CVIRAA Meet in Danao City
February 8, 2010
 CVIRAA Action Gets Underway In Danao: Let the games beginBy Caecent No-ot Magsumbol (The Freeman) Updated February 09, 2010 12:00 AM |
CEBU, Philippines – The invincible Cebu City contingent begins its quest to assert its lofty billing as the region’s undisputed sports superpower as action in the 2010 Central Visayas Regional Athletic Association (CVIRAA) Meet goes full blast today at separate venues in Danao City.
Since 1993, no other delegation has defeated Cebu City for the overall championship of the annual sports conclave that gathers the region’s based school-based athletes from the elementary and secondary level.
Even if the Department of Education (DepED) has changed its system in determining the overall winner of the multi-event spectacle, from medal count to points system, Cebu City was able to hold on its ground.
As usual, Cebu Province, Dumaguete City and Oriental Negros pose as Cebu City’s strongest opponents. But instead of getting stronger, Cebu Province and Oriental Negros have somehow weakened with more divisions being added, while Dumaguete mainly banked on its swimmers and football players to deliver the goods.
|
CVIRAA Meet kicks of today in Danao City
By Caecent No-ot Magsumbol (The Freeman) February 08, 2010
CEBU, Philippines – The region’s premiere school-based sporting event, the 2010 Central Visayas Regional Athletic Association (CVIRAA) Meet, formally unfurls with an elaborate opening ceremony today at the Ramon Durano, Sr. Memorial Sports Complex in Danao City.
The kick-off salvo will be done early in the evening featuring a ‘Palabas’ from the host city and division of Danao spiced up with a spectacular fireworks display.
Over 10,000 athletes, coaches, and delegation officials are expected to converge for what was earlier promised by Danao City councilor Oscar “Boying” Rodriguez as “an affair to remember.”
Department of Education (DepEd) secretary Jesli Lapus and his Department of Tourism counterpart Joseph Ace Durano banner the long list of luminaries set to grace the grand opening bash.
They will be joined by Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, Danao City Mayor Ramon “Nito” Durano III, his son Rep. Red Durano and the strong force from DepEd-7 led by regional director Recaredo Borgonia.
“We would like to assure you that this will be the most attended opening ceremonies by the regional, provincial and LGU officials,” Rodriguez assured.
The traditional parade of athletes has been cancelled so as not to exhaust the athletes who are gearing up for a week-long battle on different fronts. They will just be lined up around the oval for the presentation of the different teams.
A total of 18 divisions will take part in the multi-event spectacle that serves as Region 7’s qualifying for the Palarong Pambansa. – THE FREEMAN
DAUSA Pays Last Respect to a Good Friend and Member, Winston Misa
November 28, 2009
A number of DAUSA members took a respite from a long Thanksgiving weekend to pay their last respect and attend the memorial service of a good friend and fellow member, Winston Misa held Saturday, November 30, 2009 at the St. Peter and St. Paul Catholic Church in Alta Loma, California.
Winston was the husband of Pat Osmena-Misa, DAUSA’s first Educational Mission Coordinator. The Misa couple was the first to come forward when the Adopt-a-Student Project was initiated in 2000. They readily volunteered to sponsor 10 DAUSA scholars who all graduated from a 4-year bachelor’s degree in Education from the Cebu State College – Danao City Campus. Because of their admirable example others followed, and to date over 50 students have been helped and currently employed, mostly as public school teachers.
Winston died in Malaga, Spain on November 13, 2009, on the 6th day of their 15-day European tour. (Below is an article in the Freeman, written by Winston’s friend, and fraternity bro, Boy Regner Mercado)
| Everybody dies…nobody dies By Boy Regner Mercado (The Freeman) Updated November 28, 2009 12:00 AM |
CEBU, Philippines – “Everybody dies…Nobody dies.” In deep pain, I write for the sudden passing of a friend of mine, Winston Escanilla Misa, president of the KMTri-E Foundation. He died on November 13, 2009 while on vacation in Spain with his wife, the former Pat Osmena, a close relative of the Almendras clan of Danao. He had a heart attack. Death came like a thief in the night. Pat lost a soulmate and their daughters Kim and Pearl lost a loving father. I lost a dear friend. When death came, Winston was 66 years old.
