Ang Mga Katagang, “enjoy life…matanda na tayo”…

Ang Mga Katagang, “enjoy life…matanda na tayo”

Ni Apolinario Villalobos

 

Malimit marinig ang mga katagang, “enjoy life…matanda na tayo”. Ang ibig sabihin pa rin niyan ay i-enjoy ang perang pinaghirapan. Sa puntong ito, ang mga sumusunod ay pansarili kong pananaw…kung sa Ingles ay, “I am speaking for myself only”:

 

Para sa akin ay may hangganan ang lahat sa mundong ito, kasama na ang pagtamasa ng kasiyahan mula sa pinaghirapang pera. Hindi masama ang magkamal ng maraming pera basta huwag lang manamantala ng kapwa upang matupad ang hangaring ito.

 

Ang mga magpapaligaya sa tao na ginagamitan ng pera ay  pagkain, pagliliwaliw, alak, damit, pagpapaganda ng katawan, sex, sugal, bar-hopping, at marami pang ibang makamundong bagay. Okey lang ang mga nabanggit kung kaya pa ng katawan ang mga epekto nila at kung bagay pa rin ang mga seksing damit, o pagpapaganda ng katawan tulad ng liposuction, pagpapalagay ng kung anu-anong bagay sa katawan upang tumambok ang puwet o suso, etc. Paano kapag ang edad ay mahigit 60 taon na kaya bawal na ang mamantika at matatamis na pagkain?…kung bawal na ang pagpapatina ng buhok dahil sa epekto ng kemikal sa utak?….kung bawal na ang masyadong pagpupuyat?….kung masagwa nang tingnan ang bikini sa kulubot na katawan o ang malaking suso at matambok na puwet sa katawang kulubot ang balat at kuba na ang posture? Magpipilit pa rin ba ang isang may limpak-limpak na salapi?

 

Maraming tao ang nag-aakalang pera lang ang makakapagdulot ng kaligayahan hanggang sa katandaan. Para sa akin, dapat lang talagang maglaan ng pang-ospital, pambili ng gamot kung sakaling magkasakit, pati na ang pambayad sa punerarya at pambili ng kabaong. Ang lalabis pa sa mga pangangailangang nabanggit ay maaaring gamiting panghuling hirit – pamamasyal, kaunting luho…pero hindi na maganda ang maghangad pa ng karagdagang pera kahit nasa huling yugto ng buhay. Lalong hindi maganda kung kahit naghihingalo na ay inaalala pa rin ang perang maiiwanan!

 

May naging kaibigan ako noon na taga-Ermita, mayaman at ang negosyo ay mga antique. Noong kalakasan pa ng Ermita bilang kilalang “red district” ng Manila, tatlo ang antique shops  at dalawa ang coffee shops niya na parehong high-end. Malawak din ang lupain niya sa kanilang probinsiya na ang tanim ay niyog. Ang edad niya ay mahigit nang 70 at naging kaibigan niya ako nang gawan ko siya ng biography. Madalas siyang mag-sponsor ng mga proyekto ko bilang kapalit ng bayad sa ginawa kong biography. Bilib na sana ako sa kanya, subalit nang minsang mag-usap kami ay sinabi niyang, “ang problema ko ay kung ano ang mangyayari sa pinaghirapan ko kung mamatay na ako”. Ang kaibigan ko ay maraming kamag-anak sa naghihirap sa probinsiya at ang iba ay nakilala ko pa nang umatend ako ng Christmas party nila. Ang hindi ko maintindihan ay kung bakit hindi naisip ng kaibigan ko ang mga kamag-anak niyang naghihirap na dapat sana ay babahagihan niya ng kanyang yaman.

 

 

The Indefatigable Esperanza (Inday) Hilado …friend, sister, mother, secretary, Sales Executive

The Indefatigable Esperanza (Inday) Hilado

…friend, sister, mother, secretary, Sales Executive

By Apolinario Villalobos

 

For most people who know her, she was “Inday”, although, her other nickname was “Pancing”. She was a centenarian, having reached the age of 100 years last July 22, 2015, for which she was honored with a certificate given by the Quezon City government.  She died peacefully just when 2015 was bidding 2016 goodbye, particularly on January 14, at exactly, 11:15 AM. The tragic information that I received came from Gel Lagman and Mona Caburian-Pecson, former colleagues in Philippine Airlines.

