Chapter 20-–My 1st & 2nd Year College Studdies, Associate  in Arts (AA), at CPU, Iloilo City

I enrolled in college  at Central Philippine University in June 1961. Studying  in college was a dream come true. It was hard and long  to finish high school in 8 years after Grade VI.  Most students  finished  high school in 4 years. But many many more, never reached  first year  high school. They have no choice. Poverty was the main reason among  people both in the countrysides and city slums of the Philippines.

In  March 1961, I graduated  from  high school.  And now, Today, I  entered  college. It was the 3rd day of enrollment. More than a thousand students were around, walking at CPU’s Half Moon Drive. Some students were setting inside and outside Rose Memorial Hall, where enrollment was going on.

I looked at the wide expanse of the 24 hectares area of CPU campus. It was punctuated with beautiful buildings –the Administration Building at the front, followed by Student Canteen Enterprise, the Elementary School building, Weston Hall Dormitory, Johnson Hall, Roselund, then the Executive House,  CPU President’s. It was followed by  the beautiful American missionaries homes on the Eastern side of the campus.

On the Western side  of the campus were Valentines Hall, CPU Library, CPU High Schools building, the Poultry and Piggery  building. On the southern side was Roblee Hall and Franklin Hall. Then, the  big Gonzaga Mansion, followed by  homes of community residents.

A big Oval used was there, for the  Track and Field  runners, ROTC Training grounds and other big outside activities during those times. Nearby was the wide spans of lots, used for agricultural  studies and production of rice.

CPU campus was beautiful and spacious, with  bigger space than most universities in Illoilo City, Bacolod City and  Mainla, except  UP-Diliman. 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  for my  Theological studies. I don’t know anyone at CPU when I enrolled, except Dr. Joseph Howard, Dean of the College of Theology. I have met him  several times – one time at  home  in Cawayan, Carles, Iloilo were he stayed  two days when he preached  at Cawayan Baptist Church  in an Evangelistic meeting.

The second time, I met him was in Dumangas when  Dr, Joe Howard preached  April 1960, during a  30-days evangelistic meeting in Bacay, a coastal village. There, I was  asked to share my testimony. Dr. Howard shook my hands after my  testimony, and said, "You would  make a good pastor".

The third time, I met Dr. Joe Howard, was during the Iloilo Kasapulanan Annual Assembly in Banate, Iloilo in March 1961 where I was one of 5 contestants in a Preaching Contest that afternoon. Dr. Howard came to us, after and shook  hands with five of us, telling us all, we are good preachers.

During that time, Johnny de la Fuente was President of Iloilo Kasapulanan of Baptist Churches. He was also sales manager of Darigold Milk Company in Iloilo.  He gave several cartoons of Darigold milk and we drank milk for breakfast during the Kasapulanan assembly.

I won First Place in  the preaching 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. Sure, I have. For after  few months at CPU, I have no money to buy some needed things. I went to his residence at the Executive House at 7:00 AM. I knocked. Dr. Howard opened the door. He remembers me. He ask why?  I told him I need to borrow money. I need for our uniform. He went to his room and came back fast. He handed me P20.00. He said to return when I have money. I bought my uniform. And in about a year, I came back  and  gave him back the P20.00,   I borrowed a year ago. 

I have dreamed of studying in a college. I have gone to 4 different high schools  in four  different places of  the country.  Now, I am  enrolled in one of the well-known universities  of Iloilo City -Central Philippine University.

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 learned  “Touched System”. I can type without looking at the keyboard. When I went to the Working Student station, planning to apply as Typist, but   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 plowing the rice fields, under the heat of the sun in Carles.

What I earned working 2 hours a day for 5 days, was enough to pay for my tuition and other fees. It was a humbling job but a needed job. I developed closed relationship with other working students. We have a working students association. Our leader in the janitorial services was Angel Tambura. He was taking Engineering.
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Years later,   when  I was working as Newspaper Reporter, we visited the biggest water dam in Manila.  Unexpectedly, I met Engr. Angel Tambura, working in the dam. We have a Press Conference with the dam officers and engineers. It was also a beautiful moments we have together, remembering CPU and my coconut husks for a year there.

One of my closest friend as a working student was Teddy Sumaray. He was the President of the Working Students Association. He also became a newspaperman, later as public relation officer to several Governors of Iloilo province.

When I was in Radio ministry, we often shared thoughts and ideas. Some  8 years ago, Teddy Sumaray was called by the Lord to be with Him.

