Epilogue: Seeing God's Face in the Filipino People

The trip began with a hope of enjoying some rest to be able to get a glimpse of God's face. I would say that I have achieved this goal. I was able to rest from the daily grind of routine in Victoria. It has given me a fresh perspective of what matters, more accurately - who matters. Jesus is all that matters and nothing else.

Everything falls into place once one seeks Jesus. Only he can give his peace. Only he can give his life. Only he can give his rest. And this is all I want and all I can ever need.

I have seen God's face in the flood. I have seen how Filipinos remained resilient in the face of disaster. I have seen how important it is to keep a sense of humor in the midst of pain because all these will end. There is always hope in the midst of suffering. I have seen how ordinary people became heroes because they did what they had to do.

This despite the fact that some of the political leaders are bad examples. You see some of them promoting only themselves at the expense of others. But I believe this is what makes the Filipino who he is. He works and does good despite the bad example of his leaders. Through adversity, the Filipino is able to work on his own and use whatever is available and turn them into good. Despite flood and bad leadership, I saw a country that is on its way to prosperity because it remains focused on Jesus.

There are some politicians with evil intentions. They push for an anti-life campaign. They may have succeeded in one stage, but I hope and pray that the Lord will intervene and frustrate their evil plans. I have seen how some people can call themselves 'Catholics' and still pick and choose what they want to believe. This is a sad reality, not only in the Philippines but anywhere else. I pray the Lord will enlighten them. But unless there is true repentance and humility to accept the teaching (note the singular) of Christ as revealed to his Church, there will never be a change in their hearts.

I have seen God's face in the beauty of the land. Palawan is a glimpse of God's paradise on earth. Its beauty and its people show how much God has given us for our enjoyment and it is our responsibility to take care of God's gift so those who come after us can enjoy them too. God is seen in nature.

God is seen in people whom I know. Who had been generous with their time, money and themselves. Bless the Lord for them. Who took the time, spent their money and opened up their homes and hearts to entertain us. God bless them for their generosity and multiply a hundredfold whatever they had given.

I have seen God in how the nation cleaved to him in the midst of uncertainty and disaster. When Sec. Robredo's plane crashed, almost the entire nation prayed for his safety. When his body was found, the nation mourned the loss of a great man. One of the treasure of the Filipino people is his faith in God. They know who to turn to for help. I pray they do not lose it.

The response to his death and the response to other politicians prove the Filipino knows and can identify a great man from a bad one. What sickens me are politicians who use this tragedy to further their political life. I just hope they are not elected or reelected again - ever! The Filipinos deserve better leaders than these.

The visionary Emma de Guzman spoke about the Philippines being chosen by God to be the light in the darkness. And I believe that based on what I have experienced. I am in no way saying I believe everything she said or does because whatever she says is still subject to scrutiny within the Catholic Church. But I believe in her call to repentance and her call to turn back to Jesus.

The country is experiencing an economic growth and confidence that I have never seen since immediately after EDSA 1986. I pray that the president will be able to remain focused on the righteous way and remain focused on promoting a culture of life. This is the only way to true and full life for the country.

Yes, I have seen a glimpse of God's face - although imperfectly. This is a continuing journey and I hope and pray that I may live a life in his will - so that I can eventually see him face to face.

The Flight Home

We checked in at around 3:30 pm and the airport was very hot. It seemed that the air condition system was not working. It was hot when we checked in. It was still hot when we were in the boarding area.

Except for that, the flight was excellent! It was not delayed in leaving and it arrived on time. The landing as can be expected from PAL pilots was very smooth. The plane was the new 777 which had individual monitors in front of the seat. I was able to sleep about 4 hours or maybe more through the 12 hour flight.

We arrived in Vancouver and went through customs and immigration without problem. Our plan was to take the PCL bus from the airport to the ferry to downtown Victoria. It turns out that PCL has stopped their hourly service and instead runs every other hour.

We took a taxi van to the Tsawassen terminal and when it reached the Swartz Bay terminal, we again took a taxi van home.

All in all, a hectic trip. But thank God, we're back home safe and sound. And our house is also safe.

Flight Day

I had breakfast with my brother. It was great to at least have my last day with him. I hope and pray that the Lord will bless him and his family. Bless the people who entertained us.

It was a restful trip. I began seeking the Lord's face and in my rest and I believe I have achieved that goal.

We are now here at the airport. We have checked in and are already at the boarding area. What disappointed me is that the airconditioner of the airport is not working. It is REALLY VERY HOT!!!

I hope they fix it soon. It is embarrassing that the premier airport is not working as it should.

There is no news about delays so hopefully, we will arrive on schedule. Looking forward to a safe and restful trip.

