Dedikasyon para kay Padre Chulie Obias

An saimong pangapodan, mag-alay nin pangadyi sa Banal na Espiritu, sa pag-arang nin pasabung sa isipan, na matangrawan nin liwanag an pangarap-karap na maging magkanigo asin madahom an kamugtakan sa dai pa siertong destinasyon.

( Your appeal for prayers to the Holy Spirit, imploring enlightened guidance, so that you may be led treading into betterment in the still unknown destination. )

Kun saro ako sa lalaoman na mangadyi, masanong sana ako sa saimong kamaw-otan, o kun nagpataw-pataw pa an boot nin alinlangan, hangad ko na lamang an saimong kaligtasan asin karahayan.

( If I will be tasked to pray, I'll go in chorus with the whims of your heart, or when stuck in a moment of indecision; then, I would just pray for your safety pass and wellness in everything. )

Ano daw iayon pa ining mga berso na alay ko saimo? Mga hinorop-horop nin pagtobod asin ladawan nin buhay-buhay; na gikan sa sakuyang alintataw asin sikdo nin kinurab-kutaban na irarom nin boot.

( What if I add these verses that I'm dedicating to you? My contemplative beliefs and picturesque of living; flowing out of my imagination and thoughts prompted by rhythmic beatings underneath . )


An Gamgam
( The Bird )
“ Namata ko an sarong gamgam, lupad sana nin lupad, dangan nawara sa panan-aw. Harayong lupalop, manlaen-laen na lupalop - saiyang inagihan, inabutan, hinalean; Sagkod sain asin noarin? Alagad an hustong kahapotan: ano an estado nin futuro na dai pa nin kasimbagan?

( I kept an eye on a bird, flying steadily, then lost in the horizon. In a far away land, over many foreign lands - that bird passes, arrived, departed; Up to where and when? But the real question is: the question of uncertainty. )

Alagad may anag-ag nin paglaom, sa pagsolnop kan aldaw, masaen pa man an gamgam,? kundi, humapon!.

(But there is flicker of hope, at sunset, where do birds go? but to perch on!)

Napara an sakuyang kapung-awan kan mahiling an nagdangadang na nagkupa-kupang gamgam, nagreretiro, hanap an dating togdonan. Sa dating togdonan, pospos nin taraytay na nakadapo an mga tugang na gamgam – nagkatiripon sa senyal kan pag uklo kan aldaw sa solnopan.

( My melancholic mood vanished away, as soon as I caught sight of the fast approaching bird, on his return flight, going back to its rightful perching branch. Along that branch, those birds of the same feather, flocks together – reunited by the the symbol of the setting sun towards the west. )

An Pawikan
( The Sea Turtle )











“ Nasilag ko an buhay kan pawikan, an saradit na mga puro-pawikan, nagpa-erinotan sa paglabto pasabat sa lungso kan kadagatan. Sa kada gatos na nagpalawod, saro o duwa sana an salvador sa bautismo nin peligro sa primer año kan saindang sapalarang pagkabuhay na palibot nin manlaen-laen na predatorio.

( I reflected on the way of life of a sea turtle, those hatchling turtles, racing toward the beach, facing against the tide. For every hundredths of those who ventured for life, only one or two survived after a year, out of that perilous nature of their habitat, which are full of predators. )

An naturalesa kan pawikan, minauli sa baybayon na ginikanan sa laog nin magkanigong panahon.

(Sea turtles are perennial homing creatures. They go back in due time to the shore where they once belong.)

Sa kada ribo na luminayas na napadpad sa mas halawig pang lawod, saro o duwa sana an milagrosong nakakasampot asin nakakasusod makapuli sa parehong lugar na puntong kinamundagan saiya.

( For every thousandths of those hatchlings, only one or two, will survive into maturity, and successfully be able to claim back its birthplace.)

