Saturday, April 15, 2017

My !st & 2nd Year Associate in Arts, CPU. in Iloilo City

M E M O R I E S: Life and Time of Pastor Rudy Bernal, his Glimpses
                        On  History & the People’s  Struggle for Freedom

Chapter 14 –My  1st  & 2nd Year, Associate in Arts,  at  CPU, in Iloilo City

I enrolled at Central Philippine University in June 1961.  That March, I graduated in high school. It was the first day of enrollment. More than a thousand students were around, walking at CPU’s  Half Moon Drive. Some were  setting inside and outside  of Rose Memorial Hall, where  enrollment was  going on. I looked  at the wide expanse of the 24 hectares area of CPU campus,  punctuated with beautiful buildings –the Administration Building at the front, Elementary  School, Weston Hall Dormitory, Johnson Hall with the beautiful  American missionaries homes  with the CPU's President homes  on the  Eastern side of the campus.

 On the Western side   were Valentines Hall,  CPU Library,  High Schools, Franklin Hall. Roblee Hall and the vast spans of vacant area with the Gonzaga home and the trees up to the southern  side. CPU surrounding was  beautiful and  spacious comparable with big universities in Manila.  I felt  proud to be  called  a Centralian. It was great to be part of Central Philippine University, even then.

I  took Associate in Arts. It was a prerequisite to taking  Theology. I don’t know any body at CPU when I enrolled, except Dr. Joseph Howard, who I met several times in Dumangas and during activities of  Iloilo Kasapulanan of Baptist Churches. Dr.  Joe Howard preached during an Evangelistic meeting in Bacay, Dumangas, a coastal village  where I was asked to share  my testimony. He  shake  my hands after, and said, I would make a  good  pastor.

The second time, I met Dr. Joe Howard, was during the Iloilo Kasapulanan Assembly in Banate, where I was one of 5 contestants in a preaching contest that aftenoon. During that time, Johnny de la Fuente was president of Iloilo Kasapulanan of Baptist Churches.He was also sales manager of Darigold, a milk company in Iloilo. He gave several cartoons of milk and we  drunk milk for breakfast during the Kasapulanan assembly.  I won First Place in  contest. I have a short conversation with Tatay Joe Howard. I shared with him my  plan to enter the College of Theology. He told me,  to come to him if I got some problems at CPU. 

 I  have dreamed  of  studying  in a university.  I have gone to 4  different high schools in five  years time. I finished high school.  Now, I have enrolled in  one of the well-known universities of Iloilo City. 

In Dumangas high school, I tried to learn typing. I hoped  to work in an  office as a working student. I can type well. I used  “touched system”.  I can type without looking at the keyboard.  When I went to the Working Student station, I was   assigned  immediately  a janitorial job.  Together with 8  other works students  that were assigned on the 2nd Floor of Valentines Hall,. I was assigned  Rooms 208 and 209.  The 2nd floors have  wooden floors. We  have to  brush  it with coconut husk every evening. And  every Friday, we applied  floor wax to the floors to  make it shine.   I can finished scrubbing  in 30 minutes. Then we closed the windows.  The next morning, we swept the floors, opened the windows, and the rooms were   ready for classes at 8:00 AM. Scrubbing the floors was quite easier than flowing the fields under the sun.

What I earned working 2 hours a day for 5 days, was enough to pay for my tuition and othef fees.  Sometimes, I get extra amount after the semester.  It was a humbling job. No other  students knew that I was  working students.  I   developed closed relationship with other working students. We have a working students association. It has several hundred members. Teddy Sumaray was the President. He was president for number of years.

 I have also developed friendship and close relations with him. He became a newspaperman and public relations officers of several political leaders of the province.
When I was in my radio ministry, we often shared  thoughts and ideas. Few years ago, Teddy Sumaray was called by the Lord to be with him.

