May 2020

Free Will and the Hypocrisy of "Moral" and Civilized Society

Posted on Sunday 31 May 2020

FREE WILL AND THE HYPOCRISY OF “MORAL “ AND CIVILIZED SOCIETY
By Apolinario Villalobos

In the Bible, Proverbs 16:9 says, “in their hearts, humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps”. Unfortunately, the abuse of this Biblical adage has contributed a lot to what has become of the world. Free will made the strong and greedy exploit the weak. They intentionally disregard the rightful steps established by the Lord.

Pondering deeply on this issue, as humans are supposed to “plan their course”, many aspects of life should be taken into consideration such as victims of diseases who live in pain, ageing people who seriously consider themselves to have outlived their usefulness on earth and neglected humans left to die alone. These are the humans whose best option is to rest gracefully, endorsed properly to the waiting arms of the Lord….they just want to rest…they did not kill or steal because of free will…..they did not exploit others. But the hypocrisy of the “moral” and civilized human society insists that it is not right to take the life given by the Lord…BUT THEN, HUMANS DID NOT ASK TO BE BORN. THEY ARE THE RESULT OF COPULATION…OF SEX, WHETHER THE INTENTION IS JUST LUST OR PURE LOVE. ON THE OTHER HAND, IF THE “STEPS ESTABLISHED” BY THE LORD INCLUDE THE “RIGHT TIME TO DIE” DESPITE THE PAIN AND NO HOPE FOR RECUPERATION, THEN, THE LORD IS SADISTIC.

Confined epidemics and worldwide pandemics have brought about sufferings as with famine, exploitations, disasters and wars. Human intelligence and technology are able to salvage many lives but still many are left to endure the pain and face the inevitable death. Many poor families have members living in pain due to disease with no cure in sight and worse, due to financial incapability to sustain their life, what with the expensive medical attention and drugs. Many ageing humans painfully wait for their right time to rest, with many neglected by the very people whom they took care of from birth. Many people sanely think that they have reached the end of their useful life.

UNFORTUNATELY, THE HYPOCRITE “MORAL” HUMAN SOCIETY WOULD RATHER SEE THE STRONG EXPLOIT THE WEAK, HEAR THE MOANS OF HOPELESS MAIMED VICTIMS OF TRAGEDIES, SEE THE AGONY ON THE FACE OF THE DISEASED PATIENTS IN POOR HOMES AND HOSPITALS, AND REMAIN OBLIVIOUS TO THE BLANK STARE OF WASTING OLD PEOPLE NEGLECTED BY THEIR FAMILIES.

WHAT “USEFULNESS IN LIFE” CAN BE PERCEIVED IN PEOPLE WHO MOAN IN AGONY?...OF NEGLECTED OLD PEOPLE WITH BLANK STARE?...THE DYINGFIGURES IN BONES AND SKIN WHOSE HEARTS ARE MADE TO BEAT BY A MACHINE?

THE “MORAL” SOCIETY OF CIVILIZED HUMANS IS HELPLESS AGAINST ALL FORMS OF EXPLOITATIONS , YET CONDEMN THE SIMPLE DESIRE OF THOSE WHO SANELY CHOOSE TO REST AND BE WITH THE LORD….THAT IS THE HYPOCRISY OF THE “MORAL” SOCIETY OF THE CIVILIZED HUMANS.

TIKUG MATS STARTED MY ADVOCACY IN MANILA

Posted on Friday 29 May 2020

“Tikug” Mats Started My Advocacy in Manila
But Nurtured as a Student in NDTC
By Apolinario Villalobos

After my stint in Tablas station (Romblon) with an initial job as Ticket/Freight Clerk of Philippine Airlines in early ‘80s, I was transferred to the Tours and Promotions Division in Manila. For practical and economic reasons, I stayed in a boarding house along Airport Road in Baclaran, as our office was at the old Domestic Airport (today, Terminal 4). During the time, what is now as ASEANA City, was yet, a body of water – Manila Bay, from the seawall of which the famed sunset could be clearly viewed. From late afternoon to early evening, I and some of my co-boarders would spend time at the seawall killing time. We would observe some people dragging their belongings in plastic and tattered shoulder bags while strolling along the boulevard, some were with their family. Before we would go back to the boarding house, we observed them spreading blankets on the grassy ground on which they rested for the night.

