ticket! And here’s the start of the narration of the trip.

It was on December 10 at 11:15 in the morning that we boarded the PAL plane at Tagbilaran. Already one hour and fifteen minutes late when compared with the scheduled departure time, the lion tamer was restlessly fidgeting on her seat as the plane took off the runway. And with good reason, for at that very moment, typhoon Seniang was mercilessly lashing at the Panay island which is at the very path of the airplane’s route. Silently, the cat, who was seated right beside the window noted that the plane, instead of flying straight (remember the maxim the nearest route is via a straight line?) made a right turn thus making visible below the towns of Maribojoc, Loon and Talibon of the island of Bohol. Presumably, the pilots are veering away from the typhoon’s wrathful path by flying at the airline’s route somewhere near the Pacific ocean. And then as suddenly, nothing can be seen outside the window except white clouds. In addition, the airplane’s motors where humming noisier than normal, which made the lion tamer ask: “What is that?” and to which she received the classical reply from her pet that “the airplane has not yet reached the desired altitude and therefore had to exert more power than is normally needed .”

The plane finally landed after one hour and thirty five minutes aloft, which is longer by thirty minutes when compared with normal travel time and all the while , the aging cat never relayed to his tamer his observation, well, not until they were already safely on the ground waiting for their checked-in baggage at the airport. With an additional remark: “Whew!, I thought the sharks may be feasting on us and the other passengers on board later!” Reaching the house, we monitored the news broadcast on the ongoing onslaught of typhoon Seniang over the airwaves and could only conclude, they are still lucky, the plane landed in the same specifications and condition as when it was made airborne at Tagbilaran City earlier that morning.

Unlike their previous visits however, their schedules in the big city became different. Their two grand daughters who by now are already conversant with the use of cell phones would ask (read as demand) that we stay with them for the night, and consequently will alter their own schedules. The aging cat was, however, able to attend the stated meeting of Rafael Palma Lodge No 147 at the Capitol Masonic Temple and thus was able to fraternize with the brethren in attendance gulping several rounds of beer. In addition, he was able to honor a lunch invitation offered by Bro. Tony Limpoco, the president of the Travelers’ Tribe of Bahrain and together with Sis. Edith, his charming wife, and daughters Nicole and Hannah, enjoyed a sumptuous lunch at SM North EDSA on December 26, the aging cat of which is also accompanied by the lion tamer and her favorite grandson Mika. Bro. Tony by the way just remitted P5,000 early December to the lion tamer’s charity assistance projects.

And so save for the thought that the lion’s pride again celebrated their traditional gathering at the ancestral house in Project 8 with the newest addition being treated as teddy bear by the five older grandchildren , the other events will no longer be narrated as it might bore the readers to death and so will proceed immediately to their trip home to the lion’s den.

Not having purchased a plane ticket and deciding that going home via the Super Ferry ocean liner would not be as exciting, the two decided that taking the land trip will be worth another experience and so sent a text message to the bus business coordinator at Guindulman that the VIP seat that is generally reserved for the bus conductor be used by them. This was done and so on the 27th of December

The two promptly rode the half-filled bus at Cubao and from there it inched its way to Pasay. Which made the aging lion muse that they are in for a leisurely ride as the conveyance is half empty. To his consternation however, an equal number of passengers clambered up the bus but not after the baggage boy has neatly tucked their seemingly innumerable cartons of baggage inside. To maximize space, the passengers who were supposed to seat at the backseat willingly vacated the space allotted to them and sat on the aisle that were likewise stacked with cartons so that more baggage may be accommodated. When asked, the conductor lamely explained that technically, the bus cannot be declared as “overloaded” as indeed the number of passengers did not exceed capacity. The fact that there are more cartons of baggage that the bus carry could not be helped, it happens every Yuletide season when homecoming provincianos would take along with them old clothes and other things that can still be used by awaiting relatives. And when asked what will happen should the engine burns and putting the bus in flames replied “Oh, well, let’s hope it doesn’t!”

The bus finally arrived home delayed by no less than ten hours because of the accumulated delays at Pasay, at deciding to take the Camarines Norte route that elongated the distance by some seventy kilometers and the consequential delays at the ferry rides at Matnog in Sorsogon and Bato in Leyte before finally crossing the ferry and finally docking at Ubay that earned blisters on the aging lion’s behind.

But the trip was still worth it all. It gave us a glimpse of how travel drastically differed when compared with the usually unexciting plane ride.

But not the plane ride that was just discussed above!

A UNIQUE ELECTRICAL LINK

2006-10-26T12:53:00.000-07:00

Some two months ago, Virgie, a resident of sitio Punta, the fishing village that is barely two hundred meters away from our backyard beside the beach, came asking for the lion tamer with an unusual request. Their place which consist of no less than twenty houses (the lion estimates there now lives no less than a hundred souls there) that mushroomed like a “kabute” because of the burgeoning squid gathering business had been without electric lights for a week already, and it seems having their makeshift shacks lighted was not getting anywhere. A town-mate who is employed at the electric cooperative as a supervisor explained that electrical materials for its rehabilitation were needed but that it will require the written approval of the company’s Resident Manager since the cost is substantial. And he added: “I suggest you approach Nang Lorma (the lion tamer.). Perhaps she can help. All she had to do is call Engr. Eugene Tan over the phone and narrate to him your problem.”

The aging lion could only amusedly shake his head in silence. Here is a problem that is best solved by persons of authority and influence; like the town mayor whose duty it is to attend to the welfare of his constituents; or the Electric Cooperative’s director (there is one director who is elected representing three towns each to oversee problems peculiar to the town residents power needs), or the employees themselves who, by their sworn duties as personnel of the electric company, are bound by their vocation to serve their customers. But to quote Luis, the employee who made the suggestion, “the problem may need the charm of the lion tamer to have it fixed!”

Understandably, the suggestion was sincere for he and the lion tamer were contemporaries they being almost of the same age and also because based on similar wishes made by the lion tamer as will be explained later, her requests for assistance have all been favorably acted upon by the cooperative’s Resident Manager. .

What the townsfolk do not know is the underlying reason why the Resident Manager is wholly accommodating to our requests; and so let the aging lion tell you this story, direct from the lion’s now almost toothless mouth, so to speak.

Our relationship with BOHECO II, the electric cooperative that provides our power needs, did not start on the right foot. For six whole months counting from our arrival in this sleepy hometown, our monthly electric bills averaged no more than P200. But on the seventh month our bill skyrocketed to no less than P2,400 or a whooping 100% increase when compared with our six months total bill of only P1,200 added all together.

Naturally, we registered a written complaint but instead of seriously analyzing the problem, their written reply neither admitted nor fully explained our woes and instead suggested that we transfer the meter outside of our residence, the cost of which should be shouldered by us. In short, they hedged in their reply, which only infuriated the aging lion. And as the response did not placate his sentiments, the aging lion called his daughter long distance at the metropolis and asked where he can formally file the appropriate complaint. He was given the email and mailing addresses of the Energy Regulatory Commission both at the main office and at their Regional office in Cebu City and thereafter proceeded to write them stirring letters complete with supporting documents that elicited a two-pronged reaction from the two agencies. What the electric cooperative did not know was that the cat was an auditor by profession and thus is competent to file complaints that are fully supportable by hard evidence.

The main office thus ordered the Cooperative to correct the mistake with a stirring admonition while the Regional Office, sensing that the case is unique and therefore has the potential of putting his office into the limelight, wrote the aging lion to file a formal complaint, it being a precedent setting case.

The civil case initially looked like a fight between two rampaging bulls locked by the horns. But no sooner, the Cooperative’s manager capitulated because the aging lion’s complaint was getting in the way of their being rated from Class “D” to Class “A” and thus puts them in danger of being disqualified from being selected as Outstanding Electric Cooperative during the year in the entire archipelago. Twice, the Resident Manager and his Finance Manager came to the lion’s den and after admitting their error, pleaded that the cat living inside it withdraw the case, the resolution of which they suggest may be settled to the aging lion’s satisfaction. .The two visitors were surprised when the aging lion simply said: “Now that you’ve admitted your error, I suggest you now return to your office and consider the case forgotten. I’m sending an email to the Bureau Director of the ERC in Cebu City withdrawing my complaint.”

The Resident Manager was profuse in his thanks and talking out aloud wondered how he can return that rare act of generosity saying he hopes there is a chance that he will be given the opportunity to repay it someday. And to abbreviate a rather long story, what started out as an adversarial encounter ended up on a friendly atmosphere that became a strong connection between the aging lion and the Resident Manager of the electric company.

Then after about a year later, the need to ask for help came. When the lion tamer thought of having her neighbors at our backyard lighted with electrical power, the Resident Manager saw to it that it was done promptly (See article “Let There Be Light). When the tenant of a neighbor who resides in neighboring Candijay town asked for help that electrical connection in his house be connected since the linemen of the place were dilly-dallying for one reason or another, the lion tamer initiated contact and his house was thereafter lighted. When two of her cousins complained of abnormal electrical consumptions which company red tape failed to elicit prompt results, she again relayed these problems to the Resident Manager and had the electric meters replaced to their complete satisfaction. All these she did with the aging lion hardly intervening; he surmised she can well handle the problems as her pet nonchalantly yawned obviously disinterested ion what she is doing for her townmates.

Let’s now get back at the request of the residents of sitio Punta.

The problem, it turned out, was caused by the abnormal growth of the number of residents in the place, where the electrical needs were solved by the technicians by employing a technique called “octopus connections”. The temporary nature of the electrical connections sometimes cause current to trip because of the sudden surge of power and therefore was the main reason why they were powerless for more than a week. .What was required therefore was to replace the posts and change the wirings with higher tensile strength capabilities so that electrical load may be compensated. This the lion tamer relayed to the Manager and power in the place was restored after two days counting from the time she made the call.

But upgrading took sometime. The existing posts needed replacement and so three sturdy cement posts were provided as replacements.. Wires of higher grade capabilities replaced the previously-installed connections as these were obviously of inferior grades. And the needed personnel required to do the job were scheduled as they already have their own itineraries during the month and consequently the planned rehabilitation had to wait. More importantly, budgetary constraints at the Cooperative also required fund scheduling.

Thus it was that on October 25th, on the 4th month birth anniversary of the aging lion’s youngest grandson, two female residents of Sitio Punta went to the lion’s den through its backdoor saying that the required upgrading of their electrical connections has already been put in place, thanks to the lion tamer’s intercession. The aging lion nodded in silent acknowledgement without a word coming out from his lips. And before they left, one said: “Pwede bang mangayo kamunggay?” (May we ask for malunggay?!) and received from the aging lion this epic and amusing reply: “Go right ahead and pluck some, it is for free, it’s Promo offer from the lion tamer who is at this time still in the metropolis!”

Which also made the lion tamer remark upon being informed through the cell phone of what has just transpired: “Di pwede na akong manalong baranggay kagawad sa susunod na eleksyon?!”(So I can now win the post of “baranggay councilwoman” in the coming elections?!, she teasingly said over text message.

The aging lion of course knows is only kidding- she is not even listed in the town’s registry of the controversial government agency we all call the COMELEC!

A CHILDREN’S MINIPARK

2006-02-28T12:06:00.001-08:00

The decision to build a mini-park at our backyard was not the result of a bright idea that just popped out from nowhere. At its best, it can be compared to an acorn that slowly sprouted from the ground that later showed the potentials to grow into a mighty oak. But let the aging lion tell you how this mini-park came about from the very start.

Our move to transfer residence to this bucolic island first compelled us to replace the old fence made of hollow blocks at our backyard with materials made of angle bars to allow the sea breeze to reach the house that was constructed at the middle of the lot. No sooner was the job done and the baranggay captain, who was at that time newly inducted, approached the aging lion, not only to pay us a visit but also to request that we provide lighting at the right side of the fence as the left side was already lit, courtesy of a widowed neighbor who deals in the bangus fingerlings business. On this, the aging lion and his tamer gladly acquiesced.

But the widowed neighbor must have had Shylock for a husband because no more than two months had passed and she disconnected her own lighting alleging her electric bills increased unreasonably. Since the additional cost will not exceed P50 a month anyway, we gladly attached the said bulb to our lighting connection and thus ended up absorbing the electrical cost of the two beaconing lights at our backyard..

Meantime, the squid business grew and so pump boats suddenly began parking at the shoreline. In addition, the German owner of a beach resort some five kilometers away decided, with the acquiescence of our neighbor who owned the place, to dock their rubberized motorboats whenever the ocean becomes unruly. Until finally, the place became a beehive for all sorts of sea-venturing bancas transforming the place into a virtual fishing village, and consequently, the baranggay captain again requested us to add another bulb, and to which we again did.

With the place well-lighted, the children of our neighbors began playing at the lighted area even after dusk. Soon children from across the street also joined especially when the asphalt road was demolished to pave way to the cementing of the circumferential road as the attendant dust became noxiously unbearable The parents tolerated their children to converge at our backyard as it was much safer place to find them during dinner time and also to avoid being bumped by “habal-habals” (that’s how they call motorcycles here) whenever they stray by the roadside. The presence of children energetically playing, at times shrieking with delight, made the aging lion reminisce his younger days when, despite the rueful odds of studying and sidelining on miscellaneous tasks to earn the elusive centavos (pesos were still out of touch of children then) he still found time to play as darkness engulfs his own hometown .

To his consternation however, the fishermen would just park their bancas, especially the smaller ones, wherever they would want thus at times occupying the area where the children themselves are playing. And when their attention are called, the culprit would look at you with dagger eyes as if saying “which is more important, eke out an honest livelihood or the joys of simple childhood?! To further confound matters, these poor fishermen have the notion that 20 meters space (the total space being played by the children is about 240 square meters) from the shoreline is inalienable and therefore could not be used by the owners for themselves. And when asked what right do they have to use the area if the owners themselves cannot use it; would not be able to reply but just the same would look at you with disdainful eyes!

. And so it was but natural that the lion and his tamer mulled over the idea of creating a mini-park where the children could play around during their leisure hours that is free from the intrusions of adults which made the aging lion undoubtedly glad.

They then thought of formally claiming the space with the DENR and were informed that it is legally possible. Not only that- the DENR personnel said even the space up to the sea wall that included the shoreline with an area of about 1,500 square meters can be claimed. But of course, expenses had to be incurred.

The lion tamer next talked to the Municipal Mayor who advised there is no need to apply with the DENR since the intention is to donate the lot anyway and thereafter suggested that she talk to the baranggay council and submit the proposal so that it may be officially approved by the baranggay and have the ordinance enacted by the Sanguniang Bayan.

To our dismay however, the baranggay council was lukewarm to the idea. With very low funds, they want nothing to do with a playground for the kids. They hinted that they might accept the offer provided all the costs of constructing the playground will be handled by us but that any plan must first be submitted to them for approval before actual work may be done. To which the lion could only muse and sigh: “Ano, siniswerte?!” Gastos at isip amin lahat, magiging amo pa sila!!” (What the heck?! All work and expenses to be done by us but everything must first be presented to them for approval!!) Ruefully therefore, the plan for the playground was shelved in the corner of the aging lion’s mind.