An pagbabalik, may magayon na darang bareta, an pagwaras nin ginatos na banhi para sa panibag-ong buhay. Matapos an pag-atang nin biyaya, nakagayak liwat sa saiyang pambihirang biyahe pabalik sa azul na kalawodan. Ngapit pa, sa kundisyon na dai narebusak an dating erok, minabuelta liwat an pawikan sa tiyempo nin kada ika 2 o tolong taon, tanganing palawigon an saindang kasugpon na henerasyon.

( There is happy news in this return journey, the sea turtle will lay hundreds of eggs to start a new life. After that act of life offering, it goes back to start anew, an amazing journey into the deep blue sea. Thereafter, when its former habitat remain unspoiled, it returns in 2 to 3 year cycle, perpetuating a new generation of their own. )


An Kasili
( An Eel )








“ Nangalas ako sa naturalesa kan kasili. An mga milyones na ogbon na may 2 pulgadas na sirilag na hitso nin naghirikol-hikol na kasili, saro sanang direksyon an puntirya. Guminikan sa maaskad na tubig sa dagat, nag-asba sa sulong, maski hababaw o basa sanang dalan aagihon, maabot sana an destinasyon na malabsay na tubig na irayahon.

( I am amazed by the natural instinct of the fish, eel. Those millions of progeny, squirming 2 inches glasseels, have only one direction to go. From its spawning ground of salty waters, they migrate consistently at all cost, into brackish, and further ending into body of fresh water upstream. )

Mina-irok nin huro-halawig na panahon, sa malibog, malipot-lipot asin madiklom na kamugtakan. Nakaulnok sa aldaw, minabûtwa kinabanggihan sa pagsibo nin makakakan. Hastang mahinog an reproduktibong edad, harani na an aldaw nin saiyang paglalayag, pabalik sa ginikanan na lugar na tubig na maaskad.

( Dwelling upon this body of water for a longer period of time, preferring murky, temperate and dark abode. Buried in daytime and feeding at night. Until reaching sexual maturity, it’s time to return to the ocean. )

An pagsangkay kan baha an hinahalat na tiyempo, an saiyang gagamiton na behikulo tanganing menos an peligro sa halawig na pagsoysoy sa anod kan salog na minasundo sa dagat.

(Awaiting the opportune time, when flood rose to convenient level, there goes the eel , embarking to travel at lesser risks by conveniently drifting into rushing waters - ending at the mouth of the sea.)

Igwa nin mga suanoy na tawong nakaheling sa eksodos kan dakulang kasili sa panahon nin pagsangkay kan baha sa salog o danao. Nangalas sinda sa sobrang pakadakula kan naheling na kasili. Ini an pig-apod ninda na:

“ tuminandayag na kasili.”

(There are few ancient people who really witnessed this kind of exodus of a great eel; along the bank of a river or lake, at a time water rises at excess level. They called the gigantic eel to have been transformed into monstrous proportion )

An tandayagan pasiring na sa ultimong destinasyon, sa lugar na hararomon asin gatos na milya pa an rayo, An hinalean, babalikan; kun saen nagpoon, duman tataposon. An momento nin supremong pag-alay nin buhay nasa kaganapan na. Matapos mahiris an 15 milyones na ga-dagom na sibol na naghirikol-hikol, iyo an naging mitsa kan pagkautas kan saiyang buhay na may dakilang kadahilanan.

(That gigantic one is well on its way to final destination, into the ocean that is still miles away. A place departed, there to return; from where started, there to end. The moment of supreme sacrifice is at hand now. After spawning not less than 15 millions of squirming organisms, follows the end of life of the greater one - who had just served its noble purpose.)

An gamgam, an pawikan, an kasili: anas mga marhay na simbolo nin paglayas asin pag-abot sa lamenting destinasyon.

( The bird, the sea turtle, the eel: are fitting symbols of departures and arrivals into their rightful destination. )


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Prayers and Support for Sis Becky (Jing) Bien Saret

To KSeans, Caramoanons and Friends:

We are almost silent, perhaps due to denial state of feeling, and the fact that it is hardest to accept, how this tragic accident happen to a person, who is well loved, a beautiful woman-inside and out, kindhearted, good-natured; surrounded by a peace loving family circle.

