Gubatnon ConnectionConceive. Believe. Achieve.

This You Tube version of the “Lupang Hinirang” national anthem of the Philippines touched my heart. Once in a while, we need to learn how our country evolved from one generation to another. Even short movie clips like this is enough to open our minds and hearts, how heroes of past and present cost their lives to build a nation named Philippines.

I’ve never thought I could find a Gabi (Gaway) plant at Times Square, here in New York City. Of all the places, it was planted at the center island of the most popular square in the world – with 45 million visiting tourists from around the world every year. I found this plant while I was video recording the Times Square, which is a a favorite place for me. Here, you could be alone, but you’ll never feel alone with thousands of people enjoying the place. Everytime I come to this place, I always ask myself why thousands of people come to this place everyday. The answer, ‘though, need not come from other people, but from my own thoughts: Times Square is the symbol of the “American Dream” every person from other places have always dreamt about. The glittering neon lights, the giant digital billboards, the tall skyscrapers, the Broadway shows, the beeping and honking cars, and the sea of humanity at this small triangle, called “Times Square” is like a world in itself. Only that sadness and negative elements are hidden, tried to be forgotten for a moment. Only fun, happiness, and memories are enjoyed in this place.

You’ll enjoy more of my works at my “blog farm,” links of which are listed below:

1. Around New York City 2. Blackberry Phones & More 3. Success Secrets for Filipinos 4. Filmmaking Hobby With Flip Video 5. What’s on Your Mind? 6. The Geek Senior Next Door 7. The City Never Sleeps 8. Gubatnon Connection 9. Do You Need My Help? 10. Just Call Me, Ian Ryne 11. Experts Write About 12. Mark’s Nokia Blog

“Why are we poor?”  runs a line of an Internet post I’ve read in one of my groups in Yahoo? There’s so many reasons to it, but you could only answer this question based on your own perception.

When I was working as a Fiber Technician, and assigned at Gubat, I’ve met an abaca stripper (parahag-ot abaka) at Barangay Tugawe. This stripper was living in a small hut just the size of his height when he lies inside it. It was from this man how I learned that happiness is not all about money and luxurious things in life. He told me happiness is about contentment. When you’re contented with what you enjoy now, then, you’re happy. So, I asked him what makes him happy actually. He told me, once he’s in the poblacion watching the cockfight at Balag’s cockpit arena on Sundays, then, he’s happy and contented already.

The farmer was single and all alone in his life. That’s what I’ve learned further from him. As I went back home, driving my 100 cc Yamaha motorcycle, I told myself, “Maybe if I’m alone, too, in my life I could just be like him – as happy and as contented as him.” But I’m the eldest in our family, with 10 more brothers and sisters looking upon what I could do to help them. My father was just a lowly-paid government employee, while my mother was just a plain housewife. We’re as poor as self-supporting chickens we locally called “isang-kahig-isang-tuka.” With this situation, I could not be as happy and contented as the abaca stripper.

Going back to the question “Why are we poor?” my answer is actually on how we could afford to say how happy and contented we are in our lives. “Contentment” is the magic work.

Postscript:

Jim Carrie, a comedian actor, wrote on a dummy check $10 Millions issued to his name and placed it on his wallet all the time, to inspire him to get a real check with that amount in the future. When he became a successful comedian actor, he cashed out a real check more than the amount he wrote when he was poor and penniless.

Read more of my blogs at “Negosyong Pangkabuhayan, ATBP.”

From childhood, I’ve always been touched by the sufferings of people who are in the level of poverty, because my family is among them until now. Since childhood, I’ve always dreamed on every election period that one day, my family’s sufferings from hunger and deprivation, could be resolved by new leaders elected. Now, I’m already on my middle-age, people shout for the same hunger and sufferings from poverty, because we have the same problem with corruption by politicians. We have always placed the solutions to our problems in the hands of politicians.

Thanks for my decision to join the Gubat St. Anthony Credit Cooperative (GSACC) at my hometown (Gubat), where members joined together with their little investments to put up a credit cooperative. Here, members help each other in building and managing a credit cooperative union which serve as source for micro lending when they need money for their business. Through this cooperative, I’ve learned the powers of self-reliance (by an individual) and cooperation from among people in order to change your social status from poor to financially stable. The money that I borrowed from this cooperative from 1986 to 1992 (before I migrated to America) were used by me to open a sari-sari store, and later to buy equipments for my growing three grocery stores, then buy the computer that I brought here in US.