“Everybody Dies…Nobody Dies.” As I hugged Pat, I felt deep loss just like the feeling I had when I lost my wife 19 years ago to a mugger’s bullet. Pat lost someone so close to her, who loved her and protected her through all these years. Winston was a good husband, a provider, a loving father, and a friend. Through the eyes of his daughter Pearl, I see Winston’s inquisitive when we analyzed a problem at hand. The somehow strict countenance of Kim, his other daughter, reminds me of the time he admonished me for being out of line in ribbing a fellow brother who hails from Bohol. All I said then was “Forgive me…Mea Culpa, Mea maxima culpa,” and he answered, “Amen.”
“Everybody Dies…Nobody Dies.” Winston was a professed conservative and I will always be a liberal. But it never bothered us. We talked of things that unite us rather than of things that divide us. Winston was smart and bright. He can discuss in an intelligent and rational way what works and how to make it work. He can grasp and understand the writings of Stephen Hawking about how the universe came to be and could understand what Mark Twain wants to convey in his works.
He went to UP Diliman and then finished his Mechanical Engineering degree at USC. He joined General Milling Corporation in Lapulapu City after passing the board in 1965; sometime in 1969, the family migrated to the U.S. He studied for a time at UCLA and took the Professional Engineering (P.E.) California State Examination. He was a licensed California P.E. At the time of his death, he was connected with HMC Architectural and Engineering and was tasked in evaluating and assessing drawings, and writing engineering specifications. He will be missed…and he will not die as long as he is remembered for his works….the underground subways in Los Angeles, the international airports in Ontario and Los Angeles Airports, the Kaiser Hospitals, and various school constructions.
At 60 Joe Campo from Texas Adopts a Danao Twin
November 24, 2009
Danao City Court Awards Joe and Stella the Adoption of a Twin Boys
When my friend Joe Campo said to me a year ago, he was initiating a legal processs of adoption – for a twin toddlers – my first reaction was “are you serious”!
For sometime all we talked about was about our retirement – enjoy life as we get closer to our individual departure area.
Joe Campo, a pillar of our association and always a generous supporter of the DAUSA Medical Mission is a U.S. citizen residing in Texas for over 30 years, happily married to Stella, a beautiful American-Mexican. The couple has two married children and grandchildren.
Soon, my good friend Joe will be a dual citizen – officially a senior citizen – as he turns 60 in a few m onths. He is now entitled to some perks seniors enjoy, like a 10% discount at restaurants.
But Joe is no ordinary 60 years old, as one having high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, arthritis or suffering from backaches, etc. My friend does not have any of those.
Except for the hair that was gone many years ago, he’s fit, as if he’s only half his age, even bikes long distance. He recently participated in a 80-mile cycling fundraiser – from Freeport to Houston.
A mutual friend of ours voiced his belief the twins could be Joe’s own from another woman in Danao, perhaps from a young girl working at Mitsumi.
I said “that’s impossible. Joe would never do anything stupid to hurt his wife and children. I knew him well”.
Joe used to be an altar boy; we both studied at the San Agustin Seminary in Manila. At first, he did want to become a priest, like his idol, Fr. Alfeo Manalili, but for some reasons he left after two years.
He was looking for some adventures while still young and single; so became a seaman, a way he could travel and see the world. Then he ended up in Texas where he met and married his wife, Stella.
Joe narrated how the adoption thing happened and he laughed when I told him some of our friends believed he was the biological dad.
“The twin boys were born Sept. 7, 2008, two days old when we arrived Danao on Sept. 9th, for the DAUSA Medical Mission.
“The biological parents were jobless, having 3 daughters: 18, 16 and 12 years old. The twins were delivered by caesarian at the Vicente Sotto Medical Center. Although it is a government hospital, and said to be a free for indigent patients, yet medicines, surgical supplies, blood transfusion, etc. are not free.
“So, that’s where we came in, tried to help out and paid all the bills, so that mother and her twin boys could be saved and be home safe. The mother was 42 years old when she delivered two healthy boys. She is also blood related on my father’s side (first degree cousin).
“We thought our rescue effort was over when mother and the twins got discharged from the hospital and came home. Unfortunately, that was not the case. At 42 years old, the mother’s breast milk could not sustain two hungry infants with good appetite.