The scenes of elderly people and children sleeping on the ground without mat made me restless for several days. When I went back alone one early evening at around 6pm, I strolled up to the portion of the boulevard in front of the Aristocrat Restaurant in Ermita. I saw the same scenes – people lying on spread cloths and blankets on the grass.

When Boy Loquias, a new PAL recruit who was undergoing training at the PAL Training Center at the Gate 1 of Nichols Air Base joined us at the boarding house, I was glad upon learning that he was from Bohol which afforded me the opportunity to speak in Cebuano more often. When I brought him to the then, Dewey Boulevard, he was amazed to find the boulevard sleepers. Jokingly, he said that we better join them rather than spend for the boarding house. Honestly, however, he confided that something must be done to help them and asked, “asa ang SWA?” (“where is SWA?”, for which he meant Department of Social Welfare or DSW). When I mentioned giving them cheap “tikug” mat from Mindanao, he agreed. During the time, a piece of said mat was priced between 40-50pesos at the Islamic Center in Quiapo, unlike today that a single-sized costs between 120-150pesos. “Tikug” mats which are colorfully dyed are made in Cotabato.

From then on, I scrimped on my personal needs to save for mats. When Boy Loquias learned about my plan, he gave me part of his training allowance. Another co-boarder, Sammy, who was a member of the combo that performed at the Ugnayan Beer House, across our boarding house, also contributed. Initially, we were able to purchase 2 dozens of mats for which I was able to get a discount. It was not enough. I raised another amount from my saved per diem allowance, as my job then, required me to travel a lot. I also refused to accept the contribution of Boy whose allowance was just enough for his needs, especially, from Sammy who had two kids left with his wife in Naga City.

My visits to the Islamic Center in Quiapo for purchases of “tikug” mats led to my side trips to “Avenida” known for prostitutes who could be seen prowling the avenue for prospective customers, from early afternoon to early morning, the following day. I was staggered by what I observed and experienced at the Avenida. Daringly-dressed women openly made proposals while holding my hand but which I gently refused. On early mornings, not yet 7AM, thickly-rouged and obviously ageing prostitutes would ask an amount for a cup of coffee in exchange for sexual favor. From such encounters, I was able to strike friendship with many of them that developed into trust which became my passport to their dwellings in the slum along the banks of Reina Regente River. There, I met snatchers, swindlers, sex peddlers and their families. As pre-planned, I did not give them my real identity for my own safety. What they knew was that I was a job-seeker from the province and my thick Cebuano accent helped a lot, as many of them were also Bisaya.

Events oozing with colorful adventures made my curiosity stronger that led me farther to Arranque, Divisoria, Pritil, Malabon, Bagong Bayan (Dasmariἧas, Cavite), Tala Leprosarium, and Baseco Compound where I was able let out my pent up desire to share. It also led me to three other guys who had the same desire and with whom blessings were shared with those dwelling along the bank of Pasig River and Recto yearly, from the last week of November to the first week of December.

My advocacy was nurtured while I was a student of Notre Dame of Tacurong (NDTC) and nobody, even my family and closest friends knew about it, not even my colleagues in PAL later on, except Boy Loquias who was assigned at Tablas after his training, and where he raised his family. It was only when I shared my “adventures” on facebook due to the prodding of some friends, though with much hesitation, that they came to know about them. I just consoled myself with the thought that my sharing such adventures would, hopefully, make others realize that one need not be rich to be able to share blessings with others...and, that they can do the same, if they wish.

Barangay Tinaungan, President Quirino ...the legacy of Serafin Limbungan, Sr., the First Mayor of Tacurong

Posted on Tuesday 19 May 2020

BARANGAY TINAUNGAN, PRESIDENT QUIRINO…the legacy of
SERAFIN LIMBUNGAN, SR., the First Mayor of Tacurong
By Apolinario Villalobos

When I visited my former classmate, Serafin Limbungan, Jr. on August 9, 2018, I learned that his elder sister, Dimpna and married to a Lucero, is the current Barangay Chairperson of Tinaungan. President Quirino. I immediately went to task of talking asking information from her about the barangay which has become synonymous to the Limbungan family, for having been founded by their late father, SERAFIN LIMBUNGAN, SR. and who happened also to be the first elected mayor of Tacurong City.