Before the advent of Christmas however, he unexpectedly received an email from Bro. Tony Limpoco, a fraternal brother based at Bahrain who mentioned he plan to donate P5,000 for the Christmas project that is now on its third year and asked where he could send it; and as and as the lion tamer and his pet were already scheduled to spend the season at the metropolis proposed that an appointment be set that they see each other at the metropolis sometime later. Bro. Tony said the idea would be fine.

And so during the second week of December Bro. Tony (who was accompanied by Bro. Larry Carbonnel) and the aging lion met at the Grand Lodge and after the usual exchange of pleasantries had lunch at a Korean Restaurant somewhere at Robinson Galleria at the UN Avenue. There Bro. Tony not only gave the P5,000 check saying he would want to remain anonymous but also asked how he can still help. Without batting an eyelash, he received a reply that probably, if he can donate an additional P10,000 then the dream of fencing the area for the mini-park and a set of swings and see-saws for the kids may just turn into a reality. Surprisingly, Bro. Tony confidently nodded his head and said he’ll work it out when he returns to Bahrain, And what a joyful meeting it was, Bro. Tony forgot to pay our bill and was therefore chased by the waiter when we were already out of restaurant, with the aging lion laughing out loudly saying: “Good the waiter did not report us to the police, General Querol would have had a sorry job bailing us out of the Western Police District!”

So it was that by the end of January, Bro. Tony sent an email saying he has already sent the P10,000 and that he the funds this time came from “Travelers Tribe Masonic Club of the Kingdom of Bahrain” of which he is its president. He also said he would no longer mind if the name of his organization be mentioned.

As of this writing, the mini-park is now adequately fenced thus creating a sturdy barrier that separates the bancas from the space being used by the kids. Cost of construction has ballooned to P14,000 since the aging lion decided to reinforce the fence with additional deformed steel bars and sturdier mix of cement so that it can withstand the rigors of inclement sea weather, thus making the project still an on-going thing. The project, by the way, has progressed from a simple children’s mini-park to a combined private plaza where five additional benches made of cement were added to serve the needs of the residents during the summer evenings.

At this date also, two fraternal brothers have already physically seen the project; the first was Bro. Antonio Maputol, that nonagenarian neighbor who approvingly nodded when he saw the “square and compass” logo embedded in an inconspicuous place at the right side of the fence saying: “A nice symbol to look at, where did you get it? To which he received the obvious reply: “From the Grand Lodge. Where else?”

The second was an unexpected visitor from Toronto, Canada named Bro. Rodel Ramos, a guest of the friend of the lion tamer who upon learning that her guest was a Freemason decided to tow Bro. Rodel to the lion’s den, for the usual exchange of Masonic pleasantries, and on leaving the place (he is to return to Toronto mid March) asked: “Your park for the kids is no doubt still incomplete. What do you plan to add next?” and received the casual and nonchalant reply:

“Well, the swing, the see-saw, a slide, and probably also cement the area that is shaded by the five coconut trees (pointing to the exact spot) and buy about thirty monoblock chairs so that the lion tamer can have some furniture to use should she decide to hold value forming sessions with the housewives sometime later.
The seesaw and the swing will come soon. We are now working it out with the District Engineering Office that they donate to us some steel posts like the one the earlier gave for the electric lights so that these may be welded and converted into playground items for the kids. The cementing and the monoblock chairs will just have to follow later as funds become available.”

The place, after all, has now become a combined playground and mini-plaza that can be used by all the residents of the place.

ENTER THE NEW KABIRS

2005-10-20T04:42:00.000-07:00

RW Jimmy Gonzales will probably remember the article that was written in year 2003, some two years ago, that has for its title a similar topic on the lion’s pet called “Kabirs”.

Starting with a pair of teenage (well, its equivalent age in the animal kingdom, anyway) that was given by a cousin of the lion tamer, he patiently nurtured the two fowls until maturity whereupon the female chicken that he named “Beatot” laid its own eggs. But hatching these was a dilemma for after twenty one days incubating time, none of the ten eggs managed to hatch. The reason is those that managed to break their shell were pressed by the weight of the mother hen and ultimately died.

The lion, however, was undaunted. If the hen could not hatch its own, then surely, there should be an incubator nearby to do it the artificial way. And he did found one until finally, five newly-hatched kabir chicks survived and ultimately found their way freely roaming in their backyard. These chicks then complemented Mikatot and Beatot, the pair that they originally procured as backyard pets.

Nor that was all; the lion also introduced native chickens called “Bisaya” to make his pets more lively. But unlike his famed Kabirs whose actuations and mannerisms as pets amuse them, the local or “Bisayan” breed did not serve any purpose except as meat on the table when these have grown into full adults. Mikatot, on the other hand, would place himself below the window every morning and crane his neck shouting his “Cock-a-doodle-do”, waking the lion tamer in the process and incites her to indignation. Or Beatot, the female Kabir, would excrete her droppings almost anywhere that easily pricked her hygienic sensibilities because of the mess it usually creates. Nor was the lion spared from its antics. On lazy afternoons when he would tie his hammock tied on the coco9nut tree, there to spend the afternoon napping, the rooster would holler its :cock-a-doodle do unceremoniously waking him up from his stupor..

Until in summer of the year 2004 when the lion tamer and his pet went home to the metropolis for their usual vacation, when on their return they found their pets wiped out by avian flu called “tarurok” in the local dialect leaving only Beatot, the female Kabir, and another Bisayan hen alive. This despite the fact that the lion hired a neighbor to feed and provide the chickens with water meantime they were away.

The resultant epidemic naturally dampened their spirits. Mikatot, the male Kabir, was specially dear to them because of his antics and there was no way he could be replaced. The Bisayan hen was uninspiring and leaves Beatot the only pet worth caring for, and even that wholesome reality no longer seems worth the trouble.

Summer of 2005 came and so the attendant trek to the metropolis. The lion proposed to his tamer to give Beatot to a neighbor so that it may at least be consumed as poultry fearing she might die unattended. But the lion tamer would have none of it. “Die if she must, but not through the knife!”, she said.

Imagine to their surprise when they returned to their den in Guindulman and found the two hens still alive and in fine laid their own eggs. The Bisayan hen hatched three chicks while Beatot also laid its own eggs and with the mating pair being a Bisayan rooster. Which made the lion wonder: “Can she hatch her own eggs which by that time has already grown to eight, of her own free will and accord?” This, the lion would want to see.

And after twenty one days, he was surprised to hear a chirping sound at the coop and saw one chick robustly alive. He then inspected the eggs under the body of the hen and of the remaining seven, six other eggs showing signs of breaking while the last was as solid as it was before. Consequently, he aided in breaking the eggs but only two managed to survive, the five others were apparently suffocated before by the weight of the mother hen and did not survive.

To insure that the two other newly-born chicks stay alive was not an easy process. The lion had to expose the two chicks to the heat of the sun almost the whole afternoon so that before dusk, one has gained its strength while the barely showed signs of being alive. Dusk having set in, the lion reckoned the warmth of the mother hen can provide the the natural gift of life to the third chick which the lion endearingly called: “Jonellete” a name he coined from the crippled patient that the lion and his tamer took with them to Cebu some three weeks ago. The other chick was named “Manolette” while the robust chick that first saw light was named Jackie Chan. Fine!, the lion mused, but what would their names be if their sexes were in the masculine gender?

On the second day, the three were already freely running the backyard until the lion noticed that the chick called Manollete was in the canal chirping wildly. The lion hastily rescued the chick from the water and after a painstaking effort, again exposed him to the noonday sun thus drying him up and restoring his strength. Whew!, the lion thought, what a sad prospect it could have been had the poor and helpless chick died.

It is now the third day that Beatot and her three chicks freely roam our backyard. Admittedly, there is still a long way to go before it can be said that they can survive. And in an allegorical manner, it’s much like nurturing three newly-raised masons to the fold.

But who can tell! It’s more like a “live and let live effort.” The days these cute little fowls earn will mean an equal number of days that the aging lion will spend to compensate their number of days stay on earth!

Right, RW Jimmy?!

BACK TO THE LION’S DEN

2005-07-27T21:33:00.000-07:00

Last June 27, the aging lion declared a recess to his fraternal brothers and friends saying he will return to Manila after less than a month’s stay at his den nursing his injured right foot. But let him start this story from the time he and his tamer disembarked from the Superferry II at Tagbilaran City last June 8.

Uncomfortably inconvenienced by the accident that he suffered while still in the big city last May, he and his tamer decided to disembark straight to the Ramiro Community Hospital to have his swollen right ankle operated on. The night before while the ship was still cruising the straits of Cebu, she called Dr. Ronald Ramiro and explained the lion’s worsening condition, whereupon the good doctor replied that the resident physician on duty will attend to the wound when at the hospital and after the usual paperwork, the incision on his swollen right ankle will be performed. This was done and later they were also advised to return two days after for possible complications. Proceeding to Guindulman later in the day, he felt relieved and expected that his painfully injured foot will soon be a thing of the past.

But it was not so. The attending physician, after examining the wound referred the lion to two other physicians, one a lady internest and the other a surgeon who, which he said, can attend to the lion’s wound much better. While he did not say so in so many words, it was evident he was not at par with the job at hand, and so the referral to other medical professionals was unavoidable!

The lady internest promptly prescribed that the lion submit himself to so many medical tests obviously to determine the lion’s medical condition especially as it relates to his being a diabetic while the surgeon reopened the wound, scraped the rotting tissue which made the lion whimper in silent agony prompting the surgeon to ask if the lion’s tolerance to pain is high enough and got the epic reply that “if the lion collapsed while he was still on his job, then the lion’s tolerance to pain has already been surpassed .”

Four more trips to the surgeon at and the internest were made, with the former doing the scraping and applying the medicinal ointment and with the latter continuing her questions and prescribing medicines without the wound getting healed. Worse, body fever was already continually being experienced by the aging lion. Meantime, the three cubs back home were daily asking for their patriarch’s condition via long distance and not getting any positive reply, decided to cajole their dad to return to the big city and have the wound treated there. And what better recourse is there than send an SOS email to Ka Billy del Rosario, chief orthopedic surgeon at St Lukes who promptly prescribed an antibiotic that costs thrice the antibiotic that the local surgeon prescribed.?!

By June 27, the lion tamer and his aging pet boarded Superferry I and after two days at sea proceeded straight to the hospital where Ka Billy was already waiting. Upon opening the wound, he declared the problem was not really that serious but could have been had the trip been unduly delayed. “Hematoma”, he said, and promptly treated the wound with expert ease as no other doctor in the country could. He also replaced the antibiotic that he earlier prescribed saying he earlier had to prescribe a more potent medicine while were still in Bohol because at that time, he has not yet seen the condition of the injury. Having made his first treatment, he then prescribed a less-potent antibiotic and declared the injury already well controlled. He also ordered the aging lion to drink a small bottle of Yakult after every meal to replenish the good bacteria that the antibiotic also kills together with the bad bacteria that hinders the revitalization of the tissue that was indispensably needed to heal the wound. For his part, Ka Albert Encarnacion was also very generous to provide the aging lion with a crutch that enabled the latter to move around to support his still sturdy left leg.

And four more medical visits after that, the last which was last July 20, whereupon the lion asked from the good doctor permission to return to his den. Ka Billy said it will be okay provided the lion will keep in close contact and if need be, send a photograph of the still-limping right foot should medical assistance still be needed. Meanwhile, the prescribed medicines, including the small Yakult bottle taken after every meal will still be necessary.

And the rest became programmed medical therapy. But looking back while already at the lion’s den, he thought it could have been worse and most probably with the lion’s right foot dismembered had not Doc Billy treated it.. The medical procedures that were done at the province which resulted in worsening the injury involved the following:

1. The resident physician incised the swelling skin to flush out the fluid that resulted from the accident earlier. What should have been done was to prick the swollen skin to get the liquid out and in time, the swollen skin would have healed by itself.

2. The surgeon committed the mistake of instructing that the wound be cleaned by tap water. At the big city, Doc Billy declared that cleansing of the wound with tap water exposed the wound to harmful bacteria and therefore prolonged the healing process. From the time the wound was treated by Doc Billy, it has not undergone tap water cleansing..

3. The gauze bandage prescribed by the local doctor was of the general type which protected the wound from exposure. Doc Billy prescribed a gauze bandage that is sterilized by the manufacturer thus shutting off the possibility of bacterial contamination.

4. The antibiotic that was described earlier and replaced from time to time by Doc. Billy to achieve maximum results, no doubt played a vital role in the recuperation. The knowledge of medical professionals in the big city on modern medicines do augurs well on the patient’s speedy recovery.

The lion is now back at his den silently murmuring: “Whew, what a close call. Were it not for Doc Billy, the aging lion would most probably be limping with but a single foot remaining!!

THE AGING LION LIMPS FOR HOME

2005-06-21T11:33:00.000-07:00

Bro. Chibu:

I would have let your email pass by saying “OK, I’m fine.” But I’ll be lying if I say that So I’ll tell you what happened.

Last May 26, Thursday, I was busy tending to the miscellaneous things that needed to be fixed in the house, But the bungling old lion that I had now become, I spilled and down the floor I landed smacking my jaw on the tiles in the process. My immediate reaction was of course to find out if it is still in serviceable condition and finding that only a light pain showed, I confidently dismissed the accident and forgot all about it

That Saturday was the stated meeting of Juan Sumulong Lodge No. 169, a lodge dear to me. I was already feverish then and had it not been for the fact that I am to get the barong tagalog that the lodge has provided for its members, I would not have reported to the lodge. I attended the meeting and enjoyed the fellowship with the brethren thinking that it was only an ordinary fever but not connected to the accident.

The next Saturday, I attended the stated meeting of Laong Laan Lodge No. 185. This time however, my right ankle was already swollen and my fever has not gone away. Faced with the fact that we are already scheduled to ride the Superferry bound for Tagbilaran on Monday and fearful that an incision on the swollen leg will only inconvenience me during travel, we decided to postpone any medical treatment, and at the ship, I lamely sipped my eight cans of Miller Canned Beer during the twenty-eight hour trip. To further confound our consternation, the room that we were booked in was at the middle of the ship thus depriving us of the scenery of the islands that dotted the passage lane.

Upon docking at the pier at three thirty in the morning of June 8 we proceeded directly to the Ramiro Hospital and had the swollen foot attended to. The attending physician told me to return two days later and so on Friday, we promptly reported back to the hospital.

