To my wife and children-whose love has been my foundation and support carried me through every challenge.
To my grandchildren - my greatest joy and living legacy.
You are the light that brightens my days and the hope that carries our family into tomorrow.
May these words remind you that you are deeply loved, endlessly supported and always capable of achieving beautiful things.
Everything I write here is inspired by the dreams I hold for you and the pride I feel watching you grow.
To my parents-who taught me the value of hard work and perseverance, whose support gave me the courage to rise where I fall.
Your dreams that never came to pass and all the nights you cried in silence, helped me dream big, cemented my will to not let this happen to me, to my children to their children.
To the younger version of myself-the dreamer, the fighter.
This is the story you have always hoped to tell one day.
And to all my friends who never ceased believing in me.
INTRODUCTION
There is an old saying that goes "The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step".
For me, that first step was taken one fine morning of the 5th of November, 1959, when my younger brother (the youngest of four siblings) joined me in the journey we all take, life.
That was also long before I even knew I was in a journey, let alone where it might lead me to.
Though my story has heavy emphasis on the milestones I have crossed, it is also about the moments and people that shaped me into the person I am today.
WHERE I GREW UP
The Neighborhood
The Neighborliness
Early Childhood
The Hinterland
Pastime(s)
BOYS WILL BE BOYS
Lapinig!!!!
THE FAMILY DYNAMICS
Family dynamics are said to be the subtle forces that shape...
I SAW MY PARENTS' SACRIFICES
And some of the things that to these days still haunt me...
THE GAMES WE CHILDREN PLAY
Jolen/Marbles
Sapi-sapi/Tabanog/Kite
Kote/Kasing/Tops
Sungka
Singgam
Water World
Some of the games we played were rough, risky, gross, some were now-a-days considered cruelty to animals and some even had us run-in with the law.
The Chanel Swim!
The Game of Gross!
The Run-in with the law!
GRADE SCHOOL
Grade I
Grade II
Grade III
Grade IV
Grade V
Grade VI
The Rivalry
Cub Scouting was one of the most profound influences I had in grade school, and I think, I speak in behalf of those who were lucky to have been in it.
In the photo below (courtesy of: Loloy Nasser A Batoy), are shown 1st, 2nd, and 3rd graders grouped into two: Kawan 39 under Mrs Emperatriz M Buendia and Kawan 40 under Miss Libertad C Celemin.
Kawan 39, Kawan 40 Attention!
Class 1968 Photo
Class 1968 Mates
The Few, The Proud, ACES Class 1968
The Gardeners - ACES Grade V 1967
The year 1968 was a great year for me, I graduated TOP of eighty-two (82) boys and girls.
However, I was apprehensive...
PROUD TO BE AMONG ALORAN'S CHILD-ENTERPRENEURS
Icedrop Dairy King Popsicle
The Shoeshine/Shineshoe Boys
A little act of kindness quietly changes the moment. It's the smile given without reason, the door held open, the message that says "come inside, you are welcome".
It asks for nothing back, yet it softens hard moments, reminding someone they are seen.
It doesn't need to be loud to be powerful, often, it's the smallest acts that leave the longest echo.
HIGH SCHOOL
How Religion Influenced Our Choice of High School
Freshman
Sophomore
Junior
Senior
In my four years in High School, I have always shied-away from extra-curricular activities, like dancing, attending student seminars, or anything that entails extra expense, for obvious reason.
I made this an exception.
BSP 4th National Jamboree
My Senior Class Advisor/My Mentor
The Expectations
FAITH, RELIGIOUS & CIVIC OBSERVANCES
Religion
Holy Week
Fiesta
Sambat
Hugos
Kalag-kalag
Sta Cruzan - Rayna-rayna...
Sta Cruzan - Luthang/Lantaka
Flores de Mayo
Funeral
PASSED-DOWN...TRADITIONS, FOLKLORES
Minagso-on
FOREVER YOUNG
Growing up as a teenager in the 1960s meant coming of age during a time of energy, uncertainty, and change.
