[My friend and Kumpadre, Dr. NOEL “BIBS” CARILO is shown in this photo doing the “THUMBS-UP” sign with his former patient MANUEL “MANNY” LOBRIGO. Seventeen (17) years ago, MANNY who figured in a vehicular accident in the province and who was then suffering from an OPEN TYPE III-C Tibia fracture was operated on by BIBS on a Christmas day. BIBS said that if MANNY would have been late for another day (the operation was done actually after 48 hours from the time of the accident), such could have cost MANNY’s life as MANNY’s leg was gangrenous already. After that successful operation, MANNY traveled to AUSTRIA and got educated therein. MANNY has just finished his MASTERAL and is now pursuing his PhD. Now, MANNY who just passed by BIBS’ clinic to thank BIBS, is actually a TRIATHLETE, while he is profuse with similar thanks to AUSTRIA’s excellent sports program. CONGRATS TO BOTH OF YOU…MANNY and BIBS.]

The name NOEL is absolutely enticing,

For it means CHRISTMAS with such  wondrous TIDING¹;

It even is derived from the name  EMMANUEL,

…which means “GOD IS WITH US”, ‘tis truly so well!

 

 

It would not be therefore surprising,

That my friend NOEL would be laboring;

On a CHRISTMAS day– if it is to CARE,

For a hurting patient, who could have been a GONER ² !

 

 

 

 

Indeed, my friend BIBS is NURTURING  and CARING,

“Tis as though the first letters of his names were put coinciding;

The N and the C are for NOEL and CARILO,

Even his surname CARILO fits with the word CARING too!

 

 

 

And a couple of days past, BIBS’ past patient arrived,

Not for consultation for he’s well and so ALIVE;

It was indeed so gratifying — said NOEL,

It fattened BIBS’ heart, it’s as though he uttered a magic spell³!

 

 

 

Seemed like magic; for Manny was with a broken shin-bone,

That was 17 years ago, when it seemed a hopeless condition;

As it was CHRISTMAS then, and a long HOLIDAY—

A time when most doctors would usually be FAR AWAY⁴!

 

 

 

 

When Manny emerged recently at BIBS’⁵ clinic,

It’s as though Manny never suffered a nick⁶ ;

Except for the lower left limb with a PROSTHETIC,

Manny could even pass as a champion- athletic!

 

 

But alas and ahoy; Manny is indeed a TRIATHLETE,

After the operation, he went to OSTERREICH⁷;

Educated therein up to his MASTERAL,

He’s now pursuing PhD, ‘tis so PHENOMENAL!

 

 

It is good to have a friend like NOEL,

He is a true physician of the uppermost SCALE;

He’s an EXPERT — and he’ll never ever forsake ANY ONE,

For he indeed, is a TRUE SON OF A GUN⁸!

 

YOU’RE THE MAN, KUMPADRE!

AS YOU HAVE INSPIRED A LOT!!!!

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[Legend: 1 – TIDING means NEWS and that WONDROUS TIDING on Christmas day is the birth of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

2 – It was the very word used by MANUEL “MANNY” LOBRIGO, BIBS patient who was brought for a surgical operation under BIBS’ care. Indeed, BIBS told me that if MANNY could have been one more day late, it could have cost his life (as he would have suffered from septic shock and he would have expired), as MANNY’s leg was then gangrenous already.

3 – BIBS said that when MANNY showed up at his clinic, a couple of days past; BIBS asked MANNY what was his problem as BIBS actually never recognized MANNY. In BIBS’ subconscious – it is as though he struck a magic wand, and in his inner vision, BIBS saw a quick metamorphosis  from the bloodied and gashed youthful MANNY of 17 years ago and the full-grown man teeming with confidence and pride of MANNY  today — a triathlete laboring hard for his PhD.

4 – FAR AWAY – usually during the Christmas holidays, most professionals such as doctors would schedule a family escapade or a trip either out-of-town or out-of-the-country to serve as time to unwind and relax and/or refresh.

5 – BIBS is Dr. NOEL B. CARILO’s  nickname.

6 – NICK is a gash or a wound. 

7 –OSTERREICH is the former name of AUSTRIA.

8 – SON OF A GUN is an exclamation or a noun in American and British English. It can be used encouragingly or to compliment, as in “You son of a gun, you did it!” Or may be used sarcastically, as in “You son of a gun, that’s not how you do it!” The Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary and Webster’s Dictionary both define “son of a gun” in American English as a euphemism for son of a bitch. Encarta Dictionary defines the term in a different way as someone “affectionately or kindly regarded”. The term is used in this FUN-RHYME BLOG as a compliment and as an affectionate and kind regard for my friend and KUMPADRE, Dr. NOEL B. CARILO, a savior himself like OUR LORD!]

 

 

[On Saturday, March 18, 2017; the ASPAC (acronym for ATENEO SCHOOLS PARENTS COUNCIL)  officers trekked to ANGELFIELDS Nature Sanctuary in Silang, Cavite for a TEAM BONDING escapade. The joiners among the EXECOM  were as follows: Prexy Doc Andy K. Tan, VP Katty Ngsuy Sy, Sec. Isa B. Concepcion, Treasurer Juliet P. Remorque and IPP Raul B. Panlasiqui. Board members who joined were: Mes. Tess Cordero, Rosalia M. Lim, Edna B. Natividad, Marylou D. Castillo, Cathy N. Perez, Malou Ozaeta, Emily dela Cruz; and Messrs. Nap G. Quejada,  and Joselito B. Reyes. Among the YEAR LEVEL Representatives, the joiners were: Mes. Cindy Franco, Rose Roque, Digna B. Gavina, Cynthia L. Ong; and Messrs. Andy F. Puen, Chris A. David and Wally T. Young; and last but not the least, ASPAC Secretary, Ms. Joan Nette Laurente.]

Itong araw ng Sabadong nakaraan,

Dalawampu’t dalawang ASPAC members ay naglaan;

Oras at panahon para sa naka-sked na TEAM BONDING,

Nauwi itong panimula sa masayang GROUP JUMPING!

 

 

 

Sa ANGELFIELDS Nature Sanctuary,

Isang EVENTS PLACE sa Silang, Cavite;

Sumugod ang ASPAC council members,

…ang mga ladies-parents mistulang naging GIRLS!

 

 

 

 

Wika nga ni Prexy Doc Andy Tan,

Parang nakawala sa kani-kanilang tahanan;

At sa animo’y tuktok ng isang HILL,

Naglundagan ang GIRLS nang GIGIL na GIGIL!

 

 

 

At hindi pa nasiyahan sa iisang LUNDAG,

Patuloy silang nagkakawag-kawag;

Animo’y mga pang-POCHERONG DALAG¹,

Kaya’t si RAUL^1a  ay nagutom kaagad!

[Ms. EDNA NATIVIDAD while doing a SOLO JUMP.] 

 

 

Matapos mag-lundagan ala GROUP JUMPING^1b,

Pumasok naman si EDNA² sa kanyang SOLO JUMPING;

Aba at may hamon pa kung anong lundag ang mas-mataas,

Kaya naman ang BOYS tumalon nang LAGASLAS!³

 

 

 

Nang inihain na ang BUFFET⁴ na pananghalian,

Una’y ang PRUTAS at LETTUCE salad ang syang nilantakan;

Ang galing na recado ang giniling na danggit⁵,

Si TESS⁶ at si DIGNA⁷   sa SALAD ay nagpa-ulit-ulit!

 

 

 

Masarap at malasa ang SALPICAO TUNA,

Kaya pati ako syang aking ini-UNA;

Nang inilabas ang CHEESECAKE na siyang naging special DESSERT,

Nilantakan naman ito ni CYNTHIA⁸ at ni NETTE⁹!

 

[At the ITALIAN cuisine restaurant, the BUON GIORNO RESTO.] 

Pagkatapos makapamasyal sa loob ng ANGELFIELDS,

At nadalaw na rin ang CASITAS¹⁰ sa may western fringe;

Nagmeryenda naman sa BUON GIORNO RESTO¹¹,

PASTA, PIZZA at PAN na masarap isawsaw sa PESTO!

 

 

Ang TEAM BONDING ng ASPAC na siyang IDINAOS,

Ginampanang TUNAY ng PREXY¹² na sobrang GENEROUS;

Naging matagumpay ito at pasasamaha’y naging BIBO¹³,

Sa susunod naman daw ay sa DAET¹⁴ ang syang DESTINO¹⁵.

[ASPAC Prexy Doc Andy K. Tan photographed with the ASPAC girls at the viewing deck inside the Food Park near the BUON GIORNO Restaurant at the Cavite Cliffhouse, Aguinaldo Avenue, Tagaytay City.]

