Tacloban Calls

Jun 10, '08 10:08 PM for everyone

     What is it about TACLOBAN, Leyte that eventually had me going there recently?  At great physical discomfort and sacrifice, I might add.  Got this txt message calling on XVDs to attend a conference of ex-seminarians there, of all places. I mean, there are all sorts of conferences/meetings/recollections going on all the time but I don't necessarily feel I have to go. Tacloban is not exactly famous as a conference site either.  Besides, at my age, there is always the great tendency to excuse myself by saying in effect "been there, done that."  Even under stringent Rotary rules, I would be classified as "Senior-Active;" thus exempt from such attendance requirements.  The temptation is always there for me to claim "I have paid my dues to society.  Let the younger ones take over and do it."
     So, on many occasions, I have restrained myself from drafting "Letters to the Editor" or volunteering my two-cents at meetings or retreats.  My preaching days are over, I have told myself. I have said my piece, done my part.  Let GEORGE do it.  I now belong to the silent majority, the bleachers, a mere spectator and no longer a participant in life.  True enough, sometimes if I wait long enough, someone does write that letter to the editor and does an even better job.  But then again sometimes it never happens.  Oh, well.
     Tacloban is only an hour away - by airbus.  But I couldn't afford the fare.  So I took a Philtranco bus instead.  I calculated that since it takes almost 11 hrs to get to Legaspi, I'd better stay overnight there and proceed the next morning to Matnog, take the ferry, cross the entire stretch of Samar province and voila, I'm in Tacloban.  And so I did.  We left Manila at 9AM, Thurday and arrived in Sorsogon at 1030PM (why Sorsogon is a story in itself).  The next morning, Friday, at 6AM, I took a bus bound for Tacloban.  Arrived in Tacloban around 6PM or a good (bad) 12hr trip over the worst roads  in the world.  Samar is a (blank)-forsaken country.  It's a crying shame.  It's a disgrace.
     But once you're in Tacloban, it's heaven.  It's my kind of town, Tacloban is. Built among rolling hills and mountains, gulfs, sea and ocean, it has everything that every great city should have, and more.  It's still unspoiled. Of course, it also happens to be Romualdez country, but what the heck, we are apolitical.  Besides, every great city in the world had to be built by a king or an emperor.
     And the people are nice, warm and friendly.  Of course, they are even much nicer when they realize that my host happens to be the PNP Regional Director, ABNER CABALQUINTO, himself a very active XVD.  Instead of "Bro," the brothers there call each other "PAIS" (short for "paisano," I guess).  I was given a grand tour of the town by Bros. Boy Benitez and Larry Trani.  Another special person I finally got to meet there was a cop's widow whom I tried to help with her GSIS housing loan problem.  (That will be the subject of another blog).  It turns out that she happened to be the former secretary of our SAMMY YAPwhen he was vice-chancellor of the Divine Word College in Tacloban.  Sammy arrived early Saturday PM by Cebu Pacific just in time for the conference. It turned out that only Sammy could make it since the others also found the airfare rather prohibitive (what did I tell you).
     As I narrated on an earlier blog, I also got to meet and hobnob with the Archbishop of Palo, Leyte, His Eminence, JOSE S. PALMA, DD.  Pls. read my short blog abt this very unassuming, humble Prince of the Church.  It really was no happenstance that circumstances converged and coincided eventually to beckon and get me to Tacloban.  And, with apologies to Gen. MacArthur, whose monument is a tourist site in this beautiful city, "I think I shall return." 

    

reply

reply hbalaga wrote on Jun 11, '08 How much was the bus trip cost? 11hrs etc..body stress? Just curious? http://www.sulpiciolines.com/schedules.php Cabin 2000.00 Tourist Class 1500.00 Savers 1250.00

reply jeemsdee wrote on Jun 11, '08 Hi, hbalaga, the bus trip took a total of abt 24 hrs, 11 hrs frm Mnl to Sorsogon and maybe another 13 hrs frm there to Tacloban. I also wanted a view of the countryside so I decided to take the bus. You may be right that going by boat might have been better. In all, including 3 or 4 meals we had to take along the way, I must have spent abt P2,000.00, that's including my 20% discount as a senior citizen. But, at my age, I go as my instincts tell me. Whether you believe it or not, there seems to be a guiding hand in all that we do. We're really not in control although we may think we are. rgards

reply emdjr wrote on Jun 15, '08, edited on Jun 15, '08 Hi James, Your Rotary classification is "Senior Active", because you are composed of body and soul. The body becomes senior, but the soul is active forever.

reply jeemsdee wrote on Jun 15, '08 malalim, kuya. however, since Rotary has always been non-sectarian, I seriously doubt that Rotary will accept your point of view. At any rate, I have been out of that org for quite some time. But tnx for your comment. Regards.

reply emdjr wrote on Jun 15, '08 James, Please extend my regards to Atty Ricky Ribo. His father, the late Jun Ribo, was my constant companion when we were together in the Tax Fraud Division of the BIR. And Ricky, then a young lawyer, was our legal consultant. The Ribo's are from Palo, Leyte. You must have met Ricky over there. His uncle was an Army General during Marcos Admin. and his grandfather was a former Provincial Governor of Leyte. The Taclobanons here in USA are organizing a credit union in Tacloban which will engage in micro- lending for poverty alleviation purposes. It is supposed to lend to poor and jobless women, initially in Tacloban - then spread the operations to all towns of Northern Leyte. The same Taclobanons are also putting up a Worldwide OFW Partylist with a long-term goal of changing the Philippine economic, social, and political systems into what it should be - either through legislation or through the legalized EDSA-type revolution. The latter through massive membership recruitment. Don't you think XVDs and PAX should join this partylist ? Jun Densing, XVD at East Coast USA

reply jeemsdee wrote on Jun 15, '08 Jun - ikaw nga pala. how are you, my friend. gud to hear frm you. Sorry I dont remember meeting Ricky Ribo bcuz there were so many pipol at that conference and my memory is starting to fail me. Btw, one of the hot topics at the conference was abt turning the PAX into another partylist. Maybe your suggestion for xvds & PAX members to join that Worldwide OFW Partylist should even be better. However, I cud also sense a silent wariness that the group might be used for some selfish political ambitions. The matter was left on hold.

reply jeemsdee wrote on Jun 16, '08 JUN, talked on the phone this PM with Joel Boco who is based in the Tacloban/Palo area. He happend to mention Atty. Ricky Ribo who evidently was one of those who arranged for us to go home with some of the local special tuba. So I asked Bro. Joel to say hello to Atty. Ricky for you and me. JAMES

reply xvdph wrote on Jun 16, '08 Atty. Ribo is the President of the PAX (xsems) He was chosen during the meeting we had at the CKMS old scholasticate bldg last January, 2008.

reply jeemsdee wrote on Jun 17, '08 I told you, or you dont have to be told, my memory is starting to fail me.