THE past month or so was really tight and busy. I cannot exactly recall all the details that transpired in it.
One thing I remember is that it was meaningful. Aside from celebrating The Reason for the Season – Lord Jesus’ birth – I could recall few significant things, which were full of “defiance”.
Here are some of them.
DEFYING GRAVITY. Sounds like that famous line and song from a Broadway Musical. But leadership is not just a stage play. It is about facing challenges which Atty. Joseph Emmanuel L. Angeles (JELA) has been facing since 2009. The phrase is his battlecry and slogan from five years ago.
From eating challenges for breakfast, he may have to take it for lunch and dinner too now after his official assumption to duty as the fourth president of Angeles University Foundation in befitting investiture rites last December 4, 2014 (That’s three 4s, I’ve noticed).
In his speech, JELA likened himself to coincidental namesake Joseph, one of the 12 sons of Jacob. And he made the reference in asking the stakeholders to help him face the challenges.
To my mind, the comparison could also be about another aspect in the life of the Biblical character. It is about dream and vision. Joseph was instrumental in saving not only his own family, not only the rest of the Hebrew tribes, but even the Egyptians from famine.
JELA, a man of vision for what his Lola Barbara and Dad Emmanuel had started, has been fulfilling his own dream for the highly respected educational institution.
He and the AUF are also instrumental in fulfilling the dreams of students and parents to have quality education and thus, have brighter future ahead for those who finish their studies.
DEFYING SCARCITY. The town of Candaba is the only first class municipality in Pampanga without a hospital. Imagine that?
Not even a government facility you asked? The answer is yes.
It is but ironic if not downright pitiful that this town that once made wave in its tourism (Ibon-Ebun Festival and migratory bird watching, don’t get me wrong but these were good projects), does not have a medical facility to treat its residents with emergency cases.
This is one reason why Mayor Rene Maglanque is hell bent in building one despite meager resources for a town that has only about P10 million from local taxes.
He has started implementing last year a 20-bed infirmary first at the hope that some kind hearted individuals and groups would help him expand it to 50-bed capacity later. The small facility that is being built right now seats on a 6-hectare lot. This more than enough space to construct bigger facility.
An infirmary, clinic, hospital, whatever you may call it. The mayor’s idea here is to empower the town treat its own people. It is but pitiful to hear that some residents don’t make it to the nearest district hospital in San Luis town nor to more complex facility in the City of San Fernando which is 21 kilometers away.
We have heard of stories how residents succumb to cardiac arrests and multiple organ failures. Others bleed to death along the way to medical facilities. We heard that very recently a boy died of asthma attack while one barangay captain died along the way after a heart attack. So sad, isn’t it?
DEFYING ODDS. Businessman Levy Laus is very hopeful that Clark International Airport (CIA) will still become the country’s premier gateway.
This, despite recent findings in a congressional hearing (on transportation) that there is not a single written policy that makes official the twin airport system (between CIA and NAIA) that we have known to be in effect.
The highly respected global businessperson that he is who had seen the best airports on the face of the planet, Mr. Laus said that the mere fact that CIA serves as alternate to NAIA is a good start towards achieving the vision for Clark.
The former president of Clark Development Corporation believes that CIA is a magnet for more investments to come not just to the Freeport but also to the rest of Northern and Central Luzon regions.
Mr. Laus, in his recent tete-a-tete with media, reiterated his call to decongest Metro Manila and create a new urban center north of it. His “Decongest” advocacy is anchored on readiness for emergencies just in case some disaster hits Metro Manila.
Not a bad idea at all as this is also shared by great urban planners like Architect Jun Palafox. This call is also being espoused in order to avoid paralysis of vital government service should a calamity befalls on imperial Manila.
DEFYING HOLIDAYS. The Samson family of Magalang town spent their holidays with medical missions. One in Silay City Negros Occidental last December 15 and in Sta. Cruz, Magalang 12 days later.
They were led by World Medical Relief Inc President George Samson, his lovely wife Dra. Sheila and their kids. Joining them also are wonderful couple Marilyn Samson-Hinton and husband John.
Kong George (as I call him) and kids flew in from Detroit while the Hintons planed from Chicago for a rather restful holiday season which I hope they indeed got.
But with ample rest or not, they did not mind making their holidays more meaningful with medical outreach that served about 2,000 individuals combined.
Kong George and family also got to see a stage play at Fiona’s Farm in Magalang where a missionary church was built by Dr. Irineo “Bong” Alvaro. Right after the play, some 250 local kids kids benefitted from goodies prepared by Mr. Alvaro and their United Methodist Church (UMC) group. They were joined in by Dr. David Zarate and wife-doctor Jinky in the Christmas special.
Kong George and Mr. Alvaro were once youth leaders of UMC, thus, their humbleness, respectability, good Samaritan spirits and Christ-centered lives and examples.
These two golden-hearted persons, when combined, could usher in a new meaning to service to God and humanity.