Often, at 6:00 A.M.  when the class rooms I am responsible were ready, I go to Rose  Memorial Hall, where two  students of the College of Law -   Lydio Cataluna and  Edwin Baldago, were always together  practicing public speaking and their oratorical pieces.  They will l participate in the oratorical contest few weeks soon. They were doing  exercises, they said,   to  improve the strength, resonance and resiliency of their voices and bodies. I asked them to help me. I would like also to improve my speaking voice. 

There  was a big mirror at the back room  of Rose Memorial Hall. Lydio Cataluna and Edwin Baldago faced the mirrors early mornings and   practiced their  enunciation, diction   and  speech deliveries.  The tall mirror helped   much as they stood before  it  at 6:00 AM and delivered  their speeches and orations. It was good and also humorous   to see aspiring lawyers and radio commentators   early mornings, trying to develop their voices, inunciation,   pronounciations,  gestures,    voices, speech deliveries and skills. It was a way to build their   future.  I tried to follow and learn from them.  Lydio Cataluna was accomodating. He gave me tips on public speaking and oratory. 

Lydio and Edwin, gave me some other tips. The deep breathing exercises, the inunciations, running long distance to deepen  my  breath. They told me to learn to  swim  and  hold my  breath while under water,  for some seconds and then some minutes. They told me   to read newspapers daily, part of it silently.  Then reading  with orally,   with my  lips closed and innunciating and pronouncing clearly, as I speak. They told me, pastors  like lawyers must be adept with words. They must know and learn the power of words. The power of the spoken and written words. I  looked at them and thanked them. I said, with God's help and guidance, I can make the spoken and written words power for my life and my future. 

These two law students,  made their  marks in their professions.  Atty Lydio Cataluna, became a  well-known lawyer and politician in  Mindanao.  Edwin Baldago, went to radio broadcasting, and became one of the most well-known and influential Radio Commentators in Iloilo City with DYFM-Bombo Radio as his flagship.. His political commentaries was heard  by some 37 per cent of radio listeners in the Province of Iloilo. He was also heard in  parts of Negros, Antique, Aklan, Capiz, Masbate, Romblon, Mindoro and Palawan.

I took a lodging space  in the house  of Miss Carmilina Catedral. She was missionera working with the Iloilo Kasapulanan.  For my food, I worked two hours, 3 days a week. on the grounds of Rev. and Mrs. James Long, American Missioanries.The allowance they gave me, provide  for my  daily subsistence and other school needs. Most Saturdays and Sundays, I was out into the churches, visiting the young people’s group – of the Iloilo Kasapulanan. I was given the job to   follow-up the youths group by Mr. Patricio Dionio, Baptist Youth President of Iloilo Kasapulanan.

The subjects I took,  in   First Year in collete were:  College Compostion 1,, Elementary  Spanish, General Botany,  Introduction to Philosophy and New Testament Books Study. Introduction to Sociology, History of the Philippines 1762 to present, Logic, Study of  Psalms and John,

First Semister  1962-1963: English Speech Pattern and  the Written Words’  Elementary Psychology, Rizal’s Social Ideals,  College Algebra,  Social Institutions, Elementary Typewriting, New Testament Literature. Summer, 1963: Advance Compositions and  Rhetoric, Public Speaking, The Family and   History of Philosophy,
 
I put my best  in my studies. But really, I do not like my classroom works.  I like to read. I go often at the library, perusing the titles of the books that were available in the catalogue at the library. I read history, poems and biographies.   By that time, I have already read  part of the book of the “Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire” and other historival books like the biographies of Adulf Hitler, Joseph Stalin and President Harry Truman. 

On the Second year of my study at CPU, I befriend  Ellie Formelleza. He was also a working student at CPU. He’s from Romblon. He was working at Weston Hall. He worked  2- hours a day.  His duty was  11:00 AM -1:00 PM. He served food to dormitory students. After serving the students, he had lunch and washed dishes, another hour up to 1:00 PM. The dorm students, were mostly sons and daughters of families who were well-off. They were  Interns students  of CPU.  They have capacities to pay Seventy Pesos (P70.00)   for board and lodging at Weston Girl’s dorm and Franklin Hall boys dorm They were served with food and water.