According to Mrs. Dimpna Limbungan-Lucero, they first settled in the area which is now called Purok 4 and where the first elementary school was built. She was then, 9 months old when their family arrived in the area. The big Limbungan family lived not far away, and where African palm trees stand after they transferred to another area which has now developed into the central area of the barangay. The transfer was due to an altercation with the other settlers due to the death of a member of the family.

Mrs. Lucero mentioned that their father arrived in Tinaungan in 1939 and aside from acquiring lands around the area, he also purchased residential lots in Tacurong in 1952, on one of which stood their ancestral house. It is located at the back of the Tacurong Pilot Elementary School and their neighbors were the Paraicos, Dasmariῆases and across the street the Carigabas. It is along the Quezon Ave.

During the time, the temporarily appointed OIC of Tacurong by virtue of the Presidential authority was a certain Soriano. To legitimize the administration of Tacurong, the first election was held which Serafin Limbungan, Sr. won. As there was no town hall then, the newly-elected mayor held office at the house of Rafael Dasmariῆas, a neighbor. According to Mrs. Lucero, while the upper floor was used as the office, a portion of the ground floor was used as a jail. She narrated that one of the early detainees was a mentally-ill resident who had a crush on a teacher, Lilia Litan of the nearby Tacurong Pilot Elementary School which was then known as Tacurong Central Elementary School. She added that as early as dawn each day, the detainee would shout out the name of the teacher imploring her to bring him food.

During her time, Mrs. Lucero related that the secondary schools she could recall were the Central Cotabato Colleges which later became Magsaysay Memorial Colleges, Notre Dame of Tacurong where the boys and girls were in the same campus but later separated, Aumentado Fashion School which later became Grimaldo Fashion School, the Parisiene and the Buluan Academy which was renamed Tacurong Academy, then later, Lyceum of Southern Philippines, and today, Quezon Colleges of Southern Philippines. . That was during the 1950s.

When she graduated, Mrs. Lucero had her first teaching stint at Esperanza in 1967 up to 1969, then transferred to Tinaungan in 1970, Katiku in 1996, then to Tacurong Pilot Elementary School as principal in 1997 until her retirement in 2002. The next year, she was elected as Barangay Chairperson of Tinaungan which she occupied for a maximum term after which she decided to take a respite. Today, however, due to popular request, she again serves her “ka-barangays” after winning during the latest election.

It cannot be avoided to mention barangay Tinaungan every time interesting episodes of migration of Visayans from Iloilo are discussed as many of the pioneers of Tacurong settled first in Tinaungan before settling for convenience in Tacurong where schools were located. In this regard, Mrs. Lucero also mentioned during our conversation that many of the families from Iloilo arrived in Cotabato and took crude ferries to Buluan from where they trekked to Tinaungan. As mentioned in my earlier blog, other settlers from Iloilo opted to settle in New Passi, Rajah Muda, Baras and Katungal after hiking from Lambayong.

It is interesting to note what she mentioned as the name Tinaungan being the corrupted “Tinongan”. “Tinong” in Ilonggo is “calm”, and the area being “matinong” or calm, hence, the original name. An Ilocano teacher, however, purportedly started to call the place “Tinaungan” for his own convenience.

The fertile soil and the abundance of spring ensured the equally bountiful harvest from what the farmers would fill their land – rice, sugar cane, coconut and mangoes. The farmers enjoy a year-round harvest of rice and lately, some are starting put up poultries.

The barangay is accessibile from Lambayong, Tacurong and President Quirino on an interconnecting road system, although, some portions are yet, due for concreting. The road towards President Quirino, passes through the unfinished airport. And, those towards Tacurong and Lambayong traverse vast plantations of African palm and rice fields.

The barangay has two elementary schools, the old one at Purok 4 and the new one at the central area fronting the Barangay Hall.

Barangay Tinaungan, is part of President Quirino, the mayor of which is Azel Valenzuela-Mangudadatu.

