Keep Them Flying

2011-02-28T11:38:00.000-08:00

i have read in the newspapers about the exchange of words between jim paredes and gringo honasan in twitter. the exchange still show the great arrogance of gregorio honasan.

i have always believed, that enrile et al had their own plans and ambitions to succeed marcos, knowing that the latter was very ill. but they knew too well that imelda also had her own ambitions too. so enrile et all, honasan included, had this grand plan of snatching power from marcos thru a coup. but marcos and ver, his armed forces chief of staff, discovered it and wanted them arrested.

when enrile et al knew that they were to be arrested, they holed themselves up in camp aguinaldo, together with gen. ramos, then PC chief, whom they convinced to join them in the coup.

were it not for the civilians whom cardinal sin called upon thru, radio veritas, to come to camp aguinaldo and protect the group of enrile and ramos, what could have happened then to gregorio honasan, and the rest?

enrile et al provided the spark that ignited People Power. but the Filipino people did the People Power. they saved them, including honasan.

we have heard and read about honasan being called a hero of People Power 1. he had a contribution to it, but so does millions of others, and many with even much more contribution.

so to call jim paredes as somebody who is nothing unless he won even as a barangay captain, is the height of arrogance of this senator honasan. i know what jim paredes and Apo had contributed to the movement against marcos and martial law.

when Cory was president, why did they still launch several coup attempts? the philippines was in the world map again positively. the economy was zooming up as gleaned from the philippine stock market. the people had so much hope. the philippines was rising. what did they do? they launch coup after coup, why?

honasan and his cohorts and his backer should have been in jail forever. were it not for him and his benefactor, the Cory regime could have been among the glorious years in philippine history and economy.

they still owe me and millions others an explanation of their past actions, and maybe, of their fortunes too. they have a debt to the Filipino people, jim paredes included.

2011-02-18T22:35:00.000-08:00

Angelo Reyes, former DENR secretary, former DILG secretary, former DND secretary, former AFP Chief, among others, committed suicide, because of the way senators treated him in their inquiry into the AFP funds mess. This is the view expressed by so many, including his cavaliers from the PMA, newspaper columnists, and many others. Do they really think that senators can make the man; proud, strong, brusque, an achiever and a doer as his peers described him, commit suicide? Sorry, but I don't buy this.

I condole with his family for the loss of a loved one. He was family, and I respect that.

When I first heard the news of his suicide, the first thing that came to my mind was: conscience works.

But then, later on, I rationalized, it could also have been pride. He was such a proud person, too proud to face the impending unearthing of the truth, truth that could demean him and people close to him.

Or maybe it was conscience after all. His conscience just could not allow him to drag his family to the dishonor that he has to face. He loved his family too much, that he won't allow them to sink with him.

The shame that he has to face, and most importanly, the shame that will confront his family, more so of his deceased mother whom he loved so much, in the face of the truth hat has slowly come to fore in the investigation, these I believe, were the main reasons why he decided to end his life.

I pity the man. The truth could set have set him free, but he chose otherwise. Sayang!

Father of the Bride

2010-10-21T15:44:00.000-07:00

October 25, 2010 is the wedding day of my eldest daughter, Ligaya. I was asked to give a remark for the bride's side. I prepared some notes, however, was unable to use it because the light at hall 1 of Grandcon was at party setting, quite dim for me. So I delivered my piece sans the notes and it was a straight from the heart one...and I'm sharing it with everybody.