When they need any thing while eating, they just clapped their hands. And the work students came around the wide dining hall and  served them.  Quite many dishes were  washed daily, morning, lunch and supper.  About 150 plates, 150 glasses, 300 pieces of spoons and forks, 50  pieces of  plates  for rice,  40  pieces of  vegetables bowls, and other need  by the quite   rich students.

Ellie Formelleza proposed to me. We would  exchanged  works assignments.   He will  served  as janitor of Room 208 -209 of Valentines Hall.  I  will worked at Weston Hall, serving interns students and   washing  dishes.  He told me, the work gave  free lunch. He was tired of washing dishes.  He wants my  job, scrubbing  the floors, sweeping floors  and wiping the windows.  I studied his proposal. It seems good.   I will have a free lunch. We decided to swap works.

 I  introduced him to  the head of the janitorial department. He was accepted. Then, I accompanied Ellie Formilleza to  Weston Hall where he introduced me to Miss Alobin, the dormitory Assistant Matron.  We talked with Miss Alobin. After some questions, Miss Alobin accepted me to work at Weston Hall. The job? Two hours every noon time from 11:00AM – 1:00 PM. I will helped  serve  dormintory students during lunch. Then, we will have lunch and start washing dishes until 1:00 PM. It was a good arrangement we made  with Ellie Formelleza.

I have   companions, working  at Weston Hall. Serapio Alfeche. He was taking education. He was fat, big and tall. He was  a nephew of Mayor Alfeche of Alimodian.  My other companion was Warlito Laquihon. He was taking agriculture. He was  a campus writer. He was a nephew of Atty. Laquihon who was teaching at the College of Law. We made a good team, serving the  Intern students of Central Philippine University.

 After we finished lunch at  noon, we start washing dishes until  1:00 PM.  We made  sure we finished cleaning all dishes, then  pouring  boiling water on   plates, saucers, bowls, spoons,  forks  and glasses. At 1:00 PM, we go to our boarding house  or some shades to  have nap.  At 2:00 PM we were  in our classes. 

Some of the intern students were my classmates.  We have good relations in  the university. I often speak and participates in discussions. Most of our classmates, including the interns, do not speak during class hours. Only about 5 -6 students participates  in class discussions.  But they get  good grades in examinations.

After finishing education  Serapio Alfeche became a public school  teacher.   Warlito Laquihon after finishing his agriculture went to Mindanao and work at  Southern Christian College in Midsayap, Cotabato. He  focused  on agriculture and  natural farming. There project became well known in the Philippine and other parts of the world.  Warlito Laquihon  pursued his advance studies, later finishing his doctoral studies.

After Warlito Laquihon  started working,  he said, he vowed never to  wash dishes again.  When he got married he told his wife, he will never washed  dishes. When they  have  children, he never wash dishes. When I visited him in Southern Christian College (SCC), while  I was Director of the CPBC New Frontier Ministries,   he  remained true to his promise. He never washed  dishes.  Serapio Alfeche also vowed never to wash dishes once he  became a  teacher.  But I never met  Serapio  any more after graduation. He became a teacher. But he died, much younger than me. 

When  I began to work in Manila,  often I eat in restaurants. I do not washed  dishes. When I was  working in the newspaper and  the International New Service,  Agence France Presse, while  covering news events, we eat  meals  in  hotels. I did  not  washed  dishes.  But at home I continue to wash dishes.

 When I got married,  I washed  dishes with Hesther, my wife. And when we have children, we taught our four children, all boys,  to help wash  dishes. I loved  washing  dishes.  Employed people and the rich have helpers to wash  dishes.  But there is something good, in washing dishes.  It’s   often during this time, that ideas comes to me, from nowhere, which I used in my preaching,  lectures and broadcast works.  I was told  later that  Dr. Warlito Laquihon  died some years ago. He was still young and intelligent. I thought, he could have prolonged a little more his life, if he washed dishes  some times of his life.  