“You cannot wait for politicians. Society must save its own self,” was said by Mexican author Carlos Fuentes, in a convention of writers at the McAllister Auditorium in New Orleans, USA. He was referring to the same sufferings by Mexicans and people from New Orleans, which is considered as “third world” state of USA. Related to this, let me tell the Filipino people who could read this article that they should rely on themselves, and stop waiting for politicians to help them. These politicians have their own elite groups and small groups joining together for their own interests, and simply using the poverty and sufferings of the people as their point of entries to their corruptions. Filipinos should start grouping themselves from small clusters and build their own organizations that could alleviate their own sufferings. The revolution, the change, should start from within ourselves.

Tired of the election fever? Tired of listening to black propagandas stoned by each warring parties? Now, let me change that worries, by sharing you a screamy story which I also shared in other Yahoo groups in the Internet.

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When I was a teenager at my hometown, I still believed on those aswangs, ghosts, and kapres, specially when I’m out on the road. Everything changed after my long years of stay here in New York City.

One night, I went home from the capital town of Sorsogon to my hometown at Gubat – driving my motorcycle. It was moonless night, and the wind was cold – sign of forthcoming rain on early morning. On that 20-kilometer driving from Sorsogon to Gubat, I was really scared to the bones, specially that I was the only one driving in a dark highway that’s cold and creepy.

When I passed, the barrio of Payawin, almost reaching the barrio of Carriedo, a very, very cold wind hit my body. Then, from the distant I saw silhoutte of giants waving their hands on me. I thought, they were the “Kapre’s” everyone was talking about. My hairs started to rise from my skin. My perspirations were as cold as melting ice on my face and on my back.

I thought, what if I reach the place where they’re standing, they’ll get into the asphalted road where I’m running and block my way? As they waved their hands from a distant, I knew, they’d be much bigger when I’m near them!

Being alone in a dark, and cold highway all I could do was pray the “Our Father,” and the “Hail Mary.” I can’t close my eyes, or else, I’ll get into an accident. After several repititions of the two prayers, as I moved forward to the waving giants, I finally reached the point where they were standing and waving hands at me. Then, as my motorcycle’s headlight hits these standing, and waving giants, I finally saw them in close-up range. As my motorcycle gets closer to them, I finally saw tall banana plants with their leaves waving on the air.

I didn’t know, if it was because of the powers of my prayers that the giants turned into tall banana plants. But after my long stay here in New York City, I certainly believe that those giants waving hands on me were products of my own imaginations.

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Mga Ka-tribung Gubatnon:

Naraot an blogsite ko na “Tambayan” sa http://gubatnon.com/tambayan.  Kaya, dini na ako ma-focus sin posting san main site, “Gubatnon Blogger.” Pareho man yuon. Halu-haluon ko na lang an mga patinawa, kurumustahan, seryusong erestoryahan sa pag-asenso dini sa “Gubatnon Blogger.”

Kanina, may pinadara sa ako si classmate Juancho Donor sin mga retrato san family reunion sin mga Donor sa California. Yaa tabi sa ibaba.  Pihare na lang niyo kun kilala pa niyo an mga nasa retrato.  Isabay ko na lugod an email ni Juancho dini para may guide kamo kun sino an mga nasa retrato.

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Dear Classmates,

 

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR saiyo intero!  An Tribu san mga Donor dini sa California. Last picture ma-o ini an mga kamanghod ko na graduate sa Gubat High Shool. from left to right Myrna 1970, Pablo 1968, Filipina 1961, your classmate, Ester 1956, Bernardo 1969 & Araceli 1954, an kamanghod na yuon sa Pilipinas  Jose 1952, Oro 1953 graduate sa Sorsogon Trade School, & Frenie 1967.  (Belen 1958 ka-upod na ni San Pedro sa Langit)

 

Happy Birthday to all January celebrants!  O sigi sa masunod naman na posting!

 

 

Juancho and family

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Juancho Donor and Relatives

Juancho Donor and First Family

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