February 2015

Hindi Matawarang Pagmamahalan

…nina Gene at Maggie (Asuncion)

Ni Apolinario Villalobos

Puno ng bantulot at alinlangan ang mga araw ng ligawan

Napapalitan naman ng abot-langit na saya kung “oo” ang kasagutan

Ang iba’y gumugol ng mga taon sa panunuyo

Mayroon namang inabot lang ng ilang linggo!

Iba ang ligawang hindi minadali, bagkus ay pinagtiyagaan -

Hindi malasado, hindi malabsa, tama lang, dahil ito ay pinaghirapan

Ganyan ang magsing-irog, sina Gene at Maggie-

Ilang dekadang pagmamahalan nila’y tumitindi!

Nagkaalaman ng gusto kaya’t nagbibigayan sila sa isa’t isa

Ano pa nga ba’t kahit sa pagkain, hindi sila nagkaroon ng problema

Hindi tulad ng ibang mag-asawa na nagkahiwalay

Dahil si babae, sa pagsaing lang ay walang malay!

Napatunayan nilang dalawang mahalaga sa buhay ang Diyos

Kaya’t walang paglibang ginagawa sa pagsamba, pilit nilang iniraraos

At kahit ang Christian fellowhip ay sa malayong dako

Pilit pa ring pinupuntahan, sa del Pan, doon sa Tondo!

Hindi nakakalimot makibahagi ng mga natamo nilang biyaya

Dahil sa anumang paraang abot- kaya nila ay talagang pilit ginagawa

Pagkain man, damit o kung anong bagay, pati mga libro

Inaabot sa mga nangangailangan, taos sa kanilang puso!

Dahil ang pagmamahal sa Diyos at sa kapwa ay nasa puso nila

Pinaigting nito ang pagmamahal na nahinog ng panahon para sa isa’t isa

Hindi matawarang pagmamahalan ay naipagmamalaki

Silbing inspirasyon ng iba upang makamit ang minimithi!

A Sweet Smile Spells a Difference

In the Conduct of Business Transaction

…Philippine Airlines employees still do it

By Apolinario Villalobos

An adage says that one needs only to flex a few muscles to form a smile, unlike a frown that requires almost a thousand. Additionally, while the smile gives radiance to the face, a frown only casts a forlorn aura. And for any business, while a smile, especially, one that is sweet serves as a magnet that attracts good luck and customers, a frown drives them away.

It is a fact that some people are not in the habit of smiling, as if ill- feeling is their shadow. But this can be developed even just for the sake of business transaction. Employers spend big sum to “develop” the habit of smiling for their staff as part of their training in Values, Attitude, and Personality development.

But some people are lucky to be born with the smile habit. These are the people who others say are with the “smiling voice”, too. I have encountered these smiley gals when I visited PAL Head Office at the PNB Building. The first was Galilee “Gal” Gavino, an International Ticketing Representative who at the time was attending to a couple’s travel requirements. I got engrossed on how she graciously went through the transaction, complete with a sweet smile, emphasized by her dimples. I was practically entertained by the way she handled her customers. There was no hurry in the way she explained everything that went with the tickets being transacted, from restrictions to their limitations.

After a considerable time spent at the ticket office for my own requirement, I went back to the Benefits Office for another transaction for which I had to go to the Cashier’s Section for certain payments that had to be made. On the way, I received a call through my cellphone about a not- so-encouraging news which affected my mood. When I entered the Cashier’s Section I was greeted with a very warmly said, “good morning, sir”…”may I help you?”. It came from a lady who was all smiles. She practically vanished my anxieties! Her PAL ID says she was Geraldine Anavie Domingo. Her supervisor, Ms. Evangeline Cueto was likewise smiling, as she stood behind the cashiers, ready to offer help in case of any problem. In less than five minutes, our transaction was concluded!