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[Legend: 1 – POCHERONG DALAG is a delicious dish of stewed medium-sized and fresh mudfish with tomato sauce, saba bananas or plantain bananas, sweet potatoes and cabbage. The special cooking method of  this pocherong dalag dish is via frying the fish first before stewing it. By analogy, the ASPAC girls are deemed as MEDIUM-SIZED and FRESH, whatever that term means…MEDIUM-SIZED perhaps; but Atty. Raul B. Panlasiqui will surely OBJECT to using the term FRESH especially if that would include Ms. Cindy Franco…well, good Cindy is not in the photo…he,he,he…  

1a- RAUL is Atty. Raul Zosimo B. Panlasiqui who is ASPAC’s Immediate Past President and member of ASPAC’s Executive Committee.

1b- This craze of GROUP JUMPING where the JUMP is caught on camera (while the “jumpers” are up in the air) has somewhat become a trend in the metropolis.

2 – EDNA is Ms. Edna B. Natividad who is currently board member of ASPAC.

3 – LAGASLAS is a Tagalog term which means NOISY or not attuned or not so precise or not in complete harmony. The term is used here to describe the BOISTEROUS and AWRY manner by which the ASPAC Boys did their GROUP JUMP for  photo-taking. Andy Puen got caught as merely faking a JUMP…it was excusable as Andy was in fact nursing an injured leg. On the GIRLS side, Ms. Juliet Remorque was nursing a slight fever; but then when the JUMPING started, it would seem the FEVER jumped out of Ms. Juliet…he,he,he…  

4 – The BUFFET which was that lunch-buffet served and had at the Café Bernardo of ANGELFIELDS consisted of the following: ASSORTED FRUITS, ROMAINE and ANCHOVY SALAD, CHICKEN LEMONGRASS, TUNA SALPICAO, KARE-KARE and PARSLEY RICE. For the special dessert, it was CRÈME BRULEE and CHEESECAKE.

5 – The ground and almost powdery –toasted DANGGIT was used as ingredient for the salad. As I am unaware of the English equivalent of DANGGIT, I used the term ANCHOVY (i.e. DILIS) as the taste of both DANGGIT and DILIS is almost the same.

6 – TESS is Ms. Maritess  S. Cordero who is currently board member of the ASPAC. 

7 – DIGNA is Dr. Digna L.B. Gavina who is currently a Year Level Representative of the ASPAC.

8 – CYNTHIA is Ms. Cynthia L. Ong who is currently a Year Level Representative of the ASPAC.

9 – NETTE is Ms. Joan Nette Laurente who is the Secretary of the ASPAC.

10 – The COTTAGES at ANGELFIELDS are called CASITAS.

11 – BUON GIORNO is an Italian-cuisine restaurant situated within a virtual FOOD PARK at the Cavite Cliffhouse, Aguinaldo Avenue, Tagaytay City. The FOOD PARK features a viewing deck which affords the customers-guests a scenic view of the Taal Volcano and the Taal Lake from up and afar.

12 – PREXY is ASPAC’s generous President, Doc Alejandro “Andy” Tan.

13 –     BIBO is a Tagalog term actually, a corruption of the Spanish word “VIVO” which means LIVELY and FUN-FILLED.

14 – DAET – refers to the hometown of Atty. Marylou D. Castillo who is presently a member of the Board of Directors of ASPAC.

15 – DESTINO is a Tagalog term and corruption of the Spanish word DESTINO which refers to a DESTINATION. The term is used herein as referring to a tourist destination as Atty. Castillo made an open invitation, inviting the whole of the ASPAC to a holiday trip to DAET ( ASPAC’s next tour destination) as ASPAC’s next TEAM BONDING destination trip/escapade.]

 [Left photo shows the TROIKA of Marbella 1-seen at extreme left is ELVIRA (“ELVIE”) VALMEO, Administrator of First Marbella Condominium Association, Inc. (“FMCAI”), at middle seated is MARIA EVA “CHINGBEE” KALAW, the President of FMCAI and at extreme right is BAYANI “HERO” NITO, the Chairman of FMCAI. Right photo shows the TROIKA together with other officers of the FMCAI – Standing at middle is HERO, seated adjacent to each other at the right end of the dining table are: ELVIE and CHINGBEE. The photos were taken during the joint birthday celebration of the celebrants – the TROIKA which has made MARBELLA 1 to regain its past glory and fame. This FUN-RHYME blog is an advance gift to the TROIKA who will be respectively celebrating their birthdays as follows: ELVIE on March 29; HERO on April 1; and, CHINGBEE  on April 4. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ALL OF YOU!!!!]   

 

At first,  I got swayed to call them  MARBELLA 1 TRIAD¹ —

But it seems to me it would really sound BAD;

I hesitated too to call them a TRIUMVIRATE²,

It sounds too elitist and it won’t be APPROPRIATE…

 

 

 

Thus, I have chosen the apt word TROIKA³,

For it’s  anti-elitist, as it’s a word from RUSSIA;

Undoubtedly too, RUSSIA’s leader VLADIMIR PUTIN⁴ ,

Is acknowledged as MOST POWERFUL LEADER⁵…his name is truly IN!

 

[Bayani “HERO” Nito]  

Our Chairman BAYANI NITO who’s called as HERO,

Seems to me like PUTIN who’s been snapped like a VAQUERO⁶;

But more than that; HERO like PUTIN has that innate love for order,

And HERO truly works with much more ardor!

 

[Maria Eva “CHINGBEE” Kalaw]  

Our PREXY who remains to be truly SEXY,

Is a scion of the famous KALAWs, that’s our coy CHINGBEE⁷;

She has shown the same ardor and zeal,

Performing with efficiency  in FMCAI’s⁸ every deal!

 

[Elvira R. “ELVIE” Valmeo]

Our ADMINISTRATOR⁹ who has worked like a tractor,

Has hauled off the dirty/shady past and a couple of malefactor;

She has renovated the condo building with ZING,

Those who’ve seen the condo before, would now sigh: “’TIS AMAZING”!

 

 

  

Now the condo lobby is gleaming,

Even wondrous paintings¹⁰ are there adorning;

And the LIFT¹¹ too  has been replaced,

It has truly set Marbella 1 into modern pace!

 

 

 

The TROIKA of ELVIE¹²,CHINGBEE¹³ and HERO¹⁴,

Has made delinquency in arrears a NO-NO;

For the unit owners have seen the changes,

They’re now happy in fact, doing pleasant  exchanges.

 

 

 

The MARBELLA 1 community ought to know,

That the work of this TROIKA has enhanced MARBELLA 1’s value;

Let’s all be united in maintaining the ZEAL,

We must keep MARBELLA 1 clean & green with a SEAL¹⁵!

 

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU ALL…ELVIE, CHINGBEE AND HERO!!!!

[The overall superb performance of the aforestated FMCAI officers (i.e. ELVIE, CHINGBEE and HERO) would have not been made realizable/attainable if not for the dedicated service and industriousness of the FMCAI staff and the maintenance crew. Photos above show the maintenance crew together with the female office staff featuring Royda and Roselyn.]   

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[Legend: 1 – TRIAD is actually a term which means a group or a set of THREE (3) people working together. But currently, the term TRIAD has been used to refer to also, a transnational criminal organization that is based in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore among many other countries.

2 – The term TRIUMVIRATE originated in Ancient Rome, and it means a group of three (3) persons, actually men, when  the term was first used; holding power. In Ancient Rome, it refers to in particular ( the First Triumvirate ) which is the unofficial coalition of Julius Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus in 60 BC and ( the Second Triumvirate ) another coalition formed by Mark Anthony, Lepidus, and Octavian in 43 BC.

3 – TROIKA is a term which originated in RUSSIA and it means a group of three (3) people working together, especially in an administrative or managerial capacity. 

4 – VLADIMIR PUTIN is a Russian politician who is the current President of the Russian Federation, holding the office since  May 7, 2012. He was Prime Minister from 1999 to 2000, President from 2000 to 2008, and again Prime Minister from 2008 to 2012. During his second term as Prime Minister, he was the Chairman of the ruling United Russia Party. Vladimir Putin is Forbes magazine’s most powerful person in the world. Vladimir Putin has been named the world’s most powerful person for the second year running by Forbes magazine.

5 – Russian President Vladimir Putin topped Forbes’ list of the Most Powerful People. For all of those out there who thought it would have been US President Barack Obama, note that Obama is the runner up. What made Forbes magazine chose Putin as the Most Powerful Man in the world? According to Forbes, they follow a process: “The list represents the collective wisdom of top FORBES’ editors, who consider hundreds of nominees before ranking the planet’s 72 power brokers — one for every 100 million on Earth. We measure their power along four dimensions,” explains Forbes’ Caroline Howard. These are: (1)   Does the candidate have power over lots of people?; (2)  What are the financial resources controlled by the person?; (3) Is the candidate powerful in multiple spheres?; and, (4)  Does the candidate actively use his or her power?” While Putin may not possess the same financial resources or be as powerful in multiple spheres as Obama, there is little doubt that he is one of those individuals that has the ability to transcend man-made rules and boundaries.