Thank you all for coming to the wedding of Ligaya and Aivan. I am sure your presence will make this event even more special. I hope you also have a happy and memorable day just like the newlyweds.
Somebody told me, "I bet you will cry on your daughter's wedding day". Will I?
As a father, I would like to think that I have raised my children well. When they were younger, I used to write them letters and notes on special occasions. Almost always, they contain reminders for them to be the best that they can be.
I was a proud father when during a school commencement exercises, both of them were valedictorians of their respective grade levels. They were the best, and much more.
I remember when Lani was still in high school, on a Christmas, she learned that a classmate of hers would not be able to go home for the Christmas break because she had no money to spend for transportation to, if I remember right, Mindanao where her family was, then. Lani got here savings, out of the daily school allowance we give her, and gave it to her classmate. This classmate was able to be with her family that Christmas.
Also, I remembered, when Ligaya, this was in high school also, learned that a ninong of hers was retrenched from work, she asked me to accompany her to him, because she wanted to give him her savings, kay nalooy siya sa iya ninong. We did see him and she gave him her savings.
Yes, they did their best and they were the best as human beings also. I consider them as my life's greatest achievement.
Morag mapildi ko if I had accepted the bet about crying.
If I may add one more story about my daughters, every Christmas, in their younger years also, they hang stockings for and wrote letters to Santa Claus asking for gifts. Often, they received also letters from Santa telling them he could not give them what they were asking for because he had to use his money instead to buy gifts for other children who need gifts more than they do. Also with the letters, they would receive other things like chocolates, which they were told to share with the other children. One time, I remembered Ligaya commented that pareha lagi ug handwriting si Santa Claus ni Papa. They grew up believing in Santa Claus.
During one of our vacations in Bukidnon, my wife told Ligaya to get money from my wallet to buy something. Peeking into the contents of my wallet, she found a letter she wrote to Santa Claus. She kept the discovery all to herself, I didn't even know about it until much much later. So the Santa Claus thing went on some more years without me knowing that he had already been identified. Must be some Nancy Drew effects on Ligaya. She reads her books.
Also, they were often told: "You are the product of the choices you make". As young children, we parents made the choices for them. As they grew up, little by little, they were taught to make their own choices. As a father I knew where to lead them into. I was protective just like you parents out there. I had influence and control.
Now, the story becomes different. I remember one time, this was after Ligaya already finished college, she asked permission nga iya nang sugton si Aivan, after several years of courting her. And then after several more years, she told me of their plan to get married.
Today, I am father of the bride. This is something I did not look forward to. Earlier, as I walked her down the aisle, two things were on my mind: one, to continue walking and give her over to Aivan; the other, to drag her back into the car and go home. But her happiness prevailed upon me. I want her to be happy, and I know she is happy to be with Aivan.
So now, she is a married to Aivan. I have seen Aivan as hardworking and persevering. Lani wrote in her blog: she is not losing a sister, she is gaining a brother. That's right. Now, I have gained a son. So Aivan, welcome to the Family. All I say to you is : take good care of my daughter. Love her as much as we love her.
To Gay I say, even though you are already married, you are still my daughter. We have given you wings. You can fly, you can soar. But you can always fly back home.
To both of you I say;
Married life is not a bed of roses. There will be struggles and challenges. But together, you will overcome.
When there are conflicts, communication is important. But more than the talking, communication is primarily listening. As they say, listening is the beginning of understanding. Remember that your ears are above your mouth, and that your head is bigger than your mouth.
Respect each others views and opinions. If you disagree, do so without being disagreeable.
It takes two to tango. Both of you must make your marriage succeed.
The ship must only have one captain, if there are two, it gets nowhere.
There are many beautiful advice, you can find them everywhere.
Lastly, as before, I say: you are the product of the choices you make.
And one last thing, what about the bet? Thank you.

2010-05-01T12:17:00.000-07:00

Many presidential candidates favor giving a hero's burial to former president Marcos. Why? Is he a hero? What has he done to the Philippines and to the Filipinos?
In the 1960's, the Philippines was next to Japan in Asia as an economic power. He became president during that time. He declared martial law in 1972 supposedly to stop the terrorist activities of the communists. [I firmly believe though that he declared martial law because of the ambition to perpetuate himself in power, being ineligible already for re-election after having served as president for two terms]. In 1986, when people power ousted him from his office, what, where, how was the Philippines compared with the other Asian countries?
In the 1960's, the Filipino practiced good manners, had delicadeza, would rather bear hunger than steal food. What about now? Then, the police and the military had discipline and courtesy. Now, how courteous are they? Before, the government employee serves the people, now, he acts like your boss, won't do his job if you don't give him extra.
Because of Mr. Marcos, the Philippines became what it is today. Because of him, the Filipino has lost his sense of what is right and wrong and lived with "what is good for me and my pocket".
The Filipino sense of values has been distorted. The Philippines and the Filipino is sick. This is the legacy of Mr. Marcos and his martial law.
Now, they want to give him a hero's burial?
My heart is crying out, NEVER!!!

Prosecutor mutiny at DOJ

2010-04-19T13:17:00.000-07:00

I have just read this news item from Inquirer.net over the issue of acting Secretary Agra, appointed just last March, issuing a resolution clearing the governor and vice governor-both Ampatuans for the murders in the infamous Maguindanao massacre.
How could he, in such a short span of time, found out a position opposite to that found out by the state prosecutors assigned to the case who have been at it since November, when he assumed office only in March?
Something is not right, something stinks here. Does Malacanang, whom allegedly the accused are close to, and despite claims of distancing itself from the accused, have a hand in this?
I was not born yesterday.
Can the Honorable Secretary Agra look at the families of the victims in their eyes and tell them these Ampatuans are innocent?
Where is our sense of honor? What happened to our sense of decency?
You, honorable lawyers out there, wouldn't you lift a finger on this issue? And you, decent citizens, what do you think?
Must we, again, light a candle to see the sun?
Right now I feel depressed, angry and frustrated.

