April 2011
3 posts
The Greatest Man in the World (Conclusion)
If only Tatay is still around today, he would for sure be very flattered by the way of how and why I describe him as “The Greatest Man in the World”. In elevating my father to the level of Dr. Henry Kissinger, I believe that it’s my right to say or write superb descriptions of him for being my father but up to this extent of being “the greatest” seemed to be out of context. Dr. Kissinger may have...
The Greatest Man in the World (Part 15)
In his lifetime, Tatay never hid his poor and hard beginnings. As a fact, he was poor from cradle to grave but was always proud to narrate of how he struggled through hard times and good times to give us decent lives and left a legacy we can be proud of. In return, we believe that we haven’t failed him in his ideals as we all got educated as he wished, and turned out good children. Being a great...
The Greatest Man in the World (Part 14)
Enjoying his time with us or with the company of relatives or friends seemed was Tatay’s only passion of a peaceful and happy life as he grew older. Since he did not have a fixed pastime hobby, he just indulged in reading or conversing and exchanging political views with friends, poking jokes and telling stories. Although he was only up to “third grade” in his education, Tatay had a knack for...
January 2011
3 posts
The Greatest Man in the World (Part 13)
Tatay’s legacy as a good man, a good friend, a good relative, a great father and grandfather all put together had seemed has no equal. It is not only in kind words and accolades that we hear every time from those who knew him that he was really that good, but in what we have seen of him show and do good things in his lifetime. Early in his life, Tatay who was nicknamed Oto already showed that he...
That Greatest Man in the World (Part 12)
When our business in Kalawag boomed in the 60s, Tatay went on of opening a lumber business to go along with our first line of business which was a sort of a general merchandise store. Since a lumber business needed a wide area of a lumber yard to accommodate our stocks, Tatay as usual was prepared as we still had an extra lot for it. It was at this time that we made good use of our cargo truck...
The Greatest Man in the World (part 11)
There seemed that Tatay’s roles in our lives were limitless. As a responsible father, he was one who had always looked at us with care from the very time we were born. While we were still infants, he used to comfort us every time we cry for whatever discomforts by playing and motioning before our eyes his two cut fingers like it were insects’ larvae, and we all loved it. He was so caring and...
December 2010
5 posts
The Greatest Man in the World Part 10
Tatay like most parents was always a proud father every time we get good grades in school or to whatever we accomplish worth praising in our studies. He was that appreciative. While I was about to graduate in 1961 from my elementary education at the Kalawag Elementary School and was then a Boy Scout, he urged me to go further on this when he sent me to join the 2nd National Jamboree that was to be...
The Greatest Man in the World Part 9
Just by being religious like always going to church to hear mass on Sundays and on other days of obligation or by praying the rosary before bedtime seemed that it was not enough as Nanay’s passion of a modest religious life that she had to do more. During her early life, Nanay had this childhood vow of becoming a nun but knowing her lack of proper education, she did not pursue it. Instead, she...
Exhibition of Greatness (Part 2)
Every time Manny Pacquiao fights and wins a big fight just like last Nov. 14 against Antonio Margarito, calls for him to face off with Floyd Mayweather Jr. has always followed. As his usual behavior and reactions to this, Pacquiao never shows fear or reluctance to these calls but always expresses eagerness and willingness of fighting him. On the other hand, it’s this cocky but coward American...
Exhibition of Greatness: The Pacquiao-Margarito...
(Writer’s Note: The continuation of the series The Greatest Man in the World will temporarily be suspended for now to give way to this piece.)
Reminiscent of every Manny Pacquiao fight when our whole country stands still for hours to watch Pacquiao dish out his best to outclass his opponent with his lightning speed and awesome boxing skill, what we saw last Sunday (Nov. 14 Phil. Time) was...
The Greatest Man in the World (part 8)
When Tatay and his fellow settlers were building our houses in Kalawag in the early 50s, they already knew that the lots where they were constructing are reserved government lands. This land is composed of thousands of square meters in a form of a triangle. Called “the triangle” by many, its eastern side runs parallel to the Kalawag creek. With no one to impose restrictions then, Tatay already...
