Ora et Labora

“Ora et Labora,” or prayer and hard work – this is what made me decide that Karylle should be enrolled in San Beda College – Rizal. I thought that these virtues engrained in the character of my daughter would be enough to guide her through life’s intricate journey. This educational institution run by the Benedictine Order has not changed their core values since its founder established its monasteries in the 15th century in the serrated mountain range of Spain.

Karylle, who just turned six last March 2009, passed the exam and interview for Grade 1 students although she’s supposed to take first the preparatory stage as a transferee from Valley View Academy. I thank her previous school, Creative Learning Center of Mandaluyong City for setting a great foundation of nursery education. Aside from the fact we have saved a year’s tuition fee and a year of doing what she already knew doing.

Today, June 15, 2009 is a very special day. It’s Karylle’s first day in San Beda College. We rose from bed very early in the morning as the school bus will fetch Karylle at 6:05 am. Earlier, Mommy Happy has been more than excited to prepare everything Karylle needs – from uniform, bag, books, supplies, ID, etc. I can’t imagine myself doing everything as she did. As this is the first day, we wanted to meet personally the persons to whom we will be entrusting Karylle.

First is Mang Nanding, the driver of the school bus. A kind-hearted man in his 50’s, I think of him on first glance as a very trusted man. He is being helped out by Jon-jon, his assistant whose primary duty is to secure the children and their belongings inside and outside the service vehicle. Secondly and most important of all, is Ms. Arlene S. J. Manuel, Karylle’s teacher and class adviser. Teacher Arlene exudes that aura of concern and love for children. We felt comfortable seeing her brightly lit face as she welcomes both parents and students in her class labeled as Grade 1 – 12. She has thirty little children in her care, seven of whom are girls.

Everywhere I looked, I saw parents and children in the customary and usual last minute instruction stage. I call this the “assurance phase,” all trying to get past this stage which school administrators purposely limited for just the first three days, after which, parents are regarded as guests and visitors who will not be allowed to enter the classrooms and study halls except on particular cases. On my observation, I see one common denominator in all the faces of the parents. I see happiness. We feel the same way, for we know that our child, having been accepted to this institution, will soon receive and reap what no one can take away from them – education.

Karylle will get it – through prayer and hard work – “ora et labora.”

How High Will the Sycamore Grow?

There's an old saying that goes, "Strike while the iron is hot." I was already a freshman in high school when this idiom got my attention. Curiously, I asked my Mom about it and why one should strike a hot iron. She explained that iron can only be forged or moulded into the desired form when beaten while it is red-hot. My Dad, who was also listening across the sala, interjected and said, "That's what we call opportunity. Grab it at once when it shows up!" These are words of wisdom which are oftentimes ignored and misunderstood by youngsters like me.

Time passes by and one doesn't even know if opportunity has already come. The truth is opportunity abounds. It is almost everywhere. It's just that it goes unnoticed and ignored by those who are not ready to accept it. Acceptance means the willingness and the readiness to go for it. The unique thing about opportunity is its timing. It pops up and doesn't stay long. The red-hot iron must be beaten several times and quench it by water while it is still red-hot, otherwise it is like shooting with blank bullets . In my own understanding, I call this a window. A very short significant time by which one is allowed to do what has got to be done to get the desired or consequential result.

In the Bible, the story of Zaccahaeus, the tax collector presents opportunity in action. On his way to Jericho, Jesus of Nazareth is passing by a narrow road where a throng of followers and bystanders made traffic so heavy it is nearly impossible for a small man like Zaccaheus to go near Jesus or even just to be heard by Jesus. Seeing a sycamore fig tree nearby, he climbed and made himself visible to Jesus and called on Him. Jesus immediately acknowldged and commanded Zaccaheus to come down at once for he will stay at his house that day. Zacchaeus, the publicano, a deputized tax collector of the Roman Empire, the unworthy sinner, will host Jesus, a thoroughly good man, in his very own home. Deeply moved by this action of Jesus, Zacchaeus repented and reformed his ways. The best part of the story is when Jesus said, "Today, salvation has come to this house."