2010-04-07T16:36:00.000-07:00

I was surfing the net early this morning, i woke up early and couldn't go back to sleep, and I came across a blog about a Mac owner who brought his unit to the store he bought it from, located in Makati, due to a battery problem. He was told that the problem had to be referred to Apple Singapore office. Several followups were made by him, each time he was given alibis for not having any positive response about his problem. To shorten the story, he found out that he was told lies by people from the Makati store after he personally got in touched with the Singapore office who informed him of the absence of any referral from Makati.
I was struck by this, because it is a reflection of what ails the Philippine society today. I have read a few days earlier about a foreign observer who mentioned about the Filipinos' damaged culture. Up front, I couldn't agree less. This is what is really happening to the Filipino, from the topmost of government, to the lowest level of society. Something is just not right. There is a loss of the sense of decency, honesty, respect, good manners, uprightness, integrity, etc.
This deterioration of our values is very evident in our daily dealings with people everywhere; in the workplace, in establishments, and worse with people in government offices. Of course, there are still many good people around, they may even be still the majority, but the actuations of the others on the opposite end of the spectrum are so observable, so visible that they seem to prevail. The deterioration is getting worse with time.
This decline has to be corrected because if not, I am afraid of where we as a country and as a people are heading to. I love this country, I want to still be a proud Pinoy.
GOD BLESS THE PHILIPPINES!

2010-03-24T23:51:00.000-07:00

It's been sometime since my last post. This is something that's been playing in my mind.

Life is short. When it will end, we never know exactly, that is why it is important to tell the people that you love that you do and you have to do it now because tomorrow may be too late.

I am not a very expressive person as far as feelings are concerned, especially to my father and my brothers, but I try to express my feelings for them, that I care for them through my actions, through what I do for them. I just hope that they get the message.

My father is old, I know he won't be with us for that long anymore even if we want to. In the remaining years that he is still with us, I only want him to be happy. And what makes him happy?

I think that now, all he wants is to see his children and grandchildren around him. Bisag pobre, basta magkapundok lang gihapon. I remember the only time I saw him cry, early last year when he told me that Boy, was leaving for where, he didn't tell him, to get away from the problems that resulted from the 'misadventures' of his wife, and to find a living to support themselves. Yes, that was the only time I remember I saw my father cry.

He was very happy sometime August last year when Boy came home and would be working in the house which my other brother and his wife were constructing out from the retirement pay she just got. This bayaw just retired at age 50's.

Now that the house is almost done, what is next for Boy? This is what I had been thinking. I want to be able to start something that could provide livelihood for him and also Norman, something that the two of them love and want to do, maybe a food business or raising chicken, something that would provide them income and still be here with our father.

I hope I can do something for them, for my father...