Rebecca Bien Saret, Sis Jing, as we fondly call her, met a serious accident together with her husband, Milan, a few days ago on the street of Magarao. She is in coma, and had undergone at least two major operations at Mother Seton Hospital in Naga City. I may not be accurate with the details and it's too painful to further enumerate. What is certain, is that she and her family, is in dire need of our full support- be it moral, spiritual and financial.

Only God can make life-saving Miracle, that is why we have to implore Him with our prayers. But man can also make one, but only small miracles. If we can pool our resources together, then, we can at least sustain the financial requirements in maintaining the operation of life supporting machines attached to her and continue the supply of medicines that feed her.

Giving moral support in this lowest moment in the lives of her family is most appropriate.

Let us give our share, in return that we do not want this unfortunate event happen to us.

Let us make our yahoo groups put to work. Let us campaign here for prayers, moral and financial support.

Use this venue to gather the necessary informations, contact numbers and account numbers where we could forward our love offerings.

Wake up, actually, am rushing this letter, tomorrow may be too late.

Very truly yours,

Tony Co, Nanyi Fernandez, & Tanny Valencia.
October 12, 2007
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At CLSU Collegian: Marianito Bitara, Prolific Writer of His Time

There was a small building at the back of CLSU Post Office, its plain facade faces the old registrar's office, and on its backside, is a Ladies' Dormitory. That small building, housed the Office of the CLSU Collegian Editorial Board.

As far as I can remember, the helm of CLSU Editorial Board was being held by top caliber
student journalists, namely, Gil Valenzuela, Nenita Garcia, and Nicanor Soliman, in their order of
succession, in a span of more or less 5 years, the length of my
stay in CLSU as student.

There was a humble guy who served as staff writer under those three great Editors-in-Chief. In the spirit of giving credit where credit is due, I would like to do the honor of presenting him, with my arms both wide-open and on bended knees, to call on MARIANITO BITARA, as the most prolific writer of his time at CLSU.

The first time I met him was on the early part of the first semester of my freshman year, 1980. He stays at a Dorm that I forgot the number now. But it is somewhat an elite dorm, because it does not belong to the majority of men's dormitory rows. It housed mostly Vet-Med students. His dorm is located adjacent to the Office of the Student Affairs (OSA), on the other side of the road, is the Faculty Canteen and the Bachelor's Pad. It is also a strong stone throw to hit the old market and just a mild stone throw to disturb a mass being celebrated by Father Glansbeck at the University Chapel.

Mar for short, showed me volumes of thick compilation of his published articles chronologically arranged and clipped in folders. No floppy diskette or CD yet by that time. He is not only good at writing, but also has an eye for photography, both literally and figuratively. You could usually spot him with a camera wrapped around his neck and always walks in a hurry.

He confided to me that whenever he writes a story line involving a male character, he usually gives him a name of Jessie for English and assigns Jesus for Tagalog medium. He is actually expressing a subtle exaltation of his religious belief.

He has a lot of articles published even on newspapers and magazines of nationwide and commercial circulation. No other student writer who made that concerted effort of exporting his works outside the campus and earning honorarium along the way.

I do remember one of his photo depicting a house moved the bayanihan way, but not on men's shoulder, rather, with the aid of modern mechanical advantage, on wheels, thus, the title: Bayanihan on Wheels, gracing Panorama Magazine.

Shortly after that brief encounter, I took the CLSU Collegian qualifying exam. Later, we found ourselves in the same editorial board. That was the start of my career as a trying hard staff writer.

Believe me, I only have one article contributed to the CLSU Collegian in my entire stint as a trying hard writer. Remember the title of my article? ... "Kasi'y Cdt. Private lang tayo" , and I received an honorarium of less than a hundred peso for that. I'm sure it's less than a hundred peso because I was counting coins when I received that money. And I guess, there is no hundred peso monetary bill yet at that time. What I can recall are those widely circulating big 1 peso coins and two peso paper bills.

