Unforgettable lessons

by Dr. Jun Ynares, Manila Bulletin

THE VIEW FROM RIZAL

Dr. Jun Ynares

“What were the most important lessons you learned from your teachers?”

Many years ago, while we were governor of Rizal Province, we were invited to speak at an elementary school graduation ceremony. While waiting for my turn at the podium, one of the graduating students asked us that question: “Governor Jun, what did you learn in elementary school?”

We had no ready answer to that question, but that innocent query got us thinking. When our turn to speak came, we decided to junk the prepared speech and share instead our thoughts on the question posed to us by the graduating elementary student.

Here were three important lessons our teachers taught us and which we shared to the graduating class that evening. The best lessons I learned from my teachers were:

First, “shut up and listen.”

Second, “raise your hand if you know the answer.”

Third, “finished or not finished pass your paper”.

The mention of these lessons elicited laughter from the audience of graduating students, their parents and the teachers present. Why not? No one thought they were lessons. They sounded more like the angry admonitions we got from our teachers. When we hear those words, they bring back memories of the serious face of a stern classroom teacher.

We may have heard those words many times when we were in school. We heard them so often that they became our LSS (last song syndrome). They became embedded in our memory that we cannot forget where we heard them and from whom.
For us, they were lessons.

We told the audience that day that those words from our elementary school teachers were some of the wisest we heard. They were so wise that they helped us become the public servant we are today. Those were some of the best advice that an aspiring leader would ever get and they came from our teachers.
We explained to our audience why and how.

“Shut up and listen” helps one develop an important quality of a leader: empathy. There is a mistaken notion that the leader is one who speaks most often and tells much. What a leader says has meaning only if he or she listens first. People want to feel and know that they have been listened to. It makes them feel important. We learned that people remember those who listened to them more than they would remember those who merely spoke before them.

Listening is a service we do for others. Thanks to our teacher, we learned to shut up and listen to the people we serve.

“Raise your hand when you know the answer” nurtures in a person the spirit of volunteerism, and the courage to stand up and be counted. We learned that the question the world most often asks us is this: “Who is willing to serve?” It takes boldness to raise one’s hand when that question is asked.

Thanks to our teachers, we have been raising our hands for the past two decades or so each time our country calls us to service. Public service exacts a heavy toll. Remembering our teachers’ lessons helps one remember that there should be no regret when the difficult times come. After all, we “raised our hand” when we heard the call.

“Finished or not finished, pass your paper” is a constant reminder to one that the world will not wait for us and that time is a finite, limited, scarce resource. When we embark on a task or mission, we must do our best to finish them and finish them quickly. Deadlines are a permanent feature of life, especially of life in public service. Postponing for tomorrow what we can do and can finish today would be a big mistake.
We have attended many courses, workshops and seminars on governance and administration.

Nothing beats what we learned from our classroom teachers. They are proof that, indeed, teachers prepare today the leaders of tomorrow – the young people who someday will “shut up and listen” to their countrymen, “raise their hand” when called upon to serve” and who will always remember that they will have to “pass their paper, finished or not finished”.
Thank you, teachers.

We join you in the celebration of World Teachers Day today as we salute you for your service to our Nation and to the World.

*For feedback, please email it to antipolocitygov@gmail.com or send it to Block 6 Lot 10 Sta. Barbara 1 cor. Bradley St., Mission Hills Subd., Brgy. San Roque, Antipolo City, Rizal.

Ballet Manila's powerful 'Rise'

 

‘Rise!’ is a double bill that features ‘Ballet & Ballads’ and ‘La Traviata’

Ballet Manila returns to live performance at the newly renovated Aliw Theater with "Rise!" a double bill that features a pop program "Ballet & Ballads" and a retelling of the opera "La Traviata" in ballet as choreographed by Lisa Macuja Elizalde.

While the moving performance of Ballet Manila is the centerpiece of the show, Rise! also features the highly respected Maestro Gerard Salonga as musical director and conductor; one of the country's best female vocalists, Bituin Escalate; and award winning opera singer Jade Riccio.

Supporting these prominent artists is a powerhouse creative team, led by prima ballerina Lisa Macuja-Elizalde as overall artistic director, theater artist Michael Williams as the stage director, playwright Luna Inocian as the scriptwriter and Gerardo Francisco Jr. and Martin Lawrance as choreographers. There is also a 12 person opera ensemble and a 60-piece bespoke orchestra handpicked by Salonga himself.

Rise! Will be staged on October 7 at 8 p.m. and on October 9 at 5 p.m. at the Aliw Theater.

Tickets are available exclusively through Ticketworld. Visit www.ticketworld.com.ph or call 8891-9999.