2009-04-17T16:20:00.000-07:00

This week has been quite heavy psychologically/emotionally for me. The people that matters most in my life are now telling me to tell the truth. Does it mean that I no longer have their trust? This hurts. This is the baggage that weigh down on me. If my wife does not trust me, I can bear it, but when it's my children that don't anymore, it causes tears.
My younger brother, Boy, had been thru a storm and still is. Their house and lot had been foreclosed because of unpaid debts, courtesy of his damn wife but with his signature on the collateral, and which by next month they have to vacate. Several people have been looking for his wife, who had gone away for over a year now, to demand payment of debts, in big amounts. Another lending company had filed a case against him and his wife also for unpaid debts. When asked by my father what he will do about it, he said that he and his 13 year old son have no other recourse but to go away and hide, because he can't pay the debt. My father then offered his little savings, although not enough, to pay for the debt. I volunteered to put up what is lacking so that the case against him will be dropped, and he and his son don't have to go away anymore. This I did because I know that my father would rather have his four children, although having their own families already, living near and around him. Our father is 82 years old.
So, we paid the lending company, a little over a hundred thousand. Because my brother had no means of livelihood now, his little aluminum casting business had gone down also, I also offered to shoulder the tuition fee of his son. Although his daughter has a job, I know that my family's budget for half month is bigger than her monthly salary and what with three mouths to feed. My 13 year old nephew may not be able to continue his studies without other support. These things were known to my family.
Then one day, Boy and his son passed by our father's place and told him that they were leaving but without telling him where to. But we know that they will be back because Boy had ask a niece to enrol his son.
One morning, coming home from work at about 4:30 am, my wife asked me the whereabouts of the money that was put in the drawer, why only a little was left. I told her that that was all that was left after paying the lending company. Then, I went to sleep.
My wife woke me up at about 11 am and again asked me about the money. Deep inside I was irked because I was awakened from sleep just for that question. They all know that I don't want to be awakened from sleep especially in the shift that I am now in where I hardly, if ever, get enough sleep. I told her what I said to her that morning. But she kept on asking what other things I spent the money on. She was even murmuring wa ra bay aso makumkom. God!
Maybe she thought I secretely gave Boy some money to use for their travel because she knew early on that Boy wanted to borrow money from my other brother but was denied. Boy did not have any money from me. I wanted to give him three thousand earlier when I learned that he was unable to borrow money from our other brother, but he refused it. He told me ayaw lang manoy even though, I know, he needed it, maybe because he knew I still have to spend for his son's coming enrolment.
Maybe my wife is afraid that Boy might abuse my kindness, but I know him better, he's my brother. I know he has his own faults, but being an opportunist is not one of them.
I don't blame my daughters for maybe thinking the way my wife thinks. Whenever Boy and our youngest brother's names are mentioned in our conversations, almost always my wife talks about their faults and imperfections. Seldom is mentioned anything positive about them. Maybe this often mention of negative things about my two brothers had created a negative image of them in the minds of my daughters.
But does this explain why they think I gave money to Boy and hid this from them?
I am the eldest of us four brothers. Even if I already have my own family, they still are family to me. If I can help them rebuild their lives, I would. If there is anything I can do to help them stand on their own, I would do it. And there's no reason to hide it, if any, from my family.
Writing this has somehow eased the pain. It is almost 1am. Maybe I can sleep better now.

oktoberfest pictures

2008-11-07T00:00:00.000-08:00

emotions

2008-10-13T14:54:00.000-07:00

I woke up at 4:30 this morning. Since I didn't feel sleepy anymore [Iwent to bed at 8 last night], I went to the sala intending to finally view Prison Break 3 on dvd, but when I saw the laptop, I changed my mind. I opened it and went to limewire and started to download christmas songs by the carpenters. When the first song 'merry Christmas darling' was completed, I played it while continuing to download. Completed next was 'I'll be home for Christmas'. I then played it next. When it started playing, I suddenly felt nostalgic and thought about my daughter who is studying in Manila. I imagined how she would feel hearing this song. I know she's homesick. I read about it in her blog which I saw last night just before going to bed. I couldn't help it, tears fell down my eyes. I feel the homesickness of my daughter, and I miss her.

I last saw her in August in Manila just before I went back to Cebu after my training there. We were also together going home to Cebu for his Lolo's birthday, August 24, for a surprise visit by her, and were also together going back to Manila, me to continue my training and her to go back to UP for her studies.

I don't know why, but since the time both of my daughters left home, this was last year, to pursue their studies, one going to Silliman for her pgi, and the other to UP for her master's, I easily feel nostalgia. Tears are very easy to come by. Their going away simultaneously sort of shocked me. I was fully aware that one day they will have to live their own lives, but still I was not really fully prepared for it. The realization that both of them are now away from us was slow to sink in, and, together with it, the feeling of loneliness, the feeling of having lost precious possessions slowly creeped in also. I know they're just away, and not gone. I know that this was just temporary, but the feeling of missing them is hard to control. Emotions sometimes gets the better of you, and you can't help it but give away few drops of tears.

Now, Ligaya is back home after completing her stint at Silliman, but Lani is still in Manila, for how long, I am not sure, but she'll be back home soon.

She's coming home this Christmas, December 17 to be exact, and that's only a few days more. We eagerly await that day, and who knows, she may even have a chance to come home before that date. I am keeping my fingers crossed.

We will all be together again, that's a fact, and until then, blogs and cellphones will ease and release the emotions.

The Dream

2008-10-12T19:58:00.000-07:00

The Oktoberfest Cebu celebration of our company, LTP, held last October 10 2008, gave me a chance to do one of my student day dreams: play for a band.

