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NEW YORK --- There are several topics that come to mind in writing this column. One is about Niņos Inocentes; the other is about our national hero Jose P. Rizal, and lastly, about the New Year. It's not a writer's block that's attacking me at the moment but it's the spirit of the Christmas season that's holding me back.
I was thinking also to write about a developing story about the Philippine Independence Day Council, Inc. (PIDCI), which had its board meeting on Monday, Dec. 27, to finalize the appointments of committee chairs, among other items in the agenda. But I thought of providing a synopsis at this time and reserving the rest of the story after celebrating the New Year.
From what I gathered from one of my inside sources, the meeting went well, ending close to midnight. It turned out also to be "no-holds-barred" session in some member's attempt to clarify critical issues they are faced with. That's short of the 100 days treasurer Baby Bleza said things will blow up in the open if certain issues were not resolved before then.
This is a good sign if PIDCI President Nimia Lacebal and her directors were serious at focusing on unity and performance as well as adhering to the provisions of PIDCI by-laws. And yes, Lolita Compas was right to suggest the board should hear first the concerns of its members before anybody else outside of their ring. Whether or not that would be observed depends upon the leadership of the president.
With no other grand marshal nomination to contend with Linda Pelayo's, she easily received the committee's nod as well as the board's confirmation. No sweat at all as some people say. This is the first time in PIDCI's history that a wife is given the same honor and recognition, which her husband had years ago.
And the frolic begins.
I also nearly wrote at length about the on-going quest of Joseph Tieng and other members of the Philippine American Council in Bergen County (PACBC) to have Alice Francisco, its incoming president, to step down and let Rey Perez, the vice-president, assume the presidency.
As a result of this brouhaha in PACBC sparked by Tieng's letters, I received some feedback about PACBC from well-meaning current and former members. Suffice to say their comments pertain to Francisco's demeanor, allegations of manipulating or changing the voting rule to favor a candidate for president years ago and allegations of favoring certain people in its scholarship program. We could be opening up a can of worms here.
Would Francisco have the delicadeza to resign? She may want to hang on to her post but how could she enforce PACBC's code of ethics provided for in its by-laws if she herself is in question?
How could she take an oath of office to preserve and observe the organization's constitution and by-laws if she herself does not believe that her committing a fraud, (which she consented to with the medical board) is not fraud?
I better leave further comment of that PACBC story after the New Year.
In this country, we've learned how April Fool's Day is played and that of Niņos Inocentes, that old trick we've known from way back in our motherland. Obviously, one happens on April 1 and the other, on Dec. 28. And that's doubly hard because if we're not careful, we are hit twice, and that's really shameful. Remember that old adage: "you fool me once, shame on you; you fool me twice, shame on me?"
Well, someone played a trick on me the other day. I was told Ross Perot, who I met twice years ago when I was active with the Jaycees, had sent a Christmas present to me. I was also told he was inviting me to visit him in Texas to do a special project. The information seemed legit and after verifying the address, I rushed to an office in Manhattan to claim the gift and the supposedly free plane fare to Texas.
I got the gift alright but it was from a long, lost friend who was in town for the holidays. I also have to pay my own fare to get to Texas to visit our common friend. We all laughed when this happened and blamed it on that Niņos
The experience was a total surprise; it was nicely done, all in good taste as it re-united me to my childhood friend whom I have not seen for many years. It was indeed a gift that only true friends can appreciate especially during this season. No amount of money can buy that.
I started writing about Jose P. Rizal, our national hero, whose death at the hands of the Spanish colonizers is observed on Dec. 30, only to be distracted time and again. In my school days, he wasn't really my hero; it was Andres Bonifacio, the Great Plebian, and the Father of the Revolution and Philippine Democracy. However, after hearing so much of our hero from members of the Knights of Rizal New York (KORNY), I learned more about him to appreciate his works and his life.
But Rizal is for a different story. I considered writing about him only because his death is observed this month.
Well, as the old year comes to an end, a new one is ushered in. While some people reflect upon the past and the future, and plan accordingly, others are simply unmindful of the benefits of that process. They are content with what they do now: que sera sera (what will be, will be) as our old folks used to say.
I don't subscribe to that belief. Rather, it is my conviction that "if it is to be, it is up to me" and my faith in God. And if we are to start a new, refreshing year, what better to way to plan our life now according to the purpose we are privileged to have from our Creator.
Signing off the old year, here's wishing you and our community all the best in 2005!
Send comments to rickyxpres@aol.com or visit Website at PinoyOnBoard.com.
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