by Telly G. Ocampo
Anything goes for the young at heart!
I shot an arrow into the air,
It fell to earth, I knew not where;
For, so swiftly it flew, the sight
Could not follow it in its flight.
; I’ll start my article with the stanza above, taken from the poem “The Arrow and the Song” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The entire poem was recited and interpreted by a very young girl, then, in her first year of secondary (high school) life, many years ago, at the old campus of St. Joseph College (SJC) in downtown Tagbilaran.
It was at the time when the institution was an exclusive school for girls offering Kindergarten, Elementary, Secondary and College Courses like Liberal Arts and Associate in Music major in piano and voice. I still remember that, at that time, the SSpS nuns’ cloister was facing Borja and Libertad streets now named as the long stretch of Carlos P. Garcia Avenue. The nuns in our school were mostly German sisters with all of their regalities and stateliness, including their brand of discipline, elegance and wealth of wisdom.
We had in our curriculum, American and English Literature, Philippine Literature with Florante at Laura and, of course, Spanish in fourth year high school. World History was also well taught by some male teachers who were employed both at Divine Word College of Tagbilaran (now Holy Name University) and St. Joseph College
Those years, to me and to most of us, were the best and glorious years of St. Joseph College. And that little girl (who recided the poem) and me are both products of those years. I say this with pride and dignity.
Every Monday morning, during those years, we held our flag raising ceremony at the college pentagon and the said ceremony was attended by every member of the school: from the President down to the janitor. After the ceremony, there was a most awaited presentation of beautiful literary and musical numbers from the different grade levels of the College. And it was in that presentation, in the school campus (when I was in fourth year high school, then), when this little girl from the freshman class who, with her clear voice resounding at the different corners of the institution, recited articulately: The Arrow and the Song. Who would ever think that this little girl would become my bff and managing editor of the The Bohol Tribune?
We were not very close during our school days as we did not belong to the same year level. Like what I said, she was just starting her high school days, while I was already a graduating student of SJC. Our age gap did not allow us to participate in the same school activities and community work despite her being married to my distant cousin from the Iyog side of our families. That was before, because one day, in one of my trips from Cebu to Tagbilaran, she and I took the same Oceanjet trip, and we were seated beside each other. The Arrow and the Song immediately came to mind and with that stimulus, our entire trip was filled with stories of all memories, current events and predictions of dear SJC, of our friends, schoolmates, and most of all of the joys and travails of our own life. That was also the time when I was a volunteer for Enfants Du Mekong, a French Catholic organization, who sends students to school from kinder to college. It was this organization who was very instrumental to making her a favoured lecturer in Communications with my Enfants Du Mekong scholars and with our Baclayon Ancestral Homes Association for our Asian Development Bank and tourism seminar workshops. My bff, when she started talking during those lectures and seminars, was able to glue all participants to their seats with enthusiasm and determination.That was also the moment when we launched this page, CULTURAL HERITAGE in The Bohol Tribune for the lifestyle and culture section.
I never had a formal training in writing but with all the positive reviews, and varied comments I am receiving from my readers, I feel am not living in congruence to my age. It is because my readers bring me to different time zones allowing me to savor all that is, that was and that will be. Writing is, indeed, an opportunity that would open doors of possibilities regardless of age.
Yes, I am a senior, if not, the more senior citizen of the world. My column has seen people come and go. And I am more than the articles I write, and have witnessed those who have come and gone through my column. With my assignment as a columnist, I have become young at heart! With this task on my shoulder to come up with an article every week, I have to pour out what is from myself – from head to toe. This writing task has earned for me a coping with mechanism of anything that comes and goes now: including those who want to ruin our environment; those who are key players in buy bust operations; and those who have become victims of dismal incidents of suicides; those who have presented glaring exposes of corruption; and the most recent – those who are “cooking” the people’s initiative for charter change.
Is the charter change a farce? Are we going to let déjà vu come in again? I remember that the Quintero Payola was another farce that led to martial law. It was hatched after the constitutional convention where Ambassador Quintero was a member. And Quintero was charged of receiving payola that was “stage managed”. Is there somebody managing this stage now? Mosugot ba pa ta?
Pardon me. I have almost missed the name of that little girl who recited the poem years ago who has become my bff and managing editor of The Bohol Tribune. As she says in hosting, Please welcome, Ardy Ines Aranta-Batoy.
A photo of Ardy Ines-Araneta Batoy as captured artistically by his sons (Chandymar and Gerrymar)
Ardy (center front row) with her family (front row l-r): daughter-in-law Luz Mavis; grandson CJ, granddaughter Princess & daughter-in-law Mary Rose; (back row, l-r): sons Gerrymar & Chandymar
Ardy (right) and sister Gloria Leodivica Ines Araneta
The old building of St. Joseph College