With Freddie at Tiana’s

11/30/08

Dear Blog,

I was surprised when Freddie or Jun, my high school best friend called me that he's here. We decided to meet at McGregor so I packed-up and went there but they were closing already. I waited for him in my car then a little later he arrived with cool wheels, Honda CRV. We decided to transfer in EMR but when he got near the roundball, he signaled to the left where we ended up at Tiana's. It was a wonderful opportunity that we got together again after a long time. We chatted about a lot of things, what we've been through and of course the updates of our classmates in high school. We missed a lot of things in the past most especially our group with Tony Juelo as 'gwapings' then. LOL! I wonder who gave us the name but that's how we were known by our classmates in high school because we always hang out together. That's the time when "The Gwapings Adventure" hit the big screen top billed by the hottest trio stars Jomari Yllana, Eric Fructouso and Mark Anthony Fernandez. We're a lot like them as teens in hanging out, always together. Our peers patterned our group to that and rest is history.

High school days were a lot of fun. Jun and I talked about our crushes and what happened to them. Funny how we reminisce those days! 'Twas good that I brought my laptop. We browsed the internet of the whereabouts of who-we-know before in Friendster. We saw their pictures and were surprised of how things emerged from the past.

As we've grown, Jun commented of his receding hairline. I just laugh. He compared that to my being youthful (I'm having a big heart!) I think it's due to the nature of our work because I'm always inside the office and he's in the battlefield.

Jun tried to contact Tony but the latter can't be reached. Perhaps, he's asleep 'coz it was already late. I told him that I tried to text Tony before but he did not answer.

It was my first time at Tiana's and the place is good to chill out. We haven't got inside but I saw through a glass it's modernity in style. One good thing is the wifi internet connection that is accessible wit a laptop. We talked about blogs and I told Jun that I got one. I showed to him this blog that he liked to create one. We browsed some of the blogs I followed. He got struck of the mountain bike of Allan because he's a mountain biker too. The pictures of sceneries in the blogs were fantastic.

We ended up when the crew informed us that they were closing at 12:00 am. We packed up.

I liked the coffee that we ordered. It made me awake 'til that time. As an early sleeper, I can't stand awake that late but with a coffee and a good friend, there seems no end. I got a little later to bzzzzzzzzzzzzz! when I finally got home.

Muslim Holiday: IDIL PITIR

This is one of the landmarks here in Koronadal, "The Rounball", a guide that points to different cities and municipalities connecting the parts of Mindanao.


October 1, 2008

Dear Blog,

Today is declared holiday by the President in observance of the last day of Ramadan or fasting of Muslims in the Philippines. For us Christians, we respect their celebration because it is their freedom to worship and exercise their beliefs.

It is good to know that Muslims are given the chance nationwide to perform their religious activities. It is one way of showing that we are in a free country where Muslims and Christians can co-exist and live in peace. For a long time, war in Mindanao has been a problem for the government. But this kind of war should not be construed to be a religious conflict because it is entirely different. Actually there is no problem with being a Christian or a Muslim because the right to worship is provided in our constitution. We are all brothers and sisters and as Filipinos, we should not prevent anybody whether Christian, Muslim, Taoist, Buddhist, etc. to freely exercise the freedom to worship.

The freedom to worship as provided by our constitution does not require a particular god to be worshipped. Yes, there are differences in our beliefs and practices because we have different religions and interpretations but let us be aware that in any religious order, the basic foundation is love. Deep in the bottom of our hearts is the discernment of love against hate. If there is one thing I have learned from studying in Mindanao State University, a free campus where Christians and Muslims study, that is the understanding that rather than discussing the many differences we have, let us take into consideration the similarities in our beliefs.

One of the similarities we have is the fact that we are all human beings. We are not animals. There is only One who created us. We are rational. To act against one's welfare is against human rights. The rights we have given in our constitution are all based on the Divine Law.

Brian Adams in his book How To Succeed has written that the Golden Rule is the same in all Holy Books. Let us look at these:

• CHRISTIANITY    : All things whatsoever you would that men should do to you, do you even so to them.
  
• ISLAM        : No one of you is a believer until he desires for his brother that which he desires for himself.
  
• JUDAISM        : What is hurtful to yourself, do not to your fellowman. That is the whole law, the rest is commentary.
  
• BRAHMANISM    : This is the sum of duty: Do naught unto others which would cause you pain, if done unto you.
  
• BUDDHISM        : Hurt not other in ways that you yourself finds hurtful.
  
• CONFUCIANISM    : Do not unto others what you would not have them do unto you.
  
• TAOISM        : Regard your neighbor's gain as your own gain; and you neighbor's loss as your own loss.
  

Indeed, they bear similarity that is to love our fellowmen in the same way we love ourselves. When we do something good to our brothers without prejudice, we will feel the real peace within ourselves. Peace in Mindanao is so elusive because somehow the real root of insurgency is not cured. To attribute this kind of war to differences in beliefs is superficial for deep down lies a "cancer" that threatens not only the Philippine government but even the smallest unit of our society.

We are so blessed here in Mindanao because we have not experienced the blows of calamities unlike in other parts of our country however; the pace to move forward is slow due to existing war. Let's start to get up in the slumber of pitiful fate of Mindanaoans. Let's bring real peace to grow in the once known as Land of Promise and make Mindanao soar like it never did before. I urge the different parties of war to give peace a chance so that we can take off. Let's drop bombs of challenge to everyone.