Friday, December 21, 2007 Christmas in Solariega: A balikbayan's dream
WHEN Teresa Wabingga Lugue moved into her new house in Solariega, little did she know it would take on more meaning than just another house for them. She had intended to make it her and her husband's haven upon retirement, but it evolved into something more significant for her whole family.
Teresa, who hails from Sulop, Davao del Sur, has spent most of her 57 years in the United States. Arriving there as an exchange student in the mid-seventies, she met Benigno Lugue and decided to stay for good.
They now have four children: two biological daughters -- Lisajen, 28, and Jocelyn, 23 -- and a nephew and a niece Teresa had adopted when they were still young, who are now married and working in the US.
Teresa lives a typical American life, taking care of her family and working as a Practice Manager in a doctor's office in Bowie, Maryland, and as a Monitor Technician in Washington. Although everyone in her family is a US citizen, Teresa still clings fondly to her Filipino roots.
"My life right now is in America, and I like it, but I do miss my family here. When my husband and I retire, we will come back to Davao, and this house in Solariega will be our home," she said.
A family friend had shown her around Solariega when they were here in 2005, and Teresa was quite impressed with the appeal and charm of Davao's most admired master-planned community.
"The first time I saw Solariega it was night, but my gosh, I really liked it. The location was good, the ambiance peaceful, and the houses were very pretty, not too big like the houses in the US, but just the right size. I felt it was a very good place to retire," she said.
The next day when her godmother, who was quite close to her, told her she now lives in Solariega, Teresa felt it was providential that she had been there the night before. She then lost no time taking steps to acquire her own home in Solariega.
She had been in the United States while her house was being built and it wasn't easy to follow up its progress because of the distance. She confessed she might have been pushy and demanding at times, but she couldn't fault the professionalism and accommodation Solariega's developer, Communities Philippines Davao, gave her.
When Teresa and her family arrived in November, she was thrilled to see her house all done and waiting for her. She immediately furnished it and made it comfortable for her family's month-long vacation.
"This is the longest vacation I've had so far, and one that felt like a real holiday. I've enjoyed this vacation most, because of our new house and because we brought our two daughters with us," Teresa said.
She could not have been more pleased with the timing as it is Christmas season. Jocelyn and Jesalyn delighted over the Christmas decors that decked special spots in the subdivision, especially the snow men, the Christmas lights illuminating the trees, and the special decorations of the houses.
The whole ambiance made the yuletide spirit stronger for Teresa. "Gusto talaga naming magpasko dito. It would mean a lot to us, because my daughters would experience a real Filipino Christmas," she remarked.
Teresa was excited for her daughters to enjoy the many different looks of the humble Parol. She wanted them to experience the gathering of families during Christmas Eve, the opening of gifts at the first hour of Christmas Day, and to partake in the traditional Noche Buena.
"These are traditions that make you feel like a real Filipino. Christmas is the time for family and the perfect occasion to show my daughters what and how we are as Filipinos," Teresa said.