But the wound has not healed and so an Internist and another surgeon was recommended to us by the Resident Physician. Subsequent medical tests were made and the wound was again opened and the blood that clotted inside was removed. Later in the day, we went home to our den in Guindulman. It turns out wounds of diabetics are not that easy to heal (I’ve heard of this old line before but I never thought it also applies to the old lion)

I can only hope, the wound heals otherwise, if it gets any worse, then you may expect that the now almost-toothless lion will also have only a single foot to limp on!

Now so much for that sob story. Let’s now tackle your interests there.

I’m glad to learn Ka Raffy has already contacted you. It is not necessary that we personally attend to his needs, referring him to our brothers who can probably help will already suffice.

I’m also glad you are active in the DeMolay movement. Down here we now have two Grand Lights (RW Romy Yu and Pacifico Boy Aniag) and they surely can reeve up petitions from Senior DeMolays thus adding quality members to our Grand Lodge. This certainly will augur will for the Fraternity. I trust it will also do well for you there.

This email by the way is also being furnished all the viewers of the lion’s den. More will be coming as the seven-week sojourn at the metropolis entailed quite a number of stories to tell.

With my kindest fraternal regards!

Bro. Jun

2005-01-21T10:15:00.000-08:00

WEDDING RECEPTION AT THE BEACH

It was not the only wedding reception to be held at that particular area of the beach; but at the time the first was held a year ago, the lion was at the metropolis hence could not chronicle the said event.

What made the two weddings unique was that the brides involved sisters and the grooms were migrants to the place. The eldest, Dinah, was married to Randy Enojas, while the younger, Maria Elizabeth, a pretty eighteen year old whom the lion tamer mulled to take along to the big city as a household help, married Arnulfo Godinez, aged 38, and which, if defined in poetic language, the wedding may well be considered an April versus September affair.

Save for the fact that the reception was within bird’s eye view of the aging lion since it was held at the other end of the beach where the lion often while his time away, the festivity would not have merited a page in the Internet, only, both grooms are neighbors of a barangay called Cabil’an, an islet beside Dinagat Island in Surigao del Norte that looks no bigger than a dot on the map of the Philippine Archipelago.

The place where the groom came from is the domain of the famed Ruben Ecleo and his Philippine Benevolent Association Inc. (or PBMI), where this semi-religious cult conducts its base of operations. Most of the inhabitants were themselves migrants that came from other places of the archipelago, mostly fishermen who felt the crunch of living while in their respective places of abode unbearable and decided Dinagat Island and its environs are suited to their needs. The group of islands, being mostly craggy and being the frontline of the rampaging waves brought about by typhoons that regularly batter the archipelago, would be bane to framers but is suitable to fishermen whose beachheads are their natural habitats. Cardo, the migrant whom the lion interviewed, himself came from Masbate who transferred to Dinagat Island some thirty years ago. Life to his family, he said, was becoming difficult in his place of birth. Out there in their new home, he said that religion is not a monopoly of Catholics, Protestants nor of the Adventists, but that certain tenets of Ruben Ecleo like “ganti” which the latter defined as reward, a tagalog word that means “response” are assured to those who follow his word. From what Cardo explained however, it appeared Ecleo is a good administrator who ran his flock like a cooperative, helping them in their financial needs whenever necessary.

The solemnization of the actual wedding is nothing unusual as it was held at the town’s church. But the reception was because it was conducted at the beach, the type usually held by celebrities, like Nora Aunor when she married the young Christopher de Leon sometime in the seventies. And while the food that was actually served may not fare well with gourmets and connoisseurs, the other events that transpired are worth this story to tell.

Two days before the wedding, three PAMO boats (actually a large fishing vessel with a crew of about seven seafarers that generally stays afloat for about 18 days at sea catching fish) , docked at the beachside carrying a hundred or so people. They include not only relatives of the groom but also next door neighbors who came all the way from their islet to celebrate with the wedded couple the affair, taking along with them, the pots and pans, the rice, the plates, the fork and spoons and the seven large pigs that they will butcher for food. The lion was told that out there in that small island, weddings and similar occurrences (even deaths) are unlike those that happen in other places which are mostly clan affairs, but are community undertakings. Neighbors contribute in the financial burden, the worry of the parents of the groom are thus considerably lessened. Nothing unusual here, Cardo said, since most are migrants whose clans are generally limited to second or third generation offsprings.

The night before the wedding is already the start of the celebration. The entrails of the pig is cooked into what an American friend calls “bloody Mary” (called dinuguan in the local dialect) and drinking Tanduay Rhum, talking about the characteristics of both the would-be bride and groom, told by parents of either side under the cool shade of the tent that was pitched at the middle of pumpboats at the beach. Parents, of course, see to it that none drinks more than what the occasion demands, the marriage will be solemnized the next day yet.

Since dowries form part of the wedding celebration, a wedding dance by the groom and bride is held, with relatives pinning paper bills on their clothes as they dance to the music. The amount received usually approximates the cost of a pumpboat thus assuring the newly-wedded couple of a livelihood to start on once they start on their own. This rite, the lion assumes, is not limited to the Dinagats but all over the entire archipelago.

Another curious event after the solemnization of the wedding is the actual act of taking home the bride. Sometime after the dance by the couple ended, the groom’s party boarded the three pumpboats taking along with them all the cooking utensils and the uncooked food provisions they brought along with them, but only after leaving some remaining cooked food to the girls’ parents and taking along the precious bride with them. Much like the buccaneers who took along the spoils after the raid is over.

Which makes the lion ponder: Could it be that they will allow the bride and the groom on the third pumpboat to themselves pumping rhythmically what has to be pumped before they reach their homing destination??

Ay, bastos!!

2005-01-21T09:59:00.000-08:00

THE RAT TRAP

The fable shown below was contributed by WB Rommel SJ Corral, PM, of Rafael Palma Lodge No. 147. The lion’s hindsight is shown at the bottom page.

Happy reading!

Bro. Jun Galarosa
Dagohoy Lodge No. 84
Tagbilaran City

THE RAT TRAP

A rat looked through a crack in the wall to see the farmer and
his wife opening a package. What food might it contain? He was aghast
to discover that it was a rat trap. Retreating to the farmyard the rat
proclaimed the warning; "There is a rat trap in the house, a rat trap
in the house!"

The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said,
"Excuse me, Mr. Rat, I can tell this is a grave concern to you,
but it is of no consequence to me. I cannot be bothered by it."

The rat turned to the pig and told him, "There is a rat trap in the
house, a rat trap in the house!" "I am so very sorry Mr. Rat,"
sympathized the pig, "but there is nothing I can do about it but pray.
Be assured that you are in my prayers."

The rat turned to the cow. She said, "Like wow, Mr. Rat. A rat trap.
I am in grave danger. Duh?"

So the rat returned to the house, head down and dejected,
to face the farmer's rat trap alone.

That very night a sound was heard throughout the house, like the sound
of a rat trap catching its prey.
The farmer's wife rushed to see what was
caught. In the darkness, she did not see that it was a venomous snake
whose tail the trap had caught.
The snake bit the farmer's wife.

The farmer rushed her to the hospital. She returned home with a
fever. Now everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh chicken soup,
so the farmer took his hatchet to the farmyard for the soup's main
ingredient.

His wife's sickness continued so that friends and neighbors came to sit
with her around the clock. To feed them the farmer butchered the pig.

The farmer's wife did not get well.
She died, and so many people came for
her funeral that the farmer had the cow slaughtered to provide meat for
all of them to eat.

Moral to the story: The next time you hear that someone is facing a
problem and think that it does not concern you, remember that when
there is a rat trap in the house, the whole farmyard is at risk.

"Teach us, O Lord, to love one another,
To help with the gifts that You bestow
Give us unity of mind and heart
As we truly serve You here below." **

WB Rommel S.J. Corral, P.M.
Rafael Palma Lodge No. 147

--------------------------------------------
SYNOPSIS

The obvious moral of the story is never trust a snake. The Holy Bible pictures this denizen of the grass and trees as treacherous, and even when it blunders, is still as deadly. Look what happened to the farmer’s wife!!

And the chicken, the pig and the cow??

Ah, but they’re like the poor inhabitants of Real, and General Nakar in Quezon province that were buried in the mud when the slopes of the mountains caved in on them during the onslaught of the deadly rampaging typhoon. Being indifferent to the activities of the illegal loggers, much like the effect of the rat trap, these poor people were shoved to their disastrous deaths!!

And the rat? Well, he must have adapted to the ways of Speedy Gonzales, (no, not RW Jimmy) who skillfully eludes the wily cat (it’s not RW Monching P**** either).

Aesop must be fidgeting in his grave for the lion’s intrusion into his domain.

FROM THE AGING LION’S DEN

2005-01-19T01:47:00.000-08:00

COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS

As this article is being written Bro. Deo Macalma has just aired on the DZRH radio announcing it is now but twenty-one days to Christmas, but so far as the lion tamer is concerned, it will occur no more than a score later as the plan of the missus is to celebrate it on the 23rd of December.

Of course this is understandable. The priest who will officiate the event at our backyard cannot possibly do it on Christmas Eve as he is obligated to perform it in his parish, hence the advanced celebration. Consequently the awaited affair had to be advanced one day earlier and therefore, to the missus and to all those who were engaged in its planning, the advanced date no longer mattered. What is of utmost importance is that for the first time in recorded history, a mass will be held at the specific spot where she willed it!

Which makes the lion silently feel contented. The event has not yet transpired and so far, four brothers have already sent in the best wishes. Among them are:

Bro. Earl Albert Hart, an American Mason who has recently established residence in Tuscany in Italy. A new-found e-mail brother of this writer, he is husband to Estelle de Lara, a Filipina whose father’s mortal remains she found in a Masonic cemetery in Bohol. What transpired was a healthy exchange of e-mail correspondences between this writer and Bro. Earl trying to piece out the puzzle why Norman de Lara’s grave was found in that cemetery. But let us leave Norman ‘s bones where it is now lest we digress too far from our present topic. Bro. Earl, by the way, signed in at the Glphils Website Guestbook twice. For those interested to know what he wrote, readers are encouraged to open http://free.guestpage.com/home/view.rc?LoginName=glphilsAnd let us also ignore the word Tuscany, else we may be waylaid into the boring lecture of the second degree!

Bro. Jose Sal Tan of Laong Laan Lodge No. 185 and president of Cebu State College of Science and Technology in Cebu City. He likewise extended his best wishes, but from this writer’s end of it, could not forget that the former still owes the lion one healthy lunch, if only he could set his foot again to the famed Queen City of the South.

Mr. Tante Pacis, a family friend and although not a fraternal brother, has indirect links with the Fraternity since his biological father and father by affinity are both members of the Craft. Tante has already seen the twin electric lights that were installed at our backyard when he last visited Guindulman town last October and being a painter, could pretty visualize what the place would look like when the Christmas lights or “series” are finally installed.

WB Dave Dacanay who is now based in Saipan, (except for the notion that Saipan is out there where the tropical depressions that batter the Philippine Archipelago originate, this writer could but wonder where the heck that place is), has just sent in his fraternal regards for the success of the Christmas celebration that the missus has placed on her trestleboard. And ha!! He could not remember the User ID and passwords of the pages called “For Members Only” in our Website. Ha, ha, hah!!

But to those who have already read the article “LOOKING FORWARD TO CHRISTMAS”, they may want to have an update of the planned event. Here it is .

The Christmas lights consisting of six (6) colorful “series” of 100 bulbs now adorn the beachhead and at the middle of the twin electric lights was the Christmas lantern shaped like a star with a 25-watt bulb at the middle and another set of “series” wrapped around it circle-like looking like a halo. What a beautiful sight to see when you are afloat on the middle of the ocean, the homecoming fishermen are wont to say. There is one minor problem though- even at this early stage, the bulbs of the cheaply-produced Christmas lights start getting busted. Which made the missus worriedly remark: “What do we do?” And the lion said: “Don’t worry, well just replace the busted sets if we need to!”

The missus has also finally firmed up arrangement with the parish priest that the mass will be held at our backyard at eight in the morning. To make the mass more solemn, he instructed the missus to inform the celebrants that a confession will be held at about an hour earlier. Also, he intimated that even the residents of the adjacent sitio named “Punta” where more fishing villagers reside also be invited to hear mass. To the approving delight of the light of the lion’s life!

Several committees were organized. The Grounds Committee, headed by know-it-all Goody Bernaldez, the Mass Committee led by cousin Lilia, the Food Committee, the Programs Committee, the General Services Committee and even the Drinks Committee- the group of old fogies who will insure that drinks will flow freely.

But there are minor snags. In this provincial and Catholic atmosphere where age-old traditions are scrupulously still being practiced, will the priest allow a live-in couple and a couple who are members of Bro. Gregorio Aglipay’s church to confess?? The lion can but amusedly chuckle. Let the priest worry about that later!!

The fishermen for their part agreed they will no longer venture to the sea on the 23rd. Since mass will be celebrated in the morning while the festivities composed of children’s dances, games and partaking of the food will be held later in the day, the males, under the able leadership of the missus’ elderly male cousin will contentedly watch members of their respective families enjoy the occasion partaking the wage of a fellowcraft involving several bottles of “long necks” called Tanduay Rhum and while the time away.

But remember, now is only twenty days before Christmas!!

2005-01-18T17:15:00.001-08:00

THE VILLAGE’ NIPA SHACK

The urge to use the phrase “My Nipa Hut” that was immortalized in the vernacular’s children’s rhyme known to all Filipinos as title for this article was tempting, for after all, who among us Filipinos, do not know the lyrics of the song?! But on second thought, I realized the phrase was inappropriate for two reasons: (1) because the shack wasn’t mine and (2) the structure was not located in a farm as the song portrayed but on the fringes of the beach!

Let me tell you this story, but first, here is a brief background of this rural structure and its uses.

A nipa shack, otherwise known as “salakot”, is a common structure in the locality. In a farm, it serves as temporary shelter of a farmer as he relieves himself from the noon-day heat, or if seen on roadsides, it serves as waiting sheds for passengers as they wait for the buses or jeepneys whenever they go to town. Roadside structures are generally built through the initiative of Sangguniang Kabataan members who also uses them as places for whiling their time away.

And now for the story.

Last March, Goody Bernaldez, the village know-it-all, approached me and asked if it will be alright if a nipa hut can be installed at our backyard to serve a variety of purposes, the most important of which is that it can be made a waiting place of fishermen who could not immediately venture to the sea and as an idyllic site for healthy-conscious old-timers who want to enjoy the early morning or late afternoon sea breeze during the sunset of their years..

My reply was guarded; I told him we will not object provided it is constructed on the common boundary of our adjacent lots. Specifically, I said that the structure should not have a width measurement exceeding four meters which our lots should equitably share and that it should not block our view of the open sea. He said yes.

Soon the materials composed of nipa, bamboos, rattan, cement and rough lumber were gathered and brought to the site., after which, Goody requested that a matured coconut tree at our lot be felled and converted into coconut lumber to be used as columns and rafters. He followed it up by saying he will provide the cost of converting it into rough lumber. Again I consented.