 

Inday came from the well-to-do clans of Fontanilla and Hilado of Negros Occidental in the Visayas region of the Philippines. Her parents were Paz Fontanillla and Ignacio Hilado, and she came third in a brood of seven, such as, Clarita, Florita, Hermenia, Gloria, Enrique and Godofredo. Inday chose to stay single her whole life.

 

According to Tessie, Inday’s niece, who at 74, looks more like a little more than 50, she immediately came home when informed about the demise of her aunt, as she knew that with her were only her trusted caretakers, Rudy Lopez and his wife,  Muding (Modesta). Rudy was her loyal driver since 1975, and got married in 1992 to Muding who in no time treated the former like her own mother. Since the first day of her arrival, Tessie practically did everything with the help of her assistants that she brought from America, as well as, Rudy and Muding.

 

My fondest memory of Inday was our working together as part of the International Sales-Philippines (ISP) Team of Philippine Airlines (PAL) based at the S&L Building along Roxas Boulevard, in Ermita, Manila. We were under Rene Ocampo and later, Archie Lacson, as the Regional Vice-President of the Philippines and Guam Region. However, due to our well-defined function as members of the Sales Team, we were directly under Dave Lim, Assistant Vice-President of the ISP. Inday was handling the special account of manning agencies for seafarers and despite her age, being the most senior in the team, she proved to be just very effective. She reported to the office before eight in the morning, prepared her itinerary for the day and persistently made follow ups on previously requested bookings for her clients. I also used to help her with her weekly and monthly sales reports by typing them for her. She even stayed late when there were social functions to fete our clients, particularly, the travel agents and manning agencies.

 

The job of Inday was very critical as PAL fares were comparably higher than those offered by the other airlines for the seafaring segment of the airline industry. But motherly insistence and affectionate cajoling of travel agents worked almost all the time. To show her gratitude to her clients, during Christmas she would give them her own personally-purchased gifts, aside from the standard “give-away” items from our office that included calendars. Being in-charge of the Region’s administration, I would give her extra calendars and “give-away” items.

 

We were close to each other, such that we sat side by side during most of our Monday Sales Meeting. It was this literal closeness that gave her the opportunity to offer me her share of snacks served during the meeting. She was also very conscious about her health, as she ate only small portions of food during mealtime at the canteen. One time, however, during a party, I admonished her for eating plenty of “lechon” (roasted pig).

 

A terpsichorean in her own right, she would sashay with graceful cha-cha and tango moves around the dance floor during our parties. She admitted to me though, that she was really fond of ballroom dancing, and even confided the information about the pre-war public dances that she attended at Luneta (Rizal Park) every December, when she was young. Her love for life could have given her the vigor that kept her going even at an age beyond seventy which was the last time I saw her when I left Philippine Airlines.

 

Inday may no longer be around, but she left a legacy founded on love, as well as, diligence and dedication to job. She was unquestionably unselfish and indefatigable in many ways. She also proved that goodwill indeed works, as her staying “single” did not deprive her of families because of her altruistic ways. She had her colleagues in PAL, and who gave her love in return for her motherly and sisterly affection….they, who have become her family until she left the company. Rudy Kong whom she served with utmost loyalty as secretary in PAL, took her in as part of his own company when she finally left the airline. She also had Rudy Lopez, her loyal driver, and his wife, Muding, who stood by her side till she drew her last breathe. She loved them all, and they all loved her… and, just as what the popular adage says… love begets love.

 

 

Mga Lubak at iba pa…sa Tuwid na Daan

Mga Lubak at iba pa…sa Tuwid na Daan

ni Apolinario Villalobos

 

Maihahalintulad ang buhay sa binabagtas na daan

Maaring ito ay tuwid, liku-liko, paahon o palusong

Sa araw-araw nating pamumuhay sa mundong ito

Bumabagtas tayo ng daan…hindi alam saan patungo.

 

Sa pakikibaka sa buhay ay para rin tayong tumatahak

Ng daan na hindi lang baku-bako dahil sa mga lubak

Marami ring mga sagabal – mga bato at minsa’y tinik

Na kung di maiwasa’y magdudulot ng sugat…masakit.

 

Kung minsan naman, ang daang tinatahak ay liku-liko

Para ring buhay na maraming dinadaanang pagsubok

Kung minsan ay mga pasakit na pabigat sa ating balikat

Na kailangang tiising pasanin, kahi’t dusa ang kaakibat.

