The day Bohol shook

I was born and raised in Tagbilaran City, the capital city of Bohol. I remember being terrified when Typhoon Nitang snapped two coconut trees right in our own courtyard. The torrential rains didn’t stop. It flooded the whole yard. Thank God our house was a bit elevated the waters didn’t get inside. I remember Mother promising to cut all the remaining standing coconut trees as soon as the storm subsided. True to her word, the following day, all the remaining coconuts were felled. I didn’t feel sorry for them. I felt relieved. Nitang happened when I was in college.

A couple of years after, I relocated to Cebu City for my first job - my first power industry job. In Cebu, I remember being scared again when ferocious typhoon Ruping with its howling wind attacked Cebu. Power supply was cut off for several days in the city.

Then, I relocated to General Santos City. Boy was I petrified when the city was besieged by bomb attacks in May 2000. I was very scared I told my former boss I had better gone home to Bohol. Naturally he prevailed over my frightened reaction. He said something about succumbing to terrorists’ tactics if city residents left. The terrorists would have won then, hands down.

Fast forward to October 15, 2013. Nothing could have prepared me for the 7.2-magnitude earthquake that hit Bohol. As the house shook fiercely together with a thunderous roar and objects started falling, I thought the house was going to crumble and worse, would collapse on me. Imagine that scene. I would be pinned down dead. Only presence of mind kicked me out from under the table of my bedroom and raced towards the door directly to the street. People were already on the streets shaking and trembling in their sleep wear. It was a holiday after all and people took their sweet time sleeping. It was supposed to be a day of relaxation. People can get up late because there was no work and no school for students. But that day was meant for something else. Sinister, for some; life-changing for others.

A lot of people were terrorized by the experience. The aftershocks didn’t help diminish the fear. Even up to this writing, aftershocks are still felt. It’s normal to feel afraid. I think for the most parts, we are afraid to die. A wise man said we should embrace death for it is a natural part of life. But when disasters occur, we forget whatever any wise man says and run for our lives. Don’t we? It’s our survival instinct that prevails. We run for cover. So maybe we’re not afraid to die after all, but afraid to die a painful death. Imagine being pinned down by a collapsing house. You feel every bone of your body breaks and you cry for help. It’s pure agony and it’s heartbreaking to even write about it.

There are so many painful stories from this side of the archipelago but all these have been heard, seen, and viewed from everywhere, thanks to advanced technology.

Suddenly, you’re thrust out of your comfort zone. Within seconds, you feel insecure about your life. It does not matter what type of house we live in.  An earthquake can flatten it in seconds. That’s right. A very powerful 20-30 second mainshock alters everything. If it were longer, the devastation could have been greater. The loss of lives could have doubled.

While at it, I asked Engr. Nolan Evangelista, an expert from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology and who happens to be a city neighbor about the recent earthquake. Nolan said, “The mainshock was characterized by slow ground shaking for about 10 seconds. This was followed by a strong vertical motion from 10 to 20 seconds.” I am not an expert but we can surmise logically that the vertical motion caused the collapse of the centuries-old churches.

Loon Church

The churches are another story. Being a provincial lass, I have seen all these churches up close and personal. I have been inside these churches. I have even taken photographs of these grand structures. They are huge, mystical, and transcend time. Imagine centuries. So many callused and dainty feet have walked either the wooden or tiled aisle. So many veiled and unveiled heads have looked up to admire the arches and columns. So many weddings and funerals held. Truly, the churches are a class of their own. A writer said, “We will also mourn their destruction because they have been part of our history and culture”. She said, “They will leave a scar as well.”     

Boholanos will have to accommodate the changes brought about by the recent earthquake. There will be many changes. For the badly-hit municipalities, life will never be the same again. It will be a fresh start, a new beginning.

For all of us who are affected in various ways by the disaster, our perspectives have totally changed. There is a new appreciation for life, family, friends, neighbors, and strangers. There is a deeper relationship with the Creator; a stronger faith.  We discover our own depths of generosity, compassion, and empathy. We have bonded as a people. More importantly, we have become truly attuned to our own humanity.

The seal of history

My favorite book

Two months after my mom passed away in 2001 while I was reeling from the pain of loss, we decided to spend our Christmas in Davao City. Our intention was to diminish a bit of the loneliness and emptiness that we all felt. It was Christmastime and the city was alive with mirth. Christmas was in the air.

My favorite book

Part of our itinerary was to visit the malls and bookstores. In one of our window shopping sessions, we proceeded to the National Bookstore. There I chanced upon the book, Maximize The Moment by T.D. Jakes. I started browsing and boy was it a wham! The book was totally a revelation. It was like the author directly spoke to me. The lessons were mind-boggling and I was excited to apply them in my life. I didn’t want to return the book to the shelf so I bought it pronto.