Day 27: Last Day before Flight

Being a Sunday, we went to mass. The gospel was the conclusion of the teaching of Jesus on the Bread of Life. Many left him because they could not understand and accept what he said. Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, "What about you? Are you also going to leave?" Peter said, "Lord, to whom should we go? You have the words of eternal life."

This in essence caps up my trip. To whom should I go? Jesus has the words of eternal life. It is not the place that matters. It is the person that matters. It does not matter if I understand or not what is happening. What matters is Jesus. It does not matter where I am going. As long as I know who I am following. In the end, all that matters is Jesus himself.

We went to Trinoma for some final shopping and back for lunch. I went to visit my mother and brother before I leave the next day.

I took the LRT to R. Papa and then took the tricycle at the Cemetery to the gate. It turns out that the gate was closed so the tricycle had to pass through another gate and drop me off at my brother's place.

I had some discussion with my nephew and niece about the faith. It was like a crash course on Catholicism in 2 hours. Good thing they were not argumentative :)

 After that, I went home and walked to C3 to take the tricycle to Rizal Ave., I found out that there is no teller at the LRT station to sell tickets so I had to take the jeepney to Monumento. When I came back, they were preparing dinner - our final dinner before we leave. This was all that was left of what was prepared - it was like the flood washed it away.

Day 26: Last Minute Shopping and Healing Mass

The day started pretty slow and picked up in the afternoon. We went to Trinoma to buy an appreciation gift to our host and went home. On the way, the taxi we took conked out right in the middle of EDSA! We got off the taxi and he even asked me to push the car aside. God bless the driver of that taxi.

Since we were in the middle of EDSA, we did not know how to cross. An MMDA approached us and stopped the traffic so we could cross to the sidewalk. One plus point to that MMDA! May the Lord bless that MMDA who helped us.

We got home without any problems and had dinner.

There was a healing mass scheduled that night. There was a visionary and mystic who would be praying over people for healing. I attended the mass because I wanted to be healed and stayed to see if she can pray over me. The church was very crowded. The parish priest gave an excellent homily. He basically said God wants to heal us and he has a plan for us.

After the mass, Emma de Guzman spoke for a few minutes. She spoke of her call and her vision. From what she said, I found nothing theologically wrong with what she said. It was very basic that God has a plan for us. He wants us to be with him in heaven.

She also said that God has chosen the Philippines to be a light in the darkness. The Filipinos working abroad always have a smile on their faces. This in itself is testimony of God's love. I believe this is true. My experience with many Filipino workers in Victoria can attest to this fact.

Many of them work as nannies and God uses them to preach the good news to their wards.

She also spoke of three holy mountains in the country, one in each of the major island groups of the country (Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao). Since I consider this as a private revelation, I will take this carefully until I get to know the purpose of these mountains.

There was a constant call to repentance and conversion to Jesus. She spoke of going to confession and receiving the Eucharist frequently. Also, she is conscious of what transpires when she goes into a trance. I hesitate to say I believe or not but based on what I heard, I would say that I believe in her calls to repentance but will be very careful in interpreting her visions. I stayed until 9:30 pm and went home without being prayed over. I found out that the session lasted until 1:00 am.

The healing session started and I noticed that Filipinos really need discipline. The people were told four times to stay seated until their turn. Man - how simple can that instruction be?

Anyway, I pray for healing for those who attended. I pray that if the Lord has chosen the Philippines, that he will bless it and make it really a light in the darkness.

We leave for Victoria tomorrow. May God bless our trip and make it safe.

Days 24-25: The Good Man against the Epal Politicians

The past two days were mainly focused on the death of Sec Robredo. I do not know him personally, but his actions in the department he headed speak for themselves. Likewise, the grief and sense of loss from the people show how great he could be.

While he laid in state in his hometown in Naga, people just went to have a glimpse of the man who transformed their city from a third class city to a multi-awarded city. I see a man who lived a simple life and who gave his life for his God and for his people. Prayers were offered for him by almost all sectors of society. The politicians who did bad things to him are now scrambling to save face. This pathetic response is also shown in some scrupulous politicians who use this death to further their ambitions - using his name and picture to offer condolences. You can see lots of pictures in the anti-epal page on Facebook.

The sad thing is Sec Robredo abhorred these and in fact issued a directive that these rotten politicians ignore and dishonor. What pathetic idiots!!! One can just pray that they lose in the coming elections.

Speaking of anti-epal, the Anti-Epal page on Facebook show it all. Politicians who unashamedly promote their faces like dictators insecure of their legacies. In total contrast, people despise them. The mayor in Kalookan is worse. He engraves his smiley face - that by the way looks like a crook - in every sidewalk. The skin of his face is probably as thick as the cement the smiley face is on. And paints the representation of his face on every city property, including police cars.

Some politicians have their pictures at the front of garbage trucks - well, how fitting. I think they would prove of more use if they tie themselves in front of the trucks.

