By Telly G. Ocampo
Our First Family Gathering – after the Covid threat
Family for us means the family of the heirs of Alejandro Ramo and Primitiva Villamor Ramo. These are the families of those who belong to the old Baclayon Trading. The present generation does not anymore know Baclayon Trading Corporation as it was dissolved in 1996. And that was 26 years ago.
After the dissolution of Baclayon Trading, we had our yearly get together to commemorate the death anniversaries of our forbears. The celebration is held
on a Saturday nearest to November 11, each year as this date coincides with the death anniversary of our Oyang Tiva.
After Odette, we decided to meet for there are many things to do. Natumpag
ang pader nga nag-atubang sa dagat. Medyo daku gyud ang repair nga kinahanglan. We are very grateful to our Oyong Ando and Oyang Tiva. They left to us not just things material but the so many intangibles of faith, spirituality, prayerfulness, love and compassion. This is aptly expressed by my cousin Remy and my nephew Andy.
Remy Manding-Balatero wrote from California: Salamat Ng Telly that you’re
Raymund Fernandez presenting the concept and design of our “Windows to the sea”.
keeping the clan alive. Am always thankful of our grandparents & great
grandparents. . . our parents for our faith, virtues, relationships, love of family care for one another, a lot that we inherit spiritual, material and emotional. Hope we continue to commemorate them with praise and thanksgiving to our God.
And here’s Andy’s message for today: Life is beautiful when we learn to appreciate its ups and downs. Make those negative events our strength. Make those positive events our shield. Make faith our weapon. We can do it if our visions and missions are clear and with God in our hearts.
After lunch we had a workshop – Our dream for our ancestral homes. We are slowly exposing the generation next to us to appreciate the legacy bequeathed to us: the tangible and intangibles.
We also had worked on the concept of the design to the collapsed wall caused by
Odette presented by Raymund Fernandez, my son-in-law. We want the concept
and the design to be agreed by all of us. We call it our “Windows to the Sea”.
Slowly, we are reinventing the house. It’s so near the highway. When a speeding vehicle and 10 wheeler trucks would pass by, mukorog ug gamay ang balay gawas pa nga banha gyud ang ilang dahunog sa sakyana.
During the workshop, we missed our facilitator, Ms. Ardy, due to her pressing engagements. We were privileged to have the presence of Atty. Greg Austral to lecture on the intricacies of the law on inheritance and division of properties to avoid conflicts among family members.
I can always remember the words of my Oyang Tiva: Matnguni gyud ninyo ang among gibilin aron molapad and inyong mga dahon.
Our family! Seated on the first row from left are: Lina Limboy, Linda Caballo, Sioning Ramo, Telly Ocampo (the author). Siony Baquial. Standing at back row from left are: Denisse Oppus, Merlin De Aro, Jun Gatal, Lutchi Sambalud, Tina de Aro, Estela Fernandez, Irene Alaan, Mel Micutuan.