Go placidly amid the noise and the haste
And remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender, be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
And listen to others even the dull and ignorant;
They too have their own story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons;
They are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
You may become vain or bitter,
For always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
It is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you what virtue there is;
Many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself.
Especially do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
For in the face of all aridity and disenchantment,
It is perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars;
You have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you
No doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labours and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life
Keep peace in your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams,
It is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.
- Max Ehrmann
Humayo ng panatag
Sa gitna ng ingay at pagmamadali,
At tandaang may kapayapaan matatagpuan sa katahimikan.
Hangga't maaari nang walang pagsuko
Makipagkapwa-tao
Bigkasin ang iyong katotohanan nang mahinahon at malinaw
At makinig sa iba, kahit sa mapurol o mangmang
Sila ma'y may kanilang salaysayin. Iwasan ang mga taong
Maingay at magaspang; nakaririndi sila sa diwa.
Kung ihahambing at masamain mo ang loob, pagka't
Laging may hihigit sa iyo at may hihigtan ka.
Masiyahan ka sa iyong mga natamo, gayundin sa iyong mga balak.
Manatiling buhos ang iyong kalooban sa mga gawain, gaano man
Kababa; tunay itong kayamanan sa nagbabagong panahon.
Maging maingat sa pakikipagkalakalan paagka't ang mundo'y
Batbat ng panlilinlang. Subalit huwag hayaang
Makabulag ito sa iyo sa anumang kabutihang mayroon; maraming
Nagpupunyagi para sa mga adhikaing dakila; at sa lahat ng dako
Ang buhay ay lipos ng kabayanihan.
Huwang mangkunwari laluna ng pagmamamahal
Huwag ding talikuran ang pag-ibig, pagka't sa gitna ng
Katigangan at kalungkutan, kailanma'y umuusbong
At nabubuhay itong tulad ng damo.
Maluwag na tanggapin ang payo ng katandaan
Banayad na isuko ang mga bagay ng kumusmusan
Arugain ang tibay ng loob na sasalag sa mga biglaang
Sakuna. Ngunit huwag palulumo sa mga guni-guni
Maraming takot ang dulot ng pagod at kalungkutan
Sa kabila ng malusog na disiplina, maging mabait sa iyong sarili.
Anak ka ng sanlibutan, tulang mga punungkahoy at bituin
May lugar ka rito. At malinaw man sa iyo o hindi, walang
Alinlangang bumukadkad ang daigdig ayon sa nararapat.
Kaya maging panatag ka sa Diyos, anuman ang pagkakilala mo
Sa kanya. At anuman ang iyong mga gawain at mithiin, sa maingay
Na kalituhan ng buhay, panatilihin mong panatag ang iyong kalooban
Sa kabila ng panlilinlang, kawalang-buhay at mga gumuhong pangarap
Maganda pa rin ang mundo.
Salin nina Cora at Rey Casambre
GOUDA, The Netherlands – My present job provides me with rare opportunities to work with African, Asian and Latin migrant organizations which actively support small development projects in their countries of origin. Watching them how they help their own communities made me wonder whether my fellow Bansaleño expats have also inclinations to help our hometown. Beyond sending money to their direct families, are they also willing to contribute to the development of our hometown?
For several years now, I was mulling over linking Bansaleño expats with Kapatiran Philippines, Inc (KPI), a small non-governmental organization which I helped set up in Bansalan a few years ago. However, it was a daunting task to get their addresses until I came across the Bansalan website, which was constructed by Edwin Bibera, a fellow Bansaleño now living in Fullerton, California. After giving some comments about the website, I tried to ask him if he was willing to maintain – on a voluntary basis – the website of KPI. “No problem,” Edwin assured. “At least I can do something for our hometown.”
Great! Now, there were two of us doing something for our hometown. But the question is: Where are the rest?
Unknowingly, on the first week of November 2005, Edwin’s website was noticed by some Bansaleños and even those now living in other parts of the world. This was when Edwin posted new articles and pictures of popular places of our town. One particular picture – that of the ABC Gym – caught the attention of Imee Mabandos-Schneider of Frankfurt, Germany. Her compelling message urging Bansaleños to help renovate the dilapidated gym triggered off a series of e-mail exchanges.
In her e-mail message, Imee warm-heartedly recalled various events – such as basketball tournaments, dances, and large official functions and other activities of the various schools and community, among others – were held in the gym. “ABC had been a great part of our growing up years in Bansalan,” she wrote. “In the spirit of (forthcoming) Christmas, we can give back to our hometown by raising the amount of Ph20,000 to at least repaint the façade of the gym.”