 

Minsan nang may taong nag-anyaya, samahan daw siya

Sa pagbagtas sa tuwid na daa’t sinabi pa niyang nakangiti

Pangako’y puno ng kaginhawahan sa buhay, animo totoo

Subali’t kalauna’y nabatid, daa’y may lambong na siphayo!

 

Ang daa’y diretso nga, nguni’t tadtad naman ng mga lubak

Marami ring bato, tinik ng mga damo, ipot, at kung ano pa

Marami na ngang sagabal, umaalingasaw pa sa kabantutan

Kaya sa pagbagtas nitong daan daw niya, sinong gaganahan?

 

Hindi na lang sana siya nangako, dahil lahat ng daa’y masukal

Maraming sagabal dahil ito ay parang buhay, hindi matiwasay

Upang makaraos, depende na sa pagkapursigido ng isang tao

Kaya, kung Diyos nga ay hindi nangangako ng tuwid na daan –

…ito pa kayang isang tao na wala pang napatunayan?

 

Ang Isyu sa Dagdag-Pensiyon at si Binay…kung suwertihin nga naman!

Ang Isyu sa Dagdag-Pensiyon at si Binay

…kung suwertehin nga naman!

Ni Apolinario Villalobos

 

Ngayo’y may taong masaya, abot tenga ang ngiti

Dahil umaayon ang mga pagkakataon sa kanya

Hindi man siya mag-ingay o magsalita sa radyo

Tiyak lilipat ang pansin sa kanya ng mga Pilipino.

 

Ang kay tagal inasam-asam na dagdag sa pensiyon

Pag-asang hinintay at kung ilang taong pinagdasal

Na sana ay makamit dahil ito nga ay napakahalaga

Subali’t sa isang pirma lang ito ay nalusaw – nawala!

 

Si Binay ay napakasaya, si Mar nama’y natataranta

Paulit-ulit man niyang banggitin ang “daang matuwid”

Kulelat pa rin kaya nahihilo’t walang malamang gawin

Dahil mga Pilipino… sa kanya ay hindi na pumapansin!

 

Bakit o bakit, hindi man lang ito naisip ng isang tao –

Na patung-patong na ang mga kapalpakang ginawa?

Ang maliit na halagang ipinagkait sa mga pensiyonado-

Ay magiging bangungot at laging nakabuntot na multo!

 

Nakalimutan ba nila na ang alas ni Binay ay mga senyor?

Nakalimutan ba nilang may free birthday cake sa Makati?

At ito ay ibinibigay sa mga senior citizen tuwing bertdey?

Ngayon, sino baga ang naalimpungatan….?

Eh, di si Mar at may-akda ng “tuwid na daan”!

 

The Senior Citizens…(a message to the the youth)

The Senior Citizens

(…a message to the youth)

By Apolinario Villalobos

Never scorn or despise the senior citizens. Without them, the world may not have been fit for habitation for your generation and of the rest to come. Without them, there would have been no bright guys running the governments. From the senior citizens seeds of humanity have been issued to bring forth different races that roam the earth.

The senior citizens toiled day and night to earn so that the youth in their care can eat decent meals and earn knowledge from institutions of learning. They sat it out all night when the youth in their care got sick. They cried when the youth in their care finally succumbed to eternal sleep because of incurable disease. The woman senior citizen carried what would become a child for nine months which is the fulfillment of her life as a mother. The elderly man literally broke his back in carrying loads to earn an honest living for the growing youth in his care.

Never hate the senior citizens just because they break cups and plates due to their trembling hands. Never call them useless creatures just because you feed them. Remember that they have exhausted their savings to buy you nice clothes, gadgets and pay for your tuition. Never neglect their needs for medical attention, because you might be thinking that it is best that they finally rest if their deterioration is hastened. You, the youth, are treading the road that leads to where they are now.

The senior citizens should be esteemed. They deserve the same care that they once gave you as a growing child. They should not be caricatured because of their wrinkled skin, stooped posture, bowed legs, gummy smile and chinky eyes due to dimming sight. They should not be shunned because of a typical smell, as they can no longer take a bath on their own.

The senior citizens should be loved the way they loved you, the very minute you saw the first ray of light when you were born into this world. They need to feel the same warmth that they gave you when they hugged your frail body. They deserve love more than anything in this world.