But actual construction would not start. Goody could not get an available carpenter. And so the missus took over and collared his favorite jack-of-all-trades who was at that time working on a kitchen cabinet in the house and asked him if he could do the job for a fee that will be paid for by the community. He said yes.

A village elder, who is a cousin of the missus, then asked the carpenter how long the construction will last and much will he charge each day”. And the latter replied “three days and two hundred bucks.” The elder then said: “Would you settle for half the amount?” The job, anyway, is a community project. The reply of the carpenter was in the affirmative and so the elder allotted payment for each day’s work due the carpenter to himself, Goody and myself.

Actual construction of the structure went on at feverish pace for three whole days with a few of the fishermen physically assisting bayanihan-style and with the missus providing merienda. Its measurement was rougly four meters square with three sides provided with benches made of bamboo sticks and the fourth side open to allow entrance. The function of the benches, understandably is for sitting although quite often, people can be seen lying on it, with the aging lion and some pet dogs included.

Then the work abruptly ended because materials ran short. And then we went to the metropolis last April.

By end of May, we returned to our den and found that the unfinished structure was still in the same form and condition as when we left it- the culprit, we learned was because contributions grounded to a halt. But the remaining cost no longer entails more than five hundred!!

The missus, however, has no stomach for seeing things left uncompleted. She again collared her favorite jack-of-all trades and ordered him to do the mop-up job and in fine the structure was fully completed thus serving as staging area for the fishermen and ideal resting place for aging village retirees like myself.

And what is the significance of this village shack?

You will soon find out if you will wait a time with patience until this writer is able to compose the articles and have these posted in these wonderful pages of the Internet in your leisurely reading time!!

2005-01-18T08:56:00.001-08:00

NEW YEAR AT THE LION’S DEN

Talk about giving sunshine to the families of these fishermen at our backyard and the lioness, err. .. the lion tamer will easily fill the grade.

No more than two days after that memorable advanced Christmas celebration that was featured in the article EXPERIENCING A UNIQUE CHRISTMAS AT THE LION’S DEN and she again had another idea in her brain. She said: “How about letting our neighbors at the back experience a different brand of celebrating the New Year? “And how are we supposed to do that?” I barked back, careful in using the word “we” else the lion may be left out in the implementation of whatever she has in mind.

“Well, simple” she said. “I earlier learned that New Year celebration is totally alien to them. They don’t expect it at all. They sleep without preparing food for midnight and the next morning when somebody says “Maugmang bag’ong tuig (Happy New Year)” they would mechanically reply: “Maugmang bag’ong tuig, pod. (Happy New Year, too.) But whatever, its meaning, they frankly don’t know. Or at the very least, they don’t feel it at all.”

“Okay, then, what is your plan? We have already spent our entire budget for the year and surely, any additional expense will mean chopping off a part of our next month’s budget” the lion retorted.

“Okay, consider this” she said. “From the original four families whom we have given food wherewith they can partake during Christmas Eve, we are adding two more on the list. In addition to the families of Jimbo, Eben, Andoy and Pilo whom we have determined earlier to be the object of our Sunshine activity because they don’t even have electrical connections in their respective houses, we now add the families of Dondon and Mike. The latter is especially important because he owns a musical component wherewith we can use for our mini-New Year’s celebration at the back. And I know he can’t refuse, he was apologetic the time we held our December 23rd affair since he was not able to prepare anything as they just arrived from Cagay’an (that’s how Cagayan de Oro is pronounced here) when the celebration was held.”

“In a nutshell,” she continued, “we will organize a New Year get-together at the back. Each family will be encouraged to prepare food that they can afford wherewith we can consume together on New Year’s Eve. They can prepare anything they want. Boiled camote, bananas, biko, (rice cake) anything that we can partake of together during that fateful hour. There will also be dancing both by the children and the adults after the eating.”

And the lion could only say: “Okay, it’s worth a try. I pledge three bottles of long necks called Tanduay Rhum.” . “But you better be careful”, the lion added: “we might ran aground some cherished old traditions here, like interfering with New Year’s Mass observations.” You know how the priest reacts to ideas of Masons, these Godless members of the human race, the lion teased her. And she blurted back: “Don’t worry, I will.” Goody, the bachelor, will also be included.

When she came back, she reported that that the people adverted to where very enthusiastic at the prospects of enjoying the lion tamer’s plan. Pilo, Andoy and Eben pledged a part of their catch for the night to be broiled and eaten as “sumsuman” (hey there!, what’s the English translation for this term?), the wives coordinated on who will cook the camote, who is assigned to cook the “biko” and Baby, the wife of Mike pledged to bring spaghetti and pork adobo as their special share to cover for their failure to bring something during the December 23rd celebration. For our part, in addition to the Rhum, we also put on the table a kilo of peanuts. (Remember the Flash Elorde’s advertisement “isang platitong mani’?)

The hands of father Time finally announced the advent of the New Year but unlike in the metropolis whose noise barrage we were accustomed to hear, what we heard was no more than a whimper that broke the stillness of the night. Well, except for the few firecrackers and “kwitis” that somehow managed to shoot itself up way to the skies.

At about 12:30 the food was finally on the table and so the lion tamer ordered Mike to deliver a special prayer addressed to the Lord. Which made the lion muse, “hey, this is no different. “Before all else, we must invoke the blessings of God!” And what say you?!

After the joint partaking of the food were the dancing by the children and the ladies, “Otso, otso, laban, bawi”, and all those lively tunes that are the craze not only of the town but of the entire archipelago. And all the while, the husbands, fishers all, including four singles named Eddie Boy, Joejack, and Joseph who frequent our backyard during the wee hours of the night were enjoying fishermen’s talk (like the big fish that got away) over the three bottles of Tanduay Rhum.

What a memorable event not only for these fishermen but also for the lion and his tamer who were uprooted from their old and noisy habitat!!

And a Happy New Year even to those who have not yet crossed the time zone that announces the advent and reckoning of the official New Year’s time!

2005-01-18T08:56:00.000-08:00

MY VISAYAN CHICKS

One early Sunday morning last month, the missus was a little depressed and so she decided to call her eldest son at Los Banos via her cellphone and not getting through her call (the gadget said the number that she dialed was unattainable) called Inna, our eldest granddaughter (our son’s only daughter) instead. Imagine to her amusement when the reply that she received was: “Nanay, Daddy has not come home yet, he is again busy with his chicks!”

But there is nothing unusual with her reply as her father is an animal science specialist at the poultry division of San Miguel Corporation. It is only that my perverted mind automatically concluded that the word adverted to also connote the philandering translation of .the Bicol word “Oragon! which literally means Barako! Truth to tell, our son cares not only for a single chick but a whole brood of some 150,000 of them in the far-flung poultry farms in the provinces of Batangas and Quezon!

So you’ve already read the article “My Kabir Friends”, an article about these friendly denizens of the soil. Good! Even VW’s Jimmy Gonzales, Raul Laman and WM Arnold Garcia of Rafael Palma Lodge No. 147 sent their reactions to that article for these animals are indeed amusing.

But it also automatically created a problem to the aging lion as he learned they don’t hatch their eggs but leave these to the owners to worry about later.

But we know the lion is not easily discouraged. In the first place, how the heck were these animals able to procreate if they cannot hatch their eggs the natural way?! How else but the same way these broilers multiply faster than the humans can consume them at the dinner table, how else?! But how? Pray, tell me!!! Ha, ha, hah!!

Fortunately, a smart aleck gave me the obvious answer. “Via the incubator”, he said. “And how was the incubator invented?” I asked. “I ain’t as smart as that yet”, he barked, “but there is an easier way”, he continued. “And how?” I shot back. “Let the natives do it, of course, not the kind Magellan encountered when he discovered the Philippines but the native chickens”, he answered. “When it’s hatching time, switch their eggs with that of the Kabirs, and presto, twenty one days later, you’ll have your Kabir chicks chirping at you as if telling you that you are its Divine Architect.”

He got me there. A bright idea indeed and so the natural reaction was to raise the native or Visayan chickens to complement the Kabirs that now freely roam our place.

And so I bought ten newly-hatched Visayan chicks last August 21 from Andoy, our neighbor for P150 and promptly freed these at our backyard. “Timely,” I mused, “for the date is symbolic as it marks Ninoy’s death anniversary and is therefore easy to remember”. The only trouble is, at counting time when dusk sets on the horizon, only eight remained. Our neighbor’s tomcat gobbled two of these.

The disappearance of the two young chicks automatically elicited the issuance of a decree: “any cat seen roaming our backyard will be shot as they are a menace to these feathered friends”. Even our neighbors complain about them And no sooner, one received its death sentence by receiving a 22-caliber slug right at its carnivorous breast.

As this article is being written, eight lively Visayan chicks, now a full month old, compete with the six Kabirs in gobbling the corn grits that I throw at them. And their colors are in pairs, two are colored black, two have shades of dirty white, another two are of dark-red, while the remaining two have light-red feathers. Which promptly made me name these as Batman because one has white color in its eyes that look no different from a mask, Wonder Woman, Superman and Robin, names that were borrowed from the comic strips.. When Bros. Arsenio Arugay and Eric Ushida visited us a few days ago, they were as amused at seeing the big-sized Kabirs and the eight midget-sized Visayan chicks that looks more like feathered “bagtoks” or mice that freely roam our backyard.

Nice friendly animals to anticipate their maturity and thus be made useful not only to hatch my Kabir eggs but also as meat for the dining table. The only trouble is, even at this early stage, I’ll encounter problems naming them. How should I grapple with the problem should the chicks that I named Robin happen to be female or the chicks that I call Wonder Woman turn out to be males?

Like the joke that says “Boy Scout na lalaki, and Boy Scout na babadji’!! or getD
better relationships :)

Eternity Moment by CK LoL it smells damn good

Links

Classics

2005-01-15T07:02:00.000-08:00

Classics

Faith, Hope and Charity

2005-01-15T06:38:00.000-08:00

Faith, Hope and Charity

THE DINAGAT SQUIDBOYS

2005-01-12T13:42:00.001-08:00

By: Bro. Geminiano V. Galarosa, Jr.
Dagohoy Lodge No 84
(HM- LL 185, JS 169 and RP 147)

There are about thirty of them who have recently transferred to the entire stretch of Tabajan beach but only ten are at the shoreline fronting the lion’s backyard. The ten came all the way from barangay Navarro at Balesila town in Surigao, more specifically at Dinagat Island where the charismatic Ruben Ecleo rules over his religious flock.

These ten fishermen are recent migrants to our place working for “Bo” Ampong, one of our neighbors, whose business acumen made him lord over the place not only as buyer of “semilla” (fish fingerlings) and “pinyahon” (white marlin), but very recently, “nucus” (squid) that is the subject of this story. “Nucus” by the way, is what the Spaniards call “calamares” that kind of squid you usually see in that can called “Portola” that was said to have been manufactured from Los Angeles, in California, USA.

Squid fishing is a profession in itself. Equipped with pumpboat, a speedlight that consist of an ordinary flashlight powered by three 1.5 volts D-size batteries and a blinking light-bulb, a specially designed squid-hook that has about 30 metal claws, a styrofoam container that already is stuffed with ice in it to preserve the catch, sufficient gasoline to transport him to the fishing area and back, and packed “baon” (dinner) to last him while at sea.

They say going to the fishing area lasts about an hour and also takes about the same time going back to base. Fishing is done during darkness, with moonless nights considered as generally lucky. On these evenings one can catch as much as sixty kilos, with each fisherman working solo on his pumpboat. On bad evenings however, especially when the undersea current is really turbulent, one may come home without a single catch.

More than half of them own their pumpboats and the rest work for others who are generally their relatives. Most are married but a few bachelors whose lives they had been accustomed to also embrace the occupation that they have learned from their forefathers. Dinagat Island, being a generally backward town that does not offer good educational opportunities, can only offer what source of livelihood nature provides- the bounties of the pristine sea.

The lion was told (hey! what the heck is a lion doing at sea?) that to catch squid, the fisherman immerse the speedlight about three inches down the water at the fringes of Mindanao sea with the bulb merrily blinking, much like the Christmas lights one is attracted to in bawdy houses (hoy! kayong mga mahilig sa tsiks kung gabi!! and the lion will not dare translate this phrase to English; let our Occidental brothers figure this out), submerges the specially-designed fishhook about two-arms length and when he feels a heavy tug, pulls the nylon cord up to get his catch and deposit it to the packing material that was explained earlier. And this is not an easy thing. Hauling sixty kilos from down the sea to the boat can get your biceps numb by the strenuous activity. But do they mind?! Not the least, for with a bountiful catch, he is unlike the fellowcraft who sat on the tummy of the dead GMHA (remember the third degree ritual?) who said: “I am weary and worn out. . . . Alas, this is the result of evil companionship. . .” But when there weariness is supplanted by acute loneliness, they would simply numb it with a bottle of “lapad” (not the long-neck) of Tanduay Rhum to finally put them to sleep only to wake up the next day and face the same ordeal.

But let the lion get back to the Squidboys before this writer waylays the reader into another suspenseful, albeit, unmasonic topic.

Richard, the Dinagat guy who was interviewed together with Upiong, a Guindlumanon fisherman, said that ordinarily they would return home after about two months stay in the place and would, as a minimum, remit to their respective families about P10,000 and about P20,000 as the upper limit. Not bad as take home pay but definitely not as good as the seafarers who are employed abroad even as rust-removers of ocean going vessels we call “seaman” out there working lonely at the five parts of the globe we all call the sea.

And how do they care for their pumpboats? How else but like the cowboys who cared for their horses while in the prairies, and on this figurative speech, the Occidentals definitely have the edge!!

Their choice of Guindulman beach as staging area is understandable. Its bay provide a safe refuge whenever “habagat” (hey! how do you translate this word to English?, don’t expect the lion to have a vocabulary for this, he is but a lion and his habitat is not the sea!), and the townsfolk are generally peaceful and amiable. On the other side, despite the unpalatable gossip that hounds Ruben Ecleo and his flock, these Dinagat boys are generally peaceful when compared to other folks. They are undoubtedly complacent people who deserves mention until the time one rascal should prove the lion wrong. This is not to say that the lion did not give a stern warning to “Bo” Ampong. He said “be wary about your subalterns, you have a beautiful niece that can be subjected to a dastardly act that you might regret later on!”

And that ends the tale of a group of people who would venture to earn their livelihood the hard way and honestly without stealing the few remaining centavos that you still have on your almost empty pockets today
!!

Masonic Essays

2005-01-10T21:49:00.000-08:00

Masonic Essays

2005-01-06T15:28:00.008-08:00

JIMBO, EBEN AND ANDOY

Jimbo, Eben and Andoy are fishermen who live on a lot adjacent to our backyard. All are married and among themselves have twelve children- six boys and an equal number of girls. Eben, the eldest, has five with three of them girls, Andoy has three with two while Jimbo, the youngest, has four with the youngest a cute little girl.