Experiencing the sweet smile of the two ladies, Ms. Gavino and Ms. Domingo, made me recall the smile campaign many years back, of Philippine Airlines along with its Total Passenger Care Program. They really boosted the sales campaign of the country’s flag carrier. The airline had no domestic competitor due to the “one airline” policy at the time and the Philippine skies was so protected by the government, yet, Philippine Airlines felt the need to steadily improve its image. Such energetic attitude put the Philippine Airlines on the top echelon of the airline industry during those years….to which the pioneer employees always look back every time they reminisce how they spent some of the best years of their life.

My Encounter with a “Retired” Priest

By Apolinario Villalobos

First of all, I am not in favor of using the secular term “retired” to the priests who are advancing in age and who need to rest due to ailment. The ailing and aging priests are handicapped but they should not be considered as retired. The word is most inappropriate for them because of their spiritual vow which is supposed to be for their lifetime. The priests should not be treated like ordinary employees who retire at age 60 or 65.

I met a religious guy in Divisoria while I was taking my lunch in a sidewalk carinderia. He was neatly garbed in a black polo shirt and denim, but his age showed on his furrowed face. He was stuttering which as I learned later was due to a mild heart attack. I came to know about his real identity when he was addressed by the owner of the carinderia as “Father”. I got curious, so I broke the ice by admiring his bracelet made of cat’s eye beads. I was also glad that he accepted the coffee that I offered.

Like me, I found out that he has friends, too, living in Baseco compound. That noon, I found out that he walked all the way from the said place to Divisoria which for a guy his age, could be taxing. In all honesty, he admitted that he was a “retired” priest. He stopped saying Mass because of his stutter. In my ignorance, I asked him if “retired” priests with handicap like him are not allowed to co-celebrate a Mass, by just sitting on the side of the altar but still garbed in appropriate garment for the Mass. He said, he was not offered such invitation, yet. I asked such question because I witnessed Masses, especially, those intended for well-known personalities, with plenty of co-celebrators who just stand behind the celebrating priest. So, I thought, why is it not possible for a handicapped one to just sit on the side? All he told me was, it’s difficult to be retired, especially, if it is against one’s will.

My new-found friend is now living with his nephew who assists him in his continuing advocacy of reaching out to the children of financially-handicapped families. Some weekends, his nephew would be with him to distribute goodies that he would collect for weeks. When I asked him for future plans, he replied that for as long as his two feet can still carry him to wherever he wanted to be, he will never get tired of reaching out to his “children”.

Advocacies similar to what the priest practices are not difficult to develop in the heart of any person who is willing to share. All one needs is a resolute compassion. It can be done and the priest has proved it.

Ang Bibliya

Ni Apolinario Villalobos

Dahil nadikit sa imahe ng relihiyong Kristiyano ang Bibliya, ang mga hindi naniniwala sa Diyos ay umiiwas dito.  Tingin kasi nila dito ay animo nagbabagang kuwadradong bakal na umuusok sa sobrang init. Sa Bibliya nakasaad kung paanong nagsimula ang unang relihiyon ng tao sa disyerto ng Israel. Ganoon pa man, hindi dapat pangilagan ang Bibliya ng isang taong hindi Hudyo o Kristiyano, dahil kinapapalooban din ito ng interesanteng mga kuwento noong unang panahon, kahit pa sabihin ng iba na ang mga ito ay “alamat”. Sa isang banda, dahil sa mga tuluy-tuloy na pananaliksik na naging matagumpay, napatunayang ang mga sinasabing “alamat” ay  may katotohanan pala.

Hindi ako pantas pagdating sa Bibliya at pag-aaral nito. Ang binabahagi ko ay batay lamang sa aking mga karanasan sa pagbasa nito at kung paano kong nagawang makakuha ng kasiyahan mula sa mga pahina nito. Ang sikreto ko ay pagturing sa Lumang Tipan na parang “National Geographic Magazine” dahil puno ito ng kasaysayan. Ang Bagong Tipan naman ay itinuturing kong “Reader’s Digest”, dahil sa mga makabago nitong kuwento ng buhay.