As Sec Robredo showed, these things do not matter. Filipinos are intelligent enough to know who are thick faced and who are great men. For these politicians, there was nary a tear shed when they left office. For some, people were really glad to see them go.

I compare the people's reaction to Sec Robredo and Gloria Arroyo. For Sec Robredo, there was grief and sadness and a sense of loss. I pity Gloria Arroyo now because despite her sickness, people still despise her. Even when her doctor said she needed surgery abroad, nobody even believed him and in fact, he was charged as being unethical.

And Gloria's face was on every single billboard and TV commercial and government documents and still people despise her. Proof that one cannot buy people's hearts just by showing their faces.

This reminds me of the story of the first Chinese emperor who ordered that many men be killed at his death so that there will be weeping when he died. These politicians are no better.

It is really more fun in the Philippines - because there are more clowns and idiots who cling to fame and yet will lose them when they are removed from office.

I hope these epals will not be elected. I hope the president will appoint someone who will continue Sec Robredo's legacy, God bless the Philippines.

Day 23: Mary the Queen and My Daughter's Birthday

Birthday Girl

August 22 is the memorial of the Queenship of Mary and my daughter's birthday. I could not believe that 21 years ago, I held a little baby in my arms. I blinked and she's all grown up. Praise God for those 21 years!

Today's memorial speaks of the culmination of a life in the Lord - it is a life of obedience. One of the news is that the Ateneo president has issued a statement supporting the stand of the Catholic Church against the RH bill. This will definitely get a lot of flak from the intelligent Catholics. This bill has undoubtedly caused a heated debate to the country, but then, conflicts are bound to happen specially if we are talking about life.

A lot of my friends support the RH Bill. I do not support the RH bill. The politicians assure the people that this will not lead to abortion. Yeah right - politicians do not lie - just as I am from Mars. I am fed up with teachers in Catholic schools who push their own agenda and go against the teaching of the Church. First off, the schools are Catholic schools. Their mission is not only to encourage discussion. The purpose of Catholic education is to proclaim Jesus Christ.

Jesus said, "If you love me, you will obey my commandments." How can one claim to love Jesus if one does not obey his commands? I support the bishops' call to investigate the teachers who publicly support the RH bill. I would go further and even suggest that they withhold communion from politicians who support it.

The memorial today reinforces the importance of obedience to Jesus. Mary became Queen of Heaven because she was obedient to Jesus. Many claim they are Catholics because: they pray the rosary everyday; they go to mass every Sunday; they contribute to the Church; they give to the poor; etc. BUT I suggest they read Matthew 7:21-23. Jesus disowned those who prophesied in his name, drove out demons in his name and  performed miracles in his name. And none of these were evil. Why?

Because they did not do the will of the Father. Christianity goes more than praying the rosary everyday. It goes more than going to mass on Sundays. It goes more than doing social justice work, doing good for the poor, etc, etc. It is knowing the person of Jesus Christ. And if one teaches in a Catholic school and still does not get this, then one should ask why one is still teaching at a Catholic school.


Anyway, back to nicer things. The day began with mass with my daughter. I thanked the Lord for giving her to me. We had breakfast at Jollibee and then went home. My brother and his son and daughter treated us at Tasty restaurant. The food was good. As an added note, I drove to the restaurant through the crazy streets of Monumento, EDSA and Bonifacio Ave.

We came home and another celebration for dinner - no wonder I am gaining weight. Not looking forward to going back to the gym.

Day 22: Catching up with Relatives

They finally found Sec. Robredo's body in the plane crash. It really is a great loss to the nation. Such a great public servant. I am really impressed with the way the Filipino responded to this news. There was a sense of loss. This proves that despite what the traditional politicians (trapos) think, Filipinos are intelligent enough to discern a great man when they see one.

What I find very repulsive are those politicians who try to gain points by using the man's name. Although I believe he was a good man worthy of all the praises he is receiving, I wonder how many of these are really sincere praises. All of a sudden, a lot of these politicians want to be associated with him. What a sorry lot these politicians. These politicians know it is political suicide not to be associated with him.

Another thing I find interesting is the faith of the people. Prayers - and lots of it - were offered for the safety of the secretary and the two pilots. The Filipinos know who to turn to in times of suffering and distress.

In any case, I went to see my auntie, my mother's sister. She lost her husband recently and I also got to see my cousins. Man, we ARE growing old! We had lunch at Robinson's in Pedro Gil. The food was great and quite filling.

In the afternoon, I had merienda with my niece and brother and daughter. We chatted about nothing - just to keep up with where we are.

At night, my wife, sister-in-law, my wife's niece and I went for some massage at Nuat Thai. It was a relaxing end to a tiring day.