 He was still young, perhaps, about  55 years plus old.  Serapio Alfeche also died, much younger than  Warlito Laquihon.  I continue to wash dishes, for I think, washing dishes  prolonged  my life a  little   more. While   washing dishes, with waters pouring from the faucet on my hands, I could feel  my mind  stirred  and  refreshed. Some burdens in my heart were lessened.  Worries in my heart  dissipates  a little.  The burdens in my heart seemed washed away. And while washing dishes, I often pour water on my face. There seems to be a miracle on this. It helped clear my mind.

 We taught our children to wash dishes. And when they  got married to help their wives wash dishes. They must worked together  in the daily chores to make life easier and more enjoyable for all.  I taught my children to  forego   the ancient ideas that men and women have different tasks – the men to find money  and provide  the need of the family. And   wives to work in the house – clean the house,  take care of children, washing dishes and clothes, cook food.   

I think,  one  reason  why I lived  long, going 77 this November, is helping wash dishes. When I am busy, have problems, when my blood pressure was high,  washing dishes relieves me of some pressures and gave  me some  release. Many friends who were professionals and younger  die young,  some on the prime of their lives due to  life’s pressures.  If I have to live my life again, washing dishes will be one of my hobbies,.again.

In school I was making good  in my classes. I learned to love reading. And I read more books outside of my subjects. At CPU library, where some  books were available for borrowing in two weeks, I read  a little bit more.

In  my 2nd year,  I got subject from  Dr. Alfredo Gonzales, who was a self- made man and a writer. I got two of his books,   “The Call of the Heights”  and “The Bamboo Flowers”. These were  two inspirational books that challenged the best in me. I listened most often to Dr. Alfredo Gonzales when he lectures. For  his gems of thoughts, continue to  inspire me even today. . 

Dr. Alfredo Gonsalez. went to the United States early in life and finished his studies as a working student. He wrote articles  in  International magazines. I have kept his two books from 1963  until 2008. But  Tyhpoon Frank hit Panay  with deep floods in our village, Buntatala, Leganes, Iloilo  and  destroyed all my  6,000 volumes of   books, including  “Call of the Heights”and the “Bamboo Flowers”







 M E M O R I E S: Life and Time of Pastor Rudy Bernal, his Glimpses
                        On  History & the People’s  Struggle for Freedom

Chapter 14 –My  1st  & 2nd Year, Associate in Arts,  at  CPU, in Iloilo City

I enrolled at Central Philippine University in June 1961.  That March, I graduated in high school. It was the first day of enrolment. More than a thousand students were around, walking at CPU’s  Half Moon Drive. Some were  setting inside and outside  of   Rose Memorial Hall, where the enrolment was  going on. Looking at the wide expanse of the 24 hectares area of CPU,  punctuated with beautiful buildings –the Administration Building at the front, Elementary  School, Weston Hall Dormitory, Johnson Hall with the beautiful  American missionaries homes  on the  Eastern side of the campus.

 On the West  were Valentines Hall,  CPU Library,  High School building, Franklin Hall. Roblee Hall and the vast spans of vacant area with the Gonzaga home and the trees up to the western side. CPU surrounding was  beautiful and  spacious comparable with big universities in Manila.  I felt  proud to be  called  a Centralian. It was great to be part of Central Philippine University, even then.

I  took Associate in Arts. It was a prerequisite to taking  Theology. I don’t know any body at CPU when I enrolled, except Dr. Joseph Howard, who I met several times in Dumangas and during activities of  Iloilo Kasapulanan of Baptist Churches. Dr.  Joe Howard preached during an Evangelistic meeting in Bacay, Dumangas, a coastal village  where I asked to tell  my testimony. He shaked my hands after, and said, I would make a  good  pastor.

