By the Jal-o River

When Panay Telecommunication Company (Pantelco) finally set foot in Balete on October of last year (2009), it brought along with it a virtual reality called "Farmville". Those Baleten-ons with access to the internet and who happened to have a Facebook account know what it is--or at least those who were innocently enticed by the gifts received from some "friends" or by those who invited them to be "neighbors". The game, I supposed, was developed for the city-dwellers who dreamed of the idyllic life in the farm, who are exhausted with the hustle and bustle of the urban setting, oppressed by the monstrous traffic and the indifference of crowd to the affairs of each person. A form of escapism actually; something to entertain or distract boredom and angst out of one's psyche. But the Farmville mania has invaded Balete, a rural/agricultural community which is regarded by those who visited it, both local and foreign as "paradise", "a beau

Msgr. Frac paid me a "brief" (by the Msgr's standards) visit this morning. He was asking if I can help him and his parish in documenting his catechetical program (this one is a good story by itself) which he believe to be the first in the Diocese of Kalibo, if not in the ecclesiastical region of Panay. As we conversed, Vice Mayor Ric joined us and an animated exchange of ideas ensued comprising of a varied topics. One interesting story concerns the volume of oysters being harvested out of the Tinagong Dagat by oyster farm growers. The topic reminded me of a documentary shown on a government-owned TV network about Oyster Forest. When I saw the schedule on the screen, I was thinking of an oyster forest underneath the sea. I later realized that oyster farmers in the Kesennuma Bay of Japan's Miyagi Prefecture have committed themselves to planting trees up in the Kitakami Highland as a means of preserving the gifts of the seas. The trees up in Mt. Murone was thus calle

People from all over called them, "tres marias"; my three daughters by my wife. Vita's full name is Vita Aurora . She was born at dawn on May of 2000 in our nipa hut. Her mother labored for more than 12 hours and was so weak when she finally decided to say hi to life at daybreak. Life at dawn, that's the literal meaning of her name. My second child is named Alia Vida --the other life, in our lives. She got out from her mother's womb in a matter of a few minutes thus catching me off-guard. I supposed that Mae would labor long just as when she did with Vita. So when she was brought to the Labor Room of the hospital, I walked the corridors down to a store to buy some candies. The setting sun was kissing the Kalibo horizon when I ventured out of the hospital door. I was worried to see no familiar faces waiting by the Labor Room upon my return. The worries vanished though when somebody informed me that my unconscious wife and her baby girl were already brought to her

Ash Wednesday is the beginning of the Quaresma , i.e., the forty days of Lent in the Liturgical Calendar. Basing on tradition, it is the season of asceticism, of mastering the flesh by practicing puasa (fasting) and paumod (abstinence) and of recognizing one's sinfulness and making amend for them through the practice of penitencia (penance through flagellation). My daughter, Vita, reported that she had her forehead marked with ashes by her Public Schools District Supervisor. She's 9 and claimed that she can't eat meat today as she had the ashes on her forehead. She further explained that through it, her sins will be washed away. Now, I am tempted to put the blame on bad catechism by ill-informed catechists. My sophisticated faith is too proud to bring me to my knees to admit that I was failing in my duties as the father to my daughters. The truth of the matter is that I am guilty of failing to teach my children the ways of following Christ. I remember making a solemn vo

Oeangkas is a minuscule land crab which thrives in mountainous region of Balete, particularly in Benitinan. In dense forested areas, perceptive eyes could notice reddish pebble-like moving objects scavenging underneath fallen leaves. At a closer inspection, one would be surprised to note that said pebble-like reddish moving objects are small mountain crabs. Residents claimed that they are not edible one reason being they are too small for one to pay attention to.

You say you want to meet your God. Alas, what you are after is not an easy task! It's a dangerous one as a matter of fact. Meeting God is a dangerous event. But if by chance you meet him, don't let go of him. Hold him tight; wrestle with your God--until daybreak. For it is likely that you'll meet him at the twilight of your life. So let go of him only when it is already dawn, when the first streak of the sun awakens your sleeping heart.