“So, the Good Samaritan that I was, got into action again by providing them with powder milk to keep the infants nourished and as well as diapers. A month later the parents and grandparents asked us if we are interested in adopting the twins and without hesitation my wife agreed right away without even consulting me.
“After knowing the facts I said to my wife, “don’t you realize that we are going to start raising kids all over again in our golden years?”
“A year had passed, we never felt any regrets adopting those boys. Really who can say no to those angels. At their age – Joseph Anthony and Mathew Philipp have given us so much joy and made Stella and me feel like a young Mom and Dad again.
“Now, we are just waiting for the US Immigration to give us the okay to pick them up and bring them home. For us it is not a long process but just too many papers to fill out and submit, and frankly preparing those of immigration documents is far more hassles than changing diapers.”
I have no doubt Joe will see his twin boys graduate high school, send them to college, and be at their wedding.
Then he’ll retire from raising more kids at 90.
Balik Danao 2009 Queen is from Switzerland
October 24, 2009
Noemi Laurente-Siegrist, a citizen and long time resident of Switzerland, came back home and built a beautiful house at the very spot she was born and raised in Suba, Danao City.
She was approached a year ago to be Reyna Elena 2009 for the City Fiesta celebration in Danao City; Noemi Laurente-Seigrist, a longtime resident and citizen of Switzerland, knowing it was for a good cause readily agreed and made a commitment to come back.
A month prior to the fiesta Noemi called inquiring if she could mail to the DAUSA treasurer her donation to the Santo Tomas Parish Church for her participation on the Reyna Elena fund raising pageant. We advised her to give it personally to the President of the Pastoral Council upon arrival in Danao.
A week later our DAUSA liaison in Danao, Ms. Jade Batucan, relayed a message from the Pastoral Council stating that the church would not sponsor any longer or get itself involved in Reyna Elena pageant.
Upon our arrival and during the Balik-Danao Welcome Lunch we learned that in lieu of the Reyna Elena fund raising event, the Balik-Danao Queen pageant would once again be held during the Balik-Danao Nite and the committee had convinced Noemi to participate telling her the proceeds would be go to the Fiesta Committees various projects.
Ms. Seigrist agreed and even volunteered to have her beautiful daughter, a belly dancer and instructor in Switzerland, to perform at the event. Two other DAUSA members were gracious enough to play along and join the Balik-Danao Queen at the Balik-Danao Nite, Crosine Roble of Long Beach and Becky Mercado of Temecula, California.
Expectedly, the Swiss easily won as the 2009 Balik-Danao Queen and the audience at the Danao Civic Center got a double treat with an awesome performance of a real professional belly dancer, by Naomis daughter Lucijah, holding the audience so quite and breathless to the end.
I wanted to write more about Noemi, but I havent talked to her much on a more personal level, digging more into her family life, her struggles, how and why she ended up into that beautiful country.
To be on the safe side and not dishing out wrong information, I asked Dr. Jackson to write what she knew about our friend from Switzerland because she had hanged out with Naemi more than me.
From Dr. Anita Jackson:
I first noticed Noemi during one of our post mission lunches in Tita and Sani’s Guinacot farm, when Noemi served my husband Ben some food, drink and dessert while I was taking care of myself and not looking after my husband who was foreign to our customs at that time.
Right after the 2006 Medical Mission she went to Bohol with us for our Church wedding and made sure that she had pictures with Ben and me. She has been misunderstood as having flirted with some doctors. Poor Noemi! She is just caring to people, who she feels are deserving of her attention.
This year she assisted me when I was doing consultations and made it easy for priority patients who were truly sick to get prescribed medications. For example, she got a bottle of water for a
patient whose BP was extremely high (220/130) who I wanted to start medications right away and was observed and rechecked before he left. She gave her a year-supply of Ramipril.
Noemi pledged to donate not only to win the crown but to help (hopefully it was used for the benefit of the under-privileged.)
While not yet sure if she would win, she heeded to my advice to go to Ricky’s house and have her measurements taken for a gown. Darling and I were sneaking to the restroom behind the stage so we can check if Noemi wins. It took a little while to count the money; so we waited. As soon as the canvassing was over, I approached Mr. Toledo.
