Political Me

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"Mr Albano, you have the makings of a politician", Mr Emmanuel Batoon, my former Economics lecturer once told me.  He didn't elaborate, but it got me thinking:  "Me, a politician?".  The Albanos as well as the Valdeses (my paternal grandmother's family) indeed have politics in their blood: we are related to the Albanos of Isabela who, from one generation to another, have governed that region as well as the Valdezes of San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte such as the current mayor of that town as well as former President Fidel V Ramos. (The difference of how the surname is spelt is irrelevant.)

My first stab at politics happened in the summer of 1992 when the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) launched the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPC-RV) across the country.  During that time I was already active in the parish. It was also the heydays of Anluwage and the Youth Ministry where I was involved.  Together with other youth parishioners, we attended seminars at what was then the parish's Ultreya Hall, went from one barangay chapel to another to educate voters, held prayer rallies, etc.  It was a shame though that I was unable to vote during the synchronized elections that year - I was 9 days shy of 18, the minimum age requirement to vote.

Apart from taking part in PPC-RV, I kept myself abreast with social issues facing the country by reading The Free Press.  I must thank Mr Benjamin Roda, my former English lecturer, for challenging us to read so that we can be conversant not only in the English language, but also in issues affecting us.

Five years later, my mom told me that I was slated for the Barangay elections as a candidate for the kagawad (councilman) post.  I was reluctant. I didn't turn up to meetings called by Mr Victor "Mang Vi" Santos, then Barangay Chairman, our campaign organizer.  When I had the courage to show up he blurted "Paano ka mananalo nyan kung papatay-patay ka?" or words to that effect. That was my point of no return.  Together with fellow candidates - there are 7 councilman seats up for grabs - we met, visited people, etc.  Of course, it wasn't all a bed of roses.  Some people from the other party would entice me to support them (or their candidates) and in exchange they will support me.  I just smiled and walked away.  Surprisingly, I won garnering the highest number of points. I became what is generally called "First Kagawad".   I held the position for the next five years.

It was a challenge to be looked up by people as a leader and as a model.  I must admit that at times I didn't live up to people's expectations.  Apart from my service to the community I was also working.  There were instances that I was away.  Although the councilman's role is more of legislation (e.g. ordinances, budget, etc.), you would need to be there for your people. There are times too that you can displease some of your constituents.

Apart from my role in the barangay, I was also present in many political rallies organized by the Church (particularly by the late Cardinal Jaime Sin) such as the Anti-Charter Change in 1997 and the ouster move against Erap Estrada in 2001.

Going back to the barangay, I enjoyed serving people. I saw a different avenue of reaching out to others. While I made friends, I have also made enemies.  During the barangay elections in 2002, I have witnessed the ugly side of politics.  It seems to me that people whom I displeased did everything to get rid of me. And even after the elections, there were still some residents who did me harm.  With humility and gratefulness, I decided to move on, forgive those who trespassed against me, and focus on other aspects of my life.  True, I got married in a few months from that debacle and then migrated to the UK later on.  

Still, I continued to dip my hands into politics. This time through my writings as well as the various campaigns that I have taken part of whether here in the UK or in the Philippines.  I felt challenged especially that CBCP has named this year as the Year of the Laity. I see politics as an extension of my faith in Jesus Christ, a layman Himself, who showed a new, different, life giving, people empowering kind of leadership.  A leadership based on service. 

For me, unless ordinary people like you and me take part in politics, it will remain the domain of those who have guns, goons, and gold. Unless we, who work 8 or more hours per day and pay taxes to fund the government, speak out change won't happen. Unless we put our leaders to task and hold them accountable, no progress would be effected. Unless we vote wisely, the same (rotten) bananas would remained ensconced in public office. Unless we good Catholic Christians as we often brag ourselves to be do something, evil will continue to thrive in our midst.

The Village Auntie

It was a busy 4th of July in Cargohaus many years ago.  Apart from that, it was quite humid that one wanted to dash back to the air conditioned office. As I entered, I saw a number of people inside the Accounting Department's office.  There were 2-3 1/2 gallons of ice cream and a box or two of ice cream cones on one table. One lady was inviting people to have a bite.  Asked what was the occasion, she said "It's Cargohaus Friendship Day!" (4th of July has been known in the Philippines as Philippine American Friendship Day since the time of President Diosdado Macapagal). That lady was Ms. Lucita Lina, one of our company consultants.

Ms. Lina, a.k.a. Tita Luz, worked as a Chemist at the Bureau of Soils until her retirement in the late 90s.  When she retired, her nephew Alberto Lina (Chairman of the Lina Group of Companies) was looking for a chemist who will take charge of the proper storage and disposal of chemicals and other similar materials (classified as 'dangerous goods' or DG) stored in Cargaohaus, a custom-bonded warehouse he owns. Tita Luz didn't look far - she called me (We both lived in Barangay 170 - she in Fidel Street, me in T. Earnshaw Street). Having just graduated from college, the prospect of a job was a blessing I have been praying for. I expressed interest in her proposal. In a few weeks, I was called for an interview and test.  Later on, I got the job and started to hit the ground running. 