The snowball effect of Imee’s initial posting was overwhelming. In no time, Bansaleños residing abroad – Toronto in Canada; Alaska, New York, California, Ohio, and Virginia in the United States; Rotterdam and Gouda in the Netherlands; and Frankfurt in Germany – and even those in Manila and Davao started sending their pledges.
The awe-inspiring response of the Bansaleños resulted to the formation of the virtual community called the Association of Bansaleños or www.Bansaleños.com with “Give Back Campaign: ABC Gym Project” as its initial project. In less than a month, our group raised the amount of Php155,212.00 - almost 8 times more than Imee’s original request.
Curiously enough, the members of Association of Bansaleños have different professional backgrounds and they are doing different types of jobs. While implementing the project, we were discovering our untapped talents, hobbies and interests. We found out we have excellent fund raisers and event organizers in our midst. All these proved to be useful in our campaign.
Aside from renovating the gym, some Bansaleños also decided to raise funds to support the education of poor children our hometown. As of this writing, the “Give Back: Literacy Project” received pledges amounting to Ph 50,000 – enough to support the education of 30-35 poor pupils next school year. In fact, some even committed themselves to support the children until they finish their elementary education.
While older folks are very much willing to help, younger generation is also involved. Jane Nique, who now lives in New York, related her conversation with her 17-year-old daughter Nikki: “Nikki shed a tear when she heard the story about the poor children in Bansalan. She offered to sponsor one child. I asked her how she would do it since she’s still a student and without an income. She replied that she can set aside some money from her weekly allowance. She also want to write to a child to encourage him or her to study hard because by the time the child would graduate from elementary, she would already be a nurse. By then, she could support the child’s college education.”
Nikki, however, is not alone. During our visit in Bansalan five years ago, my two sons – Michael and Richard – asked their uncle Joselito why there so many out-of school children in the neighborhood. My brother, a barangay captain, told my two sons that the parents of these children are too poor to send them to school. In fact, he was supporting some of them but had a hard time sustaining the support due to lack of funds.
My two sons offered to help and came up with an idea on where to get the money. “Richard and I just won’t go to McDonalds four times a year Mamma and the money we would save would be given to some children to help them go to school,” Michael volunteered. I told them that if they would do that, I would match what they would have saved. They did – and their initial donation actually started the basic literacy program of Bansalan’s KPI.
I am aware that my fellow Bansaleños have bigger plans for our hometown but they know their contribution is limited. They are willing to support any worthy community projects but they would like also to see local government officials to match what they would do. Hence, taking advantage of her recent Christmas vacation in Bansalan, Imee together with some Davao and Bansalan-based residents presented the plan to the town mayor and his council. Mayor Melchor Arches warmly welcomed the proposed initiative. Today, the renovation of the ABC Gym has become a joint project of the local government unit and the Bansaleño expats.
Through regular e-mail contacts, I learned several stories about their gift-giving practices. I heard that long before the “Give Back Campaign” was launched, a few were already involved in various family and community projects. For instance, the list of donors who contributed to the renovation of our church included many names of families who have relatives overseas. Thanks to the “start-up capital” from relatives abroad, new small businesses (restaurants, photo services, bakeries, grocery stores, transports, etc) have been set up which stimulate local economic activities and create jobs in the town.
Fact: Those who are working abroad are spending their remittances for the improvement of the economic condition of their families. A case in point is the “Japayuki village,” a small enclave in Bansalan where nice and well-appointed row of houses were built from the money sent to their families by Bansaleños working in Japan. In building the houses, temporary jobs are created for local carpenters and laborers.
Another example is the Nique family – with three siblings now living in New
York – who distributes Christmas gifts (cash money, rice, canned goods, T-shirts, bicycles) every year to indigent children and parents in their barangay.
More recently, I learned that a fellow Bansaleña, who married a German, is now busy developing her small farming village. After building her own house and that of her family, she also purchased a land and subdivided it into small parcels, which she sold to homeless families in our hometown at very low price. Likewise, she opened a grocery store and a bakery in her village and hired local people.
With the aforementioned examples, it finally dawned on me that the Bansaleños are not different from the African, Latinos and Asian migrants whom I worked with. They give back because they feel they still feel they are very much part of the community. They also want to share the blessings they enjoy with those whom they left behind. Perhaps, some unconsciously give back because one day they might return. Whatever their motives are, the Bansaleños are making a difference but not without reason.
In his recollection, Edwin wrote: “So many memories and some of them pass to oblivion. But in retrospect, I didn't really regret living in Bansalan. In fact, I love it there. Like a tree which roots are firmly grounded in that old town, my travels were like branching out to reach new heights: to see more of the world. But it seems like I never left at all. I am always home.”