6 – VAQUERO is actually Spanish term for “cowboy”. There was one photo which got circulated in the INTERNET where PUTIN was snapped riding a horse like a “cowboy”. In the Philippine setting, a “KOBOY” which is a corruption of the term “COWBOY” would mean friendly and sociable, which are those inherent traits of Bayani Nito aka Chairman HERO. 

7 – CHINGBEE is FMCAI’s efficient President, Maria Eva (“CHINGBEE”)  Kalaw.

8 – FMCAI is acronym for First Marbella Condominium Association, Inc. which is the condominium corporation required under the law to be organized to manage the affairs of the condominium community of the Marbella Condominium 1 (“Marbella 1”).  Marbella 1 is the very first condominium building which was built along Roxas Boulevard in Pasay City and inaugurated by former President F.E. Marcos in 1974. The Marbella 1 building was designed by world-renowned architect Leandro Locsin and that in putting up the structure, Architect Locsin adopted what he called as the FLOATING DESIGN. Indeed from afar, one would easily view the building as somewhat FLOATING as there are no supporting columns in its laterals.   I have been a retained counsel of FMCAI since 2000 but was cut short for a term, after a change of administration at the Marbella 1  community then. I eventually resumed acting as FMCAI’s Legal Counsel in 2012.

9 – ADMINISTRATOR is FMCAI’s Administrator, Madame ELVIRA R. (“ELVIE”) VALMEO.

10 – PIERRE PATRICIO, unit owner of Marbella 1’s Unit 712, has agreed to display his “wondrous” paintings at the Marbella 1 condo lobby for FREE. He is a contemporary painter, sculptor and illustrator from Western Visayas. The second of four siblings, he has shown interest in the visual arts scene from an early age competing in major art competitions throughout his elementary and secondary school years. He has been painting professionally since 1993. Having lived and worked as an expatriate artist in Greece, Germany, Ireland and Singapore, he has exhibited in major cities across Europe and Asia. Since his first exhibition in Athens (1995), his artworks have been showcased in venues such as the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (in cooperation with the National Centennial Commission) in 1998, the Philippine Embassy Chancery in Brussels (2000), the University of Hamburg (2002), the Kurhaus in Bad Homburg vor der Höhe, Hesse, Germany (2003), Museo Iloilo (2006), Bacolod City’s Museo Negrense De La Salle (2008), Dublin’s Hainault House (2010), Latvia’s Art Museum Riga Bourse and the Philippine Embassy Chancery in Stockholm (2011), Singapore’s The Arts House at the Old Parliament (2013) and Seoul’s The Space Gallery (2014).

11 – LIFT is another term for ELEVATOR.

12 – ELVIE is FMCAI Administrator Elvira R.(“ELVIE”) Valmeo.

13 –     CHINGBEE is FMCAI Prexy Maria Eva (“CHINGBEE”) Kalaw.

14 – HERO is FMCAI Chairman Bayani (“HERO”) Nito.

15 – SEAL as used in this BLOG would mean CLEANLINESS of Marbella 1 of that desired caliber, as that TOP QUALITY level of cleanliness.]

 [Left photo is that of JOHARI ISMAIL who took a selfie of himself inside a tourist bus during one of the NDCP’s class excursion to various destinations in the country. Left photo is the group photo taken before the badminton tourney held on March 12, 2017 (Sunday morning) at the Badminton Hall located at No. 6, 2oth Avenue, Cubao, Quezon City, Metro-Manila, Philippines.]

 

 

On Thursday, as I was presiding over the YOGA practice¹,

I saw JOHARI from afar as though a badminton novice²;

He looked as though a provinciano³ from his naïve looks,

Could be an ILOCANO or perhaps in a town up the boondocks⁴!

 

 

But when I was introduced to him,

I was amazed to know and learn;

He is a top military officer of Malaysia⁵,

Still young,  he’ll  have a future of euphoria!

 

 

 

And when he played and smashed the cock,

JOHARI⁶ was really strong, as hard as rock;

I played a round of singles with him,

The score was not even tied, ‘twas uneven!

 

 

And when we had our weekly tourney,

JOHARI emerged co-champ⁷, ‘twas an easy journey;

He was fantastic and truly energetic,

He’s a scoring machine, almost like scoring automatic!

 

 

 

 

And he loves our Filipino food,

He craves for cuchinta⁸, he said– it’s good!

And even eats our bread, the pan de sal⁹,

Lugs it in his  bag and offers it to a pal.

 

 

 

 

He’s a devout Muslim and prays at the mosque at Greenhills¹⁰,

And has travelled a lot– even at Bacolod up to the Victorias Mills¹¹;

He’ll stay for a year in our beloved country,

Schooling at the NDCP¹² honing his career in the army!

 

 

He’ll now be a regular player at the Hall¹³,

We’ll have a skilled player to add to our roll;

Thus, we’ll always have a quorum of FOUR,

For our doubles game, we’ll have a quick SCORE!

 

 

WELCOME JOHARI TO OUR CLUB AND THE BADMINTON HALL!!!!

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[Legend: 1 – Every Thursdays and Saturdays, I preside over a YOGA practice which I started about 7 years ago. It was a Thursday, on March 9, 2017 at the Badminton Hall located at No. 6 2oth Avenue,Cubao, Quezon City, Metro-Manila, Philippines when I first had a glimpse of him. The YOGA practice was being done at the eastern end of the Badminton Hall, actually at the inner court, as that inner court is reserved for YOGA practice  from 6:30 PM till 8:00 PM on Thursdays while badminton playmates are still few. JOHARI arrived while we were in the middle of the YOGA practice as he sat thereafter in one of the monobloc chairs located near the inner gate leading to the Hall.

2 – Novice means a BEGINNER.

 3 – Provinciano is a term which means coming from the province, a rural folk.

4 – Boondocks originated from an original Filipino word, BUNDOK, and which got assimilated into the English language and which means the hills or a rural area near the hills.

5 – JOHARI ISMAIL is a Lieutenant-Colonel with the Malaysian Army and is in the Philippines for schooling at the NDCP which college is located within the Camp Aguinaldo grounds. JOHARI started with his NDCP course in September 2016 and will graduate in September 2017.

6 – JOHARI is JOHARI ISMAIL.

7-  JOHARI emerged as co-champ with Mandaluyong City Fiscal, Wally Francisco as his team-mate in the team-pairing tandem.

8 – Cuchinta or kutsinta is a native cake made of ground rice and coconut milk. Cuchinta or kutsinta is actually a type of steamed rice cake  and is allied to puto. Puto is colored white while cuchinta or kutsinta is colored red or reddish-brown.

9-  Pan de sal is the usual  table fare bread in the Filipino household during breakfast.

10 – The Muslim mosque is located at the GREENHILLS shopping center at Greenhills, San Juan City, Metro-Manila.

11-  Victorias Mills is the VICTORIAS MILLING CORPORATION, a corporate entity which owns the sugar milling factory, which is located at Victorias City about 44 kilometers distant from Bacolod City in Negros Occidental. Earlier, and most coincidentally so, (even before I met JOHARI) my brother WILSON, who is himself a graduate and alumnus of the NDCP, and being the incumbent Chairman of the VICTORIAS MILLING CORPORATION; conveyed an invitation to the current NDCP class to visit the VICTORIAS MILLS, when the group had an excursion/field trip to Bacolod City in Negros Occidental. To this, JOHARI himself sighed: “‘TIS REALLY A SMALL WORLD!”

12 –  NDCP is the National Defense College of the Philippines. The National Defense College of the Philippines (NDCP) (Filipino: Dalubhasaan ng Tanggulang Pambansa ng Pilipinas) is an educational, training, and research agency of the Philippine government located inside Camp Emilio Aguinaldo in Quezon City, Metro Manila. It is responsible for providing continued and intensive studies of the diverse problems relating to national defense and security. It is under the Department of National Defense.

13 – HALL is the Badminton Hall consisting of TWO (2) badminton courts with wooden flooring located at No. 6 20th Avenue, Cubao, Quezon City, Metro-Manila, Philippines.]

 [At left photo is the tarpaulin used as backdrop at the stage put up at the UP Bahay ng Alumni during the March 11, 2017 72nd birthday celebration of my Kumpadreng MON MARONILLA which cockily proclaimed: “THE COCK IS MORE ALIVE THAN EVER!”. Top right photo is a group photo with WILLIENEP and Kumpadreng MON.  Bottom right photo is WILLIENEP, the master impersonator.] 

