call it serendipity. but an hour ago, i was in one of the stores of julie's bakeshop (hello, mang pompey!), and while waiting for my orders, i read the philippine star, one of the leading broadsheets, left in one of the tables. and there, inside the nation section is a bit of news about re-shuffle of police officers in two towns in isabela-- jones and echague. the former chiefs of those towns were sacked because they allegedly did not perform their jobs against the proliferation of the illegal numbers game jueteng. the new police chief in jones is none other than jesus nape, jr. he is the junior of the late uncle jess, married to auntie auring. (check out the family tree here for more connections). i am sure i last saw mang junior during the wake of daddy in jones. that time he was the chief of police of cordon after a brief stint in roxas (or was it gamu?). but about five christmases ago, i had the opportunity to visit them in their house in a subdivision in santiago city. i was with cousins boy and liza then. after reading the news, i texted mang liza about it and ask for mang junior's number. but she said that mang junior has not reported yet and she does not know his mobile number. so for now, i say, congrats, mang junior. all the best! now, can anybody please tell us about the feats of our uncle ising (moises) gallardo who used to be the jones police chief? thanks!

I am glad the the UN-brokered ceasefire in the Lebanon-Israel conflict seems to be succeeding. We are a small part of this world news.

Melanie, my younger sister is in Lebanon. She left Jones in search of a greener pasture as they say more than 2 years ago. She is there doing a little sacrifice for a better future of their five children. She was not here when our dear Inay passed away. She cried a lot and she wanted to come home to see our dear Inay.

The past few weeks as the war was raging, we were spending precious moblie phone calls just to check on her. She is lucky than the rest that her employer has a house in the northern area of Lebanon. This is the safer area as the fighting is happenning in the southern area where Lebanon shares a boundary with Israel. She is more than luck that her employers are treating her well. And they are more than ever protective of her. Consider these recurring dialogues: "Di ka pa ba uuwi?" "Anong gagawin ko diyan? Marami kami dito na Pilipino na ayaw umuwi kasi wala namang trabaho diyan." Indeed! One of those heroes bringing in precious dollars in our economy.

Early this year, her eldest (and only) daughter got pregnant. It is not good news especially if your mother is sacrificing a lot to bring you to school and hopefully you will have a better future. And so the family consencus was for her to have the marriage ceremony, stop schooling for a while (I hope she can go back and finish her teaching course!). Marry, they did one day last June.

And while the cruel war was raging, Queencel gave birth, by ceasarian, to a big, baby boy. Lovy, her husband, decided not to inform Melanie when they were in the hospital with Queencel. "Nerbiyoso yun manong. Huwag muna nating ipaalam." I agreed.

When Melanie will come home, after her three year contract which she intends to complete, next year, our Inay is not there anymore to meet her. But she will be met by a lovely apo!

 

This is another bit of sad news. And I am sorry that I do not have the details. The messages that I got were deleted from my phone when it broke down.

Few days ago, I got a text message from Manang Vicky (anak daydi Uncle Ilyong) that Manang Linda Cristobal passed away. Manang Linda is the sister of Mang Romy, Manang Lita and Mang Boy (who passed away two years ago; read separate post on this) On that day, Ambet (anak ni Manang Odie nga asawa daydi Manong Mar - used to be the Municipal Assessor of Jones), confirmed the sad news.

I remember Manang Linda well. She had problems with her legs. Piki a kunada. But those are physical attibutes that is hidden, overshadowed by her good deeds. She was a nice woman. She always tell stories about the folks in Diarao when she visits us in our home in Barangay Uno, diay tippang a kunada. She was worrysome ("Ay agawidakon ta awan kadwa ni Nanang, agunget tu manen ni Manong Romy") but in her worries are her deep concern for her Nanang -- the late Auntie Pipay. I knew that Manang Linda and Auntie Pipay were always together in the cornfields and tobacco fields of Diarao tending their farms.

I know that Manang Linda was nanny to many of her nieces and nephews and she considered all of them as her own. How lucky they are to have a very caring auntie in Manang Linda.

And how lucky we are to have a cousin in Manang Linda.  

Happy wedding day today to kathleen and rey. kathleen is the eldest of Manang Ruth (more popularly known as Jackie) and Mang Vito. Rey is from the historic Hacienda Santa Isabel in Ilagan, Isabela. All the best wishes!

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Aimee delivered a baby girl last September 14. As per the text message of Xerxes, the baby came out at around 4 am. Another member of the ever growing family! Welcome Baby... ooppps, what her name? I tried contacting Xerxes but they are not answering my SMS. The cellphoen they are using is not active.