You, the youth, will become like them…ripened by time and toughened by ordeals.  They are you, years from now…

The Phenomenon called “growing old”…its benefits and disadvantages

The Phenomenon called “Growing Old”

…its benefits and disadvantages

By Apolinario Villalobos

Nobody should be afraid of growing old. It is among the many normal human processes that are part of existence. Simply put, growing old means, one continues to live, for if he does not…he is dead. Among Filipinos, there is a joke about unhealthy foods that make one not grow old which means that they will make him die at a young age.

The people of the Bible, especially, the Patriarchs were known to have lived beyond a century. Nowadays, if ever there are people who are still alive at the age of 100 or more, they are esteemed, treated with respect and showered with admiration. In some countries the centenarians are honored like heroes, subjected to interviews to extract information about the food that they eat and their daily habits. Those who belong to prominent families admit that they take “maintenance drugs” and their foods are strictly chosen. But for the poverty-stricken, they consider growing old as just some kind of luck, as they have no money for regular medical check-ups, supplemental drugs and healthy food…add to that their exposure to the elements, as some of them live on sidewalks and makeshift huts.

In the Philippines as in some other countries, the most cherished benefits of the senior citizens are the “discount” on basic necessities and privilege of not falling in the regular long line of customers in malls, supermarkets and banks. The government extends the much-deserved benefits in recognition of their contribution in propping up the stability of their nation.

Unfortunately, along with growing old is the degeneration of the ageing body parts. The rich try to remedy this unavoidable occurrence with the expensive stem cell therapy, aside from facial makeover that involves the traditional plastic surgery. Others take the risk of undergoing implant or transplant procedure. We then, see photos of celebrities with almost unreal faces – smooth like a plastic sheet without any tell-tale trace of a single wrinkle at an age when their faces are supposed to be furrowed with the dreaded lines.

There are some people who cannot accept the fact that everything on earth has its end. Boulders crumble, rivers and lakes go dry, forest gets denuded….how much more for the living? Aside from the reduction of population caused by natural death, there’s the so-called survival of the fittest among the lesser creatures with the strong consuming the weak, but in the case of man, just simply the killing of the weak by the strong during wars. Then, there’s the wrath of nature that devastates thousands of lives with a single stroke, and, of course, the plague of diseases.

We cannot stop ageing. Instead of dreading it, the process should prepare us for the day when we finally call it quits and bid goodbye to the world. It should instead, prepare us by making amends with our enemies, paying our debts, and of course, thank whoever gave us life. I found out that planning comes naturally for those who are positive about this ageing process, as they no longer regard with importance their amassed worldly gains, but instead find ways to dispose them, one of which is by distributing them among charitable institutions. Common sense dictates that “travel” is more pleasant if there is no “heavy baggage” to burden us. This realization comes only if we accept growing old as part of our life that cannot be shaken off by scientific interventions.

One of my friends told me that she gave instructions to her heirs that when she die, she wants a smiling face, not a serious one, for her friends to view inside the box of final solace, so they better find an embalmer who can do the best job. That is what I call the best preparation for the “day” which growing old cannot deter.

Tanggapin Kung Ano ang Limitasyon ng Kakayahan…at huwag ikahiya ang kahirapan, pati pagka-senyor

Tanggapin Kung Ano Limitasyon ng Kakayahan….
At huwag ikahiya ang kahirapan pati pagka-senyor
Ni Apolinario Villalobos

Maraming mga kabataan ang napapariwara dahil hindi naibigay sa kanila ng kanilang magulang ang lahat ng hinihingi nila. Ang iba ay hindi lang napariwara kundi naging suwail din dahil natutong magalit o mainis sa mga magulang na hindi sila napagbigyan sa kanilang mga luho. Tahasang masasabi na sa lahat ng mga nabanggit, mga magulang ang may pagkakamali dahil habang sa murang gulang pa lamang ang kanilang anak ay hindi nila ipinakita at ipinaliwanag kung hanggang saan lang ang kaya nilang ibigay. Ang akala ng mga magulang na may ganitong pagkukulang ay pagpapakita ng pagmamahal ang pagbibigay sa lahat na hingin ng anak. Hindi nila alam ay unti-unting nahuhubog ang isip ng anak nila sa maling paniniwala.

