A fun-filled afternoon with the children

It is always refreshing and inspiring to spend time with the children, particularly when you see them happy. Their youthful innocence and zest at play has a way of reliving our younger days when we were unaffected by the larger concerns of the times.

A “Dula sa mga Bata Alang sa Kalinaw” (Games of the Children for Peace) was one activity planned to help communities, particularly the children, bring back happier days in places traumatized by the recent violence. The sponsors—Mr. Musa Sanguila, Executive Director of Pakigdait Incorporated, and Ms. Marit Stinus-Remonde, District Governor of Kiwanis International—chose Barangay Dilabayan of Kauswagan Town in Lanao del Norte as the site for this activity. Incidentally, the two sponsors took pride being among the Army awardees which came to help the brigade in its peace efforts in the area. In the recent celebration of the 112th Army Anniversary, Pakigdait, an interfaith organization, got the award, per our nomination—the second time around—as the Most Outstanding NGO; Ms. Remonde, also, received an award for helping the Army in its various civic programs.


















In the afternoon of 30 March, I addressed the children, skipping the usual lengthy amenities, saying simply that we came to have fun and play with them. The children’s response was quite ecstatic. Despite the drizzle, the event became livelier as Ms. Cristina Lomoljo sent her teams from Balay Integrated Rehabilitation for Total Human Development (BIRTHDEV) to assist in the games. Afterwards, they ate chicken “arrozcaldo.” To Musa, this was the first time the kids ate what was prepared for them; many even came back for second servings and more until nothing was left. In the previous activities, it was noted that the children did not touch the food that was brought for them due to cultural sensitivities. This time it was different, the local folks were given the raw food items and were asked to cook it themselves.

We left seeing the children happy…and we felt happier with a sense of fulfillment.

Pinning our hopes on the youth … our children

Our hopes for the future are pinned on our children. And school graduation exercises celebrate this event with the awarding of diplomas and medals proclaiming the children’s achievement. It is usually an emotionally charged affair when tears are shed—of joy, of gratitude, of pride, of hope, and perhaps ... even of despair—by the graduating students, teachers, and parents, and even by guests. The deeper significance of the occasion is that our individual and collective dreams are being passed to the youth, to the children.










I had the opportunity to again witness this thrilling celebration in the 24th Commencement Exercises of Balo-i National High School in Lanao del Norte. In a Christian-dominated class marching for graduation, about 40% of the 149 students were Muslims. Despite this, Johari M. Abubacar, a well-mannered Muslim, was the class valedictorian. He reaped a number of awards: Best in Mathematics, Best in Science, Best in Mapeh, and Best in Aral Panlipunan. I would say that he was quite good particularly as I listened to him deliver a remarkable speech from memory. This, I thought, was an excellent example of a youth upon whom we can pin our hopes for the future. But, my upbeat feeling was soon overwhelmed by a sense of despair: he may not make it to college due to financial incapacity. Later, I was comforted with the thought that the teachers and some guests were doing something to put him to school. Still, I asked myself how many of our promising youths are not accorded the chance to deliver their full potential.

Mindful of this dilemma together with my own parental responsibilities, I took my turn to deliver my message on the adopted commencement theme—“My Education: My Contribution to the Future.”

Message - My Education

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Memories of the heart

By stroke of fate, I found myself again posted in the same place--Lanao--for the 3rd time: first as a junior officer in the early 80s, then as battalion commander in 2000, and now as brigade commander. Fond memories of the past easily come by on idle days, as on Valentine’s Day, more so when away from our loved ones.

Far from my loved ones on the “Day of the Hearts” and after 24 years, I finally managed to visit my marital godparents: former Linamon Mayor Albertino and Citsunsicion Macas. Both of them, now in their early 80's, were in high spirits and had just arrived from their separate civic and social activities. Where years ago stood their wooden house, as I can still vividly recall, had already been replaced with concrete structures.

















Over a chocolate cake that I especially made out for them, we reminisced the past as much as we could remember. I obviously had to fill in the events in between since the time I last saw them. As I did, they delighted going-over the pictures of my family and that of my grandson--the same images I had locked in my heart.

In bidding goodbye to give them more time on their own, I was amazed at how they aged gracefully and appeared quite fulfilled. I then realized how time passed so quickly as we get passionately consumed in pursuing our dreams, but missing on the little and pleasant things in life. I walked away with a strange feeling of an intense longing for the company of my own family. Perhaps, indeed, as we grow older, we come to think more of home.

On my way back to camp, I shook myself out of my reverie to focus on what still lays ahead: continuing with life’s journey and drawing inspiration from the many memories kept in my heart.