Their nipa huts are built on a lot owned by the family of Goody Bernaldez, a fifty-seven year old unemployed bachelor whose mode of subsistence came from the share of the palay and copra harvest of the properties that he and his siblings inherited from their parents, and the periodic share of the fish gathered by the said fishermen from the sea. Goody is a sports buff and apparently the village’ know-it-all who during the post 1986 EDSA Revolution was appointed the town’s OIC Vice Mayor. But let’s leave Goody for the time being as this article is not about him but of the three fishermen mentioned earlier.

Their respective wives have different characters and idiosyncrasies. The good side of Vivianne, Eben’s wife, is that she works part time as market vendor and thus augments the family’s income; the bad is that she also gambles and sometimes even her capital goes with it. Jimbo’s wife has lesser good qualities, the bad is that she committed an indiscretion some three or four years ago and while she was forgiven for this misdeed, it apparently left an indelible mark in Jimbo’s subconscious and has not permanently left his memory. Andoy’s wife, Honey, which is a very attractive sobriquet for the name Jacinta, is on the other hand, the epitome of that domineering matriarch who demands that the entire family, Andoy included, to toe the line. No if nor buts, if a child asks for a better-looking but more expensive notebook for her mother to buy and the mother says the cheaper one will work as good, then that ends the issue. One time a boxing bout was held in town and Andoy asked permission to view the game. But Honey’s sharp reply was that the baits had to be attached to the fishing gear, and that was it; the poor husband was unable to watch the boxing bout.

All three fishermen and their families live in abject squalor but doesn’t seem to mind it. Their huts do not have water connection and so they get their water needs from a neighbor by sharing with the latter the water bill. As they also have no electricity, one can well conclude that their clothes are no longer ironed when used. Even the purchase of matches or lighters are avoided, they resort to having a continually lighted kerosene lamp on hand and when it is time to cook, they simply lit the fire-stove with it thus saving on the use of a single matchstick. Also when it is time to lit the evening lamp. It’s good the barangay council installed the electric light bulb at the right end of our backyard that is at the edge of their houses for during the night, their children are able to study using the illumined light. In the not too-distant past, all the children can do is study when it is not yet dark. Which can prove a good puzzle for the children to solve arithmetically, which costs more, a single matchstick compared to the kerosene consumed by the lamp’s continuing light?! And have you ever heard of asking for fire?? (“Pahinging apoy”, in the local word??)

All three fishermen use motorized bancas called pump-boats for their occupation. These are made available for their use through sharing of the catch made. Eben’s banca is owned by the barangay captain, Jimbo’s is owned by a government retiree, while Andoy’s rig is owned by his father-in-law who resides at Ubay town.

On lucky days, they would go home from the sea at night with plentiful catch and consequently, even the ne’er-do-well good for nothings share in the marine’s bounties as bonfire would be lit and fish broiled right at the edge of the sea, with the well-off habitues buying Tanduay or tuba to make themselves merry.

But Zeus, the god of the sea, is sometimes moody. On intermittent days the three would not be able to venture to the open sea and consequently are compelled to scrimp on the day’s food by ironically buying dried fish (tuyo’) and rice at the nearby sari-sari store. Andoy’s fate is not as miserable. He also farms on a lot owned by a lesbian and therefore has several sacks of palay stored for home consumption during the lean days. The two others are unlucky; they have no other recourse but to silently absorb the exorbitant mark-up that is imposed by the sari-sari store owner for purchases made on account (utang).

The school year ended last April with their children of school age being elevated to the next higher ranks. Eben’s eldest, a girl, was promoted to third year while his other daughter graduated from the elementary grades. When Eben’s well-to-do relative visited the family during the Holy Week, she offered to take the two girls with her to Tagbilaran City so that they may be able to work at her store and at the same time study. Both girls joined her to the city but no more than two weeks later, the younger of the two returned home- she could not withstand the pangs of loneliness caused by being away from her family. The eldest, apparently bright and decidedly desirous to improve her lot did not come home but instead stuck it out, she wants to return home when she already has a computer degree to show.

Jimbo’s children’ educational needs still do not pose a problem. The eldest is a twelve-year old lad who lives with his grandparents while the two other boys are just in the first years of the primary grades. The youngest is a four-year old girl and is not yet of school age.

Andoy’s three children look promising. The eldest is a thirteen- year-old girl who just graduated “first honor” from the elementary grades and this she did despite being at Section 2 while in Grade 6!! The two other children also have impressive and credible scholastic grades.

Seeing the opportunity to be of help, the missus offered to the family that she will help defray the tuition cost and daily allowance of the girl when she gets herself enrolled in the public high school some four kilometers away. There will only be one condition for the aid, she must maintain the good grades that she has already achieved and nothing more. When the parents asked if the other school needs like school uniforms, shoes and the like will also be paid for, the tart reply of the missus was that her offer to help should not, in any way, be construed that she is absorbing all her school needs and thus relieve her parents of their mandatory obligations. In short, only a part of it. Tuition fees, daily allowance and cost of school projects if any, will be reimbursed and that’s all. All other expenses shall still be absorbed by them. Besides, the lion’s pension as a retiree is indeed miniscule. And there is also a supplementary condition on the aid, it will last only so long as the donor is able!!

But who knows? The girl who is the object the missus helping hand and who wants to be a nurse someday may just see her dream come true. A local Florence Nightingale, one might say, if this writer is allowed to borrow a name that has already immortalized herself at the other side of this globe!!

2005-01-06T15:28:00.001-08:00

A MINI-BASKETBALL COURT FOR THE KIDS

Wait, this article has nothing to do with the SARS-influenced proposal made by several smart alecks to postpone the opening of regular classes from June to September; it only refers to the adage that “all work and no play will surely make Jack an outright dumb kid”. And now allow me to get into another story relative to my visit to the metropolis last April.

A small dream that somehow I could not shake off from my mind in my adopted hometown is doing something for the poor young boys in the neighborhood who have nothing to do when they come home from school. This was aggravated when school year ended last month because most of these poor tykes were practically idle the whole afternoon. Not that they have absolutely nothing to do for there are menial jobs that their parents would want to do for them but in fine, there really is not much to be done. A few boys who manage to scrimp on their allowance can be seen at an office space intended for an Internet Café but because of the difficulty of connecting the computer to the Internet instead served as a gaming room for the kids to while the time away. The operator of course cannot be blamed, with the very difficult means of connecting to the Internet, the more profitable way of recovering his investment is to lure the kids to play games, and never mind if there is no educational value in it.

The solution, I reckon, is to install a mini-basketball court at our backyard where the kids can while their time away free from the drudgeries of humdrum life. An elder in the community suggested that the place adjacent to our backyard can be used for the purpose but we definitely will need balls, the basketball rings and construct the goal. That elder also promised he will take care of the materials needed through donations that he will solicit from the well-to-do members of the community should I be successful in getting the balls and the rings home.

And so last month when I was at the metropolis, I chanced upon WM John Teng of Laong Laan Lodge No. 185 and asked if he will generous enough to donate a few midget size basketballs having size of six inch diameter and the accompanying basketball rings? He gladly said he will and so posthaste I went to Raon St. in Manila and purchased four six-inch diameter balls and two basketball rings costing P800 which he immediately reimbursed during the stated meeting of the lodge. WM Ferlu Sudario of Juan Sumulong Lodge No. 169 likewise promised to donate balls, only, we no longer had the chance to meet up to the time me and the missus departed for home.

Upon returning to our provincial residence, we immediately contacted the elder who made the proposal and presented to him the rings and the balls. But the promised materials were slow in coming; or quite plainly, it did not come at all. And so the missus took the bull by the horn; she contacted a carpenter, ordered him to purchase the needed lumber, marine plywood, nails and all, and saw to it that the basketball equipment is completed. Using her own funds for the purpose, of course!!

And so, these grateful tykes are now merrily playing basketball in a backyard free from the drudgeries of useless toil! And many thanks to WM John Teng for being such a generous brother and definitely a kind-hearted soul!!

2005-01-06T15:28:00.000-08:00

THE NIGHT CARE CENTER

Ever heard of the government’s rural project that provide for a day-care center for these young tots not yet of schooling age? Not yet?? Well, it is a program that was instituted by the government on barangay level and teaches kids with basic learning skills under the tutelage of a teacher who usually is paid for by barangay funds.

But this article is not about that government-instituted program, it is about what the missus has started doing at our backyard as part of her own outreach to improve the studying skills of children in our neighborhood. Let me tell you this story.

Immediately after the light bulb was relocated near the nipa shack, the missus conceived the idea of reviewing the daily progress of our neighbors’ schoolchildren’s and discussed the matter to me about it. By doing this, she envisions those kids will find additional interest in their studies and thus improve their learning prowess because the difficulty in learning that is caused by the overcrowding of classes in the public schools where they are enrolled can somehow be assuaged by a supplemental review of lessons that she intends to do later in the day.

Of course I was skeptic. I reckon we do not have the skills and experience as schoolteachers and more importantly, the kids are enrolled in different grades, with the eldest in first year high school while the youngest is but in first grade. How does one allot his or her time over a variety of subjects on these kids.?? A prospective tower of Babel that can confuse these kids, I thought. But if you knew the missus, you will admit that when she has something on her mind, it is not often that she is discouraged. And so she started gathering the young kids at the nipa shack in our backyard and told them about her plans with me skeptically watching with eyebrows raised.

And so one Saturday while I was attending the lodge stated meeting of Dagohoy Lodge No. 84 at Tagbilaran City, she purchased a 24” x 36” blackboard, chalks, Mongol pencils and candies. When I teasingly asked her later in the night what the candies are for since I am a diabetic, she simply looked at me with piercing eyes without saying anything. It turned out it was for the kids to be given as incentives for those who can answer her questions right!

On our way home the next day, she noticed she forgot buying the eraser. I replied she can use one of my old briefs as substitute but she immediately glared at me. And I thought it is the lion who roars and glares when angry, not the lion tamer!! With this, the lion can only meekly say: “Buy it then, on your next trip to the city on Thursday when you accompany the two new harelip boys to the hospital!”

The first day of her class was a wonder. The missus found the first session which lasted more than two hours that night fun. She saw herself teaching about fifteen children with those in the lower grades lessons on subjects and predicates, simple arithmetic, and those in the higher level, fractions, divisions, decimals and even the proper use and referrals to the standard dictionary with the upper grade students assisting her on the lower grade pupils. She even cajoled them to sing nursery rhymes to the delight even of the elders who amusedly watched nearby. At the session’s end she saw herself fully exhausted but definitely with a smile on her dainty lips.

But the lion did not fare as well. I got my awkward baptism of fire when the first year high school student asked me how to solve square roots, for at age sixty two, how the heck can I be expected to remember a subject that I supposedly learned fifty years ago?! I could not even recall whether or not I skipped my classes during the time square roots are being taught in class. And so I said: “let me borrow your textbook and I’ll give you the answer tomorrow”. And I did!!

But let me tell you something has got to give. The missus unwittingly deprived herself of her favorite TV program that she faithfully views early in the night which is titled “Kay Tagal ng Umaga” that is portrayed in the lead role by her favorite actress named “Lorna Tolentino”.

MY KABIR FRIENDS

2005-01-05T10:53:00.000-08:00

MY KABIR FRIENDS
By: Bro. Geminiano V. Galarosa, Jr.
Dagohoy Lodge No 84
(HM- LL 185, JS 169 and RP 147)

Credit this article to Kuya Raul Laman for it was at his suggestion that I encountered these friendly denizens of the earth.

Last year when the pangs of uneasy loneliness hovered all over the horizon both for the lion and his tamer, especially because we have resolved we will manage without the services of a maid as a hired helper will mean an additional mouth to feed, Kuya Raul, an e-mail brother of this writer, suggested the advisability of caring for chickens in our backyard and the two foreign breeds that he mentioned are the Sasso and Kabir chickens. These are not only big but also easily adapts to local environment, he said.

The choice for having chickens at our backyard was carefully considered. Pigs, although a good source of supplementary income that can augment my miniscule pension and at the same time serve as an automatic waste disposal agent, was discarded because of the attendant obnoxious smell that these will create and cats have never been our pets. Although my favorite pet has always been a German Shepherd dog while our youngest son’s was a Golden Retriever, I seriously considered raising a Pit Bull puppy as our eldest son breeds this pedigree at his home in Los Banos. Only, two distinct difficulties arose, how to transport it considering existing governmental restrictions on animals and the fact that it will surely be a menace to the native “askals” that abound in our place. That leaves us no recourse, therefore, but to raise chickens for our pets.

Of the two suggested breeds, I choose “Kabirs” because the “Sasso” line looks more like Jubela that somehow managed to escape the razor-edged guillotine because it has no feathers on its neck.

But it took me sometime to procure these animals as its chicks were not readily available in the market nor in the community. Until one time, a cousin of the missus, upon learning that I wanted to raise Kabir chickens, immediately went to his backyard and together with his favorite grandson, Noynoy, knocked at our door last May, with two young Kabir chickens, and in a standard Visayan joke said, “here are two Kabir teenagers, a boy and a girl” that you can raise!!

Immediately thereafter, I hired the services of the missus’ favorite Jack-of-all-Trades, and had him construct a shack for the chicken’s coop. In addition, I chanced upon a signboard on the road saying that there are one-week-old Kabir chicks for sale at the nearby town and so posthaste went there and immediately purchased ten live chicks.

But if you think it’s fun and easy to raise these animals, you are mistaken., for without adequate experience, mortality suddenly crept in. Consider these.

After just two weeks, two of the small chicks died, another two suddenly disappeared at our backyard without leaving a trace, another two died of undiagnosed disease, leaving me with only young four young pullets and the two originals, who the donor branded as “the boy and the girl” Kabirs which I named Mikatot, a white-feathered male and Beatot, a pinkish-feathered female, in playful variant to the names of our two grandchildren. Which made the missus comment: “Hala ka, your two other grandchildren will surely get jealous for not naming chicks after them!”

Seeing them grow in our backyard is fun. Mikatot would crane his neck early in the morning shouting “Cock-a-doodle-do” at the top of its voice below our window to the consternation of the still-sleepy lion tamer. This morning regimen then serves as signal for me to grate matured coconut for their morning meal. Beatot, on the other hand, would just daintily watch me do my chores as would my granddaughter do but with a critical look as if saying you should better do the job right, dumdum!

Definitely intelligent, these two and the four other growing pullets that I named Dacky, Red, Sexy and Midge would just walk nearby and with Sexy often succeeding in climbing and resting upon my shoulders while I read Albert Pike’s “Morals and Dogma” during my reading hours at our backyard.

Even at this early stage of their lives (Mikatot now weighs more than three kilos), I already look forward to enjoying their eggs at our breakfast table. But only their eggs, for how do you cook and eat your friends when at last they’ve finally grown up?!