But Marianito Bitara gets paid for his numerous article contributions per issue of the CLSU Collegian, in the amount that could more than matched his Cocofed stipend of P400.00. He usually tops in payroll over other equally prolific writers, like Tony Barroga-Literary Editor and Armando Lajom-Pilipino Editor.

Unfortunately, Me and Mar is not that close. In fact, I quarrelled him one time when he wrote something on my friend over petty misunderstanding with a dorm mate at ladies dorm 5. I ran like a knight in shining armor, so to speak, in defense of my dear friend. I detest the blind item he wrote putting my beloved in bad light. I contend that such story of personal conflict has no place on a school newspaper like ours, and that the subjects are not showbiz materials.

Well, that was 27 years ago, and I could just sheepishly smile from cheek to cheek at times I pondered about it. Hi Mar!, peacetime already!!! Gimme Five!!!

Mar is in Texas, USA now, and to my surprise, I saw him on You Tube holding a placard that proclaims: “Equal Custody for Good Dads”. It turned out that he is staging a lone rally for a cause about Equal Parenting Rights when he caught the attention of KBTX News, a television Network based in Texas. The sight of him in that bold and courageous instance prompted me to salute him left and right altogether. He is more than a prolific writer this time. He is a Great Dad too.

Mar in America, is now sporting a new packaging. Call him Mark with a “K”.

You can get in touch with him at mtbitara@equal-custody.org or watch him at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVuaA4L1KQ8

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Kwentong CLSU - Magkabalitaan Tayo

Mula nang mailathala ko sa Blog at Yahoo Groups ang aking mga artikulo tungkol sa ala-ala ng aking panahon kasama si Dr. Jose L. Tabago at pagmumuni-muni sa “Feel Young”, napukaw ang pansin ng aking malalapit na kaibigan dahil sa muling nakapa nila ang pagkakalapit ng aming damdamin sa bisa ng pasasalarawan ng istorya.

Ang paksang pinag-uusapan ay nag-uugat sa iisang lugar na aming pinanggalingan na naging malaking bahagi ng aming buhay, ang CLSU. Ang mga tauhan ay maaaring kilala o di kilala, ngunit ang natitiyak ko, sila man ay may magagandang ala-ala na nais balik-balikan, ang mga araw ng kasibulan sa CLSU.

Nais ko ring tukuyin, na isang pamamaraan ng pag-akit ito sa mga kasapi ng on line forum na kinabibilangan ko, na maglabas din ng kani-kanilang natatanging personal na kwento upang lalong maging masigabo at mayaman ang talakayan.

Tunghayan ang palitan ng mga salita:

Biglang sumulpot sa CLSU Artist Club Yahoo groups ang e-mail ni Pepito Duque, isang matagal nang nawawalang kamag-aral.

" Thank you for making me feel young. You really have some talent. You still have that Tony Co in you back in CLSU days. Keep writing and I think you have deep thoughts about that once familiar emotion of being young.

This isnt your best. Hehehe …. Pepe ”

Sinagot ko agad at copy furnished ang EYSE Yahoo groups:

" Oy PEPS, buhay ka pa palang hayop ka, as in homo sapien (nde hayup ha?).

Mga EYSE (tawag sa mga members ng Artist Club) !, ito si Bro. Pepito Duque, ka kontempor-anyo ko sa CLSU. Magaling siyang kartonista.

Mula sa pagbobote, pagbabakal, pinasok na rin niya ang pagkakarton.

Malikot ang kanyang isip at lalong lalo na ang kamay, sa paglikha ng mga nakakakiliting obra sa pag-guhit. Paborito nyang guhitan ang mga CR, dingding ng mga malilinis na pinturadong building, locker sa dormitoryo, pader at bakod. Me kakaiba rin siyang kakayahan na sulatan ang t-shirt ng sari-saring bandalismo habang nakasuot ito at hindi namamalayan ng manhid na tao.