The Albertos and Valenzuelas of Barangay Mangelen in President Quirino, Province of Sultan Kudarat (Philippines)...and their Political Leadership

THE ALBERTOS AND VALENZUELAS OF BARANGAY MANGELEN IN PRESIDENT QUIRINO, PROVINCE OF SULTAN KUDARAT….AND THEIR POLITICAL LEADERSHIP

By Apolinario Villalobos

For one thing, Barangay Mangelen is the birthplace of the current mayor of President Quirino, Hon. Azel Valenzuela- Mangudadatu, and whose mother belongs to the Alberto family that was among those the pioneers who tilled the once swampy land of what was once part of Suben. On the other hand, the current Barangay Chairman is her younger sister, Hon. Cherry Valenzuela. But what is more interesting is that the founder of the barangay Mangelen was her grandfather, Mariano Alberto, father of her mom, Lolita. It’s the trust of the early residents that made her late father Medencio, become the undefeated barangay Chairman of the fledgling “barrio”. An uncle, Virgilio Alberto also had a stint as a one-termer barangay Chairman, and I was fortunate to have met him in the morning of May 19, 2020 when I visited him at their home. I learned that he was also a one-termer Vice-Mayor of Presidente Quirino, formerly known as Sambolawan, which together with Tacurong City, were former “barrios” of Buluan, a flourishing Maguindanao town that benefited from the flow of commerce along the Big River or “Rio Grande” that sliced through it.

The Albertos has a long history of political leadership. According to Mr. Virgilio Alberto who was a retired military officer, their father, Mariano who was then a Councilor of Buluan founded Barangay Mangelen on the land that was donated by Datu Luminog who was then, the mayor of the aforementioned town…that was during the early 1960s. Virgilio’s sister, Lolita married Medencio Valenzuela, and whose eldest daughter, AZEL, married to a Mangudadatu, is currently, the mayor of President Quirino. Her younger sister, Cherry is currently, the barangay Chairman of their birthplace, Mangelen. The rest of the siblings are Sheila Mae, Jennifer, and Novy.

The Albertos and Valenzuelas arrived in the vast wetland in 1935 during which the homestead program was at its height. The area that they settled in, was politically part of Suben. Further east, the area was then known as Sambolawan. The patriarch of the Albertos, Mariano who was married to Justiniana, embarked on a political career that landed him a post as one of the Councilors of Buluan, a good arrangement as he represented the settlers in Suben. As the settlement grew, Mayor Luminog decided to separate it from Suben, and in the process donated the land that they have been cultivating. To show their gratitude, the settlers named their “barrio” Mangelen after Mayor Luminog Mangelen.

With the establishment of the barrio of Mangelen that was weaned from Suben to become a new political unit under Buluan, Mariano Alberto was chosen by the settlers to become their first “Teniente del Barrio”. The son, Virgilio had his chance to spearhead their barangay for one term, and later became the Vice-mayor of President Quirino. His brother –in-law, Medencio Valenzuela and husband of his younger sister, Lolita also became a Barangay Chairman but he recorded a feat as the undefeated leader until he finally decided to give way to other trusted fellow Ilocanos. As fate would have it, two of his children inherited his political leadership….Cherry who is the current Barangay Chairperson of Mangelen, one of the barangays of President Quirino, at the helm of which as the current mayor is Azel who is married to a Mangudadatu of Buluan.

During my talk with Mr. Virgilio Alberto, he fondly recalled his 28 years in his combined police and military career. He confided that he was a police officer when he was called to render duty in the military during the Martial Law, the time of dictator, Ferdinand Marcos. As he got no choice, he tried his best to do his job well until the time of his retirement. He met his wife, Susan, who was then, teaching at the Lyceum of Southern Philippines in Tacurong. The couple is blessed with eight offspring: Robinson, Ricardo, Rafael, Virgilio Jrl, Glenn, Virna, Lochinvar and Dexter. When I visited the family, I was with my nephew, Nonoy who is their godchild during his baptism and his marriage.

At the rate good things are going including a provincial road being constructed towards the direction of the western barangays that include Mangilala, to connect with the Alunan highway that cuts through Tacurong and leads towards South Cotabato, Mangelen is definitely facing a bright future.