She came without a warning. I was taking a break from what I called an alienating work in Ayala sometime in 1994. A few months back, I left the seminary with a bitter mind, a rationalizing heart and an agnostic spirit. I thought that making myself busy in the Philippine prime financial district will distract me from the growing indifference--I used to call it my forlorn existence in an otherwise meaningless world. But I was mistaken. I found the wealth of Paseo de Roxas nauseating. Makati, while I was within its bosom for seven years was now strange and overwhelming. I just need to get out from her. At least for a while. So I decided to take a break and went home to Balete. A vacation of two months would do, so I thought. I need her freshness and silence to sort out things. I need her shade as I rethink my perspectives and values in life. I while the days and they became months. Fr. Tito (my parish priest and mentor) was concerned and so he suggested that I volunteer myself

Ro agnostic suno kay Webster hay isaeang ka tawo nga nagakabig nga ro Dios o ro pinakarason it tanan hay indi makilaea o masayuran. Basi man, basi owa. Makara ro panan-aw ko akon nga amiga. Sa akon nga panan-aw, tanan kita, tumueo-o ka man o bukon, agnostic ka man o atheist, hay may ginakilaea nga dios. Ro tawo nga atheist hay nagakabig sa Dios nga patay o tawohanon eamang nga concepto. Bisan pa, imaw ron hay may ginaprioridad sa anang kabuhi--pwede nga kwarta, gahum, poder, bugae, do a kaugalingon, do a familia, gugma, trabaho, eugta ag iba pa. Rong bagay nga mahaega sa anang kabuhi hay imaw rong nagatao kana it inspirasyon ag kahueogan, kabakod ag direksyon. Sa akon nga amiga, rong bagay nga nagatao kana it kasiguruhan hay rong sciencia. Kana, rong science eamang do may kapas nga makatao it explinasyon sa tanan nga butang nga ma-abot it aton nga mga senses. Kana, rong observable hay imaw rong matuod. Sa akon nga panan-aw, ro science rong dios it akon nga amiga. Sa akon nga logic, ima

Above is the revised Municipal Seal of Balete, Aklan. Hon. Cipriano Lachica , with the technical help of his son, Patrick, recomposed his previous design minus the canon which once was the center piece of the composition. The Sangguniang Bayan has subsequently enacted Ord. No. 016-09 , an ordinance adopting such revision, during its regular session last September 10, 2009. I tried to interpret Hon. Lachica's composition as follows, which the Sanggunian likewise adopted: a meandering Jal-o River flows into the heart of a vast field, to symbolize the historicity for which every Baleten-on takes an active part; on the foreground are batches of pineapple (of Spanish Red variety, popularly known as native piña)--they stand to encapsulate the tradition as well as the future of the Baleten-on community; the backdrop is the Agtawagon Hill which is met on the horizon by a vast ricefield cut by a winding body of water. They represent the varying topographies and the resources of

Several people I've met these past few weeks had been asking why Apdo ni San Rafael is no longer circulating in the Diocese. My consistent reaction to this questioning was flashing a sad grin and a simple explanation that the current administrator has different priorities, that's why. Deep inside, I hide that sense of wonder upon learning that an ordinary parish-based publication had such a Diocesan-wide readership. What surprises me most was that there was this one laity from outside of Balete who prided me her complete compilation of Apdo. She said that she'd kept them not only as memorabilia. She elaborated that from time to time, she would go over them and reflect on the meaning and the challenges set forth in them. So I sigh. For what can one man do about it? " By the rivers of Babylon, there I sat and wept... "

The signs are all set up: no more rains to shower our lawns from this day forward. Summer days are now come. Hear John the Baptist calling down by the river: Repent and make straight the highways for the Lord!

Before the Havaianas, there were the Spartans. A Ceres bus from Cubao stopped by the Calizo's ancestral home and unloaded several sacks of Spartan slippers. They were gifts from Mayor's husband and children for her birthday. Yes, sacks of slippers as their birthday presents for their beloved mom! Don't get me wrong. Ng Bubut is far from being Imeldefic . She preferred slippers as a gift not because she loves to collect them. She's happy that her family has given her such present during her birthday as she finds them necessary and practical. Her experience with the barefoot couple from the mountains of Guanko was catalytic. She discouraged her daughter from giving her expensive gifts and in turn urged her to use her budget to buy slippers for the barefoot ones in Balete. Thus upon learning of her preference, her other sons joined in and did their share in buying more flip-flops for the indigents of her town. Those who queued last Friday (January 29) for their pair

Punong Barangay Colango of Guanko came to see the Mayor some few weeks past. He asked permission if she would allow a couple of his constituents to come to her office barefooted. Taken aback by such an unusual request, Mayor Bubut wondered out loud why they would elect to come barefoot when it is that easy and practical to wear shoes or slippers. The explanation of the Kapitan was an eye opener: The couple came from a remote sitio of Ganzon, a village situated in the rugged mountain ranges bounding the municipalities of Jamindan, Capiz and Balete. All their lives, they never had the chance to visit the lowland nor had they learned to wear slippers. Their feet were muscular, deformed and spread out like gingers, used to making their way in the slippery slopes of the area. This time, they were forced to go down from their mountain abode to legalize their bond as husband and wife. Personally, they are assured that their union is solidified by their faithfulness to one another, however