FISHING THE “PALANGRI” WAY

2005-01-05T10:52:00.000-08:00

FISHING THE “PALANGRI” WAY
By: Bro. Geminiano V. Galarosa, Jr.
Dagohoy Lodge No 84
(HM- LL 185, JS 169 and RP 147)

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Talk about fishing by hook and the things that will come out of one’s imagination would likely be the rod and reel, the hook, the line and the sinker. And of course, the bait. But that is as far as amateur fishing is concerned. The professionals do it another way.

The fishermen, the lion learned, also use the hook, line and bait; but the rod, reel and sinker are excluded. And they use not one, not two, not three, but up to several hundred hooks at a given time.

Sound weird?! Now read this!

Using a sturdy nylon cord of no less then five hundred meters in length, the fisherman would attach short cords (or strings) having the length of about two meters where the hooks are tied at its end and where the baits are individually placed . The short cords are tied at a distance of about three meters apart thus avoiding the short cord to get entangled with another. These nylon cords are then neatly stacked at the inner part of a wooden box having the size of about a square yard that serves as container, after which, sand is generously poured over to make it easy to release, while the hooks where the baits are attached are neatly tacked and dangled at the outer side thus enabling the fishermen to lay down the hooks that contained the baits systematically at the open sea. Once done, the fisherman will return home for a brief period (usually about three hours) to allow the fish to take the bait, or bite the bullet so to speak, and later would return to check and get his catch if any, and also retrieve the gear.

The brief explanatory note about “palangri fishing” concluded, let me now narrate to you what happened to deserve the composition of this short article..

The lion’s computer clock registered 1:30 A. M. last July 25 when he opened it and as usual, proceeded to open his mailbox. In it were four Grand Lodge No. 12 Circulars which were forwarded by RW Jimmy Gonzales, Junior Grand Warden. After downloading these, the lion skimmed through their contents hoping he can see a familiar name and seeing none that attracted his attention, lackadaisically proceeded to shut off his beat-up and antique computer.

Having done his early morning routine (if one thirty is not early, then tell the lion what time is), he then went out of the house to relieve himself by emptying his gallbladder and while doing so, heard voices outside the gate of their backyard. Casually, he went out the gate and there joined Eben, Pilo and Alice who were enthusiastically discussing Pilo’s recent catch below the third electric light that the lion tamere have caused to be installed recently.

“Major”, that’s the sobriquet that the lion recently gave Pilo, was enthusiastic in his story. The day before, he was earnestly tidying up his fishing gear that is locally called “palangri”, a mesh of about 200 fishing hooks neatly tied and spaced to a sturdy nylon cord. This unique fishing equipment that was explained earlier was supplied with baits consisting of fresh “tambans” the kind of fish that form part of the early jogger’s morning breakfast at ChowKing called “tusilog” which actually is but the acronym of “tuyo’, sinangag, and itlog!”

It turned out that at about seven that night, “Major” laid out his gear at sea and three hours later, returned to check on his prospective catch. His narration was energetic and vibrant. He said that no sooner had he pulled the first few meters of the nylon cord when after three hooks, he noted his hold being tugged strongly by a strong force. “Bingo!”, he mused, it should be a big catch, one that should not get away, and after a spirited effort, downloaded to his boat a red-colored fish locally called “ahaan” (probably a red herring or red snapper in the English language). This catch was followed by three more of the same kind and another denizen of the sea locally called “ubod”, or a slippery eel, appeared. In all , his catch totaled about ten kilos.

“Major” and his wife, Alice, were jubilant. The catch can easily fetch for them about eight hundred pesos in the streets, thus, after deducting the fifty pesos for the cost of the baits, his effort will easily net him no less then seven hundred bucks. The task of peddling will be done by “Honey”, wife of Andoy, who is also expected to add a reasonable mark-up for her effort as “lab’asera”, a local term for fresh fish vendor!.

In fine Jimbo awoke and joined us. A little later, Andoy, who laid out his own “palangri” at sea returned. “”Major”, having completed attaching baits on his other set of “palangri” that he was then working on, gave the extra fish-baits to Alice, whereupon Alice and Honey proceeded to set fire and broiled the surplus fish for us to feast on. Liza, Jimbo’s wife, and their six year old daughter Queenie also woke up and joined the group.

But as the neighbors knew, work without the second wage of a fellowcraft (brethren should guess this right, it’s called Tanduay), is not work. It is called forced labor. (RW Jimmy, here is another difference about work and labor!) And so, Eben gave Honey forty pesos and cajoled her to wake Marissa up at her sari-sari store to enable Honey to buy the needed liquor. At one thirty in the morning? But of course!! The lion also refused not to be counted; he went home and no sooner returned with his favorite brewed coffee still steaming on his special coffee mug the pungent-smelling homegrown coffee called “Barako”.

In fine, the group partook of the broiled fish that was supplemented by left-over cooked rice while the lion sipped his coffee in between bites. The fishermen, for their part, partook of the broiled fish that was being pushed to their sarcophagus by the wine called Tanduay until the finally all retired at about three thirty that morning to regain their interrupted naps.

And what happened next??

No more than two hours after the sun appeared at the horizon, the three fishermen again ventured to the open sea to retrieve their gears and upon their return, Andoy went home with two “ahaans” weighing about four kilos and two “pinyahons”, a kind of fish that sells cheap locally because consuming it generously may cause one to constipate (which reminds the lion about the wonder drug called Xenical that also cause the patient to relieve himself involuntarily if one don’t watch it carefully), “Major” bagging a three-kilo “talakitok” , while Eben had a four-kilo barracuda (called rompee locally), another three- kilo fish called “balare”, and a three-kilo eel that surely will be the envy of the Chinese connoisseurs of Binondo, All told, the lion’s neighbors have earned their “daily bread” for a couple more days or so.

Fish talk?! But of course! And freshly caught from the subterranean recesses of planet earth!!

UNIQUE CRUSTACEANS, ANYONE??

2005-01-05T10:49:00.000-08:00

UNIQUE CRUSTACEANS, ANYONE??
By: Bro. Geminiano V. Galarosa, Jr.
Dagohoy Lodge No 84
(HM- LL 185, JS 169 and RP 147)

“Adis”, that’s how he is called, is twenty years old, married and father of a two-year-old son. Reaching only the elementary grades and not gainfully employed in a place where employment opportunities are as scarce as the college graduates that the town annually produce, and not having relatives from whom the poor guy (no pun intended) can rely for sustenance, he refused to become a mendicant. To eke out a livelihood, he joined a group of ten young adults, three of them married and the rest still single, who call themselves “Kagang Boys”.

For sure they are not the only gatherers of this kind of crabs. There are also others who have banded themselves together while a few operate solo, in search of this unique denizen of the sea that for ages has been made delicacy of the residents of the area. These food gatherers are also unsure whether there also are gatherers in the other seaside towns of the island of Bohol, but as far as they are concerned, they and the others reach as far as the seashore of the town of Anda some ten kilometers away and even the adjacent barangay of Cogtong of the town of Candijay in search of this unique crabs that forage on the edges of the sea.

The technique is simple. These gatherers just dig into the burrows that these crabs have made their homes on the murky seashore. Armed with a bolo and a pail wherewith to accumulate their catch, they trace the winding recesses beneath the soil which are often hidden by living seashore plants that abound in the area. These plants not only serve as effective camouflage but also as shelter from the blistering heat of the noon-day sun thus serving as ideal habitat to these crustaceans. Their t-shirts naturally are soiled with mud and the entire catching process is not clean but definitely is less obnoxious than the work of the metropolitan “poso negro” boys.

But while the digging procedure may not be difficult as the soil generally is soft, getting the crab out of the hole is not easy, for if the hunter is less careful, he may end out getting bitten on the hand by his prey and hurt himself in the process. And it can put him out of commission for several days to allow the wound to heal.

“Kagang” is a local word for a specie of crabs that is noted for its pungent taste which local residents savor during special gatherings. Last year at the feast day of Saint John the Baptist, for example, the relatives of the missus had an outdoor swimming party at the lion den’s backyard and one of the gourmet’s dish that they served was a cauldron full of cooked “kagangs” that they enjoyed with gusto.

These crawling denizens of the sea are spawn by their mothers in swamplands no different from ordinary crabs called “alimango”, with the young living there until they become adults but upon maturity, would retire to the beaches where foliage abounds boring themselves in soft marshy grasslands. It is not uncommon for these crustaceans to occupy holes previously used but later vacated by others, but once inside, would create apartment-like passageways that make it impossible for enemies, hunters included, to locate them. A primary requirement for habitability is its coolness and the softness of the soil to make burrowing easy.

It reaches maturity when it has reaches the size of about 120 grams, which means that eight pieces will weigh a kilo. At adulthood it is no bigger than the standard computer mouse that you use. Like the ordinary crabs and shrimps that are members of the crustacean specie, it is a scavenger that preys on dead faunas to survive.

Its form, like the lodge and the “alimango” is oblong. Its pincher arm is big for its size, which makes its flesh a favorite piece to savor. A kilo costs from thirty-five to forty pesos such that three kilos would generally cost the customer a hundred bucks, which incidentally, is the average daily catch of a gatherer, as generally, these hunters would only do their job during the early morning hours or late in the afternoon when the sun is not radiating its blistering rays

Not sold in the market, connoisseurs would order this crustacean several days in advance and allow it to live for a week to excrete the food it has taken before it is cooked. It is best savored when cooked with coconut milk, pepper, garlic and other spices added to the soup and is said to add to man’s virile sexuality. A local resident who is older than this writer said that this food delicacy is unique in the place- he has already tasted it during his younger days which means that has enjoyed it even before the war years, the second world war, that is. A missionary priest was said to order two kilos weekly without fail until he was transferred by his superiors to far-away Africa, of course, not because of these crabs but because his calling demanded that his presence be there in the place where black people live instead of eating weekly the crawling black inhabitants of the sea. Even the missus said that she was told this delicacy was a special favorite of her great grandmother. But there is no way to check this out; the old woman has been long dead long before the missus was born fifty four years ago!

If someday you would chance to be in Bohol like VW Rosauro “Boy” Rosales who sometimes visit his kin both in Buenavista town and at Tagbilaran City you might dare seek out this exotic food. But personally, I won’t. My conservative taste won’t allow me to taste not even the devilfish, sharks, dolphins and whalesharks and even man’s favorite pet called DOG!!

OF KABIRS, SASSO, ETC.

2005-01-05T10:47:00.000-08:00

OF KABIRS, SASSO, ETC.
By: Bro. Geminiano V. Galarosa, Jr.
Dagohoy Lodge No 84
(HM- LL 185, JS 169 and RP 147)

Sometime after we returned to our den in Gundulman last June, the lion received and email from RW Jimmy Gonzales asking how our kabirs are doing, and for those not in the know, the term kabir is that breed of chicken that apparently came from the Middle East, and like the Sassos, are quite popular locally for their extra-large size and their easy adaptability to local weather.

The lion recalled that his reply to RW Jimmy was that save for his favorite kabir named Beatot and an unnamed Visayan pullet, his chicken coop which consisted of five Kabirs and 3 Visayan pullets were wiped out by a chicken epidemic called “taruro,” which also annihilated almost all the chickens in the neighborhood. And since the lion and his tamer already considered these chickens part of their extended family, he added that he would soon endeavor to buy some chicks at Tagbilaran to replace those that were lost through pestilence. During their sojourn to the metropolis, these two female chickens were joined by a young Sasso rooster of a neighbor who probably thought the abundant food inside would compensate for being confined at the backyard in lieu of freely roaming outside foraging for food!

Our plan soon turned to reality when after the last rites that was conducted to WB Felix Lao last June 20 at “Tagbi” (that’s how the city is called by Guindulmanons) he bought ten kabir chicks and proceeded to raise these the way he had done so in the past. The lion earlier wanted to mix these Kabirs with a few Sasso chicks; unfortunately, none was on sale at that time in the agricultural stores that peddle these cute little feathered friends.

By the last week of June, the Visayan pullet started laying eggs, and by the first week of the subsequent month, was noticed it has started incubating its eggs which already has grown to seven. To the lion’s surprise, another egg was added and only then did he realize that Beatot, the kabir, also started laying eggs. Realizing the confusion that would soon ensue, he placed an empty carton box beside its coop so that the said kabir could also lay her own eggs in peace.

Beatot, yeah, that’s the name we gave our Kabir chicken, managed to incubate only four of its eggs as the others (about six in all) were waylaid by the lion to the prying pan and ultimately to the table for his morning meal. Thus, the suspense of seeing two would be “mother hens” sitting on their eggs morning, noon and evening waiting for the chicks finally to chirp became a daily fare.

By July 27 five small chicks started chirping leaving two small-sized eggs and another which Beatot laid, still unbroken. By the next day, the lion tamer took the three un-hatched eggs to a neighbor at our backyard with the intent of giving these so that these can be cooked like “balut”, but imagine to her surprise when one of the eggs started to have a hole in it and a small beak protruding. It turned out one of the eggs was being hatched a full day late than the others.

The lion took over and helped the small chick break its shell and lo! a cute white Sasso, with its neck without feathers chirping. It was a beautiful sight to see; much like the ugly duckling of the nursery rhymes, the Sasso chick looked so different from the rest. To insure that it survives, he separated it from the others and placed it below the glare of a fifty-watt electric bulb for a good two days.

By August 12, when the chicks of the Visayan hen were already about ten days old, the kabir showed signs of agitation and at the same time was periodically looking at the eggs so the lion checked what the heck was ever the matter. There he noticed that one egg was hatched but with the feathered chick already dead. This would be followed by the hatching of the three other eggs, which, in like manner were also pressed by the body of the mother thus killing them. How stupid of the lion, he mused, he should have taken over when he noticed that the eggs were already about to be hatched by taking the eggs out of the care of the hen and putting them into the glare of the electric bulb so that these may be hatched the artificial way. How stupid indeed!!

But that was not the end of the story. Beatot, probably grieving at the loss of her own dead chicks, would not be undaunted, she is now also escorting the other chicks find their own food in the company of the Visayan mother hen.

Which makes the lion chuckle(wrong word, it should be growl.). King Solomon may have enjoyed solving that puzzle on who was the real mother of the child he ordered cut in two, but seeing the Kabir hen also treating the chicks of the Visayan hen as if it were her own was a beauty of animal instinct to behold.

And why did the lion wrote this article? Well, because he found out that incubating its eggs by a Kabir (and for that matter, a Sasso hen) the natural way is not possible because the chicks that will be hatched will simply be crushed to death because of the weight of the incubating mother!! But the beauty of it all is that the lion now has two adult hens about to lay again their eggs, ten eight weeks old Kabirs that in two more weeks time will be eligible for roasting at the kitchen, five native chicks that now fly their wings aimlessly inside our yard, and a Sasso chick that sports its featherless neck looking like Jubela on his way to the guillotine!