Daday Amor-Cintron of New Jersey summed up the sentiments of most Bansaleño expats when she wrote: “Seriously, because of the choices we made (and choices we did not make) some of us have ‘wow’ lives and some just plain ‘blah’ lives. Some of our lives are glorious, and others not so glorious. But no matter where in the world we are, we have these experiences and all of God’s graciousness to be thankful for. When I am overwhelmed with the routine drudgery of the fast lane we call life, I think of all the simple things of our past, the humble beginnings of Bansalan. It is safe there.”
Note: The Give Back Campaign is an on-going project of Bansaleños. For more information, please visit: www.bansalan.com. -- ***
January 2006
I’ve been writing my journals since I was 19. From time to time I re-read some of my entries, the period when my two boys were just small kids. I remembered that when my eldest son Michael was just 5 years old we had an interesting conversation about my hometown Bansalan. The mother-and-son conversation went more or less this way…
Why is the color of your eyes black, Mamma?
Because I am a Filipino.
What is a Filipino?
Look, son. The people here in the Netherlands are called Dutch just like your Pappa. I am from the Philippines and so I am Filipino. Every country – and there are many countries all over the world – has a name for their own people.
But where is the Philippines located, Mamma?
It’s a distant country, far from where we are now. That’s where your grandma lives. You only reach it if you take the place and travel night and day.
How come you are here in Holland?
Oh, that’s a long story. Maybe I will tell you next time.
Are there tigers and elephants in the Philippines?
Oh no. Where did you get the idea?
Monkey, perhaps?
Sure we still have monkeys!
What about snakes? Do you have snakes in the Philippines?
Yes. I remember when I was your age, I saw a couple of times snakes crawling by the riverbank not far from your grandma’s house. I was told they were not of the dangerous type, but just the same, I was terribly scared.
Are there plenty of big trees where Oma Helen (Lola Helen) lives?
Yes. A long time ago, I used to climb our guava and mango trees, but the fruit trees are not there anymore. They cut the trees because we needed space for our house and garden. We had also plenty of trees, really big ones in the forests. You know your grandma lives near the foothills of Mt. Apo, the highest mountain in the Philippines. We don’t have mountains here in Holland so I cannot make a comparison. You know the tall Euromast in Rotterdam, don’t you? Well, our mountains are much taller than the Euromast. But there are not much trees anymore in our forests.
Where have all the trees gone?
Where? I remember there was a logging company operating in our town. Your grandpa used to work in the saw mill as a mechanic. Everyday large trucks transported many trozos, big timbers from the mountain and brought them to the saw mill. Where they brought the lumber I exactly don’t know. But I vaguely heard stories when his workmates came to our house for a drink; I still remember they talked about some Japanese guests visiting the saw mill. Funny, but I was six or maybe seven years old then, almost like your age, and somehow I still remember their faces.
When we visit Oma, can I take a swim in the river?
What about the river? Oh yes, the river. I remember taking a bath there early in the morning before going to school. We also washed our clothes there especially on Saturdays. You know what? I also enjoyed catching small fish called paitan with friends I the neighborhood. Alas, there are no fish anymore, and the water has become very dirty and shallow. Too bad, you cannot swim in the river anymore.
Why is your hair black, Mamma?
Because I am a Filipino and most Filipinos have black hair.
Is the Philippines near Africa? The people there also have black eyes and black hair. I saw them on TV?
Oh no. The Philippines is located on the opposite side of the globe. Let me show you. It’s here, down here. See that group of islands? It’s called an archipelago.
Are there also soldiers in the Philippines? There are plenty of them in Africa.
Oh yes, my son. Plenty of them.
Do they shoot and kill people?
Yes, they do. Sometimes. Several times. Many times, I guess. There are people who carry guns in the Philippines and just shoot anyone.
But why? Are the Filipinos bad?
No, they are not bad my son. It’s actually like this. There are plenty of people in the Philippines who are poor, very poor. They have no money to buy food, clothes and medicine. Parents have no money to send their children to school and to buy them toys. They want to change the situation. They want to improve their lives and to have a better future for their children. But some people do not like that the poor will change the situation. Some want change and they use guns to.... But why are you asking so many questions?
Because I want to know!
But why do you want to know so much? I can’t go on answering all of them.
Because I wonder why I have brown eyes. Your eyes are black, and Pappa has blue. Where did I come from Mamma?
My son, that’s all for today. Next time I will tell you more. When you are a bit bigger you will find out for yourself the answers to your questions. Now, do you already know why your Mamma has black eyes?
What about your eyes? I don’t remember what you said. I’m so sleepy.
Go to bed my son. Someday I hope you will remember. I really hope so just like I remember.
Go placidly amid the noise and the haste
