My High School Best Friend's Life

My Life
(Listen to what I am not saying)
I am an ordinary Filipino Citizen, of legal age, married and resident of Tagum City (a component city in the province of Davao del Norte located in the southern part of Mindanao, Republic of the Philippines).
I come from the bloodline of pioneering settlers in the town that was once called Magugpo and now a blooming city of palms (Tagum). I have a Cebuano and Boholano lineage and was raised a good Christian. I respect other religious beliefs and races.
My academic life is spent in ChristianSchool thus my organizational affiliation is mostly with Christian groups. I finished my studies in a prestigious university in Cebu City and holder of a degree in an engineering profession. I have no professional license. I failed in my first board examination and did not bother to take another try.
I spent more than ten years of work experience in the private sector from technical, then in clerical prior to marketing, and towards personnel administration type of work.
My mother died of diabetic complication in 1999 and followed by my father in 2003 due to compulsive smoking and alcoholic. Since my father’s demise, I quit working in the private sector and administer few of the inherited properties.
Income derive from the inherited properties were diminishing and no longer enough to suffice the current family needs. Local currency strength and economic growth could not be felt in our level as prices of basic commodities continue to rise.
I really need to get a job for income augmentation. I tried getting back to work in the private sector but age and gender preference seems to constantly block me from getting the opportunity. Then I started to re-focus my job hunt in the government sector since I am professionally eligible.
For five years, I tried hard and it seems my efforts were futile. I was given the opportunity to take aptitude examinations to which I successfully hurdled and was interviewed afterwards. But after that, nothing happens. Later I would just be able to know that some co-applicants to whom I felt I am far more better would be hired due to political endorsements which I refer to as “palakasan”. At first I hated this kind of political maneuver as it was not directly related to the capability and capacity of a person. Yet it was practiced even before I was born in this country. I was forced to go along with the system. Still I lack connections in the highest echelon which literally is the gateway after the bridge and stairs. I would believe that in some cases, aptitude examinations and interviews were done for formality sake only. And in reality, vacant positions were already groomed for some personal political choice. I am not specifically pointing at the current administration but in all administrations in general.
I am now getting older and my chances of getting a job is getting slimmer. I am constantly encouraged by my family and friends to keep going on but I couldn’t help myself getting more desperate as time passes. Honestly speaking, there were times that I would like to question my CREATOR why I am not getting an opportunity this time when in fact I tried hard to maintain being good and responsible tax paying citizen. I have no derogatory records and was never engaged in illegal activities.
I am getting impatient. It is because I am in dire need.
I could feel that I inherited a disease from my parent (diabetes) and the complications can be felt through hypertension, gout arthritis, chest pains, and UTI. I do have maintenance for my hypertension and gout but for thorough medical check-ups/diagnosis especially with diabetes, chest pain and UTI proves difficult due to budget constraints. I could not sacrifice the educational allocation for my son because I believe he has a good future to look forward to. Much to my suffering is the health condition of my wife who needs to undergo surgical operation for the removal of the gall bladder stone.
My burden these days gets heavier. Our few properties were disposed little by little and hoping it would not run out.
Another shocking evolution in me, my faith and belief is starting to fade. Previously I consider myself as an army of God and faith defender. But look at me now. My heart is slowly filled with hate.
I hate having no work. I hate a diminishing income. I hate having debilitating disease. I hate “palakasan”. I hate corrupt officials. I hate pretenders. I hate rising taxes. I hate red tapes. I hate liars. I hate politicians who were kind and visible only during election campaign. I hate empty promises. I hate justice being manipulated. I hate “balimbing”. I hate a lot of things that make this world look like hell. Or was it hell already?
Whew! I expressed it out at last. I know that if I send this to politicians, they will not be able to read and listen to what I am not saying as this passes on to deaf ears and blind eyes of pretension. This might end up deleted in the recycle bin and much worse treated as spam.
I am posting and sending this message in the internet in any possible way I can.
I expect that this will not help me in any way. At least I was able to write down what I wanted to express out while I am still breathing in this world. I know I would not last long enough because the disease is slowly eating me up.
For those who care, I can assure you that I still have a bit of hope left in the secret chamber of my heart. You may unlock and re-kindle it. Save me from drowning in the sea of hatred.
Thank you for reading to what I may not be writing….!?!
By
Bienvenido C. Quirante, Jr. Crying Freeman with a Braveheart
50% Boholano+50% Cebuano=100% Tagumeño

Definitely not Baguio as you think.....but Bukidnon's Del Monte Clubhouse

Early morning mists of late December greeted us while the roads are still damp from the midnight dews and the natural scent of grassland prevails. This is one of those times when lads can freely lie and roll over to play without fear of being ran down by passing vehicles as we braved the mountainous roadtrip towards this province in the sky. Packed with a brief but refreshing sleep from the only decent hotel in Malaybalay few hours before, our stomach starts to growl at the thought of gastronomic delight ahead. It was a recommendation from a famous food magazine, plus the so much hype from people we knew who passed by this side of the country...well at least to see and taste is to believe.