He pointed to Siegrist of the tally sheet as the winner. Darling and I immediately pulled her out from the waiting area and helped her change to her “instant” beautiful gown for the coronation.
Then she went with me to Tagbilaran to deliver the medications left from the mission for the Botika sa Katawhan of which the Tagbilaran Association of California is a major supporter. It was during this trip to Tagbilaran where I knew more of Noemi.
She is married to Herbert, a Swiss guy, who loves to visit the Philippines. In Switzerland at her employment, she was chosen to train to make delicate life-saving cardiac-related things like artificial heart valves. This is a special God-given gift!
I learned that she is a great wife and mother. She gave and is still giving the best care to her husband who has had two kidney transplants, and built him a house in Danao which he considers best place for his rehabilitation.
She has raised her three children with strong values in life. Her oldest is daughter Lucia, the middle is Robert who are both on their own now. The youngest is Jun who is still home with Noemi and Herbert as a full time student taking Law courses. Robert is serving the Military in the Air Force and has dual citizenship.
Noemi has been consistent as a generous provider of her family in the Philippines as well as her own three children in Switzerland. She has worked hard to be able to send her children to the best school, and invested for their future.
She has advanced herself in Switzerland by taking comprehensive lesson in the German language and learning the trade of Heart Valve production and now is a trainer.
Noemi has made a booking to visit us here in California from Dec 13 to Dec 29, and will spend the New Year with her husband and two beautiful children one of whom (Lucijah or Lucia) we saw perform professionally and gracefully the Belly Dance at the welcome-luncheon at Mayor Boy and Tita Durano’s home and Balik Danao Night.
Candy Bags No. 1 Statewide Nursing Excellence Award
October 3, 2009
(Photo: Husband Cris Picar, Candy, mother Rose Canga, classmates Annalee and Adolfo Famas of Cedars Sinai Medical Center at the Awarding)
From the Officers and Staff of Memorial Medical Center where Candy is Surgical Department Manager, Candy immediately received this congratulatory message: “Your hard work and tireless devotion to patient care makes this a well-deserved award. The commitment and dedication you have shown to your department has not only helped us achieve great recognition in four field, but has also made this an excellent place to work. From all of us at the Memorial Medical Center and the Sutter Health family, we congratulate you for being part of our team.”
Earlier we have reported here that our very own former DAUSA Vice Priesent Candy Canga-Picar was selected as one of 5 finalists among 100’s in the 2009 California Nurseweek Nursing Excellence Awards which made not only Danawanons but also the entire Filipino nursing community all over U.S. very proud.
At the Awards gala which held on Friday,September 25, 2009 at the Hyatt Regency Orange County in Garden Grove,CA, Candy was decared winner in the Management category and will be California’s bet in the National level.
James E. Conforti, Chief Executive Officer of Memorial Medical Center, a Sutter Health Affiliate, in a Memo to all Hospital Staff, also issued this official statement:
“It is with much enthusiasm that I share with you that our Nurseweek finalist, Candy Canga-Picar, RN, was announced the winner in the Management category during the September 25th awards ceremony held in Garden Grove.
According to Ms. Judee Berg, Nurseweek Vice President of Nursing Communications and Initiatives, “hundreds of nominations were submitted”. The nominations are then forwarded to the selection committee, blinded of any names, locations and identifiers, enabling an unbiased review and selection of candidates based on the merits of their individual accomplishments.
Candy’s accomplishments, which undoubtedly influenced her selection, include her 99th percentile ranking in patient satisfaction, placing the Surgical Department in eighth place nationwide; the 86th percentile ranking in staff satisfaction; and her overall ability to mobilize her staff to affect positive changes, whether it be in service, quality, people or finance.
Candy is Memorial Medical Center’s ninth Nurseweek nominee selected to be a Nurseweek Excellence finalist. This is an outstanding record, given the fact that 2009’s event was Nurseweek’s tenth Excellence Award ceremony. Our nursing leadership team strongly believes that this remarkable accomplishment would not be possible without the tremendous collaboration among all departments that support nursing activity every day.
We are all proud of Candy’s achievements and this wonderful recognition she has obtained, not only for herself, but for the entire Memorial Medical Center.
Please join me in congratulating Candy!!”