Davao City honors 32 centenarians

By Ruth Palo, Manila Times

October 5, 2022

THE Davao City Government through the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) has honored 32 Davaoeño centenarians in an event at the Grand Menseng Hotel here on Monday, October 3.

Each awardee, present or not, received a plaque and P100,000 cash.

Eligible for the award are those who turned 100 years old after Dec. 2, 2021, the day the Ordinance Honoring Centenarians was passed.

The event had 11 centenarians who were able to personally attend and receive their award. The 22 other centenarians were represented by family members.

Mayor Sebastian Duterte went from table to table to hand over the plaques and cash award alongside Vice Mayor Jay Melchor Quitain, and City Councilors Wilberto Al-ag, Tek Ocampo and Myrna Dalodo Ortiz.

"Once you reach 100 years old, this often includes having a healthy lifestyle. It was also revealed that these centenarians have family members who really take good care of them," CSWDO head lawyer Marlisa Gallo said.

Aside from the cash assistance, the centenarians who came from far-flung areas like Marilog District were also given hotel room accommodations in the morning before the event.

Families of the centenarians said they were elated that their parents were recognized during the event.

Reuben Corro, son of 102-year-old Emma Corro, said "this is really a great help and inspiration for all because according to our neighbors and relatives, they were encouraged to keep themselves healthy so that they could get the promised incentives."

Angeles, Calida resign

Press Secretary Rose Beatrix "Trixie" Cruz-Angeles and Commission on Audit (CoA) Chairman Jose Calida. TMT FILE PHOTO

By Catherine S. Valente  and Kristina Maralit

October 5, 2022

Press Secretary Rose Beatrix "Trixie" Cruz-Angeles and Commission on Audit (CoA) Chairman Jose Calida. TMT FILE PHOTO

(UPDATE) TWO members of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s Cabinet have resigned from their posts, Malacañang said on Tuesday.

Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin confirmed that Press Secretary Rose Beatrix "Trixie" Cruz-Angeles and Commission on Audit (CoA) Chairman Jose Calida had filed their letter of resignation.

In a statement, Cruz-Angeles said she tendered her resignation for "health reasons."

"I tendered my resignation this morning, effective end of business hours today. Due to health reasons. It was a pleasure working with you," she also said.

Cruz-Angeles is the second Cabinet official who stepped down after Victor Rodriguez announced on Sept. 17, 2022, that he has resigned as executive secretary but will continue serving Marcos as his chief of staff.

Senior Deputy Executive Secretary Hubert Guevara said the President is yet to appoint Cruz-Angeles' replacement.

"She tendered her resignation today. We're still in the process of helping the office address her resignation today," Guevara said.

"Wala pa hong bagong (There is still no new) press secretary. Hopefully, in the near future, we will have [a] new press secretary," he said.

According to Guevarra, Marcos gave Cruz-Angeles a "thank you note" after her resignation.

When asked if there are already names being considered to replace Cruz-Angeles, Guevarra said there was none.

Earlier in the day, the President reappointed some of his Cabinet members who were bypassed by the Commission on Appointments.

Cruz-Angeles was among the officials who were not on the list and not present during the ceremony.

Rumors about Cruz-Angeles' quitting from her post circulated after Marcos' working visit to the United States.

In May, she accepted the offer to be press secretary and head of the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO).

She previously served as PCOO's social media strategist from July 2017 to July 2018 during the administration of then-president Rodrigo Duterte.

As a lawyer, she is known for representing military officers charged with rebellion and mutiny.

Cruz-Angeles was also a former commissioner for Cultural Heritage of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and former spokesman for the Integrated Bar of the Philippines.

She was also a member of then-Chief Justice Renato Corona's legal team during his impeachment trial in 2012.

Meanwhile, Bersamin also confirmed that Calida has stepped down as CoA chairman, but he declined to answer when prodded about the reason for the latter's resignation.

"He (Calida) tendered his resignation for many reasons, but it's up to him to later explain to you or publish what were his reasons, but we accepted that with regret and we commended him for his patriotism for serving for a short while," he said.

Calida, who served as solicitor general under the Duterte administration, is yet to issue a statement on the matter.

"Please be advised that the chairman was one of the officials whose appointment was bypassed by the Commission on Appointments," CoA's public information office said in a statement on reports of Calida's resignation.

"Today, the President issued the reappointments of 10 Cabinet members, unfortunately, Chairman Calida was not one of those reappointed," it added.

The commission said it would wait for Marcos' appointment of a new chairman.

Calida had served as the undersecretary of the Department of Justice from 2001 to 2004.

He also previously held the executive director post at the Dangerous Drugs Board.

Calida graduated from Ateneo de Davao University in 1969.

