“Leaving for good”
This past week had people close to us and important to our spiritual lives leaving us for good with their untimely demise.
A close friend, Mila Uy, succumbed to covid. Mila was close to us during our Baclayon Trading days. She married Cito Uy whose mother is Nang Panya Ahat who hails from Baclayon. Though residents of Tagbilaran, they come to Baclayon every available time they had since their grandparents were still alive. Jose Uy’s store was just across Baclayon Trading in the old Agora.
To die of covid is mingaw in the first degree. You die alone without the nearness of loved ones. Even in your interment mura ka lang ug gi care of sa courier company.
When will people learn? It’s so difficult to be hospitalized these days even if your ailment is not covid related. You only have one watcher. You can go up to your room only after getting your swab results few hours after admission. It’s by first hand experience when my husband was hospitalized two weeks ago. Thanks to my editor, Ms Ardy, I am confident my husband was well taken care of. Ramiro hospital is very reliable. Old hospitals are like wine. You must know what I mean and so with elderlies like us????
Father Danny Maniwan is one person nga mingawon pud ka. He followed the demise of Fr. Eddie De La Pena – the founder of the Josefinians. The Josefinians are devotees of St. Joseph whose charism is to prepare the altar linens and to include the laundry and arrangement of the altar linens and the vestments associated with the liturgical seasons and special feast of the church. The altar, too, must be cleaned and the flowers arranged. In parishes where Fr. Eddie and Fr. Danny were assigned, the Josephinian was there. It’s our local version of the mother buttler.
When we came home to bohol in 1992 from Tacloban, I did not join my mama Gundings organization, the CWL – catholic women’s league. I simply chose the Josefinians. Manilhig, manarapo, mag ilis sa altar linens. Ang sa altar lain pud nga grupo. I just wanted to have a complete turn around, from the academe to the sweeper.
The other organization that I am connected with is the church choir called the Immaculadians. We are famous for old pieces we were exposed to when we were younger and the tempo was still of Ranny’s. Ranny Andoy was the church organist after Marcelino Israel.
The diocese of tagbilaran lost 2 priests this year in their new assignment namely: Fr. Peter Balili and Fr. Danny Maniwan. Msgr. Boy Vicente Nunag speaks of Fr. Balili this way: he is a boy scout in the real sense of the word. Nanghipos na gyud na siya daan. And he does not leave a place in disarray. Manghapnig na gyud na siya daan. But he also knew he will not complain. He was assigned here in Baclayon. And from here, we have developed a lasting friendship.
Goodbye President Noy! – I have a picture of the young senator Benigno Aquino Sr., Pinoy’s father. That was taken in Laya Baclayon during the wedding of Ben Alas. Ninoy had his own helicopter and always ready with his Polaroid instant camera then. Mao nga mugawas gyud dayon ang hulagway. I still have that picture in my cache. I was a young college graduate then. And he offered me a job in the Senate. He sent me a letter thru my Oyong Ando who was a rabid liberal at that time. I was not so serious about the offer since I had yet to take my review for the CPA board exams. Perhaps it was providential because martial law was declared few years after in 1972. If we read thru the heavens, I could ask: Why is it that they die in the crossroads of our history as a nation? All i know is that i have my collection of memorabilia of the AQUINOS. This is just like my collection of books about Princess Diana, mother Theresa and Pope John Paul the second.
I shed tears for Pinoy when Cito Beltran read his piece: The Silence of the Lamb.