Two long hours later ...

A Force to be reckoned with-Paula

One of the reasons why we should watch AI VII

About David

mourning

The medical community of zamboanga city is mourning over the loss of a great colleague.
I don't know him personally. I just know him because i see him a lot in many social functions of the medical society (my last memory of him was attending a birthday party of a multivitamins mascot 2 nights ago), and every now and then i see him along the corridors or nurses stations of every hospital every time i go on rounds. I even remembered him last year when he was very anxious about a particular dengue patient whom he referred to me for co-management.
Only in his late thirties, he is a person who works hard and well dedicated to his profession as a pediatrician. He is one of the top pediatricians in the city. As a family man, i learned that he is a bread winner to his nephews and nieces.
At around 3 pm this afternoon, i was about to see a patient with leukemia at the emergency room of one of the private hospitals. Another case of DOA probably arrived because one distraught lady came out wailing. But another set of nurses came out also crying loudly. Another familiar doctor came out of the ER misty eyed..This is not the normal drama from an ER with a case of DOA, i thought to myself. Then one of the nurses who was crying told me.."Tor wala na si Dr..."
I proceeded inside the complex immediately, and what i confronted was the ashen lifeless body of a familiar person. Jung was beside him, a cardiologist friend together with the other pediatricians who are great friends of the departed. All of them are crying. I surveyed the entire room which is now crowded with other nurses from all the nurses station, orderlies, cleaners and other resident physicians. All of them crying. I tried to compose myself, but the whole scene is quite unexpected. The only sounds you can hear are the loud sobs his sister and eldest son.
This man touched alot of lives and his departure has left a mark. Something unexpected happened. A reality check? WE are only human, and anytime, we are going to die. Doctors are not spared.
He was already in rigor mortis, they tried to revive him but attempts were futile, they can't even open his jaw for intubation.
Another case of Rico Yan and Miguel Rodriguez? I thought they were just myths. But what has happened in front of me proved its possible to anyone.
One of his friends told me,"he even made his rounds at around 12 midnight earlier went home around 2 am." He went to sleep and death took over.
From the bottom of my heart, may you rest in peace.

Children of Heaven

I just saw its trailer at CinemaOne this morning, and its very good to know that they have dubbed it in Filipino. I love this film when i saw it more than a decade ago. Thru my peripheral vision, i saw my father cried at the end. He never do, but that film was an exception. It does that to the warm-hearted.

I guess a Filipino digital film tried to imitate the plot a few years back-"Daan patungong kalimugton," Haven't seen it though.

Its the usual award-winning formula of a foreign language film-a child actor, a country showcasing its exotic culture, excellent cinematography and poverty plot.
Watch out for it on February 18...

Haunting

piano

(guitar)
guitar

Haunting..
Beautiful..
One of the best songs ever written for a movie..

The Mayonnaise jar and two cups of coffee

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle; when 24 hours in a day are not enough; remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 cups of coffee...
A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him.
When the class began,
he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar
and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.
He then asked the students if the jar was full.
They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar.
He shook the jar lightly.
The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.

He then asked the students again if the jar was full.

They agreed it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar.
Of course, the sand filled up everything else.

He asked once more if the jar was full.
The students responded with an unanimous "yes."
The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and
poured the entire contents into the jar,
effectively filling the empty space between the sand.
The students laughed.
"Now," said the professor as the laughter subsided,
"I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.

The golf balls are the important things
--your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions---
and if everything else was lost and only they remained;
your life would still be full.
The pebbles are the other things that matter;
like your job, your house and your car.
The sand is everything else---the small stuff.
"If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued,
"there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.

The same goes for life.

If you spend all your time and energy on the smallstuff
you will never have room for the things that are important to you.
"Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.
Play with your children
Take time to get medical checkups.
Take your spouse out to dinner.
Play another 18.
There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal.

Take care of the golf balls first
--the things that really matter--
Set your priorities.
"The rest is just sand."
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.
The professor smiled.
"I'm glad you asked."
"It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem;
there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."
Note: a forwarded message from Chitoism