The second time, I met Dr. Joe Howard, was during the Iloilo Kasapulanan Assembly in Banate, where I was one of 5 contestants in a preaching contest.  I won First Place in  contest. I  talked to him and shared by plan to enter the College of Theology. He told me,  to come to him if I got some problems at CPU. 

I was a working student. I  have dreamed  of  studying  in a university.  I have gone to 4  different high schools in five  years time. Now, I have enrolled in  one of the well-known universities of Iloilo City.

In Dumangas high school, I tried to learn typing. I hoped  to work in an  office as a working student. I can type well. I used  “touched system”.   But when I went to the Working Student station, I was   assigned  immediately  a janitorial job.  Together with 8  other works students  that were assigned on the 2nd Floor of Valentines Hall,. I was assigned  Rooms 208 and 209.  The 2nd floors have  wooden floors. We  brushed it with coconut husk every evening. And  every Friday, we applied  floor wax to the floors.  I can finished scrubbing it in 30 minutes. Then we closed the windows.  The next morning, we swept the floors, open the windows and make the  rooms ready for classes at 8:00 AM.
What I earned working 2 hours a day for 5 days, was enough to pay for my tuition and fees.  Sometimes, I get extra amount after the semester.  It was a humbling job.  But no body among the students knew that we’re  working students.  I   developed closed relationship with other working students.  I have also developed friendship and closed relationship with other students. 

Often, at 6:00 A.M.  when the class rooms I am responsible were ready, I go to Rose  Memorial Hall, where two  students of the College of Law -   Lydio Cataluna and  Edwin Baldago, were always together  practicing Public Speaking and their oratorical piece.   The two will participate in the oratorical contest few weeks soon. They were doing  exercises, they said,   to  improve the strength, resonance and resiliency of their voices. I asked them to help me. I would like to improve  also my  speaking voice.

There  was a big mirror at the back room  of Rose Memorial Hall. Lydio Cataluna and Edwin Baldago faces the  mirrors  early  mornings and practiced their  enunciation  and  speech deliveries.  The long mirror,  helped much as they stood before  it  at 6:00 AM and delivered  their speeches and orations. It was good and also humorous   to see aspiring lawyers and radio commentators   early mornings, trying to develop their voices,  inunciations,  pronounciations,  gestures,    voices, speech deliveries and skills. It was a way to build their   future.  I tried to follow and learn from them.  Lydio Cataluna was accomodaitng and gave me tips on public speaking and oratory.

Lydio and Edwin, gave me some other tips. The deep breathing exercises, the inunciations, running long distance to deepen  my  breath. They told me to learn to  swim  and  hold my  breath while under water,  for some seconds and then some minutes. They told me   to read newspapers daily, part of it silently.  Then reading  with orally,   with my  lips closed and innunciating and pronouncing clearly, as I speak. They told me, pastors  like lawyers must be adept with words, must learn and know the power of words. I must learn the  power  of the spoken and written words. I loked at them.  No one has told me this before.

These two law students,  made their  marks in their professions.  Atty Lydio Cataluna, became a  well-known lawyer and politician in  Mindanao.  Edwin Baldago, went to radio broadcasting, and became one well kown, controversial and influential Radio Commentators in Iloilo City with  DYFM. Bombo Radio  as his flagship. His political commentaries was heard  by some 37 per cent of radio listeners in the Province of Iloilo. He was also heard in  part of Negros, Antique, Capiz,Aklan, Mabate and Romblon.

I took a lodging space  in the house  of Miss Carmilina Catedral. She was missionera working with the Iloilo Kasapulanan.  For my food, I worked two hours, 3 days a week. working on the grounds of  Rev. and Mrs. James Long, American missionaries. The allowance they gave me, provide  for my  daily subsistence and other school needs. Most Saturdays and Sundays, I was out into the churches, visiting the young people’s group – of the Iloilo Kasapulanan. I was given the job to   follow-up the youths group by Mr. Patricio Dionio, Baptist Youth President of Iloilo Kasapulanan.