 

 

At the newly renovated U.P. BAHAY ng ALUMNI¹,

We trekked on to it last Saturday, though traffic² was  HIGH;

It was Kumpadreng MON’s³  birthday CELEBRATION,

It was  a night of FUN & JUBILATION!

 

 

The tarpaulin as backdrop to the stage was TITILLATING,

It talked about a COCK in white silhouette as though ROOSTING⁴;

As the caption on the tarp as written AVERRED,

It read: “The cock is alive more than EVER!”

 

 

 

I was a bit doubtful which COCK — MON was referring TO,

Though I know that MON is a cockfight AFICIONADO;

But as he neither have nor rent a COCK FARM,

He could be referring to a COCK of a friend in SAN JUAN⁵!

 

But alas as I remembered, MON’s birth was in ’45⁶,

In a month when the Japs in Manila have finally FORTIFIED⁷;

For which reason the GIs bombed and the Japs then got GIRTHED⁸,

The shelling & bombing, like fireworks, seemed to herald MON’s BIRTH!

 

 

 

 

Indeed MON was born in the Year of the COCK,

Though the usual name is ROOSTER,  COCK is lingo for the CROCK⁹;

But COCK or ROOSTER or could be FOWL,

The use of the word COCK ought not to bring any HOWL…

 

 

 

Thus, Mon Junior¹⁰ started the FESTIVITY,

As he recited out a prayer with much FORMALITY;

Thereafter some singing wafted in the AIR,

As the feasting begun with so much FLAIR!

 

 

And the hall thereafter was FILLED,

With angelic voices of singers who really are SKILLED!

As to the feast– I loved the LECHON¹¹ with its SAUCE,

As the skin was crispy and shiny with GLOSS…

 

But the exciting thing that HAPPENED,

Is that we got seated with MON’s comic FRIEND;

It was WILLIE NEP¹², the grand comedian and  the best in IMPERSONATING,

With  hearty laughs, my belly turned out  OSCILLATING¹³!

 

 

 

 

ONCE AGAIN, HAPPY BIRTHDAY KUMPADRENG MON!

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[Legend: 1 – The University of the Philippines-Bahay ng Alumni is a commodious events place which is located along R. Magsaysay Street in U.P.’s Diliman campus. It was actually put up on June 19, 1992. It is also home to several business establishments such as 3 restaurants, travel agent, a bank, law firms, a review center, and an art gallery.

2 – Traffic was heavy along the Katipunan Avenue as reportedly, there was an affair too at the ATENEO.

 3 – Mon is my kumpadre and friend, Atty. Ramon M. Maronilla, the incumbent President of the UP Alumni Association, Inc.

4 – Roosting means resting, the usual term for a rooster or a cock on perch while resting.

5 – One time, I was brought by my Kumpadreng Mon to a place in San Juan City in Metro-Manila, know as the Barasoain area where the former stately residence of the family of my Kumpadreng Mon was  located. We went to a seemingly slum area where we visited a host of his friends among the hoi polloi such as the lowly bystander, a street hawker, a barangay tanod, a cockfight owner, etc.

6 – In March 1945, the City of Manila was heavily bombed and strafed by the US fighter planes as those Japs who were holding out in the city then. 1945 was Year of the Rooster.

7- The Japs  considered Manila as their  last  fortified stronghold and it was then at the verge of being overtaken and re-conquered by the US-Allied forces which eventually materialized.

8 – Girth has that archaic meaning of being encircled.

9-  Crock is slang term which means a drunkard.

10 – Mon Maronilla, Jr. is Kumpadreng Mon’s eldest son, RAMON F. MARONILLA, Jr.,  who is a top officer of the J. P. Morgan Bank based in Hongkong.

11-  LECHON is the Filipinos’ popular feast food, a roasted pig with an attendant sauce with ingredients consistin of ground liver, etc.

12 –  WILLIE NEP is Willie Nepomuceno who is a comedian-actor, known for Ispup (2000), The Guerilla Is a Poet (2013) and Black Mamba (1974). He is a comic impersonator whose skill as such impersonator was recognized during the anti-Marcos rallies. WILLIENEP is now considered as the country’s master impersonator as among the Filipino personalities he impersonates include the following:  the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos, Joseph Estrada, Fidel V. Ramos, Dolphy, Gringo Honasan, Ping Lacson, German Moreno, Nur Misuari, and Fernando Poe Jr. In the international front, he usually copies Stevie Wonder, Paul Anka, Tony Bennett, ‘Nat ‘King’ Cole’ , Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Elvis Presley, Bruce Lee, and even Superman.]

 [CONDER is shown at left photo with his usual mischievous smile, quite puzzling and titillating. Right photo shows the whole PAGUNURAN family posing for a group picture during the twin-celebrations of a birthday party for their kin. At front row for the photo at RIGHT: L-R – Karlo, Kyle, Natasha, and Mico; at back row (standing): Evelyn, Conder’s beauteous wife and the BIRTHDAY BOY, CONDER.]

 

 

He is an ALLEGIANT and a LOYAL CAGAYANO¹,

As in fact CONDER still speaks  the ITAWES² LINGO;

For love of his town in CAGAYAN at PIAT³,

He fervently swayed his son to run as a KAGAWAD ⁴!

 

 

I rubbed elbows with him in the UNIVERSITY⁵,

He was a student assistant at the LIBRARY⁶;

He’s a member of the ALPHA PHI BETA FRATERNITY⁷,

He’s a true paragon of pure HUMILITY!

 

 

At the UP College of Law in DILIMAN,

He became a personality, sort of a mimic-MAN;

He earned the sobriquet of CARALE JUNIOR,⁸

It’s not because Prof. CARALE is SUAVE, it’s because of the COLOR⁹!

 

 

 

His co-tandem and chum then, is his frat brod LUDGI¹⁰,

They’re both upright and diligent assistants at the Law LIBRARY;

Those who wanted to have law books reserved for PERUSAL,

They need to  talk to them right after the class’ DISMISSAL¹¹…

 

 

 

 

Despite having some control in the BOOKs’ DISPOSITION ¹²,

They never misused their clout, a sign of sincere VOCATION;

Indeed, a lot of us commended their SINCERITY,

Their help aided us all, to graduate in LAW  with  such  FACILITY¹³!

 

 

CONDER is a brilliant writer and of course, a convincing PLEADER —

He imparts the message with not much

 of an EMBELLISHER;

His style is plain, terse and truly LACONIC,

I am sure, with his prose — he convinces

 in a way, that’s truly MAJESTIC!!!

 

 

 

 

And now after years of his lawyering PRACTICE¹⁴,

CONDER seems to look unto the future  with  quietude and PEACE;

He has put up a farm in his province with poultry and LIVESTOCK¹⁵,

It’s a dream,  an aspiration with a noble mission which is to feed his own FLOCK¹⁶!

 

[This SELFIE with his fraternity brothers in the ALPHA PHI BETA Fraternity, was taken by his Brod Joel Erestain (at extreme left). His Brod Ludgi is shown second from LEFT; while CONDER is at extreme RIGHT. The other fraternity brother shown in the photo above is his Brod Simeon Dumandan, second from RIGHT. The photo was taken at the facade of the SENATE building in Pasay City, Metro-Manila.] 

 

 

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CONDER!!!!

 

========================================================================

[Legend: 1 – CONDER hails from the north, in the Cagayan Valley of the NORTH.

2 – ITAWIS is the dialect spoken in that part of the Cagayan Valley in the northern part of Luzon particularly in Conder’s hometown in PIAT, CAGAYAN.

3 – PIAT is a town is located in the south-west part of Cagayan Province and is popularly known as the Itawis Region, along which town, the Rio Chico runs west, south, and north-west of the town until it debouches into the Rio Ibanag somewhere near Nasiping town. The town of Piat is dubbed as the “Pilgrimage Center of Cagayan Valley” because of the thousands of devotees and tourists who come there to pay homage. It is the home of the Our Lady of Piat which continues to be the source of inspiration and object of devotion of many Catholics in the region.

4 – KAGAWAD is a Tagalog term which means COUNCILMAN. Conder’s  2^nd son, KARLO MIKHAEL PAGUNURAN, ran in the local elections in PIAT, CAGAYAN for a slot in the Municipality’s council.

5 – The UNIVERSITY referred to is the UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES particularly its COLLEGE OF LAW.

6 – The LIBRARY referred to is the UP COLLEGE OF LAW LIBRARY.  