Day 21: Amazing New Metro Manila Cities

 The day started with mass again. I think I have been able to discern the Lord's will for me. After mass, we went to the Fort. I am amazed at the Fort. Once you enter the Fort, it looks like a city in North America. I can't help but think that it looks like downtown Vancouver.

The streets are clean and well marked. It looks like people obey traffic rules. Which begs the question - why do people obey rules here but not in other cities?

After the Fort, we went to the American war memorial. I am amazed at how well kept this is. You have to give it to the Americans to make sure they honour their dead. It had manicured lawn and well lined up crosses sprinkled by an occasional Star of David.

The building has the seals of all the states and territories of the US. The breeze was also greatly welcome.

After this, we went to the Christ the King church. This was where my family started. My wife and I got married in this church. It has been improved a lot. There is a main church and a chapel downstairs.

The main church was closed but my daughter got a picture of it. It brought back a lot of memories. To think that 22 years ago, I started my married life. I never regretted it even once. I am thankful to the Lord for giving me my wife and my family.

After that, we went to the Dampa sa Pasig. It is a wet market where you can buy fresh sea food and they will cook it. If you have not been there, it is worth a try. Nothing tastes like fresh sea food.

After lunch, we went to the Padre Pio Centre. I've been to the centre, but they have renovated it. There were a lot of testimonies of healing from Padre Pio.

After this, we went to Eastwood and walked around. I am amazed at the mall. It looks world class.

Day 20: Eat All You Can

The gospel for today was about Jesus being the Bread that gives eternal life. The priest in his homily spoke of many advertisement that satisfy our momentary needs. None of them advertise that they give eternal life. Only Jesus gives eternal life.

First plate

Reading John 18 I came across how hard men's hearts can be. When they came to arrest Jesus, Jesus asked them, "Whom do you seek?" The men answered, "Jesus of Nazareth". It is interesting to note that they did not say, "We come to arrest you." In the other accounts of this scene, Judas kissed Jesus to identify Jesus from the others.

Another plate

When Jesus said, "I am he", John wrote that they "went backward and fell to the ground". So what was in what Jesus said that made them step back and fall to the ground? What is translated as "I am he" is literally, "I am". Jesus spoke God's name. In doing so, he was revealing himself as God. But Jesus asked again, "Whom do you seek?" Their reply was the same.

God reveals himself clearly. Jesus clearly said they were looking for him. BUT they would not still believe. This scene shows us that not everyone who know the name of Jesus is his disciple. Not everyone who looks for Jesus want to be his disciple.

Many people, sad to say, are searching for Jesus and know him as God. But when confronted with the truth, they would not accept the truth. They keep pretending they do not know. I sometimes fall into this trap and may God forgive me. May he open my eyes so I can truly see him.

At the end of the mass, the mystery of the relic on the cross was revealed. It was from the cross of Jesus. What is interesting is that at the start of the mass, no one paid any attention to the cross. But after that, a lot of people flocked to the cross.

For lunch, we went to Saisaki to celebrate my son's graduation. Food was excellent and it was eat all you can. It is very interesting to note that the gospel was about Jesus being the bread that gives eternal life and here we are, eating all we can eat.

Well, all the food in the world may satisfy temporarily. But only Jesus the True Bread of Life can satisfy for eternity. The good thing about this is like the buffet, we can eat this Bread all that we can.

May we learn to turn to the Lord and seek him because only he can give eternal life.

Day 19: Reminiscing High School

Cross with rellic

Morning began with mass again. The thought came that it really does not matter where I am, or where the Lord is leading me. What matters is Jesus himself. This is really the purpose of our lives - to know Jesus. There was also a large cross at the church. The priest said it arrived last night as part of the celebration for youth. I noticed a relic but did not know what it was. In any case, I spent some time praying before it.

Main Altar at the Monastery Chapel

I went to San Beda with my son in the morning. We were supposed to go to a blessing of a store in the afternoon. My former classmate was going to bless it. We took the LRT to Recto and then a jeepney from there to Legarda.

First thing I noticed is the absence of barbed wire on Mediola bridge.

One of the plazas in the school

On arrival at the monastery, I informed the porter that I had an appointment with my classmate. We were early so I had time to take my son around the school.

The chapel as always is very solemn. I always get a sense of the divine when I am in it. I spent some time before the Lord. It was a familiar site because I spent many hours before him at the same spot several years ago.

We went to the school and I saw the plaza where I spent time waiting for the bell to ring. My kindergarten room is now an office. There is this sign along the corridor and it shows the motto of Prayer and Work.

After this, we went to Robinson's Magnolia for the blessing of the store. Like all malls, this one is also huge. Since it just newly opened, there were still not a lot of people. It was good to see my high school classmates - some going back to Kindergarten.