May mga nababasang kuwento at nari-report sa TV at radyo tungkol sa mga batang prosti o nagbebenta ng aliw, at ang iba naman ay nakakausap ko mismo. Marami nito sa mga lungsod ng bansa, hindi lang sa Maynila. Ang nagtulak sa iba ay kahirapan, subalit mayroon din namang naghabol ng kikitaan upang maipantustos sa mga luho ng katawan na sa murang gulang ay kanilang natutunan. May mga nakausap ako na nagsabing gusto lang daw kumita upang may pambili ng bagong cellphone na mamahalin, magagandang damit, alahas, at iba pa. Ang simpleng luho ay lumaki hanggang madagdagan ng bisyo tulad ng alak, sigarilyo at illegal na gamot. Dahil madaling kumita ng pera gamit ang mura nilang katawan, hindi na nila naisipan pang bumalik pa sa kanilang mga magulang.

May mga magulang kasi na ayaw tumanggap ng kahirapan sa buhay. Ikinahihiya din nila ito kaya pilit na pinagtatakpan ng mga perang inutang. Kadalasan ito rin ang dahilan ng away ng mag-asawa. Meron pang mga magulang na nagtuturo sa mga anak na magkunwaring anak-mayaman. Marami akong mga kaibigan na ganito ang ugali, kaya naaawa ako sa mga anak nila na lumalaki sa pagkukunwari. Dahil ang ikinabubuhay ay halos puro sa utang galing, hindi rin nawawalan ng kumakatok sa kanilang pinto araw-araw upang maningil ng pautang. Ang isang kaibigang pinayuhan ko na magbago na ay nagalit pa sa akin, kaya sa inis ko rin, hindi ko na pinautang uli. Hinayaan ko na lang na hindi niya ako bayaran sa huling inutang niya sa akin na nalaman kong ibinili pala ng bagong cellphone para sa anak, ganoong ang dahilan sa akin ay pandagdag daw sa ibabayad sa tuition.

Ang isang nakakatuwa ay ang ayaw pagtanggap ng iba ng kanilang pagkasenyor na dapat ay itinuturing na biyaya dahil umabot sa ganoong edad. May isa akong kaibigan na nagdaos ng kanyang bertdey subalit hindi pinabatid ang kanyang gulang. May isa siyang kumareng maurirat at nagtanong, na sinagot naman ng may bertdey ng “57 years old”. Narinig ito ng anak at sinabihan ang kanyang nanay na, “ mama talaga, ilang beses ka na bang nag-fifty seven?”. Bilang parusa, isang linggo yatang hindi binigyan ng allowance ang bata, kaya nagkasya ito sa pamasahe lang, at pagbaon ng kanin at kung anong ulam meron. Ang edad ng nanay na kaibigan ko ay 64.

Sa dyip namang nasakyan ko, may isang ale na nakisuyo sa aking mag-abot ng kanyang pamasahe na minimum. Napansin kong ang halaga ay pang-senyor citizen. Nang matanggap ng drayber nagtanong kung bakit kulang, mas mababa kasi kaysa regular na minimum fare. Ang ale naman, bagong kulay yata ang buhok kaya nagmukhang bata, hindi tuloy mukhang senyor, subalit ibinulong lang sa aking senyor daw siya. Sinabi ko naman sa drayber na “senyor daw” subalit may kalakasan, at narinig ng ibang pasahero kaya tumingin sa ale at sa akin. Nagalit sa akin ang ale, tiningnan ako ng masakit, at pabulong na sinabing, “nilakasan pa!”…sabay ismid. Ipinikit ko na lang ang mga mata ko at nakinig sa stereo ng jeep na ang tugtog ay, “The Falling Leaves”.

Ang Mga Senior Citizen sa Pilipinas

Ang Mga Senior Citizen

Sa Pilipinas

Ni Apolinario Villalobos

 

Tulad sa ibang bansa, dito sa Pilipinas

Ang senior citizen ay buhay- maaliwalas

Dapat lang namang sila’y bigyan ng pansin

Upang mapanatag ang isip nila’t damdamin.

 

Kaliwa’t kanang discount, ini-enjoy nila

Upang ang buhay naman nila, guminhawa

Sa biyahe ay may discount, pati rin grocery

Kasamang mga apo, weekend din sa Jollibee.

 

May isa pang benepisyong ini-enjoy nila

Matindi ito’t nakakagulat, nakakainggit talaga

Dahil kapag inabot ng ganitong edad sa gobyerno

Mangurakot ka man, baka aabutin mo ay abswelto!