7 – The ALPHA PHI BETA Fraternity is actually some kind of an acronym for the first letters of the title: A, P & B, as ASSOCIATION OF PHILIPPINE BARRISTERS. The Alpha Phi Beta Fraternity maintains its singular existence as a UP College of Law-based fraternity, with no recognized chapters outside the University of the Philippines in Diliman. Its present roster of Lords hails from the UP College of Law and from pre-law colleges in the University. The ALPHA PHI BETA fraternity is one of THREE (3) COLLEGE OF LAW Greek-lettered fraternities in UP; the other TWO (2) are  the SIGMA RHO Fraternity and the SCINTILLA JURIS Fraternity. However, there are students at the UP College of Law who are members of UNIVERSITY FRATERNITIES such as the UPSILON SIGMA PHI, BET SIGMA, PI OMICRON, ALPHA SIGMA, etc.

8 – CARALE is the surname of former UP College of Law Dean and professor, BARTOLOME CARALE. Prof. CARALE is somewhat TALL, somewhat HANDSOME and DARK.

9 – COLOR – It was actually the HUE and COLOR, as both Prof. CARALE and CONDER are DARK in complexion, CONDER got eventually referred to during our UP Law days as CARALE Junior.

10 – LUDGI is the nickname of incumbent Assistant Director of the NATIONAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION, Asst. Director MEDARDO DE LEMOS. LUDGI and CONDER are fraternity brothers and both worked as student assistants with assignment at the UP Law Library.

11 – Immediately at DISMISSAL time, students then at the UP College of Law (because of the sheer limited number of law books particularly the SCRA and the PHILIPPINE REPORTS; both of which are compendiums of Supreme Court decision) would race up the Library to grab a book particularly those of limited number of stocks. If not lucky, the very next thing to do is to ask the student assistants for help to reserve the book for some future time, usually on the following class day.

12 – As student assistants, both LUDGI and CONDER have the power to reserve a book for a FRIEND or a BROD or a CLASSMATE especially during the period prior to the grueling examination days.

13 –     The BOOKS at the UP Law Library truly accord tremendously help (which could spell a PASSING grade) among those diligent students who really took time then, even on Sundays, to be there at the UP Law library doing either reading and/or copying court decision from the SCRA or jotting down notes from the readings.

14 – CONDER has been into active law practice since May 1983 after taking his oath on May 2, 1983.

15 – CONDER in his modest farm located in PIAT, CAGAYAN, has been raising some chickens, and hogs.

16 – One of the other principal objectives of CONDER in putting up the FARM is to create job opportunities for his kin as well as to have some source of food to feed his kin and kith alike.]

[JOVY aka JOVITO B. GAMBOL is shown here together with a guest, Ms. WENG DEGLISON, during the Law Office’s CHRISTMAS party in December 2010. HAPPY 57th BIRTHDAY JOVY!!!! It would appear somewhat serendipitous that this is my 75th FUN-RHYME blog while Jovy will celebrate his 57th birthday on March 14, 2017.]

 

He is a TRUE-BLUE BATANGUEÑO¹,

And is not a supporter of MIKE SUEÑO²;

Neither is he in favor of DIGONG³,

For he’s for MAR ROXAS⁴ all along!

 

 

And never ever speak of that DENOMINATION,

Which just got involved in some ALTERCATION;

For he truly feels that it’s just a CULT,

Which is amassing CASH into its VAULT!

 

 

 

But he has shown his true SINCERITY,

His clients have admired his nice INTEGRITY;

Instead of creating dispute between warring SPOUSES⁵,

He even counseled them to bury the AXES⁶!

 

 

 

He has shown his true job DEDICATION,

Even working on Sundays with much VOCATION;

And he has helped his siblings’ RELATIONS,

Gifting them even with costly COMMUNICATIONS⁷!

 

 

 

He has remained as though a man of the CLOTH⁸,

As he has ignored and cast out his desire to be BETROTHED⁹;

Perhaps, he wanted to help as many KIN;

Instead of just a wife and his own CHILDREN!

 

 

 

 

The life of JOVY is truly COLORFUL,

It has its UPS — and DOWNS just like a FALL;

But even though he has once FALLEN,

He’s RISEN up and he never felt so CREST-FALLEN!

 

 

 

And his lawyering has carved a NICHE,

He has drawn swords even against the RICH¹⁰;

For his advocacy is to truly help the OPPRESSED,

Just like those tenants whose lands got DISPOSSESED!

 

 

And as JOVY is almost reaching his SENIOR year,

It’s fine for him to grab a BEER¹¹;

Though it’s not some kind of starting a VICE,

It’s just to salute a YEAR that truly was NICE!

 

 

[Photo of the the BIRTHDAY BOY, ATTORNEY JOVITO BAUTRO GAMBOL, taken at his work station.] 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOVY!!!

 

====================================================================

[Legend: 1 – JOVY is a native of Batangas City and is a resident of SIMLONG.

2 – Just to have some RHYME, Mike Sueño’s name was used in this FUN-RHYME blog. Mike Sueño  is actually the Secretary of the DILG. Mike Sueño’s inclusion seemed relevant in relation to Jovy’s being a provinciano as the thought of local government usually evokes those local government units in the provinces.

 3 – DIGONG is President Rodrigo Roa Duterte.

4 – MAR ROXAS was the standard-bearer of the LIBERAL PARTY during the 2016 Presidential elections; and Jovy drew his lot in favor of MAR ROXAS winning the polls.

5 – Jovy was engaged by a wife who has caught her hubby doing some hanky-panky. Well, instead of firing up the enmity in the wife’s broken-heart, Jovy patched up the quarrel and the spouses were so grateful to Jovy for his peace-making spiel.

6 –  The idiomatic expression actually is “TO BURY THE HATCHET” when one does a peacekeeping chore. The phrase “BURY THE AXES” was used for the purpose of achieving RHYME considering that a HATCHET is actually an AXE. 

7 – Jovy reportedly gifted one of his nephews with a Php 14,000.00 peso-worth cellphone and is paying for the matriculation even of a score of his grandnephews, actually the grandchildren of his siblings.

8 – A man of the cloth is idiom for a PRIEST.

9 – BETROTHED is to be engaged or to be pledged in MARRIAGE.

10 – Jovy’s string of cases where he would customarily serve on a PRO BONO basis  consists of cases of LAND DISPOSSESSION between rich landowners versus the tenants. And JOVY will almost always be CHAMPIONING the cause of the lowly tenants.

11 – Though Jovy is a TEETOTALER, as he seldom drinks alcoholic beverage; a sip of BEER perhaps would be worth it to celebrate the wonderful year that has passed.]

[The above photo is a reproduction from UNILAB’s publication of the excerpts of BIRTHDAY BOY’s (i.e. WINSTON TOBIAS YOUNG) interview conducted by a UNILAB staff. UNILAB is acronym for United Laboratories, Inc. while UNAHCO is Univet Nutrition and Animal Healthcare Company. WINSTON was among the employees-officers of the UNILAB group of companies who were feted by reason of their 40 years of dedicated service in December 2014. On August 30, 1974 WINSTON was initially hired to work as a clerk at UNILAB.  Years thereafter WINSTON was seconded/cross-posted to UNAHCO and from then on, WINSTON rose THROUGH the organizational ladder as he is now UNAHCO’s Vice-President for SUPPLY CHAIN, ADMINISTRATIVE & MARKETING SERVICES. WINSTON whom we endearingly call as JING, is celebrating his 63rd birthday today, April 1, 2017. I earlier posted this but I am now reposting it with this different CAPTIONED INTRO-PHOTO.   HAPPY BIRTHDAY JING!]

 

 

He is the THIRD CHILD¹ in a brood of EIGHT…

In CHINESE lore, it is said that the number 3 is FORTUNATE;

‘Tis said that the 3^rd possesses mystical ability and powerful CREATIVITY- –

That’s what GOOGLE says in my research and INQUIRY,

And I do confirm its SERENDIPITOUS  VALIDITY!

 

 

But what I truly know is that when JING was BORN…

That was in April 1, 1954² in one early MORN;

He quickly received in his tiny hands, IN MITTENS ADORNED – –

  Those money bills from the ENTERTAINING MAHJONG TABLE,

From then on, JING seemed so really BANKABLE³ AND MERCHANTABLE!

 

 

As a child he had a special and muscled NURSEMAN⁴…

Named CHAVEZ who was a former ARMY MAN;

JING would cling to him and would trust NO ONE – –

Except his NURSEMAN, who would have all things for him quickly DONE,

And JING would even sleep atop CHAVEZ’ chest like TARZAN’s SON!