May mga kuwento sa mga pahina ng Lumang Tipan na ang pahiwatig ay hawig sa mga pangyayaring may kinalaman sa extra- terrestrial phenomena…pumunta lamang sa mga pahina tungkol kay Ezequiel. May mga pangyayari ding hindi nalalayo sa mga nangyayari sa kasalukuyan sa Gitnang Silangan, kaya parang nagpapatunay na umuulit ang kasaysayan.

Sa Bagong Tipan din  nakapaloob ang mga kuwento na hawig sa mga nangyayari sa kasalukuyan tulad ng kaguluhan dahil sa corruption, paglutang ng ilang tao upang labanan ito pati na ang pagka-ipokrito ng ilan na ang turing sa mga sarili ay bukod-tanging mapupunta sa langit dahil literal na sumusunod sila sa “utos” nd Diyos.

Upang hindi umiskiyerda ang isip sa pagbasa ng Bibliya, laktawan ang hindi masyadong maunawaan. Iwasan ding magkaroon ng “missionary complex”, isang ugaling namumuo sa isang nagmamarunong sa mga Salita ng Diyos, kahit lilimang pahina ng Bibliya pa lamang ang nabasa. Buksan din ang isip sa mga diskusyon tungkol sa Bibliya, dahil may kasabihang “two heads are better than one”, eh di, lalo na kung marami ang nagbabahaginan ng kaalaman.

Itanim sa isip ang katotohanang may Diyos kahit hindi Siya nakikita, at siya ang gumawa ng lahat ng bagay sa sanlibutan…at pati na sa sanlibutan. Kahit pa sabihin ng iba na ang mga “extra terrestials” na nakita ng mga tao noong kapanahunan ng Bibliya ang unang mga “misyonaryo”, at inakala nilang Diyos, dapat itanim sa isip na may gumawa pa rin sa mga “extra terrestials” na ito, kaya talagang may Nag-iisang makapangyarihan sa lahat.

Hindi dapat pagtalunan ng mga tao na nagkakaiba ang pananampalataya ang kaalaman nila sa Bibliya. Dapat igalang ang paniniwala sa Diyos na ang batayan ay Bibliya. Kahit pa sabihing nagkakaiba ng bahagya ang iba’t ibang bersiyon ng Bibliya, ang laman ng mga ito ay tungkol pa rin sa Diyos. Upang maiwasan ang pagtatalo tungkol sa kaalaman sa Bibliya,  dapat isaisip na lang na ang mga mensahe ng Bibliya ay tungkol sa pagmamahal sa Diyos at kapwa-tao.

Ang Bibliya ay Aklat ng Buhay…Salita ng Diyos, kaya pati ang ibang nilalaman ng Koran ng relihiyong Islam ay galing dito. Ang ibig sabihin, kung ang mga Muslim ay nagbibigay galang sa Bibliya na nagpapahiwatig ng kanilang paniniwala dito, bakit hindi kayang gawin ng mismong mga Kristiyano? At, ang pinakamahalaga ay ang uulitin kong paalala na hindi dapat pagtalunan ang “kaalaman” tungkol sa Bibliya…upang sa ganoong paraan man lang ay mabibigyan ito ng respeto!

Life is beautiful…we should love life and each other…

The Beauty of Life

(for Adoracion Paragas -Sanque)

By Apolinario Villalobos

The magnificence of creation is such

That all we need to do is open our eyes

Though the extent of our perception ends

Where the earth meets the sky –

It still oozes with awe-inspiring sights.

In loving God, we love life…

Gratitude is what to Him we show

For everything He blessed us with

There’s nothing else that we can do.

Even the whiff of the wild grass

Undulating in the wind’s caress

And the buzzing of the busy bees

That fills the air with lively drone

Lightens up, even a heavy stone.

Light feeling, ecstasy, happiness –

They grip us tight, though tenderly

As we delight in the beauty of life

That God made for all of us to see!