We talked about our 'exploits' in high school. And how our batch was 'the worst batch ever' because of the rumbles we had during the NCAA basketball games.

After the blessing, lunch and then home. We took the LRT2 from Gilmore to Recto and then the LRT1 from Doroteo Jose to Monumento. The LRT system is one of the best infrastructure projects that really benefits the citizens.

The sad news of the day was the plane crash of Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo. He is one of the better cabinet members of Aquino and it will really be a great loss to the country if he did not survive the crash. May the Lord save him.

Day 18: Dentist and Internet Justice

The day started with mass. On the way to church, the air was cool and the sun was up. It was a welcome change from the rain and humidity. The sun was shining throughout the morning.

We went to the dentist in Malabon and despite the sun, it was not that hot. I guess the sun melted the humidity. The road is another story though. There's lots of garbage on the road. I saw a garbage truck cleaning them up but what can one truck do to lots of garbage. I just hope they are able to clean up the garbage before the next flood.

One thing really surprises me. There is really something wrong with the Filipino psyche. You see garbage dumped right in front of a sign that says no dumping of garbage. Why would people do that? This is really something that boggles my mind. Why this blatant disregard for authority?

When we arrived at the dentist, it was a more sorry sight. They were flooded and one can see the walls were warped because of the flood. There were bubbles in the paint and one can see how high the water was during the flood. It was up to the waist. The dentist said they were able to move the chairs to their second floor before the flood came into their house.

The dentist was preparing my tooth for its cap and it took from 9:30 to 1:00 pm. I fell asleep while she was working on my tooth.

In any case, after the dentist, my wife and I went to SM North, just so we can spend some time alone.

One of the hottest news today is the one where a Philip Morris executive mauled a traffic aide. This again stresses my comment earlier on why Filipinos defy authority. The traffic aide was doing his job but this idiot just went on a rampage and hit the poor guy twice I would think, based on the video. View the video and judge for yourself.

The interesting thing is netizens did not take this lightly. The guy who mauled the traffic aide has been identified on Facebook. There are in fact several pages dedicated to him - and the comments against him are really not that charitable - to say the least. The guy has terminated his account on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. I'm not sure what to think of this justice but it makes one think twice before doing something in public.

Day 17: Malacanang and Chinatown - Trip Through History

The day turned out quite interesting. We went to the Malacanang Museum and then to Chinatown.

We arrived early at the Tita Moning's restaurant and had some time to kill. We we decided to go to the National Shrine to St. Jude which was a few blocks away. I must confess that for 12 years, I went to a school that was literally blocks from St. Jude and this is the first time I've been to the place. I did not know it is run by the SVD priests.

St Jude Relic

Anyway, the church was packed, being a Thursday which is a day dedicated to St. Jude. There was a room that had a relic of St. Jude. It is a pity that there is no material to describe what it is.

After a short visit, we went back to Tita Moning's restaurant. The restaurant is not a walk-in restaurant. You need to make a reservation to dine in. Anyway, our host arrived and we went to Malacanang.

We had to give our names and copies of our photo ids 10 days ago before we were allowed to join the tour. Only 1 camera was allowed per group. The tour was conducted by the Old Manila Walk. The guide was excellent. He was very knowledgeable. He gave a short history of Manila (Intramuros and Extramuros). The San Miguel district was actually a suburb of Old Manila which was situated in Intramuros.

The Marcos Chair where
he sat when he declared Martial Law

The guide said Malacanang refers to the complex while Malacanan - without the 'g' refers to the palace itself. Gloria Arroyo opened the museum to the public. She refurbished the rooms to restore them. That's something I can give to her.

The guide took us through the rooms of Malacanang. It is interesting to know that the Spanish Governor General moved to Malacanang only in the 1800's. The tour took us through the last years of the Spanish period through the American period and to the present day president.

General Ver's Briefing Black Board
during the EDSA revolution

One trivia is that the renovations of the Palace during the American period was executed by Tomas Mapua - the founder of the college where I finished my Engineering degree.

We saw the table used by several presidents when they signed documents. We also saw Marcos' chair when he declared Martial Law. The handwriting of General Ver on a blackboard during the EDSA revolution was preserved. And the balcony from where Marcos made his last hurrah during the EDSA revolution. We also got a glimpse of the presidential bachelor's 'pad'.

After the tour, we had merienda at Tita Moning's. The merienda included sotanghon and chicken relleno. Dessert was guinataan. Drink served was lemongrass tea. The recipe for the food was taken from Tita Moning who owned the house with her husband since the American period.

We had a tour of the house and it showed a couple who were well to do. They had a painting from R. Hidalgo and Juan Luna - noted Filipino painters and heroes during the struggle against Spain. Imagine, being able to see an original Juan Luna!