I got interested in playing the guitar in the latter part of my elementary school years. It all started when I found an old guitar, owned by my father but which he didn't use anymore, in the attic, or bolada of our small house. If I remember right, it was cracked, had only 2 or 3 strings left, and the string tensioners or tuners, where the string is wound ,were made of wood which were forced fit into 5 holes in the guitar head [it was a five string only guitar]. I told myself then - I will buy a guitar one day. I didn't have any allowance at that time because school was walking distance from our house, so there was nothing to save from to buy a guitar.

In high school, I was able to start saving from my baon and before the end of first year high, I was able to buy a guitar. I borrowed a guitar chords booklet from a classmate and slowly learned the basic chords: majors, minors and sevens. Some friends gave me songs on paper with guitar chords written, but my major source of chorded songs were borrowed songhits which had one or two of this. I was very excited to watch people play the guitar. During novenas for our fiesta, I would go to the chapel just to watch the magduduyog or guitar acccompaniests of the cantores. My excitement rose highest when in one of the school events, a combo, as it was called then, composed of students from our school, played. I remember distinctly one of the songs, Hurting Inside, by Dave Clark 5. It started in me the dream to be a combo member. During fiestas, when a combo plays, I watched even if I had to walk home from a neighboring barrio. Transpo in the late evening was almost nil at that time. I didn't mind because there was this dream. I continued practicing to learn to play the guitar even into college. I accompanied singers during some presentations, but I never really got to joining a band as the combo metamorphed into. The most that I got into was when I was one of the guitarists of the SVD Brothers of USC when they did a 'concert' at the USC-TC auditorium and at the USC Main gym. That was about it then. When I started working at PAL, my affairs with my guitar slowly waned, and because of non use, the glue on some parts of it started to fail. I repaired it myself, but its sound was no longer like it was before. I hold and play it once in a while, but this seldom happened.

Then, in the last days of September this year, Rico, a junior colleague who is still very much into guitar, broached the idea of substitute playing for the band, which will be invited to perform in the Oktoberfest, originally scheduled for October 24. The idea got me excited and I immediately said, "why not, sige". So together with Jimmy, another colleague, we decided to do it. Rico knew of one OJT who plays the drums, we got him. Problem was, who will handle the base guitar. I volunteered. I knew deep in my heart I could do it, despite nil experience with it.

I have never played a base guitar in my life, but I had once held the base guitar of the accompaniests of the cantores for our chapel's fiesta way back in high school or was it college na, I don't remember anymore, just to know how the base strings were tuned, plucked it a few times, then returned it to the owner. That was my only experience with a base guitar. But knowing how the base strings were tuned, I sometimes did on my own, base accompaniments of songs played on the radio, just to experience playing base.

Rico, had been slowly building up on his band equipment; guitars, amplifiers, drums, a guitar sound processor or synthesizer, tuner, etc. What was lacking at that time then were cymbals.

We scheduled practice every Monday afternoon, 12 to 4. First practice was set for September 29. Rico bought cymbals in the morning of that day, and we practiced the songs we intended to do in the afternoon. I was introduced to the electric base. And I think I just did fine. We sort of accomplished the accompaniment of two songs. We thought of doing about eight songs, just enough for the four weeks of practice. Other singers would join us in the next practice sessions. We called it a day a little past 4pm. Next practice would be October 6.

When I reported for duty in Wednesday, from day off, I learned that the affair was rescheduled to October 10, to coincide with the ground breaking ceremony of a joint project between LTP, PAL and Airphil in Mactan airport. That left us with only one more Monday to practice. Because of this development, we agreed to finalize the songs to sing and just individually practice on our own our parts but synchronize and polish evereything during practice.

In the morning of our next scheduled day of practice, October 6, I received a text from Rico that our practice was rescheduled the following day because he wanted to have his snare drum replaced due to some defects which showed after our first practice. He said he will just bring all his quipment to the office so that we can practice also during slacks in our duty hours on the two days that follow before October 10. That, we did. We practiced several songs, more than ten total and kept our fingers crossed.

Came October 10. By three pm, all the equipment of the band were set up. We decided earlier that we will use Rico's guitars because we already had the feel of these. We listed eight songs to do for the first set, and had reserve of six more for the second set if there was need to. The hired band started playing after dinner. After their thing, games were scheduled while we connected our equipment. Then the games ended.