 

 

 

When JING was just a PLAYFUL TODDLER…

He wanted always to be Mommy NORMA’s bag-TOTER⁵;

He would always want to join Mommy NORMA to DIVISORIA⁶ – –

As he would be happy strolling in those   festive ACCESSORIA⁷,

And he’d love to drink a glass of side-walk GULAMAN with much EUPHORIA!

 

 

JING graduated at the innovative University of the EAST⁸…

With a degree in Management, which he passed with much EASE;

And after his stint in his studies in COLLEGE – –

He got the chance to work with such sufficient KNOWLEDGE,

As he studied relentlessly well and with no STOPPAGE!

 

 

And then he took the EMPLOYMENT TEST…

Which then consists of TYPING long PHRASES;

But because perhaps the STAFF-IN-CHARGE wants to see JING a LOT – –

It took him awhile to bag the available SLOT⁹,

And eventually he PASSED, almost like winning a JACKPOT!

 

  

 

But with his LOYAL & FAITHFUL FLAIR…

He has stayed LONG ENOUGH in the company, so FAIR;

He has learned a lot and has indeed struck JACKPOT for his company and BOSS – –

And their COMPANY has never sustained any LOSS,

As lots of income went in, while they even diminished the OPERATING COST!

 

 

Indeed the COMPANY¹⁰ which JING has served with PRIDE…

Has reaped lots of laurels and lauds on the SIDE;

His tandem indeed with his ABLE BOSS RIC¹¹– –

Has brought much success and a truly FRUITFUL EPIC,

That’s why they’ve been retained for long, unto their COMPANY, and still they’re so CLOSELY-KNIT!

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JING!

[Shown above is a photo of WINSTON’s family in a JOVIAL mode taken within the premises of Daddy Max’s 19th Avenue, Murphy home. From LEFT to RIGHT: MIKE, WINKLE, RALLY, WINSTON, BAMBI and WILBUR.]  

=====================================================================

[Legend: 1 – JING is the 3^rd child of Mommy NORMA and Dad MAX. I am FIRST and WILLIAM is SECOND. In his birth certificate, JING is named WINIFREDO WINSTON TOBIAS YOUNG.

2 – JING was born on April 1, 1954 (the same birth date of WILLIAM) at our CEMBO home (CEMBO is acronym for CENTRAL ENLISTED MENS’ BARRIO) at the Fort Mckinley (now, Fort BONIFACIO) in Makati City.

3 – BANKABLE is used in this BLOG to mean as certain to bring PROFIT and SUCCESS.

4 – This NURSEMAN sort of served as JING’s babysitter and YAYO.

6 –  Our late Mommy NORMA was a frequent shopper at the DIVISORIA, a bargain haven for shoppers then until now.MOMMY NORMA was wont to doing BUY-AND-SELL trade such as buying yarns of cloth as well as pieces of cloth. THEREAFTER, MOMMY NORMA would REsell either THOSE mere pieces of cloth or TURN THEM UP AS sewn-up skirts or dresses done by her friend ALING POSANG. And any among us her kids would be joining him as though her bag-toter, as we would be clinging to her all the way unto DIVISORIA.  

7 – Upon reaching DIVISORIA, Mommy NORMA will be haggling and conversing with her loyal suppliers and we will be prancing about in nearby stalls called by those DIVISORIA traders then as ACCESSORIA.

8 – JING graduated at the UNIVERSITY of the EAST in 1974 with a degree in BSBA Major in Management.

9 – JING finally bagged the employment SLOT at UNILAB, so to speak,  and was employed as GENERAL CLERK at UNILAB after many tries at the TYPING TEST. JING got employed at UNILAB through the help of Daddy MAX’s  friend, PETE DIAZ, who was then UNILAB’s SVP. In 1981, JING got seconded to the UNIVET AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS, INC. (NOW, UNAHCO) which was UNILAB’s Animal Health Division as Credit Supervisor. Presently, JING occupies the VP post at UNAHCO for SUPPLY CHAIN, ADMINISTRATIVE & MARKETING SERVICES.

10 – The COMPANY where JING is now employed is UNILAB’s sister company, renamed as UNAHCO which is acronym for UNIVET NUTRITION AND ANIMAL HEALTHCARE COMPANY. 

11 – Mr. RICARDO ALBA is JING’s IMMEDIATE BOSS, being the able, competent, dedicated and upright President of UNAHCO. Mr. ALBA is endearingly called by his colleagues at UNILAB and UNAHCO as BOSS RIC.]

 

 [At right photo is the HIRSUTE WILLIAM, with much hair and so truly enticing and attractive from the perception of those DAMSELS in his midst and  ken of yesteryears. Left photo is a recent  version of WILLIAM with less of the HAIR…correction,  no HAIR on top at all…] 

He is the acknowledged CASANOVA¹ in our CASA²…

That’s why perhaps his CABEZA  is sort of CALVA³;

And I’m reminded of the ribald talk on being BALD⁴– –

But I’ll keep it to myself as YAM might get MAD!

 

 

As of now his score on the broad BOARD…

He has tallied THREE (3) sons in his FIRST CAVORT;

On the SECOND of his wily CONQUEST – –

He has sired a pretty child named WHUILETTE!

 

 

Well, as regards this next TRYSTING…

He has produced his DOUBLE as though MIMICKING;

And the name that he used is actually the SAME – –

He has named him WILLIAM to breed his FAME!

 

 

 

YAM is the second son of Mom NORMA and Dad MAX…

During his teens, he wants his khaki pants starched to the MAX;

That’s why our laundress then who was named KLARING – –

Saved on HANGERS, as YAM’s pants were piled on their own… STANDING⁵!

 

 

YAM graduated with a degree in MARINE ENGINEERING⁶…

That’s sort of apt, as MARINES are fond of DIVING;

And DIVERS are considered truly  GRACEFUL – –

That’s perhaps a lot of women found YAM as DELIGHTFUL!

 

 

He has gone around the world as a SEAMAN…

But one time he got irked and punched his ship-CHUM⁷;

Well, Dad MAX thus decided to stop YAM’s sea-TRIP- –

For his CHUM might conduct a gorier REPEAT!

 

 

 

He has turned into POLITICS, some kind of EPIC…

He has been elected as KAGAWAD⁸ in our DISTRICT;

And he has been tapped to help in the TOKHANG⁹ – –

That’s a revived practice, and now with  the aid of a CLERGYMAN¹⁰!

 

 

  

He’s being PUSHED to become Barangay Chairman¹¹…

And I supposed if he’s elected I’ll be his LAW MAN¹²;

That’s another burden on my part, another PRO BONO¹³ ROLE – –

For I’m sure I won’t be part of the Barangay PAYROLL, AS IT COULD BE QUESTIONED!

 

 

OKEY STILL…AS LONG AS HIS CAMPAIGN TARPS ARE DONE FOR A REASONABLE FEE, AT A PRINTING HOUSE ALONG TUAZON!

 

[Family photo of WILLIAM during the nuptial of our nephew WOODROW with PAM UNITE. Shown standing from left to right: WILLIAM Jr., WHUILETTE, WILLIAM Sr., and TERRY, WILLIAM’s wife.] 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY YAM!

 

 

=================================================================

[Legend: 1 – CASANOVA is described as a man who is amorously and gallantly attentive to women. Well, another apt definition goes — a smooth-talking charmer who has mastered the art of finding, meeting, attracting and seducing women into his world.

2 – CASA is Spanish term for HOUSE; but is used in this BLOG to mean CLAN.

3 – CALVA is BALD; but is actually the feminine form. For poetic license, I used the feminine form not only to insure the RHYME but also because YAM loves WOMEN.

4 – There is that RIBALD talk about being BALD which goes as follows: “If you are BALD at the front part of your head, you are a THINKER; while if BALD at the back of one’s head, you are a LOVER. But, if one is both BALD up front and at the back…that guy THINKS he is a LOVER”…

5 – STANDING – Yam’s khaki pants were all HEAVILY STARCHED and you can actually leave it standing leaning on a corner on its own as though a very STIFF BRANCH of a tree.

6 –  Yam graduated with a degree in Marine Engineering at the then Philippine College of Arts and Trades, now the TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY of the PHILIPPINES located at the corner of san marcelino street and  Ayala Boulevard in Ermita, Manila.

7 – Yam got involved in a quarrel with a fellow seaman and in the altercation, YAM had to defend himself and punched his co-seaman resulting in a bloodied nose.

8 – KAGAWAD is actually a councilman in the Barangay, which is the Philippines’ smallest political unit.

9 – TOKHANG is actually a compound word, sort of a PORTMANTEAU, which is a combination of TWO (2) Filipino words which are the Tagalog word “TOKTOK” meaning to KNOCK ON THE DOOR and “HANGYO”, which is a Visayan word (actually CEBUANO) meaning to make a fervent request. Thus, TOKHANG as a police practice to eradicate the DRUG menace is done by visiting a supposed drug-user at his home, to knock on the door and to fervently request the drug-user to do away with DRUGS.