After this, we went to Chinatown for lunch. We went to Chuan Kee. We ordered maki, Machang and of course, ube siopao.

We walked through Ongpin and went to Masuki (formerly Ma Kong Mami). The guy who served us had been serving there since I was in elementary school. We went to Eng Bee Tin to buy some stuff home.

On our way back to the car, we dropped by the Minor Basilica of San Lorenzo Ruiz. This was the church where I was baptized. The ceiling had the mysteries of the rosary.

After a short prayer, we came home - tired and full!!!

The Malacanang tour was excellent. It revealed the beauty of the country's history. It showed how the nation was born, how it fought through several wars until it finally gained independence. I think every student should have a tour of the museum because it beats years of history lesson. One is able to see the things that touched the nation's life.

God bless the Philippines. May it be a righteous nation with leaders according to his own heart.

Day 16: Death and the Assumption

 August 15 is the Solemnity of the Assumption. It is also my father's death anniversary. 14 years ago in 1998, he died due to lung cancer.

He is currently buried at the St. Peter's Church in Quezon City so we went there in the morning. It is now the Shrine of leaders. We went there to pray and we met the parish priest who used to be our assistant parish priest.

The Solemnity of the Assumption is about hope to be like Mary - who was taken up both body and soul up to heaven. We look forward to the day when we will be fully united with God in heaven in body and soul. This ties up beautifully with my father's death anniversary because this feast makes us hope and pray that my father will be with the Lord and that one day, he too will see the Lord face to face and will be raised up with him - body and soul.

After this, we went to my brother-in-law's place of rest at Christ the King of the SVD community. The place is very bright and comforting. It is well maintained.

After this, we went home to rest. My wife and I went to the East Ave Medical Center. Despite the faults of the Philippine government, I see the public health system at work. There were a lot of people being given free medical services. And I would not be surprised if the doctors are very good considering the experiences they have seeing these patients.

For dinner, we attended the mass for my father's soul. I drove to my brother's parish. It was like riding a bike. I was still able to navigate through the crazy streets of Manila. After this, the Yuson clan had dinner - at least whoever was present. It was an excellent dinner not because of the food - but because of the company.

Thank you Lord for this opportunity to be with family.

Day 15: Refuge in a Busy Mall

I had a lunch meeting at SM MegaMall. It will take one bus ride and one MRT ride from where I'm staying to the MegaMall. I am impressed with the MRT. I won't say it is clean - but it is very efficient.

At the MegaMall, I was amazed at its size! I am more amazed that there is a chapel in it and further amazed that there is an adoration chapel beside it.


One of the good things about the prosperity of SM is that they promote the faith in their own way. You go to their malls and most of them stop to pray the Angelus at lunch time and the Divine Mercy prayer at 3 o'clock. (Please note, I am in no way suggesting that they are prosperous because they built these churches).

Only in the Philippines will you find such open devotion to the Lord - in a public place. And people accept it readily with most of them accepting it gratefully.

I was watching TV and one of the things that really ticks me off are those so called intellectual Catholics who argue as if they know everything. I believe the problem is these people think because they are highly educated, they think they know more than God. One such person is Representative Garin - co-author of the RH Bill. I'm wondering why she and the other congressmen are pushing for this bill. How much are they really earning for pushing this?

These people say the RH Bill will help the economy. But how will lesser people improve the economy? Even Lee Kwan Yew points out that his country needs to have more children to be born (Get Married and Have Babies). While prosperous countries want more babies, our law-breakers want less? Lee Kwan Yew steered his country to where it is now and he knows what he is talking about.

Other people who really tick me off are Catholics - specially priests and teachers or professors in 'Catholic' schools - who support the RH Bill. First of all, if one claims to be a Catholic and does not agree with the teaching of the Church, then that person should really, really really, think about what he is saying. For me - that person has gone over his head and is a person who looks for praises of men than praises of God. It is really, really disappointing that intelligent people miss the whole point of the argument and keep focusing on their own reasons.

They are not God and despite what they say or think, they do not know everything. No one gave them the authority to speak in the name of God. To even say, one is a Catholic and  not support what the Church teaches makes me cringe for their salvation. I just hope that when they come face to face with God, they have a good reason to give him.

I said it before, I'll say it again. If one does not agree with the teaching of the Church, one cannot be a Catholic. Just leave the Church. No one is forcing them to stay.

Being a Catholic is more than just being baptized. It is more than going to mass every Sunday. It is more than just doing good. It is definitely more than just having degrees - even doctorates in Theology. And definitely more than just professing that one is a Catholic. One is a Catholic IF one obeys and believes in the person of Jesus. And this results in obedience to Jesus and his Vicar. No argument can change that.

Like I said, if you cannot accept what I just said - then you should stop calling yourself a Catholic because you are not one.

