By Carmencita ‘Ging’ Hernandez
What now, Ging?
Nothing like a funeral to get people together, a time to see old friends and reacquaint with new ones
with you as a centrepiece for conversation.
They said you spent your life for others. There were many who visited the website John Flores, Zoraida’s
nephew) set up for you. www.tinyurl.com/7gyrtvy or http://carmentcita.hernandez.muchloved.com/
They testified you did. Tributes came by emails, by phone and by personal impromptu speeches at the
Toronto Korean Adventist Church at Chesswood Drive which was the venue for both vigil and funeral
mass.
While at the emergency, waiting for the doctor to talk to us, Zoraida immediately emailed friends and I
was already on the phone talking to Ging’s family back home, her brother Arthur and daughter, Agatha.
Friends did not waste time and started to arrive at the emergency. The next morning, friends were
already there as early as seven, some skipped worked for the next two days, Tess Concepcion was quite
ill but made an effort to visit Ging immediately.
THE SUNDAY VIGIL. At the vigil Sunday night and right after the requiem mass the next morning, they
came up to the stage. The tributes came from those whose lives you touched with tender camaraderie,
love and compassion. They were from everywhere – Toronto, Nunavut, south of the border, and as far
away as London, U.K. and the Philippines.
Close to 200 came to the December 18 vigil; and on December 19, despite it being a working day, over
a hundred attended the requiem mass.
The pastor, Abraham Manzo, who met you in Nunavut offered a ceremony. He prepared the program.
I welcomed the visitors, Miriam recited 2 Corinthians 5:1-8. A couple of inspirational with the pastor
at the piano and then he gave us words of comfort assuring everyone that the total acceptance of
Christ assured eternal life. We were all certain that Ging qualified but there probably some doubting
Thomases – you know I’m one of them – for whom the pastor would make exceptions. His own grief
showed in his final prayer dedicated to Ging
The ceremony wasn’t quite over. A prayerful couple whom Faye Arellano invited added to the ceremony
a Catholic mourning litany. Zany Up led it and the mourners responded to the familiar communal prayer.
People stayed – meditating before you or in animated conversation with others — over two hours before
the place closed
A VISIT FROM NUNAVUT. It takes close to $700 to fly from Iqaluit to Toronto via Ottawa. But Esmeralda
Bautista, your manager colleague from the Nunavut’s Ministry of Justice arrived to share her
experience with you.
THE MORNING REQUIEM MASS. The mass started at 10 a.m. sharp. There was a bit of a hiccup over
the time it would take – less than an hour or less than a half-hour. A friend of Ging, Deacon Bob wanted
to give her the full benefit of God’s grace. As it turned out, the Holy Eucharist can only be offered on
Catholic ground and communion could take as long as half an hour. Deacon Bob offered a most graceful
mass and words of real comfort.
The mass ended, Lina Arjune asked if she could sing Ave Maria . We were touched . She was no Maria
Callas but her rendition was honest and heartfelt. Later she also sang Hiram Sa Dyos.
THE SPEAKERS. Barbara Hall addressed us right after the ceremony. I had called just the Friday before
asking her to speak to us on Monday. For who better to do that than the Chief Commissioner of the
Ontario Human Rights Commission. But I didn`t think with such short notice she would make it. I got a
call from her just before the office closed and she confirmed. She remembers us even way back to the
time when she was running for Toronto councillor in the mid-70s and later for mayor when she visited
us at the PND picnic . She won.
I had sent her your resume that Kababayan`s Flor Dandal forwarded to me as well as the vigil programs
and elegant in memoriam on you by Ruben`s daughter, Marjo Johne. In her address, Barbara expressed
her astonishment at the incredible amount of advocacy work you did that would ordinarily take two
lifetimes to accomplish.
Akua Benjamin gave a stirring eulogy that is elsewhere printed here in this publication.
Your manager Esmeralda Bautista flew all the way from Iqaluit to see you one last time. At the vigil, she
expressed the grief of all those you lived and worked with in that Northern outpost. Mary Chrisanthus,
who was so looking forward to your return, said little but did many tasks preparing the reception area.
Like you, she was very much a doer.
Gary Shaul was in his usual ebullience — always surprising to listen to him speaks extemporaneously.