2009 DAUSA Medical Mission Another Huge Success
September 24, 2009
Meanwhile, in appreciation for the efforts and financial contribution of the members and officers of the Danao Association USA, Inc. as well as the participation of local medical practitioners and other volunteers, the Mayor of Danao City, Ramon Durano III, tendered a culmination dinner and distribution certifications of appreciatio at his residence in the evening at the last day of the Medical Mission on September 24, 2009.
Earlier at known that day, all volunteers also got a barrio fiesta treat at lunch time at the farm of Barriga-Tomayao Family in Taboc, Guinacot, Danao City, hosted by the Barriga and Tomayao families.
During the culmination dinner DAUSA President Marietta Palos experessed her profound thanks and great appreciation to the tireless efforts of surgeons coming from Cebu Doctors Hospitals and to visiting surgeons from the U.S. (Dr. Julian Banzon & Dr. Lorenz Alaan, the U.S. based and local nurses and all the volunteers who greatly contributed to the success of the 2009 Medical Mission.
September 24, 2009
Meanwhile, all volunteers will be treated at noon today, Thursday, to a “Lunch at the Farm” in Taboc, Guinacot, Danao City, hosted by the Barriga and Tomayao families.
Also, tonight, September 24, 2009, the City Government of Danao led by Mayor Ramon Durano III and other city officials will tender a fellowship dinner and entertainment for all medical mission volunteers at the residence of of Mayor Durano. (Monching)
Warm welcome for Balik Danao, Volunteers
September 17, 2009
Marieta Palos inducted as the new DAUSA President
Medical Mi
ssion Volunteers amd Balik Danawanons, who enthusiastically responded to the City of Danao’s Balik-Danao campaign enjoyed a very warm reception with the traditional welcome lunch held at the residence of Vice Mayor Ramon “Boy” Durano, Jr.
This year’s welcome lunch, as usual, was held on a Wednesday prior to the City Fiesta when most balikbayans arrived in Danao on the same early morning flight from the U.S.
The fellowship lunch is an occasion where visiting Danawanons meet and renew acquaintances with city officials led by Danao City Mayor Ramon “Nito” Durano III.
As always Danao balikbayans were fetted with sumptuous delicious dishes and native tropical fruits that most returnees had missed for a long time.
Danao City Elementary School Childrens’s Rondalla was at hand to entertain guests with a very lively music.
Further, after lunch, the newly elected DAUSA President was inducted into office administered by DAUSA Election chairman Fred Almeda.
While all other new officers were induc
ted during the association’s 16th anniversary and fiesta celebration in Long Beach, California, incoming president Marietta was already in Danao City helping out in the medical mission preparation.
The Board of Directors agreed to have a special induction for Marietta during the welcome lunch reception where many DAUSA balikbayans and medical mission volunteers would be in attendance.
The new DAUSA President pledged to fully support and continue the 12-year old Medical-Surgical-Dental and Educational Mission and make it more responsive to the health needs of the city’s indigent residents.
A highlight of the welcome Lunch was a beautifully executed belly dancing performance by Luccia, the beautiful daughter Naomi Seigrist, a DAUSA supporter from Switzerland. (More photos of the Balik Danao Welcome Lunch, go to the DAUSA photo album: http://picasaweb.google.com/DAUSAInc/2009WelcomeBalikDanao#
The Olivars of Baliang: Living their Canadian Dream
September 1, 2009
(Since I personally know a few Danawanon families already spent a fortune for the filing of Canadian immigrant visa applications, yet still anxiously waiting for their interview dates, and many more are trying to get the money to do the same, I asked Romy Olivar to write his story, what made him bring his whole family to settle in Canada and how they struggled to adjust. Romy graciously complied and is sharing his story, hoping to inspire fellow Danawanons, about his family’s struggle – living their Canadian dream. Monching)
Joining National Power Corporation in the early 80’s to practice my Electrical Engineering profession is a dream come true. I told myself that this is where I want to spend the rest of my working career. But the atmosphere has changed drastically in the mid 90’s as the move for privatization was gaining momentum.
Once split and placed into the hands of a private sector, the once mighty government controlled corporation became not so attractive and stable for employment anymore. Taking into account that the children would be graduating in a few years time and faced with the prospects of unemployment added by the unabated graft and corruption in almost all sectors of society and the seemingly helpless government forced us to seek other options.