The subjects I took,  in   First Year in collete were:

College Composition 1, Elementary  Spanish, General Botany,  Introduction to Philosophy and New Testament Books Study.

Introduction to Sociology, History of the Philippines 1762 to present, Logic, Study of  Psalms and John,

First Semister  1962-1963: English Speech Pattern and  the Written Words’  Elementary Psychology, Rizal’s Social Ideals,  College Algebra,  Social Institutions, Elementary Typewriting, New Testament Literature. Summer, 1963: Advance Compositions and  Rhetoric, Public Speaking, The Family and   History of Philosophy,
 
I put my best  in my studies. But really, I do not like my classroom works.  I like to read. I go often at the library, perusing the titles of the books that were available in the catalogue at the library. I read historical, geopolitics and some international relations. But I do not like to study Spanish.  By that time, I have already read  part of the book of the “Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire” and other historival books like the biography of Adulf Hitler and Joseph Stalin.

On the Second year of my study at CPU, I befriend  Ellie Formelleza. He was also a working student at CPU. He’s from Romblon. He was working at Weston Hall. He worked  2- hours a day.  His duty was  11:00 AM -1:00 PM. He served food to dormitory students. After serving the students, he had lunch and wash dishes for another hour up to 1:00 PM. The dorm students, were mostly sons and daughters of families who were well-off. They were  Interns students  of CPU.  The have the capacity to pay Seventy Pesos  (P70.00) monthly  for board and lodging at Weston Girl’s dorm and Franklin Hall boys dorm They were served with food and water.

When they need any thing while eating, they just clapped their hands. And the work students came around the wide dining hall and  served them.  Quite many dishes were  washed daily, morning, lunch and supper.  About 150 plates, 150 glasses, 300 pieces of spoons and forks, 50  pieces of  plates  for rice,  40  pieces of  vegetables bowls, and other need  by the quite   rich students.

Ellie Formelleza proposed to me. We would  exchanged  works assignments.   He will  served  as janitor of Room 208 -209 of Valentines Hall.  I  will worked at Weston Hall, serving interns students and   washing  dishes.  He told me, the work gave  free lunch. He was tired of washing dishes.  He wants my  job, scrubbing  the floors, sweeping floors  and wiping the windows.  I studied his proposal. It seems good.   I will have a free lunch. We decided to swap works.

 I  introduced him to  the head of the janitorial department. He was accepted. Then, I accompanied Ellie Formilleza to  Weston Hall where he introduced me to Miss Alobin, the dormitory Assustant Matron.   We talked with Miss Alobin. After some questions, Miss Alobin accepted me to work at Weston Hall. The job? Two hours every noon time from 11:00AM – 1:00 PM. I will helped  serve  dormintory students during lunch. Then, we will have lunch and start washing dishes until 1:00 PM. It was a good arrangement we made  with Ellie Formelleza.

I have   companions, working  at Weston Hall. Serapio Alfeche. He was taking education. He was fat, big and tall. He was  a nephew of Mayor Alfeche of Alimodian.  My other companion was Warlito Laquihon. He was taking agriculture. He was  a campus writer. He was a nephew of Atty. Laquihon who was teaching at the College of Law. We made a good team, serving the  Intern students of Central Philippine University.

 After we finished lunch at  noon, we start washing dishes until  1:00 PM.  We made  sure we finished cleaning all dishes, then  pouring  boiling water on   plates, saucers, bowls, spoons,  forks  and glasses. At 1:00 PM, we go to our boarding house  or some shades to  have nap.  At 2:00 PM we were  in our classes. 

Some of the intern students were my classmates.  We have good relations in  the university. I often speak and participates in discussions. Most of our classmates, including the interns, do not speak during class hours. Only about 5 -6 students participates  in class discussions.  But they get  good grades in examinations.