Ang hindi na lang niya masulatan masyado ay ang kanyang nag-iisang kuwaderno na gamit sa aralin.

Di ko maubos maisip kung pano siya naka graduate. Di ko alam kung sa awa o takot ng pamunuan ng CLSU kaya siya pina-graduate.

Simula nun maging alumnus na siya, naging malinis at maaliwalas na ang kapaligiran sa CLSU. ... Tony Co "

Hindi nakatiis si Rudy Sadia, kapwa ko Cocofed Scholar sa CLSU, sabi niya:

" naaaliw ako sa blog mo, sana nga magkapanahon din akong magsulat. Maaring sa paraang itoy makatalamitam natin ang mga dating kamag aral natin sa clsu. Katulad ni Pepe na bigla na lang sumusulpot samantalang huli kaming nagkita ay sa Sultan Kudarat, pero ngayoy nakikipagbuno na ang dila sa banyagang bansa.... Rudy “

Sinundan uli ni Rudy ng e-mail, bilang balik ala-ala sa masasayang araw namin ng pagtatanim sa Digdig:

" parang hindi century plant ang pangalan ng halamang tinanim natin sa digdig. Mas mabuting itanong natin kay Felino, alam mo namang kabisado non pati mga middle name ng lahat ng cocofed scholars, wanted nga siya ngayon ng dzmm papalit kay Ernie Baron.

Dapat dinagdag mo pa kay Peps yung bubble gum na dinikit niya sa may urinal ng men's CR ng College of Engineering at linagyan ng paskel na, PLS.DONATE!... Rudy "

Nasisiyahan ako sa naging reaksyon ng malalapit kong kaibigan. At nabanggit na rin ang pangalan ni Felino Linga, BSAEn '85. Tinatawagan ko siya na magparamdam naman.

Kapag lumabas na si Felino, marami pang susulpot na ka-kontempor- anyo naming kasamahan, tulad nina Roy Oracion - uncle ni Leo Oracion ng Everest, Nida Fadul - walang kinalaman sa frat hazing, at iba pang kaklase na mahihilig tumawa. Yun iba naming mga kaklase na ayaw lumitaw, ay kuntento na yata sa pagbabasa, tulad ng kwentong ito.

Tony Co, BSAEn'85
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Ika-2 Yugto: DR.JOSE L. TABAGO, MAKA-KALIKASAN

Ang subject code: Ag En 8 na may deskriptong Soil & Water Conservation Engineeering, ginugugulan ng panahon ng lektura sa silid aralan at praktikal na ensayo sa labas ng paaralan.

Mapalad ang aming klase sa pagkakatalaga sa amin ng isang Dr. Jose L. Tabago na may tumpak na kasanayan sa nabanggit na araling larangan. Siya ay may masteral na antas sa Environmental Engineering mula sa Asian Institute of Technology ng Bangkok, Thailand, taong 1973. Pinag-igting pa ito ng katatamong Doctoral na pagkadalubhasa sa programang Water Resources Management sa lupain ng mga kowboy, Oklahoma State University, 1983.

Ang istilo ng pagtuturo ni DJLT ay hindi yung ang estudyante ang maghahanap ng kasagutan. Sadyang itinuturo nya ito. Kaya nga naturingan ang guro na mag turo. Hindi tulad nung iba diyan, self-service ang ginagawa samin. Tatambakan ka ng sangkatutak na assignments, hanggang kaunti na lang ang panahong natitira para sa kanyang pagtuturo.

Mabait si DJLT, madalas gumamit ng kuwento sa pagtuturo na umaaliw at nagpapatindi sa hangarin ng mag-aaral na matuto. Hindi ko pa ni minsan narinig na magtaas siya ng boses sa klase, maliban kung siya ay may sinisigawan.

Masipag si DJLT dahil hindi siya pumapalya o nahuhuli sa pagpasok sa aming klase, maliban na lang kung natrapik sa loob ng CLSU.