With our plans finalized, we sent our immigration application papers to the Canadian Embassy on the latter part of year 2000. From some people I knew who immigrated to Canada at that time, processing took only six months to a year after which one would be ready to go. Coincidentally, our application was filed during the infamous impeachment trial of the then Pres. Estrada and for some reason, processing turned out to be snail paced.
It was not until three years later that our application showed some progress. Eventually, in the following year we had our interview at the embassy followed by physical examination after which came the waiting period for the release of our visas.
We were then ready to go by the middle of 2005 leaving behind our two children who, at that time, were graduating students of Silliman University in Dumaguete City. Some of our relatives in Iligan could not understand why we have to move, leaving behind our stable jobs which were the envy of others, comfortable home and the little luxuries we already had in life.
(Photo: The Olivar family visits New York)
With only Iza in tow, our youngest daughter who just graduated from high school, we arrived in Canada on July 20, 2005. The first few days were spent scouting for Iza’s school with only our friends both from work and school provided us the necessary assistance and guidance. In less than a month after arrival, I was able to find work in an automotive company doing final inspection work through the help of a friend.
My wife was also employed in a department store as a sales associate. Even though my wife and I had more than twenty years in government service, we realized that we would not land on the same job we had back home. This time, reality DID bite. At the back of our minds, we continuously asked ourselves whether we made the right decision of moving here, considering that we are now in the middle stages of our lives. The reality seemed so hard to accept.
We chose to rent an apartment closest to the school where Iza was accepted to avoid bus waiting times during cold winter months. Iza had her share of adjusting, too. Being a student leader back home, she was used to being active in school and surrounded by many friends. It was such a big change for her to feel so alone and all by herself in this foreign land.
The first day had been terrible; she was snubbed by a fellow Fil-Canadian kid whom she expected to make her feel welcome after learning that they both came from the same country. Her first lunch ended up sadly in one of the cubicles of their school’s washroom. Things did improve in the coming days after she was able to befriend some Filipinos in the lower year levels and after a month or two became part of their school’s tennis varsity team.
The first year had been very hard to adjust. So many times that the idea of going back entered our minds but Iza at this stage had made up her mind to stay. One of her arguments back then was that “the laboratory equipment that she only read in books in Pinas, could now be at her easy disposal “. She then told us that she was only going home after finishing her studies. The following year, RJ and Queenie (our two kids that were left behind) joined us after finishing their degrees.
Finally, our family was complete and together we faced the ordeals of adjusting in a new environment with only by ourselves. We always instilled on their minds that this is the real world and they have to work hard in order to be successful in their respective fields.
After a year in high school, Iza got accepted at the University of Western Ontario located in London, a medium city in Southwestern Ontario which was an hour drive from our place. In her first year, she experienced living by herself and stayed in residence (dormitory in the Philippines). However, during her second year she was not eligible to stay in residence anymore so she was force to rent an apartment with a friend. Eventually, we opted to move to London to save Iza the expenses she would be paying in apartment rental and food. We also decided to buy a house since my two-year working experience in Canada qualified me to a real estate mortgage.
It felt like starting all over again, buying furniture and some amenities for the house, making new friends and getting acquainted with the new community. We ended up quitting our jobs because of the travel distance and had to look for another job. The only good thing was, there were four of us helping each other on this journey. I used to joke to my friends that I would take on a coaching role for my children, but I ended up as a playing coach and in a basketball game “first five” pa jud.
After four years of struggle and still struggling, I am proud to say we survived what I think have been the critical part, also thinking that hopefully we DID make the right decision. We have adjusted to the ins and outs of living in the land of milk and honey (including surviving the cold winter). We had made a few visits to our cousins in Chicago, to our family and friends in New York and to my former high school classmates Roger and Haidee Remo in New Jersey.
RJ, our eldest son, is now working in line with his field in Computer Engineering. Queenie, the second child (an NCLEX and IELTS passer in the US) is working as a Registered Practical Nurse and is considering to take the one-year bridging program to become a full-pledged RN in Canada; at the same time, looking at opportunities in U.S. God willing, our youngest daughter, Iza who is in her last year of the Nursing Program will be graduating next year.