Salvation of Zaccaheus and his household did not come easy. He had to face the humiliation of having to climb up the sycamore fig tree, considered in the culture of their time as "unclean" because it bore fruit that is fed to the pigs. The sycamore tree in the story of Zacchaeus is the opportunity that led him to the greater things on earth, above all the riches of this world.

The song Colors of the Wind in the movie Pocahontas had this to say, "How high will the sycamore grow? When you cut it down, then you'll never know." Don't cut down your opportunities. Grab them.

The Pacquiao Phenomenon

A few years ago, when Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao was making waves in the boxing world, he was uniquely labeled by one of the most respected boxing analysts in the Ring Magazine as "the most exciting fighter in the planet". Although non-traditional as it may seem, the label was very much appropriate and fits perfectly if you have the idea that boxing is iunder the category of the entertainment industry. This sport has evolved into such eversince gladiators started fighting up for their precious but wasted lives inside the Coliseum.

The definition was once again confirmed by the debates made by the analysts and boxing afficionados from around the globe about who's the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. Currently, Pacquiao holds this lofty title. I concur with Kevin of Yahoo! Sports why Floyd Mayweather Jr. is not. Floyd may have everything Manny has except for one thing - the "thrill" factor. Pacquiao draws attention and when he fights, he keeps one on his toes.

Against the bigwigs, against the high elite of the sports, against the great handicap of race and skin color, against all odds, Pacquiao managed to be at the driver's seat of boxing sports. Immediately after unleashing that lightning-fast cracking left straight that sent London Bridge Hatton falling face down for goodnight sleep, Bob Arum said, "There has never been a fighter of the same combination of power and speed like Pacquiao's."

Paquiao's size, power and looks are unassuming and unbelievable. Literally unbelievable for the other champion boxers they all wanted to test the veracity of his giftedness. And they all fell into the trap, painfully and shamefully. They were all decimated - Morales, Barrera, Marquez, Dela Hoya, Diaz, Hatton and many more non-believers to come. I remember the words of the first United Nations Secretary General Carlos P. Romulo, a Filipino, when he was belittled by a European Head of State whose demeaning words were, "Your'e just a little man from a little country!" Romulo replied, "It is the duty of the little Davids of this world to fling the stone into the eyes of blistering Goliaths!" Pacquiao is today's little David.

A Decade of Memorialization

It is almost as if it was just yesterday when we first gathered the salesforce members of Mt. Zion Memorial, Inc. at the Penthouse of the Star Plaza in Dagupan City. Supporters from the Fil-Estate Group of Marketing Companies came to witness how this newbie company will fare in its birthing stage. That was October 27, 1999. May 19, 2009 marks the 10th year anniversary of Mt. Zion Memorial, Inc. whose presence today was made possible by a few men and women who thought that real estate business should not be left alone with the living but must be maximized also for the dead.

Atty. Ferdinand T. Santos, our Chairman and Chief Operating Officer, had a vision which he shared with our first landowner partners in Dagupan City, Mrs. Gloria Ocampo and daughter Mrs. Tessie Tan. Together, they staged an uphill battle of trying to blend the formula for real estate (for the living) and memorialization (for the dead). We inched our way to this unfamiliar territory and slowly but surely moved from province to province, city to city, town to town and soon made our presence felt by even the most formidable players in the industry.

We knew it will be hard but the strategy was very clear. We will not meet the competition head on but to establish our projects in places where we can be more dominant. As one small-time airline company puts it, "We fly to places where others can't."

We have accummulated not only revenues but also people whose reluctance at first can only be understood by want of knowledge in this industry. Coming together, we formulated strategies that kept us alive amidst the dead, kept us celebrating amidst the mournings of the bereaved. And in the process, we learned one very significant realization in the course of our fledgling operations - that the memorialization industry is catering to both local and global markets. Local, because Filipinos, by tradition, choose their hometown as their final resting place. Global, because Filipinos are everywhere, ubiquitous as the grass.