Day 14: Slowly Edging Back to Reality

The day was a bit hectic.

I had breakfast with my sister and then went to visit my mom. My mother came with us in the car to drop me off at my in-laws'.

After mass, I came home and rested. After lunch, my wife, my daughter and I went to get my new glasses at SM Centris. I bought this pair for about P25000 or approx $500 - which includes eye exam, frame and glasses - (transition, progressive, non-glare, etc)

After this, we went to Trinoma to buy some new clothes. We bought about four shirts all for P6,000 or equivalent of about CA$150.

I had dinner with my college classmates. It was great to see old friends. Food was great. We caught up on stories - on what each other was doing. It's good to know my friends are doing well. I pray the Lord will continue to bless them.

I came home at around 10:30 pm.

Day 13: Back in Manila

We woke up a bit late because our flight was at 10:10 am and there was nothing much to do but to pack up. Being a Sunday, there was buffet breakfast at the hotel. We packed up and went to the airport.

The airport was very crowded. There were four flights coming into Puerto Princesa! Their passengers would disembark and they would take on the outbound passengers and off they went to their next destination. I did not know the airport was that busy. With flights now coming from Korea, the airport will be a lot busier.

Some final reflections on Palawan. It is God's paradise on earth. The place is very clean. Even when we passed through the old market, you could not see a single litter on the streets. There is still this innocence in the people. When we were buying pearls, the sales lady just put them on the counter. People at the hotel were very friendly - always ready to serve.

These people know they need to take care of the environment - and they do take care of them. There is a replantattion program to improve the environment. The streets were well paved. Traffic during peak hours is not as bad as Manila.

I have seen God's face in the place, the people and the time I spent here. All these are God's grace.

The flight was uneventful. It was very smooth. Manila was sunny! Finally, the sun broke through. But there was talk of a low-pressure area to hit the country Tuesday. Lord, not another typhoon.

On the way home our driver passed through the South Expressway. He passed through NAIA3 and it looked very beautiful! From the outside, it looks world class.

The SLEX is also impressive. When I saw it, I was overwhelmed by the complex interchanges. It looked more like the interchanges in Seattle.

On arriving home, we rested and then went to mass at 5pm. The church was packed! The strange thing is I found it hard to breathe inside the church because there were too many people. It was very hot but we went through the mass. It is really interesting that after the priest says, "The mass is ended" and people responded, "Thanks be to God", everyone clapped their hands in thanksgiving to the Lord. Is this liturgically accepted? I do not know.

Day 12: Crocodiles and Fireflies

The day started with a tour to a weaving factory. They use ordinary grass, boil it and dye them and weave them to produce beautiful materials that are later used to make bags, table runners and table mats and other things.

One of the things I see here is the intelligence of man. Imagine, something as useless as grass can be made into beautiful works of art and materials that could be useful. This reminds me of how God works. Many people think there is no hope for themselves, that they are useless. But this proves them wrong. God has made everything beautiful. There is no such thing as wasted material. Everything has a redeeming factor. God can use anything and change anything to make them beautiful.

After this, we went to the crocodile farm. This made me realize how much the Philippines has come. With facilities like this, it has shown that it is capable of supporting these researches. There were also animals they rescued from the wild to rehabilitate and later on release them. 

We went to Rancho de Mitra. This ranch is owned by the Mitra family. The patriarch used to be a senator before martial law. He was imprisoned when Marcos declared martial law. After the EDSA revolution, he became the Speaker of the House and ran for president. He did not win though. Now, his son is the governor of Palawan.

The ranch is very large. Situated on top of the mountain, it has a 3 part zipline. The guide told us that the road is where the rich people live. And not surprisingly, the houses are huge! One is owned by a retired Commodore of the Philippine Navy.

The walkway was beautiful. One of the things our guide told us was that it used to be a slum area. The mayor cleared it after a fire and made it a walkway. We also went to the fort where soldiers in WWII were massacred by the Japanese imperial army. There was a tunnel that was used by the US armed forces use to escape but the Japanese killed those in it.

The site is right across the Cathedral. The Cathedral is very simple. It was set up as a small church in the late 1800’s but was destroyed during WWII. The current Cathedral was built about 50 years ago. We went in and said a little prayer. There was also a baptism that was about to start. What is strange is the parents were not locals. I would assume these are foreigners living in the city - because their entourage was all foreigners.

We had lunch at Bilao’t Palayok. They had boodle - which is a meal served on a square board about 4 feet on each side. Everyone was satisfied and we had some to take out. Cost including shakes for everyone - P1600 or CA$40 for six people.

We ordered the boodle for 4-5 persons and it was more than enough for six! It seems that in Palawan, the servings are larger than normal.

We headed back to the hotel and at 6pm, our tour guide picked us up for dinner. We went to Leslie's. It was buffet and they cook the food as you order it.