I worked with Tita Luz and together we made reports and recommendations to the management on how we could improve our service to clients.  We also coordinated with the Operations Team on the proper handling of cargoes -  the company was receiving complaints and claims from some disgruntled customers that time - and the Bureau of Customs on the disposal of cargoes particularly those that have already expired.

Having been familiar with words such as density, volume, molarity, etc. we both got used to terms such as Airway Bill and Master Number - two important references used to identify cargoes.

Although, she is related to the company's owner, she remained friendly, kwela, and down-to-earth (work colleagues as well as those in the Bureau of Customs whose office are in the same building as ours would attest to these) and even forbade those who call her 'Tita' (including her relatives) not to greet her with a kiss when they see her in the office. 

One time, while sat in the office, a colleague approached her and asked if she was a customer. With a smile on her face, she said "I'm Luz Lina, Cargohaus Consultant." That colleague was embarrassed and apologized. Later on, she and Tita Luz got along well.

Tita Luz used to drive a red Toyota Corolla (a 70s or 80s model? My brother Gio used to tell me how durable this model was. Indeed, it was a good car!) and when she goes to and from the office (located near the NAIA in Paranaque), she would offer me or other people a lift.  One evening, I suggested that she drives through Pier and then to Capulong Street (Velasquez, Tondo) as it was much easier then to use that route going home.  After  her experience there, she told me that she preferred to drive through Ongpin (Binondo) instead.  It was only during my latest visit home that I realized how horrible it is to drive through Pier from the airport. Apart from poorly-lit roads, the trucks and jeepneys overlord each other to the point of using the lanes from the opposite side of the road!  It took us hours before reaching Gagalangin!

I enjoyed working in that company - meeting a lot of people, being involved with what we called as  the "Operations Team" which meet every Tuesday morning over breakfast, communicating with a wide range of people.  I must say that the skills, knowledge, andexperience I gained there were transferrable in my other jobs.  

When I left Cargohaus, I felt ashamed and sorry for Tita Luz.  For her part, she understood my reasons and we continued to get in touch through our rosary devotion in the barangay. She is currently the President of the Queen of Families Rosary Group in our village, a post she has held since 2003.  In my last 2 visits home, she hosted a party for me and my family. 

A year or so before I migrated to the UK we had a rosary recitation in one home.  Part of our devotion was the reading of the Gospel for that Sunday and a sharing of reflection from devotees.  The Beatitudes was the Gospel that was read that evening and the topic for reflection was "How fulfilled are you?".  As a number of devotees were parents, they shared how blessed they were to have children who are now professionals, etc.  When it was Tita Luz's turn to have the floor, she said that even if she didn't marry and have kids, she sees herself as someone fulfilled because of the people she cared for as though they were her own children.  True, people in the barangay especially those affiliated with the rosary group, regard her as a spiritual mother, an effective leader, a friend. She is the Village Auntie!

I am blessed to be one of her spiritual kids.

Thank you, Tita Luz for your friendship and support, for your wisdom and love, for your motherly care and service to the community.  May the good Lord, the Great Chemist, bless you more and more!

Belated happy 83rd birthday! We love you!

Answered Prayers

There are some moments when I just think of how St Joseph went about dealing with events like when Mary his wife was about to give birth. For example, did he assist her in delivering the baby? Did he change nappies (though they may be in their crude form then or none at all), woke up every now and then to assuage a crying baby, cancel some appointments to attend to the child's needs? Some may scoff at my rather 'human' perception of saints, but very often we have romanticized these holy men and women that we ignore the fact that they too lived like any ordinary human being.

As a dad myself, I have seen this great man not from a far distance, but just next to me. He is no longer a man who lived a simple though wonderful life with his family in some distant land long ago. He is alive in each and every man who strive to imitate his example.

When Lola Piling, my grandmother, was still alive she has been a devotee of St Joseph. She is often seen garbed in green, a colour attributed to St Joseph. She would later tell me that St Joseph is the patron of good husbands and fathers. It's then not surprising how Lolo Paul lived faithfully his vocation as a husband and father. As far as I could remember, he was man with a few words. He can be strict and would physically punish us when we erred.

But when he speaks there is depth in the message he conveys - I have in my possession a talk he delivered in the late 60s and the early 80s and reading through these, I am astounded. If he were still alive, I would have asked him to write for the web! As conscientious parents, he and Lola Piling raised their children in the Catholic faith and provided them with good education.

St Joseph is also the patron of a peaceful death. As she related for a couple of times, Lolo Paul passed away in a quick and peaceful manner. He didn't suffer a lingering illness in hospital. After having lunch, he stood up but felt dizzy. He fell on the floor, I was told. Sensing that his end is near, his wife whispered prayers on his ear. He would later breathed his last.

My grandmother lived for another 26 years. Interestingly, there was no one to witness her death. She was just found sat on a chair in her room lifeless - with her rosary on the floor. "Banal" (Holy) as Msgr Nico Bautista would tell me when I intimated to him her death.