We were introduced as the LTP band. First piece was an instrumental-Faithful Love. It was done well and the audience applauded also well. I dont know if they did so because we were co-employees. The next song was 'When You Say Nothing at All'. David sang it ala Ronan Keating, and he received claps and whistles after. Next was Lido with 'Have You Ever Seen the Rain'. Then Rudy did 'You'll Never Walk Alone', followed by Noe's 'High' of the Speaks. Then, Lido came back to do 'Proud Mary'. Before he sang, he urged everyone to dance. When he started to sing, the audience filled the floor and danced. Among them were the LTP president, two vps, and many guests. The locals were also there. After the piece, the people stayed on the floor and asked for more. Since the next scheduled piece was slow rock, we called on Nestor, who was supposed to be a second setter, to perform. He did 'Totoy Bibo', to the delight of everybody, and they continued to dance. After the piece, there was a loud ovation. Next to sing was Maxi who received a loud applause just as he came to the front, maybe because he was not known as a singer. When he started to sing 'Skyline Pegion', another loud applause was heared. When he raised his hands and waved to the rhythm of the song, everyone also did in unison. When his song ended, there was another loud applause. Maxi received handshakes as he walked back into the crowd. Our last piece for the set was "Hotel California' which Rico himself sang. Rico, being the lead guitarist, did the instrumentals and as he did it with such finesse, everybody was staring at him with such awe. Even the hired band members were awed at his performance, this we learned later. When the performance ended with a synchronized end strum, everybody broke into a long and loud applause. We disconnected our equipment and noting that we had ended our performance, the officers of LTP came up front and shook our hands and congratulated us and said we were very good.

It felt like being on cloud nine when the president and the vice presidents of LTP came up to us and showed real appreciation at what we did. More so when co-employees told us that they could not believe that we just did what we did. It filled our hearts.

We did another set of songs but the officers of LTP had already left by then. These were practiced songs and some imprumpto ones from co-employees who volunteered to sing.

That was one night that I will never forget, for the rest of my life. It was a fulfillment of a dream and a passion that had been put in the backseat for quite a time already. It made my years, not just day.

oktoberfest invocation

2008-10-12T19:54:00.000-07:00

Last October 10, our company, held the annual Oktoberfest Cebu celebration. I was tasked to do the invocation. To really have a good grasp of what an invocation is, I searched the internet. What I came across that caught my attention was the controversy generated by the invocation given by Fr. Stephen Cuyos in the Philippine Bloggers Awards night. With this in mind, and knowing the diversity of people invited to the occasion, and the knowledge that at least one atheist may be attending the event, I was carefull not to create another controversy, without shying away from what I intended to convey; giving thanks and doing good. Here’s my short invocation:

Good evening. Please, let us bow our heards, close our eyes, listen to our hearts beating, think about the blessings we have received, and say : thank you. There is so much to be thankful for; this occasion, the food among others, but most of all, we give thanks for the people who have touched our lives – family, friends, benefactors, people who we work for and people who work for us.
Again, feel your heart beat, and say to yourself : I will be a source of goodness, happiness and love for the people I have been thankful for, and for others who may come my way – Amen!

2008-07-16T12:16:00.000-07:00

I used to mark milestones and important occasions of my life and those of my loved ones by planting trees, fruit trees most often. Why?, because I want to do my little share in keeping the air fresh and I want to eat fruits which I produce myself. Moreover, planting fruit trees which are not traditionally grown in Cebu like mangossteen, durian, magallanes pomelo, longkong, rambutan, longgan, chokanan mango, menzi oranges and even the so called kiatkiat, the small seedless orange from china-pose a challenge which I like to face. All these fruits, I have either planted already or have seedlings in plastic bags of varying sizes, ready for planting.
Yesterday was my birthday, however I was unable to plant anything. The locations around our house marked for planting are not yet ready for such. One still has the big felled talisay tree which I intended to be sawed into lumber which sawer I could not find yet, another has a still standing but already dead long ago ten foot tall, two feet diameter jackfruit stump. There is one place where I can dig out a yet small longgan for replacement with a longkong because the other mature longgans I have (more than ten years old already) haven't born fruits ever since and I wonder if they ever will because they are from seeds of fruits I bought in Malaysia which could have come from china, temperate varieties, hence may not readily fruit in the philippines. I could not do digging yet because i still feel pain in my right elbow (tennis elbow) which hasn't healed yet, hopefully it will soon, because this has prevented me from doing some things which might aggravate it.
I can not postpone july 15, so I just have to postpone planting another fruit tree and plant I will do for sure. That just has to wait a little while. In the meantime, I will enjoy listening to the birds which have slowly come back to our place, check on the small fruits of the two pomelo trees that have started to fruit already and watch out for emerging flowers on the other trees around, and in the mornings, whenever I can, smell the fragrance of the champaca and sampaguita blooms.