After dinner, we went back to the walkway for the firefly tour. The problem with this tour is that the river was too dark that our camera could not even take pictures.



The fireflies were amazing. The trip to the place was amazing also. It was very dark and you could see stars in the sky - lots and lots of it! I was trying to imagine how Abraham felt when God told him that his descendants would be as the stars in heaven. It must have scared him and he probably thought - really? That much stars?

We rode a big boat to the mouth of the spot and had to take a smaller boat into the site because the waters are shallow and the large boat would not pass through it. And when the boat passes, the fireflies would light up like Christmas tree lights!

God uses the darkness to show beauty in his creation. The lights even if they were small could be seen meters away. Darkness cannot conquer the Light. God will always win over evil.

After watching it, we went back to the walkway and called it a night.

Day 11: Underground River - the Real Bat Cave

We went to the Underground River - one of the new 7 Wonders of Nature. It is about 2 hours drive from our hotel along winding roads. If you are not used to long winding rides, take something to help you. The ride is worth it though.

We arrived at the dock and had to take another boat ride to the site. The boat ride was about 15-20 minutes.. Through it, you can see the beauty of the place. It is clean.The sea if very clean. The people here really take care of their environment.

One thing that also impressed me is the orderly way they handled registration. They limit the visitors to about 900 per day. Our guide did all the registration.

When it was time to go, we boarded our boat and went to the site.

On the way, I saw the shoreline. Indeed, this is one of God's paradise. I cannot post pictures because the internet connection is very slow.

When we arrive, there was a tall mountain. We walked through the park to the site. There were monkeys freely roaming around. We walked through the forest and there were trees that were so tall, you could not see the top.

When we arrived at the site, we had to wait because a boat can take up to 8 people. there's only a few boats that are authorized to go in.

What really ticks me off are foreigners, who just could not follow instructions. The instructions were simple: No swimming, no smoking, do not feed the animals and do not put your hand in the water. I saw someone who went swimming and after being told not to do that, still went to a farther place to swim. Then while in the cave, this same guy put his hand in the water! They can understand English.

Anyway, when our boat came, we went in and this idiot was the one at the front. He held the light and obviously, could not follow directions. The guide told him to point the light to the left, he pointed it to the right. The guide told him to point above, he pointed to the bottom. BUT, whatever, I was not going to let this guy ruin my vacation.

We went into the cave. At the mouth of the cave, you can hear squealing. I think it is from birds that fly into the cave. The guide said in the cave, something wet will drop. If it is cold, it is holy water. If it is warm, it is holy sh*t. These come from the numerous bats sleeping during the day. The guide said there's about 70,000 bats in the cave. You see this once you enter the cave. Bats hanging everywhere.

Once you enter the cave, the darkness became evident. The only light in the cave were lights from other boats. And as the guide was explaining the natural rock formations, I realize that in the darkness, God can still create these wonderful formations.

I remember what scripture says, even in darkness, there is still light. Nothing is too dark for God to create such wonderful formations. I tried taking pictures but my camera was not sophisticated enough to take good pictures.

Anyway, I realized, darkness is nothing to God. He can make great and awesome things  Sometimes, in one's life, God seems absent. And one of the things I learned is this sense of the absence of God is not necessarily God leaving us. one needs to discern if one is in mortal sin. If one is in mortal sin, one rejects God and God will honour that decision and leave.

But if one is not in mortal sin and one senses the abandonment of God, this sense is not the reality. It is just the sense of abandonment but God has not abandoned that person.  Mystics call this as the 'dark night of the soul', the 'cloud of unknowing'.

it is a time of spiritual growth where one clings to nothing else but God himself. When this darkness comes, we can only hold on and say, 'Lord, help'. But this trip to the cave has shown me that even in the dark, our God can create something awesome and wonderful. These rock formations took years to create and were formed by water dripping through the cracks.

God slowly forms us in the darkness of our sinfulness. He can make something beautiful in darkness. There is always hope that even if I do not see God, that even if I live in darkness or a sense of abandonment, God is always there and the most important thing is he is making something beautiful and awesome in me.

The darkness can also be sin. Many people think that they are sinful and there is no hope for redemption. But this trip to the dark cave shows that even in the darkness of sin, God can make something beautiful. There is redemption and hope when one is in sin. One just needs to surrender to the Lord and obey him.

After this trip, we had lunch and went to the souvenir shop. We bought some things to bring home. But the pearls were magnificent. I have never been into jewelry so I do not know how to look at pearls, but the sales ladies were wearing a set of earrings and they seem to glow from the inside.

This reminds me of the parable of Jesus where he compared the kingdom of God to a pearl of great price. A pearl is beautiful to see and no wonder when one sees it, one will want to sell everything just to possess it.