Remove the boulder, let’s go to the PPCO Gala

In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock.
Some of the king’s wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the king for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way.
Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded.
After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the king indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway.
The peasant learned what many of us never understand. Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition. (parablesite.com)
The peasant may be the late DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo. I certainly do not know him but from what I have read Robredo did what many others did not do before him. As the youngest mayor every elected in the country during his time, like the peasant in the parable above, he was then faced with insurmountable obstacles in Naga City.
The obstacles that confronted him were turned to opportunities that defined Robredo both as a man and a public servant to the true meaning of the term ‘public servant’.
With his peasant-like ways, he used his righteousness, wisdom, intellect, and skills to transform Naga into a premier city. His work, while engaging his constituents to join in his crusade was recognized by so many award-giving bodies the highest of which was the Ramon Magsaysay award for government service. The Ramon Magsaysay award is Asia’s equivalent of the Nobel Prize.
But to receive an award was not his aim. He believed that man exists and lives for others. His death may be his greatest award because it now has freed him from what may corrupt him later,– for we never know the workings of the human mind. So far his greatest award of all is the respect, admiration, and sincere love of his people specially those who have lived with him.
It is sad and painful for such an upright, dedicated, simple, consistent in his drive for the ‘daang matuwid’ die at such an early age but such is fate. Hopefully, another man or woman will come to remove the boulder form a roadway or better still that his death may inspire the Filipinos to remove every boulder from every roadway.
Years back the Philippine Independence Day Council used to parade — I think strut is a better word— in the heart of Toronto.
Men clad in barong and women with huge hairdo wearing their ternos carried an oversized Philippine flag. Following them were floats on 12-wheeler-smoke- belching flatbed trucks. In a city known for its grand parades and street festivals, PIDC’s parades looked like funerals.
Not only that there were more participants than onlookers, the parades with gargantuan flatbed trucks were out of synch with the times like the organizers. At a time when care for the environment, revulsion towards wasteful practices were the vogue PIDC’s parade was anathema.
I then wrote kilometric sentences in my column praying that PIDC remove the parade from its very long list of activities. My prayers were answered; PIDC removed the parade from its menu.
PIDC has always claimed that it has no money and yet the number of activities it has spread out all over the GTA from January to August could make the Olympics shrink in shame. For an organization that claims to have no money the activities are just too much: beauty pageants (little girls, teens, to matrons, etc. – anything that moves has a category), basketball, singing idols, picnics, galas, golf cup, Santa Cruzan, all activities, including pataasan ng ihi (kung pwede).
PIDC is spreading itself too thin and what it tries to spread has lost its mojo. Maybe that’s why Tenny Soriano calls it a faded glory. PIDC needs a major make over, or retoke, and so does those that are copying it.
So Philippine Press Club-Ontario is holding a gala on September 8? The announcement said it is the Induction Gala of PPCO’s new officers for 2012 – 2014led by Ricardo Caluen, elected in May this year during which they were immediately sworn in, thus inducted into office.
Quick to the draw, one member asked why another induction, dib a tapos na ang induction? Kayo naman, hindi ba tayo pwedeng mag celebrate? To have a GALA is one reason to make ‘gala-gala’ or in Cebuano ‘suroy-suroy’ and in Ilongo ‘lagaw lagaw ta anay Nonoy’.
Come let’s join the PPCO gala; I will!