Higit na masaya ang aming naging pagsasama dahil sa ibinigay niya sa aming karanasan na madungisan ang aming mga kamay sa pagtatanim ng mga "century plants o centurium" nga ba yun?. Nagaganap ang ganitong maaksyong gawain sa isang bulubunduking lugar na dinarayo namin tuwing araw ng Sabado, Digdig Ranch, Carranglan, Nueva Ecija.

Ipinaliwanag sa amin ni DJLT na ang centurium ay mabisang-madaliang pananggalang sa naligalig na lupaing dumadausdos (soil disturbance or erosion). Ito ay sa kadahilanang mabilis tumubo at dumami ang nasabing halaman. Kumakapit agad ito sa lupa na siyang agarang lunas sa lumalalang pagka-agnas ng lupa na maaaring kahantungan nito kung pababayaang panot ang bahaging tuktok ng bundok.

Mabilis ding mag-isip ng solusyon o pamamaraan si DJLT. Minsan, kinapos ang aming punlang centurium. Maulan-ulan ang araw na yon. Bumaling ng tingin si DJLT sa kabilang pisngi ng bundok at napangiti sa kanyang nakita, mga damong ligaw, cogon grass!

Agad niyang pinulong ang kalalakihan at itinuro ang Cogon na siyang magiging kahalili na pupuno sa espasyong kailangang taniman. Agad naming inatake ng sabunot na umaatikabo ang mga cogon at inilipat sa kabilang bahagi ng bundok. Ibayong pagmamadali ang aming ginawa dahil malapit ng kumagat ang dilim at madulas ang daan.

Lumipas ang ilang linggo, pinagtuunan naman namin ang pag-aaral ng mga teorya na ginaganap sa loob ng silid aralan.

At sumapit ang takdang araw ng aming pagbabalik sa nakawilihan ng bulubunduking kapaligiran, masarap na simoy ng hangin at sari-saring paswit na tunog ng huni ng mga ibon. Nakapamewang si DJLT, gumagala-gala ang paningin. Nasisiyahan sa tanawin na malalago at ganap nang luntian ang mga pananim ng mga bata. Ang centurium at ang ibang bahagi ng cogon na nakalatag. Napawi na ang panganib na gumuho at mag-unahan gumulong pababa ang mga lupa.

Napalingon ako sa kabilang pisngi ng bundok, nakita ko ang bakas ng pinagkuhaan namin ng cogon. Buhaghag ang lupa. Ito naman ang nagsisimulang maagnas.... aaaaahhhh.

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Feel Young

I really do have this morbid feeling that for every single day that passed, is a day less to my remaining days on earth. It is a mathematical certainty. And I consciously know that.

I found out that writing about the past, is one way of dispensing anti-aging therapy. I realized that whenever I view those scenes behind by closing my eyes, I could vividly see pictures of myself and colleagues still in our youthful dispositions, vibrant, mostly slim, black and long hair, stomach in, childish, not much money, yet, happy go lucky; sort of like that.

Even if I look at myself on the mirror today, or meet those old acquaintances in their new looks, no matter how grayish the hair, maybe balding, potbellied, good looking, dressed in style, or whatever they made of themselves, it would hardly alter my imagination. Still, the old images of ours will reverberate in that fleeting moment of tripping the memory lane. Really, our eyes under the dark has its own memory time line.

When the actual writing has been done, I post them for posterity on the internet, an infinite storage library on space. In this sense, I have this great feeling that I have defied a state of oblivion for a particular slice of my life.

At my age of 30 plus, yes, that is still mathematically correct, I have stopped counting beyond that, I frequently indulge recollecting the good old days, by rewriting those scenes that entails a lot of imagination. Thus, I feel young every time, by doing that.

You want to be young once in a while? Try to recover your finest moments behind, freeze them and take advantage of this timeless and boundless way of keeping it, the way I treasure them. And feel young along the way.






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