In 1973, he graduated with a Bachelor of Laws from the Ateneo de Manila University and passed the Bar the same year, according to the Office of the Solicitor General's website.

Also on Tuesday, Bersamin said his predecessor, Victor Rodriguez, was no longer a part of the Marcos administration.

Speaking to Palace reporters, he said there is no official document delegating Rodriguez as presidential chief of staff.

"No, he is no longer a member of the Cabinet. You must recall that he resigned for a specific reason, and that reason is well published. We cannot second-guess that reason. Take it as it was stated by the secretary and let us respect his privacy," Bersamin noted during a media interview.

Bersamin issued the statement after Rodriguez on September 17 announced his decision to step down from office to assume his new role as the President's chief of staff.

Then-press secretary Cruz-Angeles earlier said Marcos signed Administrative Order (AO) 1 creating the Office of the Presidential Chief of Staff, which will be under the direct supervision of the Office of the President.

The Office of the Presidential Chief of Staff shall have the primary function of supervising and ensuring the "efficient and responsive" day-to-day operational support to the presidency to enable the President to focus on strategic national concerns, she said, citing AO 1.

Cruz-Angeles added that Rodriguez "will immediately" assume his new position as presidential chief of staff, which will have the rank and emoluments of a Cabinet secretary.

Malacañang, however, is yet to release a copy of AO 1.

Bersamin said he has not seen the order creating the position, which was reportedly signed by the President last month.

"Kung meron talaga, ililitaw natin kung meron. Pero up to now, wala pang lumilitaw na ganyan (If there is really [AO 1], we will make it public. However, we are yet to see it up to now)," he added.

The new executive secretary said they do not even talk about the order.

He also asked that Rodriguez's privacy must be respected.

"And to be fair to him as well as to the President, let us not belabor that issue kasi (because) the decision has been made. I was appointed executive secretary. I was sworn into office and that should put that matter to rest," he added.

Rodriguez was Marcos' longtime chief of staff and spokesman before he was nominated as an executive secretary in May.

Bersamin, on the other hand, was named as executive secretary on September 27.

Prior to his role in the Marcos administration, he served as chief justice from 2018 to 2019 during the term of then-president Rodrigo Duterte.

Everything should be a form of prayer

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

WE should do our best to overcome the usual tendency of ours to fall into some form of dichotomy, dividing our life mainly into 2 parts—one for prayer, our relation with God, and another for work, our involvement in the things of the world or our temporal affairs.

We only have one life, and it’s a life that essentially should be an active participation in the life of God, since we have been created to be his image and likeness. Though our life has many parts, many dimensions, many aspects, and each one requires specific treatment, we should not forget that all of them comprise one and the same life. They have to be blended and made to work according to one same spirit—the spirit of God.

We are reminded of this basic truth about ourselves in that gospel episode about the two sisters, Martha and Mary, where the former complained to Christ about the latter for apparently not helping her in some tasks of hospitality. (cfr. Lk 10,38-42) That was when Christ told Martha that only one thing is necessary and that Mary, her sister, who was contemplating on Christ, was doing the right thing and it would not be taken away from her.

The mistake of Martha was to consider her tasks of hospitality not as a form of prayer but simply as some practical work that needed to be done. She failed to elevate her work into prayer. That was why she felt uncomfortable to see her sister apparently doing nothing by simply putting herself before Christ, listening to him.

The main point of the gospel is that we are supposed to be contemplative souls. That is to say that no matter what we are doing, no matter what condition we may be in, we should not lose touch with God.

That’s obviously not an easy thing to do, but we have precisely our whole life to cultivate that kind of lifestyle. And we have been given all the means so that such ideal can be achieved by us. We should just do our part.

The story of the sisters, Martha and Mary, therefore offers us a precious lesson on always giving priority to prayer, the one thing necessary in life, no matter how many and urgent our other concerns are during the day. It urges us to make everything a form of prayer.

The immediate basis for this truth is what Christ himself said: “What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?” (Mt 16,26) That’s because prayer is like the breathing and the heartbeat of our spiritual organism, of our soul. Just as we continue to breathe and just as our heart continues to beat even while we are unconscious in our sleep, so should our prayer be.

To be sure, this is possible and doable, because praying does not even need a bodily organ for it to be done. It is a spiritual operation that can transcend the use of our bodily faculties. It’s a matter of attitude, of belief, which we can always have even if it is not expressly articulated.

As such, it can be done in any situation—while we are working, playing, resting, etc. But it would be good that we spend some time doing nothing other than praying, directly engaging God in a loving conversation, because that would help us to be prayerful in all our other activities and situations in life.

* Chaplain Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE), Talamban, Cebu City

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com