Having survived ten years of global economic recessions, we thank the Lord through the celebration of the Holy Mass. As Father Romy Castro puts it, "Anniversaries are celebrated to remember and thank Him for all His graces and blessings."

This year Mt. Zion is "10 X Bolder, 10 X Stronger" and we acknowledge it by saying, "Yes, we can!"

Karylle's Belated Birthday Bash

How do you convince your only daughter that her birthday is to be celebrated by just the three of us when she thought that birthdays are celebrated either in Jollibee or McDonald's? It has always been like that since her memory worked. Wish we could go out together but March 28, 2009 marked the launching of our expansion project in Garden of Peace - Taytay. A birthday cake from Red Ribbon isn't enough, that's why we planned of having this swimming party at Parkridge Estates, Antipolo.

The available dates aren't at all available. We can't get a date. We have deadlines to beat, reports to finish and activities to attend to and we never had a date close enough for the birthday celebration. Believing that nothing really happens until you say and resolve that it is going to happen, we just decided that it will be on May o2, 2009, just a few days before the actual date. And magically, so it became May 02, 2009. As excpected, not everyone came due to the very short notice but we had enough number to get going.

We made sure Karylle's close friends were present namely Daisy, Aubrey and Joe Vince. Actually they are all her first cousins and they all grew up a few houses apart in Mandaluyong City. Calay also came, a neighbor and Karylle is all but too happy to see her friends again! I fetched them from Mandaluyong and on the way back passed through Nanay Amelia to get that Famous Kalderetang Pork Spare Ribs.

The accounting and treasury groups made their own arrangements in going to the venue. Coming via Sumulong Highway through the north gate of Valley Golf, Ase and Donna went straight to Parkridge. Mostly originated from Taytay office where Paul, the driver is waiting to ferry them out to Parkridge via the south gate of Valley Golf. Allan and Limuel just caught up with the service vehicle at Ortigas Extension corner Valley Golf.

They say there is no perfect wedding ceremony. Upon arriving at the swimming pool area, it's too frustrating to know that there was no reservation made for the group. I called up Mang Boy, the caretaker and asked what happened. He said that their head office personnel were not able to relay the confirmation of our reservation. But he offered us the next best place available – the clubhouse – overlooking the pool area. Everything could have been perfect except that Happy, my wife who is 3 months preggy won’t be able to sit by the poolside to tend for Karylle.

And so we swam, played .... had fun ...

In this picture, it's not Lando who's the tallest, but Arlene having the strongest legs and back.
Limuel said, "I can stay like this forever, not seeing anything but smelling forever ang hindi nahugasang kamay ni Arlene."

Hold it, Joseph! You're killing Lando.

Paul, hindi manibela yang balikat ni Lando!

Is it a bird? Is it a dolphin? No, it's Limuel!

Did the girls knew someone just flew overhead? I didn't know Limuel got a knack on diving.

Eto ang poolside para sa mga Cute at Pa-cute. Only Donna is wearing a dress. The rest... I don't know.

Here's the birthday celebrant. Belated Happy Birthday, Karylle! Yeah, I agree, you're No. One.

No, it's not the rain. It's the mini-falls that the children are enjoying. Pools plus falls - double whammy!

All up and ready to eat!

Tenting during swimming party, anyone? Mom Happy is all eyes. Karylle might get lost in the jungle.

Nabitin sa swimming pool, tinapos sa bahay. Daming pagkain, pero sa totoo lang, mga sobra lang yan sa Parkridge. I'm worried with Ase. Her diet might get affected.

After the swimming, Paul ferried his passengers back to the East. We had this chance to see the new home of Tolits and Joan. It is quite far but accessible. St. Monique is beautiful, good place to inhale fresh air and jog around. The group went back to our home, had dinner and whined the night away. What a day... and night. Tomorrow is landmark day - London Bridge will fall under the left fist of Manny Pacquiao. Hatton will have the worst good night sleep of his life. But this will be another topic. See you, guys!