Monday, August 04, 2008 Nalzaro: Thank you By Bobby Nalzaro Saksi
DIPOLOG CITY - I apologize to our readers for writing about the demise of my beloved mother Dorotea Galeza Nalzaro or Nanay Doring these past few days. I could have asked Sun.Star Cebu editor-in-chief Pacheco ‘Cheking’ Seares to excuse me from writing my columns for Sun.Star Cebu and Superbalita because I am in grief and sorrow, but I opted to write because I found myself idled here during the wake, especially during the day.
While juggling my time between entertaining visitors who sympathized with us and making preparations for the daily novena, I still found time to write my column. With the advent of new technology, it’s easy to write my column even while lying down in our payag or sitting under the mango tree. I didn’t need a computer because I am using my Nokia E90 Communicator.
Relatives, friends and neighbors visited us to express their sympathy during our nightly prayers. We seldom entertained during the day because everybody here is busy working to earn a living. Aside from the professionals, the other residents rely on fishing and farming for their livelihood. Some of them even have to line up in various NFA outlets to buy cheaper rice.
But I am still here in my native land with my brothers and sisters making post-wake and burial assessments, including accounting of expenses. We are also discussing who will take charge of our little property and house here considering that we all live far apart. It’s very expensive to bury someone nowadays. Good that we were prepared for the eventual outcome.
It’s really worth having a memorial plan if you plan to have a decent burial when you leave this earth.
With my mother gone, I feel something lacking inside my heart. It’s the knowledge that she is not here anymore. I miss her. Members of our immediate family and other relatives who sympathized with us from day one are still in our house. But I don’t know what will happen tomorrow when all of us will start leaving for our respective place of work. My brothers and sisters, who are all professionals, either live or work in Bacolod, Iloilo, Zamboanga City or Palawan.
Maybe this will be my last column regarding my mother’s death as I will be returning to Cebu today. It is so painful to lose someone special. But life must go on. Leaving my birth place does not mean leaving the memories of my mother behind.
Wherever I am, she will always be in my mind and heart.
On behalf of my family, I would like to thank all our readers, both in Sun.Star Cebu and Sun.Star Superbalita, and to my radio listeners and GMA 7’s Balitang Bisdak viewers who expressed their sympathy either through text message or e-mail.
Now I know that I have many well-meaning friends out there. I’d like to thank some of my personal friends, corporations and members of GMA 7/RGMA Network who sent flowers all the way to my hometown. And I would like to thank Sun.Star for the free obituary.
No less than President Arroyo through Presidential Management Staff Director General Secretary Cerge Remonde sent flowers for my Nanay. Kuratan god tawon ang taga baryo. Ingon sila kaila diay ni President Arroyo si Nanay Doring. To my media colleagues commentator Choy Torralba, Sun.Star columnist and PNA chief lawyer Eddie Barrita, Globe executive Jerry Yntig, San Roque Barangay Councilor and Cezda chairman Lioderi “Boy” Miranda and former broadcaster and now Tudela Councilor Greman “Jojo” Solante, thank you for coming over to join me in my time of sorrow. I was deeply touched by their presence. Sa tanan nga miduyog sa among kasub-anan, daghang kaayong salamat kaninyong tanan. Ginoo ray mahibawong mobawos kaninyo.