November 2010
2 posts
The Greatest Man in the World (Part 7)
When Tatay was about to send off Toto to Manila for his college education in 1957, he brought me along in going to Iloilo City where we were to jump off for the trip to Manila. Toto had just finished his high school education in Iloilo City at the University of San Agustin that Tatay wanted he takes up medicine and become a doctor. It was my first trip to Iloilo since we left for Mindanao in 1951....
The Greatest Man in the World (Part 6)
As we were growing up and already attending school in Kalawag in the 50s, Tatay was also making sure of building our lives and house to the best he can attuned to the times. Ours was perhaps the only house with a water supply system that we never have to pitch water from a pump or well. There are faucets where water are needed all piped from a water tank. Though there was still no electricity at...
October 2010
5 posts
The Greatest Man in the World (Part 5)
Going into their sixth year of marriage, Nanay gave birth on April 14, 1940 to our eldest, Toto Efrain. He was baptized within a month and named Efrain, a name copied by Tatay from one of Sen. Treñas’ son, Efrain. Tatay was so attached with the Treñas family that besides just being their driver at the time, he was also their sons’ barber, servant as well as dog trainer. Thus, to be always reminded...
The Greatest Man in the World (Part 4)
During the time my parent’s hometown of Dueñas was engulfed with stories about Tenyente Gimo being an aswang, they were already into business. Having saved enough money to go into business, they started peddling and selling textiles, ready-to-wear clothes and whatever can be sold in the town’s market and in other towns during market days. Tenyente Gimo was already one of their customers regularly...
The Greatest Man in the World (Part 3)
When Tatay went home to his hometown of Dueñas, Iloilo after almost a decade of being away seeking a better life outside of Iloilo, he was already in his mid-20s. While recuperating his wounds from an accident in Jolo where his fingers got cut by a machine while working as a mechanic/helper in an ice plant, he took jobs as a chauffeur of an American resident of Iloilo City and later, of the family...
The Greatest Man in the World (Part 2)
As Tatay and a friend were roaming Manila to look for work to sustain their quest for a better life, they passed by a house in España St. with a sign board on its wall that says, Necesitas Dos Muchachos. It means, “Wanted two House Boys”. On seeing it, the two friends seemed to have breathed a sigh of relief as this was just the sign they were looking for. After a few knock at the door, an old...
The Greatest Man in the World (Part 1)
While at the peak of his popularity in the early 70s as a career diplomat of the United States, Dr. Henry Kissinger was often described as the “greatest man in the world”, and it’s all for good reasons. As Pres. Richard M. Nixon’s National Security Council (NSC) Adviser and later as Secretary of State, Dr. Kissinger was credited for opening China to the outside world after decades of self-imposed...
June 2010
4 posts
America's Shame - The Conclusion
When Manny Pacquiao won a one-sided fight decisively against Joshua Clottey in Texas last March 13 and Floyd Mayweather, Jr. did the same against Sugar Shane Mosley in Las Vegas a few weeks later, it seemed that both fighters were bound for a head-on clash at last. No. Not yet. Buoyed by a much higher ppv returns from his fight with Mosley compared to Pacquiao’s with Clottey, Mayweather changes...
America's Shame Part 3
By continuously maintaining his position that Manny Pacquiao, the world’s best pound-for-pound fighter today is taking illegal drugs, Floyd Mayweather, Jr. is just trying to drag farther the negotiations for their fight not to succeed until everyone gets fed up, gives up and everything fades away. But history won’t as this is only Mayweather’s way out of this fight. Since his comeback, he already...
America's Shame Part 2
In demolishing by way of knocking out cold just inside two rounds the cocky WBO light welterweight champion Ricky Hatton of England with just a single Phantom-like punch in May 2009, Manny Pacquiao sent fear and notice to Floyd Mayweather, Jr. that he is one who cannot just easily be intimidated by bullies. From what he saw of Pacquiao’s easy knockout of Hatton, Mayweather perhaps had already this...
America's Shame Part 1
The last lyrics of the American national anthem Star Spangled Banner concludes this way: “O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave” By this, I used to believe then that Americans regardless of their colors are really brave breed of people who never back off from a fight. As proofs, there’s the two world wars that America participated in and where millions of its citizen have died...