While working as janitor in Valentines Hall Room 208-209,  at 6:00 A.M. after  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 participate in the oratorical contest few weeks soon. They were doing exercises, they told me, 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 – 7 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, speech deliveries and  speaking skills. It was there 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 innunciations, running long distance to deepen my breath. They told me to learn to swim hold my breath under water for some seconds and some minutes. They told me to read newspapers daily, part of it silently. Then reading  orally, with my lips closed,   innunciating   and pronouncing clearly, as I read

Pastors like lawyers and radio commentators must  be masters 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 and its power, part of my life and future.

It's  years later, in 2017, when I was learning to sing love songs, that  I learned and understood the power of words. The song "Words" taught me more of the power of words:"You think that I don't even mean a single word I say, It's only words, and words are all I have,to take your heart away"

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 station.

His political commentaries were  heard by several thousands of radio listeners  in the City and Province of Iloilo. He was also heard in parts of Negros Island, Antique, Aklan, Capiz, Masbate, Romblon, Mindoro and Palawan.

In school, I took a lodging space in the house of Miss Carmilina Catedral. She was missionera working with the Iloilo Kasapulanan of Baptist Churches. For my food, I worked two hours, 3 days a week. on the grounds of Rev. and Mrs. James Long residence, American missionaries. The allowance they gave me, provide my daily subsistence and other school needs.

Most Saturdays and Sundays, I was out into the churches, visiting the young people’s group – of Iloilo Kasapulanan  Baptist churches . I was given a  job to follow-up the youths group by Mr. Patricio Dionio, a student engineer, who was President of Baptist Youth of Iloilo Kasapulanan.

The subjects I took, in First Year in college 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 tried to 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 historical books like the biographies of Adulf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, President Roosevelt 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 dormitory students were mostly sons and daughters of well-off. They were Interns students of CPU. They have capacities to pay Seventy Pesos (P70.00) monthly for board and lodging at Weston Hall Girl’s dorm and Franklin Hall boys dorm They were served with food and water. The food – rice, soup, fish and meat, water and candies -were prepared in several tables. The intern student comes anytime from 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM for their food.

When they need anything 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.

One morning, Ellie Formelleza gave a proposal 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 food 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 dormitory students during lunch. Then, we will have lunch and start washing dishes until 1:00 PM. It was a good arrangement, I made with Ellie Formelleza.

I have two companions, working at Weston Hall during lunch time. One was Serapio Alfeche. He was taking Elementary education. He was fat, big and tall. He was a nephew of Mayor Alfeche of Alimodian. My other companion was Warlito Laquihon.

He was small and shorter than me. He was taking agriculture. He’s a campus writer. He was a nephew of Atty. Laquihon who was  Dean of the College of Law. We made a good team, serving lunch the Intern students of CPU.

After we finished lunch at noon, we start washing dishes until 1:00 PM. We made sure we finished cleaning all dishes at 1:00 PM. We pour boiling water on plates, saucers, bowls, spoons, forks and glasses. Then we go to our boarding house, or some shades trees near CPU. At 2:00 PM we’re in our classes.

Some of the intern students were my classmates. We have good relations in the university. I often speak and participate in discussions. Most of our classmates, including the interns, do not speak during class hours. Only about 6- 10 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 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.

While we were washing dishes, Warlito Laquihon vowed he would never  wash dishes again. When he got married he told his wife, he will never washed dishes. When the have children, he did not washed dished.

I often go to different places in Mindanao. I visited him at Southern Christina College. I have lunch with his family. I asked him. “Warly, do you now wash your dishes at home? He told me, he remained true to his promise. He never washed dishes at home.

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 wash 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 their dishes.

But for me there is something good, in washing dishes. It’s often during this hours, 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 quite young. He died at the prime  of his life. I thought, he could have prolonged his life a little more, if like me, he washed dishes at home, during the most productive times of his life.

I continued to wash dishes. I think washing dishes prolonged my life a little more. While washing dishes, with water pouring from the faucet on my hands, I wash my face¸ nick and hair. I could feel the cold water stirs my mind and refreshed my feelings. Some burdens in my heart were lessened. Worries in my heart dissipate a little. The burdens in my heart seem lessened. And while washing dishes, I pour water on my face. There seems to be a miracle on this. It helped clear my mind.

I think, one reason why I lived long, going 79 November 2018, is helping washed dishes. When I am busy, have problems, when my blood pressure is high, washing dishes and singing gospel and loved songs softly, relieves me of some pressures and gave me release. Many friends who were professionals and younger die young, some in the prime of their lives due to life’s pressures. If I have to live my life again, washing dishes and singing will be one of the  hobbies I will continue to practice. 

In my 2nd year in college, 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”