By the time we went home, I was reading the book with gusto. Since I was going through a lot of pain then owing to my mom’s death, the book spoke to me in ways I can only fathom. It opened my mind to a larger world. It changed my perspective on things. It elevated my way of thinking and doing things. It’s like the world has totally changed for me.

Over the years, I have always kept the book nearby. When I go through some confusing times, I revisit the book. When I hit a roadblock, I reread the book. The book has become a companion leading me on.

I have lent the book to several friends and one close friend told me something brilliant: “I now understand why you think they way you do. It’s the book. You have totally applied it in your life.” I was amazed at her discovery. It was a confirmation that the book totally impacted my life. I was never the same again.

Now, I smile at the thought that Mother guided me to pick that book that fateful day. She knew I needed it then.

Thanks Mother.

Doctor's visit

I was at the hospital early to sign up for the 9:00 A.M. check-up. While there, I met my sister-in-law and brother. Surprise! We got to talking about school and job. I am the fourth patient for the day. Not bad huh!

By 9:30 A.M., I drove back to the hospital for the actual check-up. Like in the past, I had to wait. It is past 11:00 A.M. now and I am still waiting. To optimize my time, I communicated with some important people via text. When I was done with that, I played card via my laptop. When I was done with card playing, I started writing this blog.

For a few seconds I was thinking what to write about, then I thought the best item to write is my doctor's visit. It's fresh. It's new. It's real.  

I started to think about why many people are afraid to see their doctors. For some, if not for most, they are scared to know that they are sick. Sickness like death is one scary occurrence in life. Having lost both parents to cancer, I thought for some time that the same illness would claim my life. After mother’s death, I was traumatized for a while. I had this nagging fear that very soon I will follow. I got over the fear, thank God.

When father died in 2009, I was no longer afraid of cancer. I have come to terms with dying. It is an eventuality no one can escape. It happens to everyone: rich, poor, good people, bad people, slaves, tyrants, adults, kids, old people. There is no exception. The earlier we come to terms with the reality that death is a natural part of living, the sooner we overcome our fear and get on with life. 

             

 Finally, my name was called. Ah, the rewards of blogging. 

Funerals and flowers

I was in a wake last night and the night before. While seated on a wooden bench, a fresh set of beautifully arranged flowers arrived. They pleased my eyes. Suddenly the thought of flowers made me ponder on flowers and funerals. Do they really come in pair? But flowers also come during Valentine’s right? I decided to hit www.google.com to do some research.

            

According to Wikipedia, a funeral is a ceremony for celebrating, sanctifying, or remembering the life of a person who has died. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember the dead, from interment itself, to various monuments, prayers, and rituals undertaken in their honor. These customs vary widely between cultures, and between religious affiliations within cultures. The word funeral comes from the Latin funus, which had a variety of meanings, including the corpse and the funerary rites themselves. Funerary art is art produced in connection with burials, including many kinds of tombs, and objects specially made for burial with a corpse.

            

Moreover, funeral rites are as old as the human culture itself, predating modern Homo sapiens, to at least 300,000 years ago. For example, in the Shanidar cave in Iraq, in Pontnewydd Cave in Wales and other sites across Europe and the Near East, Neanderthal skeletons have been discovered with a characteristic layer of flower pollen. This has been interpreted as suggesting that Neanderthals believed in an afterlife although the evidence is not unequivocal – while the dead were apparently indeed buried deliberately, the flowers might have been introduced by burrowing rodents.

            

Thus we know that funeral ceremonies are universal. It cuts across cultures, genders, races, and societies. We Filipinos have our own set of customs and traditions where funerals are concerned.

            

According to my research, a 1951 excavation in Northern Iraq determined that at least eight species of flowers, based on soil samples, were used at burial sites dating back to 62000 B.C., according to mcadamsfuneralflorist.com.

Furthermore, flowers at funerals symbolize the life cycle, its beauty, and to bring warmth to the ceremony. Before the advent of embalming, flowers were also used to mask body decomposition. I was wondering how flowers come to symbolize the life cycle and its beauty so I started thinking. The analogy is perfect. A flower plant starts from a single seed. The seed germinates, grows, blooms, withers, and then dies. Such is the human life. From our mother’s womb, we develop until our mothers deliver us, we grow, we bloom into maturity, we grow old for some, and then we die. It’s as simple and complex as that.

          

Let’s face it. Flowers do have their effect on people. In a wake, flowers soften the atmosphere. It brings calm and peace. It’s really the beauty of flowers that bring on the calming, soothing effect. No matter when or where it started, flowers will remain universal in their symbolism and application during wakes.

             

So, what are we waiting for? Bring on the flowers.

This blog is dedicated to my mother-in-law Mimi Villalongja Canlas who passed away on January 3, 2012. (In my Father's house are many mansions, it if were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. John 14:2)