OUR BACKYARD’S TWO ELECTRIC LIGHTS

2005-01-05T02:37:00.001-08:00

OUR BACKYARD’S TWO ELECTRIC LIGHTS
By: Bro. Geminiano V. Galarosa, Jr.
Dagohoy Lodge No 84
(HM- LL 185, JS 169 and RP 147)

In a previous article titled “Walkways of the Two Sts. John” the installation of two electric posts at our backyard was mentioned, one at the instance of the barangay council, and another at our behest, to serve as beacon lights and guide the fishermen of the village who dock in the night. Those lights were installed more than eight months ago.

It turned out that the electric current of the light bulb that was provided by the barangay council was connected to the meter of a shrewd and semi-literate (or semi-illiterate?!) businesswoman who, last month, saw that her electric consumption was progressively increasing and therefore no longer wanted anything to do with it. While the actual cause was traceable to her daughter’s transfer of residence to her place taking along with her several appliances, among them, a TV set, a refrigerator and two electric fans, she pointedly turned her accusing finger at the solitary light bulb as the culprit of the said increase. She also felt that the P30 subsidy that the council promised to reimburse her was insufficient and was further aggravated by the fact that the actual reimbursement was too slow in coming. Upon due notice to the three fishermen who largely benefited from the light and the barangay councilman who was primarily responsible for its installation, she ordered that the connection be dismantled. Which left us no recourse but to reconnect the light bulb to our electric meter and thus absorb the wattage consumption ourselves; rationalizing that the cost was not really prohibitive, which, in effect meant that will just shoulder the additional expense instead.

Realizing that we now have the say on the two beacon lights, we then decided to relocate the new addition to a place where we believe it will best benefit the residents. Its original location after all, was situated beneath the coconut trees thus causing undue risk to life and limb as the unfertilized fruits (or putots) and the coconuts’ palms sometimes drop without even the courtesy of shouting “timber”!!! And where else should it be placed other than beside the nipa shack instead! The most valid reasons are the following:

1. It fully complemented the other light that is located at the left side of our backyard thus fully lighting the area where the pump-boats are docked and therefore serves as beacon lights that will serve as guide to the homecoming fishermen when they finally return home from the sea.

2. It lighted the nipa shack and thus allowed the schoolchildren to study there early in the night, a luxury that is not available in their houses that are not provided with electric lights.

3. It serves as deterrent to the shabu and various illegal drugs users who are rumored to sometimes use the shack as temporary dens. (Yes, Virginia, even in this far-off place, drug lords ply their trade profitably under the very noses of those who are supposed to check on them.)

4. It provided the folks who wait for the fishermen late in the night with a lighted shelter, also allowing them to broil a part of the catch over a bottle or two of their favorite wine called Tanduay Rhum.

5. With the installation of the twin lights, the entire area was in effect, turned into a mini-park that enabled the residents to promenade and while away time especially when the temperature is unbearably humid.

As a consequence, the bench made of bamboo that was installed at the place where the electric light was formerly located also had to be transferred, its use as a viewing and lounging seat was made useless because no one bothered to use it anymore especially in the night when darkness finally sets in.

The missus can but heave a pleasurable sigh of relief. The lighted place, after all, is also her favorite nook whenever she uses her cellphone when contacting her children and friends from out there in the metropolis since there is no cellphone signal inside our cozy residence!

EXPERIENCING A UNIQUE CHRISTMAS AT THE LION’S DEN

2005-01-05T02:32:00.000-08:00

EXPERIENCING A UNIQUE CHRISTMAS AT THE LION’S DEN

Now the story can be told.

Those of you who have read the articles titled: “LOOKING FORWARD TO CHRISTMAS” and “COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS” deserve to know how the tale ended. So here it is.

One week before the scheduled event on December 23rd, rains continuously poured. In the early morning of December 18, the main road that cut through our adopted hometown was made impassable to vehicles forcing traffic to a standstill till late afternoon. On the DZRH radio band, the announcer periodically gave flash reports on the landslides that occurred at Southern Leyte, also chronicling the resultant deaths and missing persons in tragic tones.

The lion tamer and her friends who formed themselves a group called “Lakas Loob para sa Diyos” which has for its creation the objective of repairing the dilapidated church roofing with a goal of raising a million pesos, were compelled to postpone to a later date the “dinner fund raising program” that was scheduled that Saturday, December 20, on account of the uncooperative and unruly weather.

Which also made her remark: “What shall we do with our plan on December 23?! Shall we postpone it also?” and got from the aging lion this reply: If I were you, I won’t worry, I am confident rains will not fall on that day for I already appealed to the Lord to be at our side. This project is dedicated to Him anyway!” I added: “If General George Patton was able to launch his offensive in Europe during “D’Day of the Second World War, I’m certain the morning mass that you have so meticulously planned for our neighbors at our backyard will transpire!”

By Sunday, December 21, our daughter called long distance from her residence saying that she, her two brothers, their respective spouses and children have grouped themselves together at her residence to enjoy the Yuletide Season. They knew it was what the now-toothless lion would have wanted, she said. If only our finances permitted it, then we would have been there to enjoy the holidays with them! To the approving nod, but with misty eyes, of their mother at the phone’s other end.

At 4:30 in the morning of December 23, the lion opened his computer and at the Internet, read an e-mail from Tante, his friend in the States, reminding him of the big event that is on the trestleboard that day but cautioned that news about the Philippine weather which he closely monitors at the other side of the globe says that rains are still expected within the next forty eight hours thus making the prospects of our celebration rather bleak. Could our plan materialize?!

At seven that morning , the priest arrived and promptly conducted the confession of parishioners as the sun showed its radiant circle on the eastern horizon. This is it, the lion mused: “the first part of our celebration which involved the mass and blessing of the pump-boats will materialize”. And to cut the story short, a very solemn mass was officiated by the parish priest to a hundred or so parishioners and later blessed some thirty pump-boats to the delight and awe of the attending fishermen.

As part of our preparations, we also served breakfast to the priest at our residence who complimented us on the food that was served especially because the lion and his tamer have no household help. The priest, who earlier displayed a skeptical attitude and who was earlier reluctant about officiating mass at our backyard, (he also previously denied a request by the local barangay council that a mass be held for them) was generous in his commendation at our efforts to bring “the Lord to the beach for the benefit of the fishers of the sea” He also intimated that he would gladly return for another mass engagement should a request from us be made at some future date.

Then afternoon came. But the darkness in the horizon that was caused by dusk was made more so as cloud hovered on the eastern shore. So to counter its effect and add luster to the festivities, another 18-watt bulb and nine gas-fed bamboo torches were added.

But still the lion could not help it but worry. All through the previous days, he communed with his Maker for the celebration of successful mass but forgot about the evening functions. Will his inadvertent omission to include good weather during the night result in rains during the second part of the festivities?!

The appointed hour of seven in the evening came. The neighbors who prepared their food “KKB” style progressively arrived. In fine, more than fifty families partook of the dinner that they brought with them and with the total attendees exceeded two hundred adults and children. Gifts that were bought by the lion tamer earlier at Tagbilaran City which consisted mostly of educational supplies for grown-up children and candies and other goodies for children not yet of schooling age were distributed as prizes for the fun games. Every child had something to bring home with some getting more than his fair share. Children and adults still endowed with sturdy legs danced all night while the fishermen whose legs could no longer execute basic dance steps contented themselves with emptying bottles of “long necks” called Tanduay Rhum that flowed freely through their thirsty palates. The four special baskets consisting of food that the families of the four fishermen can partake of during the next day’s “Noche Buena” she will give the at the approach of dawn the next day.

At one in the morning of December 24th the affair officially ended. The fishermen and the other neighbors were profuse in their thanks and expressly echoed that next year’s celebration will be merrier. Which made the lion and his tamer remark: “We can only ignite the wick, it will, of course, help much if you can add powder to the keg.”

And so that ends the unique tale! Merry Christmas to all of you out there. !!

A TALL TALE FOR THE GULLIBLE AND THE UNSUSPECTING

2005-01-05T02:27:00.000-08:00

A TALL TALE FOR THE GULLIBLE AND THE UNSUSPECTING
By: Bro. Geminiano V. Galarosa, Jr.
Dagohoy Lodge No 84
(HM- LL 185, JS 169 and RP 147)

The lion wrote this article almost fifty years ago when he was still a teenager but the copy of the school organ where it appeared in print is no longer available; so he is retelling this tall tale from memory once again.

This is a tale about the eerie underworld; on witches and tikbalangs, which in the nineteen fifties thrilled our teenage minds. It is a story usually told in country-sides where unnatural events are usually narrated and spread about.

It all happened when the father of one of lion’s boyhood friends died, and as was the custom in the place, relatives and friends of the deceased converged to pay their last respects and mourn his death. And most naturally, they stayed all through the night playing cards and other games of chance to while the time away.

On the wake’s third and final night, at around two in the morning, they continued playing “pusoy” a game of chance roughly the equivalent or “tong’its” or blackjack. A little drunk and with the group already out of cigarettes, the stakes changed- he who lose the deal must go to the town’s bus station where cigarette vendors still ply their trade and buy the needed packs. And as bad luck would have it, he lost the game of chance.

Still a little tipsy but nonetheless extremely nervous, the lion walked the stretch that roughly is about two kilometers away with eerie fear in his heart. After all, it was the time when “aswangs” are bruited to appear to claim the spirit of the dead man for his prize. Also, the lion had to pass the tall acacia tree noted for its “tikbalang”, which, according to folkloric belief, is usually seen sitting at its top. Worse, he also had to pass the bridge where old folks say an “aswang” who change its form from man to beast lurked menacingly at night. With utmost fear therefore, he could but sigh when he reached the bus station and buy the needed packs of cigarette with luck still on his side.

But his trip back to the place where his friends converged was as suspenseful. Having passed the tall acacia tree, he nervously approached the bridge, but at the middle was a big black dog, bigger than a Doberman, whose eyes were fixed at him a-glinting, and whose body summarily blocked his path. With menacing stare the dog looked at him straight in the eyes, and almost froze him to death. “This is it”, he thought, and he could not backtrack because the tall acacia tree was already at his back.

And just as suddenly, its form changed from dog to goat, from goat to cat, still menacing, still unmoving. And slowly it moved its two front feet in a crouching position, poised to make the fatal strike.

With dumb-found fear, the lion clutched his knife to face the inevitable.

The big black cat sprang and while in midair again changed form and became a hog. Just as swiftly, he lunged his knife at the throat of the animal and in an instant the ordeal was over. Bloodied, still nervous, but otherwise unscathed, he looked down at the motionless animal. The butcher at the market got a job.

If you feel you’ve been gypped with this story, please read the title once again. And Happy Halloween!!

LET THERE BE LIGHT!!

2005-01-04T21:12:00.000-08:00

LET THERE BE LIGHT!!
By: Bro. Geminiano V. Galarosa, Jr.
Dagohoy Lodge No 84
(HM- LL 185, JS 169 and RP 147)

Regular recipients of the articles sent by the aging lion should be familiar with the names Andoy, Jimbo, Eben, and Pilo, the four fishermen who, together with their respective families, reside at the lion tamer’s backyard. Of course they are not the only fishermen in the area but the names of the others do not deserve mention as unlike the four, water and electrical connections were already installed in their respective places of abode.

Let the lion now tell you of this unique story.

Last November 3, the lion tamer woke up early as usual and said she will go with her ‘Nang Baby to Tagbilaran, and therefore the lion can freely roam around the place while she is out. But while doing so, would her now almost-toothless pet be solicitous enough to go to nearby Jagna where the office of BOHECO II is located and help facilitate the application for electrical connection of Pilo that it be approved? She said Pilo will soon sell his pig and with the proceeds, wants electricity in his house installed, only, the processing of the required papers appears to him complicated. Also, his three other neighbors are as desirous to have electrical connections in their respective houses but funding still had to be secured and therefore, would the lion also explore this angle??

Without much ado the lion proceeded to BOHECO II at Jagna and after congratulating Mr. Eugene Tan, the Resident Manager, for receiving the Most Outstanding Award from President Gloria Arroyo when she recently visited Bohol for leapfrogging from a Class D to Class A+ Electric Cooperative, the lion tactfully explained his purpose. Two problems were at hand: (1) is the loan that was previously being granted to applicants allowing a 25% down payment for materials and the 75% balance payable in installment still in effect thus allowing the three to also apply for electrical connections? and (2)would BOHECO install the needed electric posts since Pilo’s house is located at the farthest end reckoning from the street where the main line is located? The lion justified the need for electricity by mentioning that the four couples have seventeen children among them most of whom are already of school age and since the thrust of the government is to light the countryside and thus enable its citizens to moved onward for progress sake, then doing so will serve this noble purpose.

The first problem, Mr. Tan said, is no problem. The loan, while suspended previously, was recently revived. But of course, the lion had to sign as co-maker. The second, he said, can be remedied by declaring the work as “upgrading” which in effect will entail realigning the existing electrical lines of the residents in the area and thus justify the installation of the required electric posts. And since he is the Resident Manager, then the problem is as good as solved, and forthwith instructed three of his staff to accompany the aging lion to his residence at Guindulman and survey the needed job so that the work can immediately proceed. On the company’s staff car, of course!

On the way, Lito, one of the staff, said that what will complicate the installation of the posts is the possible need to get the consent of the landowner into whose lot the electric posts will be erected and the trees that must be felled as a consequence of the installation. The lion said the problem would not arise if the posts and connections are placed inside the perimeter of the lot were they reside. And that’s it!

Two days later, the lion tamer accompanied Pilo, Jimbo, Honey and Vivienne to the Jagna office with the two ladies alternating for their respective husbands. Honey served as proxy for Andoy as the latter is a “thumb-mark specialist” (in plain language, neither reads nor write) while Vivienne took the place of Eben because at the eight o’clock departure time, the latter’s pumpboat hasn’t as yet docked at the mooring site.

That afternoon, the group went home in high spirits. The seminar was very educational, they said. Eugene Tan, although already on the road bound for inspection trip when they arrived, saw to it that they are comfortably accommodated at the seminar, and their questions satisfactorily answered. To save on installation cost, Luis, one of the employees residing in Guindulman, suggested that the town’s electrician, although not licensed, hence not officially listed as authorized installer, be contacted for the job. To the consternation of Manoling, another employee from town, who insisted that the job be done “by the books” only to be admonished by the former whose functions at BOHECO rank higher that it would be alright because of the special relationship of the lion with Mr. Eugene Tan.

On going home though, the group wondered where to get the needed funds for installation as it was only Pilo who had. At home, the lion tamer asked his aging pet who could only mumble the following reply:

“We have already poked our fingers on this project, I guess there’s no use turning back. We’ll just have to fund it with our own and hope they can repay us back. Later, that is.”