He read a letter you wrote to the Star on the eve of the 1986 People Power Revolution, a letter that laid
down our Coalition`s support of the snap elections as opposed to the boycott tactic by the National
Democratic Front. The fall of Marcos proved our analysis right. I remember how ecstatic we were.
We eventually disbanded only to resurrect our rebellious energies along different paths in Toronto`s
democracy activists.
Amy Go told everyone your secret weapon to assure a successful turnout for the next day`s protest rally
or some other progressive event that depended on good weather.
You told Amy that in the evening prior, she was to offer three eggs to Santa Clara at the neighbourhood
Catholic chapel and petition for good weather the next day. “And it worked!“ Amy exclaimed. How well
that “backward” catholic-cum-pagan ritual sat with the scientific -minded activists present, I can`t tell.
But there was giddy laughter all around.
Andrew Cash, Member of Parliament for Davenport, on very short notice ( I left him a message and an
email the day before the vigil) arrived in the middle of the Sunday repast. To pay you his respects, as a
former resident in his riding, he rented a car and drove all the way to the venue to pay his respects. He
gave an impromptu talk with those present and said he would not for the world miss the privilege to be
there with us – friends and fellow travellers of a most righteous woman. Not missing a beat, I told him
how under-represented Filipino community is city council, in provincial and federal parliaments despite
us having the largest per capita numerical presence of all minorities. I proposed that the NDP take the
initiative to mentor prospective Canadians Filipino origin on running for political office.
DYING INTESTATE. How we wished you took the time for yourself to prepare a last will. It would
have made the task of taking care of your estate much easier. You died intestate, Ging. None of your
comrades are layers so we deferred to Frank Luna and Ramon Andal, two Filipino layers gave their
services pro-bono. Even though he did not specialize in estate law, Ramon consulted with his friends.
Even then, contrary opinions appeared in the email. Many of us did not know Ramon, but he came
recommended by Tess and Rogie Concepcion as well as Mogi Mogado. He now has the power of
attorney from your brother Arthur which is a relief to everyone.
HOW IT ALL CAME TOGETHER. Pura Velasco was not well but visited with us at the hospital with her kids
Liv Simone and Deo in tow. They’re not kids anymore really but grown-ups, part of the next generation
taking up our torch. Sometimes people don’t realize the power of their presence in times like this. Just
by being there to keep you company at the Toronto Western Hospital, they reassured us that we would
not be alone in carrying out the duties of organizing your funeral.
Deo, now a graphics designer, put together a slide show of pictures projected in the background as
people paid their respects, in silence and in words of tribute. Liv helped out in preparing the repast that
Avic Andrada and Denise took two days off work to do their tasks. Together with Liv Simone, Juliet (the
late Merci Orillaneda’s cousin), Mary (again),and Zoraida took care of the repast in reception. There was
way too much and I delivered a lot of food to Scott’s Mission just as people were lining up for lunch the
next day. There were the anticipated poor and homeless. But there were those dressed in what one can
only guess as office attire – a sign of the times. took place in the adjoining reception area.
Zoraida put your friend Mary Chrisanthus in charge of contacting your Nunavut office and find out what
could be available to us from your benefits. She looked after the floral displays. Denise Bonds bought
your outfit for the inevitable viewing. Denise, Mary, Kababayan’s manager Flor Dandal, your comrades
in the women and LGBT rights movements solicited donations . Donations are still trickling as I’m
writing this. Your fellow alumni from the Araullo High School Class of 60 did not forget. Esmeralda flew
in from Iqaluit to commune with us and deliver donations from your Nunavut Family
All these amazing offers more than doubled the targeted donation of$5,750 that Tess and Zoraida
hoped for. Most touching was the donation from your CIDA friends in the Philippines Development
Assistance Program – a few hundred Canadian dollars but a rich sum relative to their Philippine incomes.
Marion Villanueva from a program supporting the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao sent
pictures of the work you did in Mapun in the remote Tawi-Tawi island.
I have to continue this piece another time. But, what now, Ging?
It won’t have to take the old guard to carry on your work. You have sown the seeds of activism in many
of the new generation to whom the torch is passed. I assure you, Ging, they will not disappoint.