10 – CLERGYMAN is a PRIEST. The JOKE going around is that the PRIEST is needed to deliver the final rites of EXTREME UNCTION unto the drug personality involved.

11 – Barangay Chairman is the head of the Barangay, the smallest political unit in the country today. YAM is being pushed to run as Barangay Chairman in our domicile’s Barangay, our domicile of origin, Barangay San Roque which is within the 3rd District of Quezon City, Metro-Manila. Presently, aside from being a Barangay KAGAWAD of Barangay San Roque, Yam is employed as WAREHOUSE SUPERVISOR of the DIMAX DISTRIBUTION ENTERPRISE (DIMAX). DIMAX IS a business outfit named after DADDY MAX and is engaged in commodities/condiments marketing and distribution in the whole of the metropolis. 

12 – LAW MAN as used in this BLOG means Legal Adviser or Legal Counselor.

13 – PRO BONO means rendition of legal services for FREE; GRATIS et AMORE.]

 

 

 [Photo above is that of my KUMPADRENG RAMON “MON” MARONILLA, the handsomest UPSILONIAN without QUESTION. MON is the incumbent President of the UP Alumni Association, Inc. whose term would end next year, 2018 – the CENTENNIAL of the UPSILON SIGMA PHI Fraternity. HAPPY BIRTHDAY KUMPADRENG MON!!!!]

 

Been seeing him since the 70s   at the BASEMENT¹ Cafeteria, sometimes at NOON;

It’s a snack house at the PALMA Hall, the hang-out of the UPSILON² —

UPSILONIANS indeed are HANDSOMER

  than my brods at PI OMICRON³,

And Kumpadreng MON seems to top them all, the HANDSOMEST without QUESTION!

 

 

 

His sister MARY⁴ was my faithful client

  since 1998⁵,

And all the while there were instances

   when MARY’s OBDURATE;

And meetings with her brother MON

    would at times, be simply CALLED;

Well, MON’s wise counsel would be the coup, and all will then be SOLVED!

 

 

 

He has been HONED by Dakila Castro⁶,

That’s actually R.P.’s Clarence Darrow⁷;

But his NEGOTIATION skills seem too INNATE,

As it looks as though NEGOTIATING to him, is just some piece of CAKE!

 

 

The badminton court we’ve had in 2002⁸,

Has brought us friends and at times some FOE;

But when I invited MON to PLAY,

He seems to have LOVED the game as though some REPLAY⁹!

 

 

 

 

And now with his second leash on LIFE,

For having grown his PROSTATE so RIFE¹⁰;

MON has been so THANKFUL and PERCEIVING,

Thanking even the OXYGEN that he’s been INHALING!

 

 

 

He’s  been reckless — MON said during his TEENS,

But now MON feels that all those CHARIVARI¹¹ and DINS;

Must now yield to MEDITATION and PRAYER,

…He talks straight to GOD in constant thanks with self-effacing FLAIR…

 

 

 

But as has always been told and SAID,

The SUCCESS of a man is due to some kind of EVE;

Indeed, the EVE in Kumpadreng MON’s LIFE,

Is BECKY FONG¹² — unmistakably MON’s GUIDE and LIGHT!

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KUMPADRENG MON!

===================================================================

[Legend: 1 – The BASEMENT during my college years is the cafeteria situated at the BASEMENT FLOOR of the PALMA Hall. It was then the hang-out of the members of the UPSILON SIGMA PHI, the oldest fraternity in the University of the Philippines having been founded in 1918.

2 – UPSILON is the UPSILON SIGMA PHI Fraternity.

3 – PI OMICRON is the PI OMICRON FRATERNITY where I am a member. It is relatively a young fraternity having been Far-flung – Though we were then residing in K-Ville, in compliance with the wishes of my father-in-law, Antonio S. Evangelista, TON, being his namesake too—the baptismal rites and the reception were both held in Bulacan, Bulacan. 4 – MARY is MARY MARONILLA CLARAVALL. MARY is the youngest sister of Kumpadreng MON and she is the wife of Louie Claravall who is a close friend of my late law partner, Atty. Jaime G. Nagrampa (“Jim”). It was Jim originally who acted as MARY’s lawyer but eventually I partnered with Jim and since then, MARY became our law office client.

5 – In April 1998 I resigned as Legal Officer of the Legal & Collection Department of ALLIED BANK, now merged with PNB. Thus in May 1998, I organized with Atty. Jaime G. Nagrampa the NAGRAMPA YOUNG Law Office.

6 – Atty. Dakila Castro was for a time then was considered as the topnotch criminal lawyer of the country.

7 – Clarence S. Darrow was an American lawyer, leading member of the American Civil Liberties Union, and prominent advocate for Georgist economic reform. He defended teenage thrill killers Leopold and Loeb in their trial for murdering 14-year-old Robert “Bobby” Franks (1924). Some of his other cases included defending Ossian Sweet, and John T. Scopes in the Scopes “Monkey” Trial (1925), in which he opposed William Jennings Bryan (statesman, orator, and three-time presidential candidate). Called a “sophisticated country lawyer”, his wit made him one of the most famous American lawyers and civil libertarians.

8 –  In 2002, my brother WILSON put up a twin-courts badminton hall at No. 6 20^th Avenue, Cubao, Quezon City, Metro-Manila.

9- It seemed that BADMINTON was a REPLAY for Kumpadreng Mon as he was for some time been much engrossed in the game. However, perhaps due to the pressures of work, Mon for a time was sort of weaned away from the game.

10 – Early this year, Kumpadreng MON was diagnosed with PROSTATE CANCER. It was good that he underwent a medical procedure which is known in the medical parlance as ROBOTICS SURGERY. With the ROBOTICS SURGERY done, it would seem that Mon is now CANCER-free.

11- CHARIVARI is some kind of custom which originated in the West in which the community gives a noisy, discordant mock serenade, frequently with pounding on pots and pans, also known as rough music. The loud, public ritual evolved to a form of social coercion, for instance, to force an as-yet-unmarried couple to wed. This type of social custom arose independently in many rural village societies, for instance in France, England, Italy, Wales and Germany, where it was part of the web of social practices by which the small communities enforced their standards.

12 –  BECKY FUNG is Kumpadreng Mon’s better half, a SIGMA DELTA PHI sorority member and whose full name is REBECCA FONG.]

 

 

 [MMDA General Manager Thomas M. Orbos (“TIM”) is shown here with his signature smile which ought to bring us all of his friends, KIN and KITH alike; to exert an extra mile into helping TIM and to put in some degree of extra patience as all efforts are being waged into solving the monstrous traffic problem in the metropolis’ midst.]  

 

 

I first met him in the late 80s  in K-VILLE¹

After my son TON² was born in 1988 APRIL,

He willingly agreed to become a NINONG;

Though the venue’s reception  was remotely far-FLUNG³…

 

 

 

We  were in fact next-door NEIGHBORS,

But my Dad-in-law wanted the event at his DOORS⁴ ;

For which reason the baptismal was had at the Assumption Church⁵ ZONE,

A 19th-century Neo-Byzantine-Romanesque church made of STONE!

 

 

 

I remember having co-served with TIM at the KVTHA⁶,

Though it was just so brief as they had a quick STAY;

Having just rented the K-VILLE HOME;

Am sure, the couple⁷ wanted a home of their OWN…

 

 

And then I learned Tim became Prexy of O.R.C.A.⁸,

It’s an advisory group with strengths,   in full BONANZA⁹;

And now he is fully focused into TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT¹⁰,

That’s his main thrust at the MMDA¹¹; it’s his TOP COMMITMENT!

 

 

The vehicular volume has indeed reached its PEAK,

So let’s not expect too much of an EPIC;

The sight of TIM doing the rounds at EDSA’s^{12  ROW},

As for me… it’s indicative of a passionate doer– working VERDADISIMO BUENO¹³!

 

 

 

 

To those who love and respect TIM MUCH,

Let’s do our share and help TIM as SUCH;

Let’s all religiously observe those traffic RULES,

Let’s not violate the traffic lights as though we’re bound by FERRULES¹⁴!

 

 

What is even more exacting to FOLLOW,

As we want all our streets to be quite SHALLOW¹⁵;

Let’s not all drive around when our number¹⁶ is BANNED,

Even if the distance  is just truly SHORT-SPANNED!

 

 

And the best gift that we could give to TIM,

Is not to brag about and drop his NAME;

For those MMDA constables could be so POLITE,

Hearing TIM’s name might make them

 quite blind and UNBRIGHT!