The next day, November 6, was the lion tamer’s birthday. The lion contacted the Loloy, the town’s electrician and requested him to prepare the bill of materials for the four houses so that the estimated outlay may be determined. He was also asked whether he would accept the standard P350 installation job per house for half the price The task, after all, was the lion’s gift to the light of his life (the lion uses this phraseology to describe his tamer once a year), a gift not her own to physically savor but for the four fishermen and their respective families who have now become part of their lives. The electrician said yes.

`The electrician made the estimate, and whoooh!, the total cost amounted to P9, 166 with P3,957 to be paid in advance before electrical connections get underway. Fortunately, Pilo can defray his share, so that the lion had to shell out only P3,100 right away!

Monday came and the lion tamer posed another problem to her pet that almost stunned him. She said, “it appears we still have to shoulder the P1,050 cost of the electric meter”. The lion barked back: “I hope not because if it we do, then the project will be bound for the waste basket because P4,200 is an amount we can no longer spare!” Glad a quick check with Eugene Tan over his cell phone confirmed that the electric meter will be installed for free.

The next day, the lion returned to Jagna and after paying the P3100, followed up the status of the electric posts that had to be erected. Mr. Tan promptly ordered his crew to proceed posthaste to Guindulman and installed the two galvanized steel electric posts of about 30 feet in height and the attendant wires attached where the live electric current are to pass through and provide electricity to the neighborhood. To the awe and wonder of the residents and even to the lion for a job done faster than the wink of an eye. But the connection inside the houses will take a week or two to be done as the needed materials are still to be ordered by BOHECO I from Tubigon town which is about 50 kilometers from Tagbilaran or 125 kilometers via Ubay town and delivered to the intended users.

Then, Monday again. But it is the Muslim Ramadan and therefore there is no work in the offices in the entire archipelago. The next day, the lion phoned BOHECO but was informed by the secretary that Eugene was in Cebu en-route to Manila where he will be there for a week. The lion therefore requested her to follow-up the progress of the work and was informed that purchase of the materials will be on November 25 yet. So he instructed the lion tamer to send the following text message to Eugene:

“Will appreciate if you can hasten purchase of materials and installation of electricity on four houses. UR Sec said purchase is on Nov 25 yet” and received a text reply that he will text his staff accordingly.

Then November 22, another Monday, came. The lion asked his tamer to call Eugene Tan and follow up the status of the materials and was informed that it will be ready by November 24. But the materials had to be picked up from Jagna, he said.

. The lion overheard the conversation and immediately barked back that he will pick it up himself. Whereupon Eugene retorted that he will just send someone to deliver the items rather than for the lion to pick it up and two days later the requisitioned items were promptly delivered.

The next day, Thursday, Loloy, the town’s electrician, took over. Methodically, he installed the materials starting from Pilo’s house which was at the farthest end, and then to Jimbo’s then to Eben’s and finally to Andoy’s completing the inside wiring on Saturday. As he was not licensed, he approached a friend who will sign the papers needed for the permit and unexpectedly asked for money which more than ate up the discount that was previously agreed upon. The lion tamer was naturally furious because his basis for asking for more was because he learned that a neighbor paid another electrician P500 for the installation, and thus felt that he was unduly shortchanged in the deal, BOHECO’s standard rate notwithstanding. The lion tamer was finally able to impress upon him that she will just spend an additional P200 for the needed signature of his licensed electrician friend.

Then, another Monday came. But the needed permit could not be worked out as GMA advanced the observation of the National Heroes Day from Tuesday to Monday, which made the lion silently muse: “one of these days, GMA will just transfer the religious observation of Holy Friday to a Sunday. Ha, ha, hah”

Then Tuesday. To her consternation the electrical permit that will earn for the government only P55 per house will instead cost P550 with ninety percent going to the pockets of these municipal shenanigans. Professional and other processing fees not subject to the issuance of receipts, they said. That, the lion mused, is graft and corruption at the grassroots. No wonder this country can never not move forward.

Delegating the task of doing the actual follow-up to the lion tamer but giving her definite instructions on how to solve the dilemma, she worked her way out of solving the municipal red tape and managed to spend only P150 per house for it without actual inspection being made. The experience that she gained by interacting with the town’s officials through her various charitable projects paid off as most of the municipal officials are also active in church affairs. But the lion wonders, will these petty graft experts ever change?

The next day, December 1, she personally went to Jagna and presented the papers. Upon being told that a P100 connection fee still had to be paid, she requested the Finance Manager, Mrs. Daisy Cadavez whether the said fee can be added to the loan else we again will have to foot the additional bill, and fortunately, the lady said yes. The paperwork done, Mrs. Cadavez personally saw to it that final inspection be done the same day and since the staff assigned for inspections are already out, ordered the Materials Manager, the one who personally brought the materials to the site a week before and instructed him to do the job without delay. The lion tamer therefore went home towing along the BOHECO employee for the needed inspection who forthwith declared the wiring fit for the final connection and next day, December 2, BOHECO’s linemen arrived and finally lit the place. To the jubilation of the children and the four poor appreciative fishermen.

But the lion wonders. Surely its aftereffect will entail a repeat of the Christmas gathering that she organized last year (copy of the article is reprinted below). But with the meager funds of the lion now approaching rock-bottom, can a well-meaning brother from out there sponsor at least a part of the financial outlay required for the stipend of the officiating priest, the raffle prizes, the decorations and the special food baskets for the noche buena of the four fishermen and their families which last year amounted to about P5,000 or roughly a hundred US dollars ?!

And the aging lion leisurely rests its now-weak and limping paws!!

POSTRCRIPT

If you think the lion works with determination and dispatch, read what the lion tamer did on her own.

Last November 10, when Alice, the wife of Pilo gave her P1,000 as their share in the down payment of the electrical connections, she also added P2,000 with the specific request that the lion tamer put it aside for safekeeping as the said money was intended for the water connections further explaining that the money might just be spent unwisely. Whereupon the lion tamer asked if they are really desirous to have the water facilities installed, and received a nod for a reply.

The next day, the lion tamer approached her godmother who has a strong say at the water utilities firm and convinced the latter to have the connections installed immediately under her personal guaranty. Needless to say, it was done in a matter of only three days as all the paperwork and the attendant connections were completed on November 12 at a cost of P3,400.

Good the proceeds on the sale of the pig fully absorbed both costs, otherwise the lion most likely would have shouldered the deficiency. And the water connections of the three other houses, she opted to remain silent else it would have created a financial crisis to the lion that is worse than what President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo did to the entire country!

A UNIQUE CHRISTMAS AT THE LION’S DEN
By: Bro. Geminiano V. Galarosa, Jr.

Now the story can be told.

Those of you who have read the articles titled: “LOOKING FORWARD TO CHRISTMAS” and “COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS” (copies of the two articles are no longer reprinted as these may encourage the reader to shut off his computer) deserve to know how the tale ended. So here it is.

One week before the scheduled event on December 23rd, rains continuously poured. In the early morning of December 18, the main road that cut through our adopted hometown was made impassable to vehicles forcing traffic to a standstill till late afternoon. On the DZRH radio band, the announcers (Joe Taruc, Bro. Deo Macalma, et al.) periodically gave flash reports on the landslides that occurred at Southern Leyte, also chronicling the resultant deaths and missing persons in tragic tones.

The lion tamer and her friends who formed themselves a group called “Lakas Loob para sa Diyos” which has for its creation the objective of repairing the dilapidated church roofing with a goal of raising a million pesos, were compelled to postpone to a later date the “dinner fund raising program” that was scheduled that Saturday, December 20, on account of the uncooperative and unruly weather.

Which also made her remark: “What shall we do with our plan on December 23?! Shall we postpone it also?” and from the aging lion, got this reply: “If I were you, I won’t worry, I am confident rains will not fall on that day for I already appealed to the Lord to be at our side. This project is dedicated to Him anyway!” I added: “If General George Patton was able to launch his offensive in Europe during “D’Day of the Second World War, I’m certain the morning mass that you have so meticulously planned for our neighbors at our backyard will transpire!”

By Sunday, December 21, our daughter called long distance from her residence saying that she, her two brothers, their respective spouses and children have grouped themselves together at her residence to enjoy the Yuletide Season. They knew it was what the now-toothless lion would have wanted, she said. If only our finances permitted it, then we would have been there to enjoy the holidays with them! To the approving nod, but with misty eyes, of their mother at the phone’s other end.

At 4:30 in the morning of December 23, the lion opened his computer and at the Internet, read an e-mail from Tante, his friend in the States, reminding him of the big event that is on the trestleboard that day but cautioned that news about the Philippine weather which he closely monitors at the other side of the globe says that rains are still expected within the next forty eight hours thus making the prospects of our celebration rather bleak. Could our plan materialize?!

At seven that morning , the priest arrived and promptly conducted the confession of parishioners as the sun showed its radiant circle on the eastern horizon. This is it, the lion mused: “the first part of our celebration which involved the mass and blessing of the pump-boats will materialize”. And to cut the story short, a very solemn mass was officiated by the parish priest to a hundred or so parishioners and later blessed some thirty pump-boats to the delight and awe of the attending fishermen.

As part of our preparations, we also served breakfast to the priest at our residence who complimented us on the food that was served especially because the lion and his tamer have no household help. The priest, who earlier displayed a skeptical attitude and who was earlier reluctant about officiating mass at our backyard, (he also previously denied a request by the local barangay council that a mass be held for them) was generous in his commendation at our efforts to bring “the Lord to the beach for the benefit of the fishers of the sea” He also intimated that he would gladly return for another mass engagement should a request from us be made at some future date.

Then afternoon came. But the darkness in the horizon that was caused by dusk was made more so as cloud hovered on the eastern shore. So to counter its effect and add luster to the festivities, another 18-watt bulb and nine gas-fed bamboo torches were installed.

But still the lion could not help but worry. All through the previous days, he communed with his Maker for the celebration of the successful morning mass but forgot about the evening functions. Will his inadvertent omission to include good weather during the night result in rains during the second part of the festivities?!

The appointed hour of seven in the evening came. The neighbors who prepared their food “KKB” style progressively arrived. In fine, more than fifty families partook of the dinner that they brought with them and with the total attendees exceeded two hundred adults and children. Gifts that were bought by the lion tamer earlier at Tagbilaran City which consisted mostly of educational supplies for grown-up children and candies and other goodies for children not yet of schooling age were distributed as prizes for the fun games. Every child had something to bring home with some getting more than his fair share. Children and adults endowed with sturdy legs danced all night while the fishermen whose legs could not execute the basic dance steps contented themselves with emptying bottles of “long necks” called Tanduay Rhum that flowed freely through their thirsty palates. The four special baskets consisting of food that the families of the four fishermen can partake of during the next day’s “Noche Buena” she will give the at the approach of dawn the next day.

At one in the morning of December 24th the affair officially ended. The fishermen and the other neighbors were profuse in their thanks and expressly echoed that next year’s celebration will be merrier. Which made the lion and his tamer remark: “We can only ignite the wick, it will, of course, help much if you can add powder to the keg.”

And so that ends the unique tale! Merry Christmas to all of you out there. !!

LOOKING FORWARD TO CHRISTMAS

2005-01-04T21:07:00.000-08:00

LOOKING FORWARD TO CHRISTMAS
By: Bro. Geminiano V. Galarosa, Jr.
Dagohoy Lodge No 84
(HM- LL 185, JS 169 and RP 147)

Save for the first Christmas of the thirty-three years of our entire married lives, and this was only because none of our three children were already born at that time, the lion tamer and me have always celebrated the Yuletide season in the company of our kids. In this ritual, we have progressively established a common pattern for celebrating the event, the gifts, the foods- like the traditional “suman”, the fruit salad, the luscious ham marked “Excellente” that we patiently line up to buy at a store in Quiapo, and several other foods and goodies to mark the occasion in commemorating Christmas Eve. And since nine years ago when our first grandchild was born, a steady addition of grandchildren that now adds to four enliven our entire family of three children including their equal number of spouses. Admittedly, however, it was but a family affair.

Understandably this year, we could not celebrate it with the kids for as early as May when we visited them at the metropolis, we announced we won’t be home for Christmas because of financial considerations. Our meager and now fast-dwindling finances could support our trip only if we will forego our charitable projects especially harelip assistance and on this, the missus would not let go. So the attendant dilemma.

But sometime during the third week of November, the missus asked if it would be alright if she can arrange for a mass be held at our backyard that now has been turned into a mini-park not only for our benefit but also for our neighbors, especially the families of the four fishermen who, she noted, never bothered to go to church. She stoically said she plans it to be held on December 23rd adding the phrase “if Mohammed can’t go to the mountains, then she envisions the mountain can also go to Mohammed.”

My nonchalant reply was for her to study it carefully especially on the cost that it will entail. I reminded her that the reason we are skipping our trip to the metropolis, which in effect, meant breaking a cherished tradition, was because of “the root of all evil” and that if she does not watch it, we may just end up spending at our backyard what by omitting our trip to the city we intend to save.

And so she immediately shot back. Would a 4T budget suffice?? Or to get into the worst case scenario, would adding another T do?!

“And how is that itemized?” I barked back.

Her confident reply was: “1T for the stipend of the priest, 1.5T for the gifts and goodies for the four families and the children that frequent the place during early evenings, 1T for food, and half T for lights. Those T’s would add up to four.”

It turned out she already had it figured out even before I could formalize my questions. She also explained that after the mass and the consequential dinner, a program of activities consisting mostly of singing contest and games for the benefit of the kids will be held.

“Ok”, I retorted back. “And peg your budget at Five”. You most oftentimes overshoot your budget anyway. But no more!

No sooner had I given her the go-signal and she immediately talked to the people at the backyard about her idea. (Better still, she probably had already discussed it to them before she even talked to me about it.) She promptly arranged that the place be lit with Christmas lights (called “series” in the vernacular) and had a 24 inch-diameter colorful Christmas lantern produced and hang at the middle of the twin electric lights that were already installed at our backyard. Also, she discussed the concept of celebrating mass to her relatives who were living at the other side of the road and who, it turned out, were equally enthusiastic about the prospects. They also volunteered to co-celebrate the event by bringing their own food “KKB-style” to make the affair enjoyable. The food to be served to the officiating priest was assigned to the missus, while her well-to-do cousin volunteered the “long necks” so that the fishermen can enjoy the night as they will no longer venture to the sea that evening. Not only that, he also promised he will order his missus to prepare “bikos and sumans” for us to partake and thus make the merrymaking thoroughly worthwhile. The number of families that promised to attend has also increased to about fifteen.

And you should now see our backyard once darkness sets in! With the Christmas lights serving as beacons to the returning fishermen, it has turned our side of the beach into a lighted mini-park. All that is now needed is for the awaited time to come and thus allow us to commemorate the birth of mankind’s greatest teacher we all call Jesus Christ!!