With the blessing of the Lord Almighty together with the help and encouragement from well meaning friends and relatives, we are confident to surmount any obstacles along the way. (by Romeo Olivar)
Ben says, “Good bye America, I am outta here!”
August 30, 2009
(Ben Ypil’s daughter finally found a good day care for 1st grandson Rafael, so his Apo-stolic mission finally ended. Unfortunately, his other mission to end his single blessedness – was not “a mission accomplished”. All the single ladies he met – Americans (white and black), Fil-Americans, Koreans, Cambodians, Chinese and Vietnamese, introduced to him by his Cebuano friends in the media 25 years ago, all did not click with him. So he decided to go back home. He said he’ll seek an audience with Cardinal Vidal to possibly become a priest in his old age. Monching) Ben wrote about his 6-month life in the U.S:
As I promised my good friend Monching, I’ll write about my memorable experience as regards my visits to different tourist attractions and historic landmarks in U.S. cities before my apo-stolic mission here in Fort Wayne, Indiana would end and prior to my return trip to the Philippines on Sept. 2, Wednesday, next week.
(Photo: Ben was standing outside the White House for 6 hours waiting for a chance to be invited for a round of beer with President Obama)
“Tempus fugit,” yes, how time flies! I didn’t realize that my stay here would be that long (about six months since my arrival on March 24). As a holder of a ten-year multiple entry visitor visa, I am only entitled to a maximum stay of six motnhs unless extended by the U.S. immigration authorities. But I didn’t bother anymore to request for extension since I have so many pending works to complete back home regarding my early retirement after I turned dual citizen (Filipino citizen and senior citizen) during my birthday on May 18 which, incidentally, coincided with the late Pope John Paul the 2nd’s.
Except on weekends when, almost always, I’d enjoy my sabbatical from my apo-stolic work (read that babysitting my little bundle of joy) I’d be under a voluntary “house arrest” with my grandson Rafael during weekdays. If it’s any consolation, (as my former Freeman boss and the inimitable Nito Jabat would kid me) I’m not placed “incommunicado.” And so, I still have the privilege of sending emails and calling my kith and kin which was my wont day-in and day-out, prompting my daughter and son-in-law to tease me a “call center agent.”
This diversion, in fact, of burning the wires and sending emails as well as reading the national and local news back home (thanks to the internet and modern telecommunication technology) has kept me always abreast of the developments in our country and has made me less homesick, let alone made my stay here a lot more enjoyable and pleasurable.
Aside from Chicago which topped my visits, perhaps, due to the proximity to our place (only more than three hours by long drive and where not a few of my relatives are residing), I’ve gone on brief sorties to Missouri passing by Illinois and Iowa and, of late, Pittsburgh, Wahington D.C.,(where the White House and Capitol Hill are located) Maryland, and Niagara Falls, (in Buffalo, New York side) again all by long drive.
I was, particularly, interested in Niagara Falls not because of its being a tourism jewel but, due to the nature of my previous jobs in the National Power Corporation (Napocor) and, recently in the National Transmission Corporation (TransCo). Unknown, perhaps, to many, Niagara Falls is being harnessed for hydro-power generation that provide not only cheap and clean source of electricity for Canada but also to some parts of the U.S.
I was also gifted by my daughter Michelle and son-in-law Jojo as a reward for my volunteer service (yes, gratis et amore) with two roundtrip plane tickets to Boston which is so rich with historic landmarks and tourist attractions and where I saw the magnificent summer houses of America’s old super-rich like the Vanderbilts and Astors, among others, in Newport, Rhode island when Bill Gates was still unheard of and the JFK Library and Museum.
Finally, the last leg of my weekend visits was to Florida which is famousI for Disneyworld (more than 14,000 acres in land area) that I toured and its beautiful beaches. We motored to Sun Villa Drive in Vero Beach where I had a late lunch with my cousin and her hubby, Dr. and Mrs. Gemma Indolos-Mendoza. In all these two visits to Boston, my former colleagues in the Cebu media Ed Recla and his family and Balt Quinain, Jr. and his wife. Dr. Regina Pongos played gracious hosts just to make my weekend jaunts very enjoyable and memorable.