St Joseph has granted Lola Piling's prayers. Whatever we are asking for through St Joseph, rest assured that these will also be given to us at God's appointed time.

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The number 19 has been a special number for St Joseph's devotees. Lola Piling told me how she received many graces in various forms and shapes on the 19th of the month. Maria Josefina, their youngest daughter, was actually born on the 19th of March (Happy birthday, Ninang Joji!).

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The Queen of Families Rosary Group has begun its traditional Way of the Cross in Barangay 170, Gagalangin, Tondo, Manila last 1st March and will continue every Sunday of Lent until 6th April (Palm Sunday). The group has been organising this Lenten activity since 1998. I would like to congratulate the group, led by its president, Tita Luz Lina, assure them of my prayers for many more years of keeping this Lenten activity alive. If you live nearby and want to reflect on the Lord's passion, death, and resurrection this Lent, please come along. The event starts at 8pm.

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Talking about Lent, you may have been doing any (or all) of these As: Ayuno (fasting), Abstinence, Alms-giving. Want to do something new? Why don't you try Anluwage.com for a change?

A Journey of Faith

If there is anything that can unite us all it is prayer, especially at this time of Lent when we are called to repentance and reconciliation. Lent, that 40-day preparation for Easter, has one timeless devotion: The Way of the Cross.

At almost all chapels and churches you could see 14 images (or stations) of the Lord’s way to His death and resurrection. Sarrat, Ilocos Norte, in fact, has several spots along its thorough fares where the stations are permanently placed.

My first experience of this devotion was at St Rita Hospital Chapel. During Lent, right after the Mass, my grandmother would lead the prayers. Since the chapel wasn’t that big, she was the only one that moves from one station to the other while the rest just stays put and reflect at that particular station. I was thinking, “Why do my elders keep on genuflecting on those tiny pictures? What are those pictures by the way?”

It was only when I went to the church in Kawit, Cavite that I realized what those pictures were. Thanks too go for that little prayer book I got during my 1st Holy Communion showing and explaining what those stations were.

The Way of the Cross has been a companion for my journey in life. It has been an inspiration of my pilgrimage from the confines of the home to the realm of community life.

My first job was faculty member/religious affairs co-ordinator at St Rita Hospital. Apart from teaching high school and college students, I was also tasked to organise worthwhile spiritual activities. During Holy Week (Holy Tuesday or Holy Wednesday) officers, employees, students, and guests gather at the college grounds to pray the Way of the Cross. We all conclude the activity by venerating the crucifix.

In 1993, the Stations of the Cross, which were annually held in assigned streets in the parish, were to be dramatized. Tanghalang Anluwage (TA), in association with the Silent Arms of St Joseph (SASJ), took charge of this task. I was part of TA’s support staff. Under the scorching heat of the sun, we moved from as far as Clemente Street in the north to Laguna Street in the south, assisting the cast of characters and reflecting too on what Jesus did for our sake.

The following year, SASJ gave TA full control of the devotion. From an ordinary support staff like Simon of Cyrene, I was appointed to design the procession’s route and the stations’ location. So one hot Sunday noon, after my service as commentator, Marvin Martinez and I rode on a side-car loaded with 14 pictures of the Way of the Cross and, without a really clear route, roamed along various streets, stopping at times to knock at several homes to ask if they could let their place serve as one of the stations. Most of these people were unknown to us. Luckily, they accepted our invitation. And so, that Good Friday, we managed to hold the devotion with quite a number of participants – some even volunteered to carry the image of the Nazareno. Aye Payod-Balla led in singing “Were you there when they crucified my Lord?”, Marvin handled the sound system, to name a few. As we return to church, the number of people kept on coming.
Yet the most challenging task came when I was elected as Kagawad in 1997. After the October devotion’s successful inception in 1997, I proposed the Way of the Cross in the Barangay Council in 1998. After getting my colleagues’ nod, I started purchasing a complete set of the Way of the Cross (New Edition) plus prayer booklets. Like my previous experience in TA, I began to make a route (this time it was much clearer) and prospect residents (most of which I have already known). Once again people welcomed the event that was to be held every Friday of Lent at eight in the evening. In the next years that ensued, the devotion was held on Sundays to allow more residents to participate.

It was no joke to have organized such a popular devotion. You have to be in touch with people – fellow organizers, prospect homes, etc. You know how to trouble shoot situations like there’s no one to lead, the microphone went off, someone stepped on broken glass (or dog’s foul). Above all, you must stay in love with the devotion and look for ways how the devotion will remain relevant to people. During my term, we were able to lead a relief programme in cooperation with the Sisters of Charity. Families too were encouraged to share the task of being a ‘station home’ with neighbours. Some who did so were asked to remind us lest we go to the wrong house.

If you can, why don’t you join the Way of the Cross in Barangay 170, Sundays (there’s 3 more Sundays left!), 8:00pm? (Phone up Tita Luz Lina at 253-6540 for more details.) Don’t forget to include us in your prayers.

The Way of the Cross has been a journey of faith for me. I hope it has the same effect with you.

Together let us say, “We adore you, O Christ and we praise you because by your cross you have redeemed the world”.