Music was not just entertainment - it was a statement, blasting from radios and record players and shaping how teens dressed, talked, and saw the world.
There was still innocence in hanging out with friends, singing The Beatles, The BeeGees, Tom Jones, Engelbert Humperdinck, and countless others, but it was mixed with growing awareness that the world was shifting, and that young people had a voice in shaping what came next.
The Coming Of Age
Fashion
Harana
Kun Ako Ang Mani-id
Bayle
Inum
Manukos
A river that flows upstream!
COLLEGE
College, here I come!
Cebu, the Queen City of the south!
A Workhorse!
MISSED OPPORTUNITIES? or BLESSINGS-IN-DISGUISE?
Philippine Merchant Marine Academy (PMMA)
Philippine Military Academy (PMA)
MY ATLAS MINING DAYS
Atlas Consolidated Mining and Development Corporation (ACMDC) was founded in 1955.
When I was hired in 1976, ACMDC was the second largest copper mine in the world - second only to Chile, in South America. Located in Lutopan (later renamed Don Andres Soriano - DAS, after the founder of ACMDC), Toledo City, was the largest employer in the province of Cebu.
I have learned heaps of things in my five years of employment, both as Electrical Draftsman and Computer Programmer, met many co-workers turned friends, whom I still maintain contact, albeit seldom.
Carmen Project
Electronic Data Processing
The daily 4PM walk to...
FATHERHOOD, according to conventional wisdom:
0 is one of life's greatest responsibilities and rewards;
A father:
0 is more than a provider of material needs;
0 is a guide, protector, teacher and source of strength for his family;
0 leads by example;
0 teaches honesty, kindness, respect, and perseverance;
0 gives his children confidence, knowing they are loved, supported and encouraged to pursue their dreams;
Fatherhood...
In the end, it says:
The true measure of fatherhood is not wealth or status, but the love, wisdom, and values passed on to the next generation.
A father's influence can last a lifetime, leaving a legacy that continues through his children and grandchildren.
A father's greatest gift is not what he gives his children, but the persons he helps them become.
The question that gives me sleepless nights is:
How do I fare?
Only two souls are qualified to answer that.
GOING TO FRONTIERS WHERE FEW HAVE GONE BEFORE
Off to Kaulohan!
SAUDI ARABIA HERE I COME!!
The phonecall!
The preparation!
Welcome To My World! (Korean Airlines)
Dong Ah (Far East)
Data Centre (Markaj Al Ma-alumat)
Making new friends & colleagues
Running into old and familiar faces!
Another tour of duty...
NEW ZEALAND Aotearoa (The Land of Long Clouds)
Torn Between Gratitude and Opportunity
MY AMERICAN DREAM
Could This Be Just A Pipe Dream?
The New Zealand Option
A Dream Come True
Another time I became greedy and ungrateful.
The Road Warrior
The Clients
THE PRIVILEGED GRANDFATHER
The privileged grandfather...
MY 40-YEAR WAIT
On The Way To My Redemption
On The Day Of My Redemption
I WAS 62 WHEN I DECIDED TO END A CHAPTER OF MY NEVER-ENDING STORY AND START ANOTHER ONE!
Not all friends are created equal!
The day my faith in my fellow Aloranons was strengthened to the core!
I'm honored and grateful!
EVERY PLACE VISITED..IS A PRIVILEGE!
Every place visited...is a privilege!
IN MY TWILIGHT
I sometimes wonder what might have happened if I had done the things I thought I should have, not the things that I did anyway, without thinking of the consequences.
Maybe the path would have been smoother, or maybe it would have taught me a different kind of lesson.
If it wasn't smoother, what different lesson would have taught me?, the truth is, I'll never know - only that the choice I made brought me here, with its own mix of loss, growth, and quiet understanding
Looking back!
WHEN IT'S MY TIME TO GO...
Bury my heart where I first saw the sunrise!