Xerxes is the second child of Kuya Joel and the late Manang Ely. He is mostly called Pusoy because Kuya Joel is Pepito. (Kuya Joel was born on December 30, same as Jose Rizal's birthdate. Jose Rizal is Pepe and Pepito was a very clever nickname for Kuya Joel.

Aimee comes from Ramon, Isabela. Where the Asia's biggest dam -- Magat -- is located. She's one semester short of her accounting degree but I don't know what happened with them and Xerxes and what are their plans for life. Xerxes just finished high school at the La Salette and he has no plans of goind to college anymore. He knows a lot of things, very skill full. He makes very good ice cream, he drives motorocylcles, car and even dumptrucks.

During the family re-union in Jones in end April, she was already pregnant. And our Inay was a little worried. We were, too. When Inay passed away, our family met Aimee's. When we schedlued the 4oth day celebration for Inay on July 2, we all agreed that it is better if they go into the ceremony of marriage. And so on July 3 in San Mateo, a town near Ramon, a celebration was made. Dumayo kaming mga taga-Jones!

At least, kasal na sila bago dumating si Baby.... oooppps, ano nga ba ang pangalan?

Our beloved Inay was intered at the Aglipayan cemetery before noon last Wednesday, May 25, after a mass celebrated by the new parish priest of St Williams, Rev. Sagun. We would have wanted it a day later, Thursday, but that was a day set for the 1st death anniversary of Manong Boy Cristobal.

The traditional "umras" was held the night of the interment though the novena was continued until the "pa-siyam" ceremonies yesterday.

Our beloved Inay, Victoria Colobong Ancheta Domingo, joined her creator at around 1 am, today, May 21.

WE THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR PRAYERS as we, again, begin to remember the life and times of a very special person we simply called Inay. She was to turn 65 this December 21. 

Indeed, there is really a limit to the capacity of a mortal being. The doctors, medicines and medical equipment were there beside her for the last 16 days but she could only take so much. We take comfort with the thought that she is now in the loving embrace of her creator... and now with Dad, sister in law Ely, Auntie Pipay and all the relatives who passed away before her.

Again, thank you very much for your prayers and your messages of symphaty. Thank you very much.

Our beloved Inay is confined at the Callang Hospital in Santiago. She's been there since Wednesday (after two days at the Jones Community Hospital).

Her doctor, as of last night said that Inay's kidneys have stabilized and that the problem that another specialist is looking unto is her liver. Due to the weak liver, as per Doctor Botuyan's expalnation, there are possibilities of ruptures in varices (ugat) inside her stomach. This explains her very low hemoglobin and therefore the need for blood transfusion. An endoscopy is to be performed anytime now to check on, and repair the ruptures. My nieces Jen-jen and her husband Andit and Queencel have been with Inay since Monday. They were joined today by brother Roy, sister Jack and her husband Vito and niece Kathleen. We are trying to help each other to help Inay.

We ask everyone to join us in our prayers for the recovery of our beloved Inay as we say our prayers for all. May everyone stay in good health!

Auntie Pipay (Epifania Gallardo Domingo-Cristobal) was buried at noon today in the Independent Church cemetery. She passed away last April 9, two days after her 92nd birthday.

yesterday was the wedding day of my niece karen (daughter of ruth corazon and jovito) and ronald. the ceremonies at the aglipayan church in naguilian town proper started an hour late.

but i would say that the ceremony was handled well by the very patient young priest from cagayan. it was my first time to attend an aglipayan wedding. and the symbolism of the ceremonies, the chord, candle, aras, veil were patiently explained in such a way that at the end of the ceremony, one will understand the sacrament.

anyway, even if the ceremony started late, the wedding was TOO early especially for my niece karen. she's only 17! it was a choice between holding the wedding now and holding later as a baby is on the way.

ronald is from hacienda santa isabel in ilagan town. this place made history when, in the 1980s, it was a battleground for agrarian reform imperatives. the hacienda, bastion of tobacco monopoly, has been owned and controlled by elites and the people there finally found a cause to fight for their land tenure rights.

on the eve of the wedding ceremonies, there was a gala. it is dance, dance, dance night for the young and old. it was organized well with the presence of barangay officials giving warnings to anyone not to create trouble and to respect the family occassion. well, done kapitan! and of course, the gala was a time for the bride and groom to dance together and while they are at it, frineds, relatives and well wishers pin money, money, money on their clothes. it is fund raising plain and simple for the bride and groom!