 

 

 

JUST BEING JOCULAR… unto MY SON’S GODFATHER, WHO’S GROWN SO POPULAR!

 

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BOSS TIM!

========================================================================

[Legend: 1 – K-Ville Townhomes is that small community within Sanville Subdivision in Tandang Sora, Quezon City where I and my Kumpadre Tim Orbos became next-door neighbors.

2 – TON, is my only son, and is fully named as WALTER ANTHONY E. YOUNG.

3 – Far-flung – Though we were then residing in K-Ville, in compliance with the wishes of my father-in-law, Antonio S. Evangelista, TON, being his namesake too—the baptismal rites and the reception were both held in Bulacan, Bulacan.

4 – My father-in-law then owned a private resort named VILLA EVANGELISTA in Bulacan, Province of Bulacan which is just almost across the Roman Catholic church thereat.

5 – The Our Lady of Assumption Parish Church, commonly known as the Bulakan Church, is a 19th-century Neo-Byzantine-Romanesque stone church located at Barangay San Jose, in the Municipality of Bulakan (formerly spelled as Bulacan), Bulacan Province, Philippines. It is one of the parishes of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Malolos under the Vicariate of the Immaculate Conception. The church was declared Marked Historical Structure of the Philippines in 2007 by the National Historical Institute, the precursor of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines. A historical marker bearing a brief history of the church was therein installed by the commission.

6 – KVTHA is the K-Ville Townhomes Homeowners’ Association.

7 – The couple refers to Kumpadreng Tim Orbos and his pretty wife, Kumadreng Ditas Colet Orbos.

8 –  O.R.C.A. is acronym for Orbos Research Consultancy and Advisory Corporation. It is an advisory group that specializes in providing the proper business, legal and government relations roadmap for companies doing business or intends to do business in the Philippines. Among  its clients are: a European conglomerate with strengths in information technology, defense and transport; a Korean group that is into telecoms and energy; a European aviation company and a Philippine top 100 corporation engaged in various industries.

10- TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT has now become the top concern of the MMDA considering the appalling report that the traffic problem is costing the Philippine economy almost Php 3 billions daily.

11- MMDA is acronym for the METRO-MANILA DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY. The MMDA is an agency of the Republic of the Philippines created embracing the cities of Manila, Quezon City, Caloocan, Pasay, Mandaluyong, Makati, Pasig, Marikina, Muntinlupa, Las Piñas, Parañaque, Valenzuela, Malabon, Taguig, Navotas and San Juan and the municipality of Pateros. Metropolitan Manila or the National Capital Region is constituted into a special development and administrative region subject to direct supervision of the President of the Philippines. The MMDA performs planning, monitoring and coordinative functions, and in the process exercises regulatory and supervisory authority over the delivery of metro-wide services within Metro-Manila without diminution of the autonomy of the local government units concerning purely local matters.

12 – EDSA which is acronym for Epifanio de los Santos Avenue , is a limited-access circumferential highway around Manila, the capital of the Philippines. It is the main thoroughfare in Metro-Manila passing through 6 of the capital region’s 17 local government units, namely, from north to south, Caloocan, Quezon City, San Juan, Mandaluyong, Makati and Pasay City.

13 – VERDADISIMO BUENO is a Spanish phrase meaning TRULY GREAT or TRULY GOOD.

14 – FERRULE is a metal band strengthening or forming a joint. Thus, by way of POETIC LICENSE, the term implies a very strict rule that binds us to compliance.

15 – SHALLOW is synonymous to SLIGHT. Thus, again, by way of POETIC LICENSE, a SHALLOW STREET is one with very SLIGHT TRAFFIC.

16 – Number is the car’s plate number particularly the ENDING NUMBER which on a ONCE-A-WEEK sked, is banned from the metropolis’ streets from 7 am to 8 pm everyday.]

[Top left photo shows ALLISON together with her male playmates during a Christmas party held at her Aunt Alma Esconde’s home in 2016. Bottom left photo shows ALLISON with her Dad Archie and Mom Kitz in their respective WACKY poses. Right photo shows the MOM and CHILD duo: Mom Kitz and the pretty birthday girl and future Miss UNIVERSE, ALLISON COURTNEY. This 8-year old grand-niece of mine is truly SMART. While on board with my Daddy Max, in their Nissan Altima Car in August 2015 which Car was being driven by her Dad, Archie; the father and daughter got into some kind of petty wrangling as Allison was trying to convince her Dad to buy her some kind of an expensive trinket. Casually and perhaps to stop ALLISON from distracting him from his driving, Archie declared with some air of authority: “WE ARE POOR  ALLISON AND WE CANNOT AFFORD THAT.” To this, ALLISON (then about 6 years old) made this quick repartee while ending it with a pout: “HOW   CAN YOU SAY THAT WE ARE POOR, WHEN WE CAN AFFORD TO EAT AT MACDONALDS ALMOST EVERYDAY!”]

 

 

You’re the first kid to be subject of my BLOG,

I hope that I would not turn into some kind of a CROG ¹;

But as you’re the child of AMAZING ARCHIE ²,

You’re SMART and you too are a REAL TECHIE!

 

 

 

I know that ALEE ³ is your IDOL,

She’s TECHIE too since playing with a DOLL;

That’s the problem with us SENIORS ⁴,

We knew no gadgets during our PRIORS ⁵ !

 

 

 

I first learned your name from my daughter SHAYNA ⁶,

Since SHAYNA’s been a frequent guest of your PAPA;

SHAYNA has been competing in WORLD  HIPHOP ⁷,

And your home at San Diego was her usual STOP ⁸.

 

 

 

I’ve learned too that you love DANCING,

And in school you did some kind of PRANCING;

But what I look forward into the FUTURE,

To see you on stage in HAUTE COUTURE ⁹!

 

 

 

Not just a HIPHOP Queen — you know,

I’d love to see you as a FASHION QUEEN—that’s TRUE!

I could see that you either will be a RAMP MODEL,

Or perhaps a TOPNOTCH/HIGH CALIBER COUTURIER!

 

 

 

 

 

When we were at your family’s home in 2015,

That was in August and the contest was KEEN ¹⁰   —

You went with your DAD to visit the teens ¹¹  —

Your DAD brought the juicy STEAKS ¹¹,

And you generated the laughter SHRIEKS ¹² !

 

 

Those positive traits with your SMARTNESS on top,

Will surely bring you to the summit atop;

And my prognostication could prove to be TRUE,

You could truly even be a UNIVERSE QUEEN on CUE ¹³!

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALLISON COURTNEY!!!!

========================================================================

[Legend: 1 – To turn into a CROG is to be not attuned with the language of the youth or to be illogical in language.

2 – ARCHIE LLORCA is a nephew of mine. I wrote an earlier BLOG where I referred to ARCHIE as AMAZING ARCHIE.

3 – ALEE is my youngest daughter and when they (i.e. ALEE and ALLISON) are together they would BOND and PLAY along so seamlessly.

4 – SENIORS means SENIOR CITIZENS who have matured and aged like WINE.

5 – PRIORS means PRIOR YEARS or those yesteryears.

6 – My eldest daughter SHAYNA has started competing in the World Hiphop International contest in 2006 and thereafter.

7-  SHAYNA is still at it as she and her boyfriend VIMI RIVERA are the moving personalities in the quest of the LEGIT STATUS Hiphop Dance Team to bag  the Championship title of the WHHI. They will endeavor to compete anew this August 2017 at the Phoenix, Arizona WHHI contest.

8 – After every competition at the WHHI usually at Las Vegas, SHAYNA with her team mates (i.e. the UP STREET DANCE TEAM and the CREW, then) would usually visit the San Diego home of my nephew ARCHIE.

9 – HAUTE COUTURE means expensive, fashionable clothes produced by leading fashion houses.

10 – The 2015 WHHI contest which was held at the HARRAH’s Resort in San Diego was truly KEEN then as the LEGIT STATUS fielded compete teams for both the MEGACREW and the VARSITY divisions. The hard work proved truly rewarding as the LEGIT STATUS Varsity Team bagged the SILVER Medal while the LEGIT STATUS MEGACREW Team landed 4th Runner-Up in a field of hiphop teams from 57 competing countries.

11 – The term “TEENS” refers  to the more than 45 teen-aged participants to the 2015 WHHI of the LEGIT STATUS Team. They rented a big house in San Diego and on their first night upon their arrival, ARCHIE brought them lots of STEAK to nourish and energize them all.

12 – The SHRIEKS were the SHRIEKS of laughter which Allison generated while playing and horsing around with the female teen-aged participants and members of the LEGIT STATUS Dance Team on that first night of their arrival in San Diego in August 2015.

13 – The term “ON CUE” means at the right and correct time.]