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”
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