After finishing education  Serapio Alfeche became a public school  teacher.   Warlito Laquihon after finishing his agriculture went to Mindanao and work at  Southern Christian College in Midsayap, Cotabato. He  focused  on agriculture and  natural farming. There project became well known in the Philippine and other parts of the world.  Warlito Laquihon  pursued his advance studies, later finishing his doctoral studies.

After Warlito Laquihon  started working,  he said, he vowed never to  wash dishes again.  When he got married he told his wife, he will never washed  dishes. When they  have  children, he never wash dishes. When I visited him in Southern Christian College (SCC), while  I was Director of the CPBC New Frontier Ministries,   he  remained true to his promise. He never washed  dishes.  Serapio Alfeche also vowed never to wash dishes once he  became a  teacher.  But I never met  Serapio  any more after graduation. He became a teacher. But he died, much younger than me. 

When  I began to work in Manila,  often I eat in restaurants. I do not washed  dishes. When I was  working in the newspaper and  the International New Service,  Agence France Presse, while  covering news events, we eat  meals  in  hotels. I did  not  washed  dishes.  But at home I continue to wash dishes. When I got married,  I washed  dishes with Hesther, my wife. And when we have children, we taught our four children, all boys,  to help wash  dishes. I loved  washing  dishes.  Employed people and the rich have helpers to wash  dishes.  But there is something good, in washing dishes.  It’s   often during this time, that ideas comes to me, from nowhere, which I used in my preaching,  lectures and broadcast works.  I was told  later that  Dr. Warlito Laquihon  died some years ago. He was still young and intelligent. I thought, he could have prolonged a little more his life, if he washed dishes  some times of his life.  

 He was still young, perhaps, about  55 years plus old.  Serapio Alfeche also died, much younger than  Warlito Laquihon.  I continue to wash dishes, for I think, washing dishes  prolonged  my life a  little   more. While   washing dishes, with waters pouring from the faucet on my hands, I could feel  my mind  stirred  and  refreshed. Some burdens in my heart were lessened.  Worries in my heart  dissipates  a little.  The burdens in my heart seemed washed away. And while washing dishes, I often pour water on my face. There seems to be a miracle on this. It helps clear my mind.
   We taught our children to wash dishes. And when they  got married to help their wives wash dishes. They must worked together  in the daily chores to make life easier and more enjoyable for all.  I taught my children to  forego   the ancient ideas that men and women have different tasks – the men to find money  and provide  the need of the family. And   wives to work in the house – clean the house,  take care of children, washing dishes and clothes, cook food.   

I think,  one  reason  why I lived  long, going 77 this November, is helping wash dishes. When I am busy, have problems, when my blood pressure was high,  washing dishes relieves me of some pressures and gave  me some  release. Many friends who were professionals and younger  die young,  some on the prime of their lives due to  life’s pressures.  If I have to live my life again, washing dishes will be one of my hobbies,.again .
In school I was making good  in my classes. I learned to love reading. And I read more books outside of my subjects. At CPU library, where some  books were available for borrowing in two weeks, I read  a little bit more.

In  my 2nd year,  I got subject from  Dr. Alfredo Gonzales, who was a self- made man and a writer. I got two of his books,   “The Call of the Heights”  and “The Bamboo Flowers”. These were  two inspirational books that challenged the best in me. I listened most often to Dr. Alfredo Gonzales when he lectures. For  his gems of thoughts, continue to  inspire me even today. . 

Dr. Alfredo Gonsalez. went to the United States early in life and finished his studies as a working student. He wrote articles  in  International magazines. I have kept his two books from 1963  until 2008. But  Tyhpoon Frank hit Panay  with deep floods in our village, Buntatala, Leganes, Iloilo  and  destroyed all my  6,000 volumes of   books, including  “Call of the Heights”and the “Bamboo Flowers”













No comments:

Post a Comment

  MEMORIES: Early Life &  THE UNSEEN FUTURE TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1 -My Early Life Chapter 2 – Japanese Navy Attacks America’s Pearl...